Оптимальное сочетание цены и качества Optimal combination of price and quality

1. February 16-29. When we planned the trip, the travel agency offered the most suitable options and chose from those offered ourselves, according to the reviews of tourists. We arrived at night, around 3:15. Placed immediately (thanks to the travel agents gave an extended voucher, did not have to wait in the accommodation hall). They gave me a room on the first floor in the far block where Russian tourists are usually accommodated. We didn’t like something on the first floor, we were raised higher, they gave us another room without any problems. They went to sleep. I am a light sleeper, so I woke up at 7 o'clock from noise. Some kind of mechanism was working behind the wall, then I found out that it was a generator and a pumping station. At the reception they said that something happened there today. No more noise like this. But the next morning it all happened again. This noise did not interfere with our other tourists, apparently I am too susceptible. At the reception they listened and without any problems after 15 minutes they gave another number, in the building where Indians, British and others are accommodated. In general, there are no problems with accommodation, everything is fine. When we looked around, it became clear that in reality the hotel is much better than in the photo. . There is no external territory, but inside the courtyards are very green and well-groomed, the fountains are beautiful and work (they lie that most do not work !!! ), in the evening with beautiful illumination. 2. Suite room. Two rooms, living room and bedroom. Two bathrooms with shower, very comfortable. Gels, soaps and shampoos were constantly replenished, shampoo and gel are very fragrant. Wardrobe in the living room, dressing room in the bedroom. Two TVs, no Russian channels unfortunately. The furniture is good, made of natural materials. The bed in the bedroom is an airfield. Fans and air conditioning in every room, air conditioners are adjustable, fan speed too. In this room, we were also lucky that we did not have a balcony, but, as it were, an attic the size of a large room. Small fridge was enough. Kettle, glasses, cups, tea, coffee (really cheap, I didn’t consume it), plain sugar, sugar without calories (and for diabetics), cream powder. Everything was constantly replenished. Water 4 bottles of half a liter. In general, the room is excellent, clean, cozy, spacious and comfortable. 3. Service. Staff in Russian, not a word, but very friendly and polite. If you don’t know the language at all, then gestures and drawings on paper will help you. But I advise you to take a small phrasebook. At the reception, they immediately responded to all requests, dialed a phone number upon request, called a taxi, a car to go to the beach of a 5 * hotel, a porter, or room service, if something was needed in the room (for example, water). We were constantly interested in how we live and whether there are any wishes and comments. Cleaning was done every day and quite efficiently, even the attic was washed, left a bunch of towels and figurines on the bed. True, we almost always left 10 rupees and a lollipop or a small chocolate bar (we brought it with us on the advice of a travel agency). The linen was constantly fresh, I can’t say how often it was changed, because we didn’t fall into bed dirty and in shoes. The first two days there were small overlays with the cleaning time and replenishment of water, but we calmly agreed and the remaining 11 days everything was absolutely fine. Towels at least for the beach, at least for the pool were given without problems, it happened two, three times they took fresh towels, there was never a refusal. By the way, the towels in our hotel were much fresher, softer and more pleasant than those of the same 5 * hotel. The pool is small, but quite enough to swim and it was never crowded, for small children there is a separate "paddling pool". The water in the pool is a little cooler than in the sea, but quite comfortable, I swam instead of physical exercises at 7 in the morning, I never froze. Even the English and the Indian boy swam with me and did not shiver from the cold. There is a small but well-equipped gym (included in the price), there is a sauna (never went, roasted on the beach). Russian tourists advised massage and spa (for a fee), but we did not go. 4. Nutrition. Breakfast - buffet. You could eat to your heart's content. Of course, there are not very many pickles, but for two weeks it was quite enough to diversify. Juices and fresh pineapple, papaya, watermelon, melon always. There was also some kind of herbal drink (mint, coriander and any other mixture there), they said that it was useful, they used it once it was useful (but what is useful is usually tasteless! ). Cereals, cereals, milk, chicken liver or sausages, and fried bacon. An omelet is prepared right there in front of you, pancakes - you just want it, you want it filled with a mixture of potatoes, seasonings, chopped tomatoes, onions, herbs and (if you really want hot pepper). Everything is according to your desire, if you don’t want pepper or something else, they won’t put it. We even became friends with the chef. For some reason, he paid special attention to me (maybe because on the very first day I ate two servings of his pancakes with filling and praised me?! ) and always tried to please and serve me in some way. We rarely had lunch, as it is hot and we don’t really want to eat (especially after a hearty breakfast). But if it already punched an appetite, then they dined in shek (these are such beach cafes) on the beach. They never got poisoned in the beach shacks, and fresh fresh juices (juices with pulp) and fish and chicken and shrimp, everything was freshly prepared (if you order something in the shack, you don’t have to pay for an umbrella and a sunbed). In "Gloria" (this is near the 5 * beach) it's more expensive, at Jimmy and Vanessa it's cheaper. But in general, prices in beach shacks are higher than in a cafe near the hotel. For example, a beef steak on the beach is 300-380 rupees, in the Toncia cafe a special steak, a portion of which includes a piece of chicken fillet, a large beef chop, fried tomatoes, lettuce and french fries (for some reason they call fries chips) costs only 200 rupees. Seafood is more expensive than meat and chicken everywhere, but you can bargain. The fish is varied, and there is a shark and barracuda and tuna and many more, I can’t remember all the names, shrimps, crabs from tiny to huge. Fruit is not in season in February, but bananas, tangerines, pineapples, watermelons, chiku (like persimmons), pomegranates, mangosteen were, roasted cashews, bought in shops near the hotel and in the market in Colva. Right next to the exit from the hotel there are two cafes "Loco" and "Travel", a little further, somewhere 500 meters from the hotel (go past the taxi rank and at the fork to the left) cafe "Toncia". In "Toncia" the waiters speak Russian (especially Sasha, the tourists called him that), and the atmosphere there is more cheerful, there are more people (especially Russians), they put on Russian music, whoever wants to even dances. Everywhere menu in English and Russian. But in "Toncia" there is an advantage, because Sasha can explain what kind of dish it is and what it consists of. Try masala chai, which is tea brewed with milk and spices. Delicious. In general, there were no problems with food, they preferred Toncia, although in Loko they say a little cheaper, we didn’t like it in Travel, the portions are smaller and the waiters do not always understand what they want from them, and the prices there are higher than Loko and Toncia. If you are going on a long excursion, or have come from an excursion with your family, the children are tired, and someone cannot go to dinner, Sasha will collect a package of hot food for you to take with him, it is cheaper than taking it in room service. In general, it is better to buy a tour with breakfast only, it is cheaper and not tied to a hotel. 5. Excursions and taxi rides. Excursions are not very diverse, but Pegasus is very expensive. A lot has already been written about elephants, spices, a waterfall and fishing. We didn't take them. We were given the phone number of a Russian guide who has been living in India for several years, we agreed with him and went on a long one-day tour of the sacred places in India, the Shiva temple complex in Murdeshwar, ancient Gokarna, Om beach. 6 people cooperated, it cost 70 dollars per person, well, it also took 5 to 10 dollars for food. At Pegasus, this tour costs $170 per person, including meals. Count yourself. Our guide Vitaly told us very well and in detail about the places where we were and about India in general. Lots of impressions. If the state of Goa is not India yet (everyone says so, the 400-year rule of the Portuguese affected and we saw it for ourselves), then on this trip we saw a bit of real India in all its glory. We really enjoyed. Gokarna is breathtaking, indeed a holy place, everything there breathes with spiritual power. We also went on our own to a couple of temples nearby, in Pond. Negotiate the price with taxi drivers and go ahead. Bargain, start from the prices in the price list (take the taxi price list at the hotel reception for information), agree on the waiting time. Pay only upon arrival back at the hotel. Usually 1 hour of waiting is free, the rest is about 50 rupees per hour. Taxi drivers understand a little Russian, but if they don’t understand, then the price is indicated on a mobile phone or calculator. They don’t get impudent (well, there are some, the family has its black sheep, but if you say “brigadier”, then all problems will immediately settle down and the impudent one will never be lucky again, they will give you others). there were never any conflicts and they didn’t leave us anywhere, because they paid only upon arrival at the hotel. 6. Shopping. Near the hotel there are 3 shops where you can buy anything on the little things. The same juice in bottles and packages (excellent natural, varied and cheap juices, you can’t even compare with those that are sold in Russia). Two shops on the way to the village of Varca (the first one is just behind Loko, the second is a little further, after about three or four houses, the third shop, on the way to the beach or to Toncia in a large blue apartment building, is called Dolfin View. The owner of this shop he can even bring you what you need, for example, tape or film for wrapping luggage (at the airport, this service is not available as such, and they don’t stand on ceremony with suitcases, and it’s better to wrap it with film). badly needed, then bargain mercilessly, drop the price by half. If you need to shop, then you need to take a taxi and go to Colva, Cavelossim, Margao or the state capital of Panaji. We didn’t do much shopping, we just traveled and saw what was worth. As the wife says, "the eyes sold. " You can buy good things from natural cotton, silk, leather and cashmere (correctly, it is KASHMIR, as the Indians say, this is a fabric made from fine wool from the state of Kashmir). Branded jeans under license from Indian cotton, Lee, Wrangler and others. A lot of jewelry, but you need to understand the stones. For women, of course, natural Ayurvedic cosmetics in special Ayurvedic pharmacies, a huge variety of this goodness. There are booklets in Russian, so you can read and choose what you need. It is better to change the currency with taxi drivers, in cafes or jewelry stores - the most favorable exchange rate. At the reception and at the airport, the exchange rate is very low. You can also withdraw currency from Visa or Mastercard cards, there are ATMs in Colva and Margao. In large stores like Big G in Margao or Saga in Cavelossim, you can pay for purchases with a card, you can also pay with a card in branded jeans stores. 7. General conclusions. I really liked the rest, there are a lot of impressions and only positive ones. The beach is clean, the sand creaks underfoot like snow in the cold. Cows were not seen on the beach for two weeks, only a buffalo which was specially taken to show to tourists. There are dogs near the sheks, they are very friendly and protect tourists from beggars and wandering traders. The sea is gentle, warm and clean, without garbage. Just not transparent, since the bottom and the beach are pure sand. The waves are small. If you want to swim, it is easy to go behind the lambs and swim (for an adult! By no means a child !!! ) Indians are very friendly and welcoming people. I advise (by the way, I’m not the first), smile more, if you want something, ask politely, without shouting scandal and reprimand, they will do everything and pretty quickly. We will definitely come back here. By the way, the owner of Mahindra bought the hotel and now it is called Emerald Palms. If you have any questions, write - I will answer. Read the websites www. ogoa. ru, www. gomania. com Map of the area around the hotel with designated cafes http://maps.google.com/maps/ms? ie=UTF8&hl=ru&msa=0&msid=205090566179032033062.00049478672115217885e&ll=15.24858. 73.932495&spn=0.120073. 0.1478&t=h&z=13]P. S. And the previous author should be ashamed of his lies.