This page contains answers to common questions handled by our support
staff.
Note: If after reading this page you still have questions
please be free to ask via email.
- How do I obtain a visa to India... ?
- Where can I find the Indian Consulate... ?
- What are the fees for obtaining an Indian Visa ... ?
- What are the health precautions for travel to India ... ?
- Are there good hospitals in Goa ...?
- What is the best time to visit Goa ... ?
- Where can I get more information on Goa ... ?
- What are the ways of getting to Goa ...?
- Where can I get maps of Goa ...?
- What should I wear ...?
- What should I carry...?
- Is it wise to get travel insurance for my travel to Goa ...?
- What about driving in Goa ...?
- What are customs regulations for visitors to India?
- How should I carry money ...?
- Is credit cards safe and useful to carry ...?
- What currency is used in India ...?
- How reliable is the postal system in Goa ...?
- How reliable is the telephone system in Goa ...?
- How is transportation in Goa ...?
- Where is the International airport in Goa ...?
- Is there easy access to internet in Goa ...?
- What about photography and photo processing in Goa ...?
- Does India and Goa have different time zones ...?
- Will my electric shaver work in Goa and India ...?
- Are women travelers safe in Goa ...?
- What about gay & lesbian; travelers while in Goa ...?
- How safe is Goa ...?
- Is there a "Drug problem" in Goa ...?
- Is nudity allowed on Goan beaches ...?
- Is alcohol freely available in Goa ...?
- What is the Language of Goa, is English easily understood ...?
- Where can I find a list of foreign Missions in Goa and India...?
A visa to India is needed of most foreign nationals visiting India. They are obtainable at the
Indian Missions, Consulates, High
Commissions Overseas.
The visas are valid for the period issued. They range from a 15 day period to
up to a six month for tourists. They are valid from the date issued and it is
wise to start travel as soon as the visa is obtained to take advantage of the
entire period of visa validity. Once obtained, visas can be extended in
India, ( depending
on the application ) at the local "Foreigners Registration Office"
located in every major city in India. In Goa it is located at the Police
Headquarters in Panaji.
Here is a list of websites of Indian Missions Overseas.
Check them out for the latest information regarding applications, fees and addresses.
The fees vary with the country concerned and is many a time reciprocal. You
have to check with your local Indian Missions Overseas.
India is a tropical country and many tropical diseases are endemic. The
important ones include Cholera, Dengue fever,
Amoebic and Shigella dysentery, Hepatitis, Malaria, Meningitis, Typhoid,
Tuberculosis and Leprosy. Some of these pose a major health hazard to the
passing tourist.
It is worthwhile to get vaccinations and immunizations against the following prior to travel to India. Tetanus and
Diphtheria, Polio, Typhoid, Hepatitis A and B, Meningococcal meningitis, TB, Rabies and
Japanese B encephalitis. Record all vaccinations in the International Health
Certificate available at your local Physician or Health department.
International tourists should carry
their Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate conforming to International
Health Regulations, if they originate or are transiting through countries
where Yellow
Fever is endemic. International travelers / tourists originating from the
USA, UK and Canada do not require any mandatory vaccinations.
The International Health Certificate is
not normally asked for by immigration officials, however it is better to carry
one. It may be of immense help in case of a medical emergency.
To avoid Malaria and Dengue fever, carrying mosquito repellents, nets,
and using sprays against insects in rooms is usually sufficient. A first aid kit carrying adhesive bandages, thermometer,
water-purification tablets, antibiotics, antiseptic creams and mosquito
repellents is recommended of every tourist.
It is
recommended that sticking to a vegetarian diet is an
excellent way of preventing gastrointestinal diseases, should you eat meat,
please make sure that it is properly and completely cooked. Avoid eating food from roadside
stalls, pork products, fried food and food that is very oily. Food in
reputable restaurants is usually safe, they are required to maintain health
standards.
Drinking only mineral / bottled or boiled water
is highly recommended to prevent gastrointestinal diseases.
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Goa has better health facilities for its size as compared to the rest of
India. As far as specialized treatment is concerned, there is a difference and
most locals travel to Bombay for it. The apex medical institution in Goa is
the Goa Medical College Hospitals and their campus is located at Bambolim. The
other towns of Mapusa and Margao are served by district hospitals,
namely the Asilo Hospital in Mapusa and the Hospicio Hospital in Margao.
Vasco da Gama has a good private hospital , the Salgaocar Medical Research
Center. There are a lot of cottage hospitals and primary health centers in
every small town and village.
The best time to visit Goa is between October and December
Right here. Check out the various pages and the whole site to get
information on the various aspects of Goa.
History of Goa
Goa Sightseeing
Culture of Goa
Goa is approachable by all means of transportation. Check out these pages for
more details.
Air travel to Goa. The international gateway for this
part of India is Mumbai. Goa's only airport is Dabolim Airport.
Road travel to Goa. Goa is well connected by roads to
major neighboring cities like Bombay, Pune, Bangalore and Hyderabad with
good regular bus services.
Boat travel to Goa. Goa has an excellent Catamaran
service from Mumbai except during the monsoon season.
Train travel to Goa. Goa has the most modern railway
line in India, the Konkan Railway recently completed that connects it to major
Indian cities via links and express trains.
Right here. Check out the various pages for up to date maps for all of Goa's
tourist attractions.
Clean and decent clothes, preferably cotton as Goa has a tropical climate.
Use your discretion. The preferred Indian clothes are pants and shirts,
and most women wear saris, Indian dresses, pants and skirts and blouses. Please
avoid wearing beachwear in the city as it will invite curious unwanted
attention. Nudity is banned in Goa.
The usual personal effects along with clothes. Make sure you have the
appropriate voltage personal accessories. It is 220V in India. Carry
prescriptions of medications and glasses. Make sure you have the International
drivers license if you wish to drive. Carry enough local currency $200 worth at
all times to pay for local services. Make sure your documents including cash,
passport and credit cards and tickets are secure with you at all times.
Yes. One can never predict when one might need specialized services not
available in Goa.
Like the rest of India and the UK, vehicles travel on the left side of the
road. An International Drivers License is required.
Like every other country, India too has certain Customs
Formalities and Baggage rules for International Visitors. Please check out the
page on Customs
Formalities for International Visitors to India for more.
Preferably Travelers cheques and cash in Indian currency up to $200 at all times
to pay for local services. Credit cards are also widely accepted in Goa and
India today.
Check out the pages on Currency Exchange
Centers in Goa and Banks in Goa for
more information.
Yes. Using credit cards to withdraw cash may be available at only a few
places in Goa, so keep enough local cash to get along.
The Indian currency is called Rupees. One rupee is made of 100 naya paisa. A
rough estimate is 1$ =40 Indian rupees.
The Indian postal service is very reliable provided all transactions are done
at the post office. There is a post office in every village, town and city.
The General Post Office or GPO is in Panaji.
Very reliable. The Intra state calls are called STD calls. The international
calling facility is available at many calling booths and the rates are displayed
outside the booths. They can also be done at most post offices and hotels. A
list of important numbers is in the Goa Emergency Telephone directory
Very Good. There is a problem of overcrowding which is accepted as a way of
life in India. The local transportation is a mix of Private and Public
enterprise. The public enterprise is called the KTC or the Kadamba Transport
Corporation. The private buses all have names and locals usually refer to them
as such. Most local cities and towns have a designated Bus stand from where most
services arrive and depart. Check out the page on Road Travel
to Goa for more information.
Goa has only one airport and it is located at Dabolim, near the city of Vasco
da Gama. It is classified as a domestic airport with connections to all all
major Indian cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Cochin, Pune and Madras.
Check out the Air Travel to Goa for more information.
If you should use Mumbai as your gateway to India, you will find this list
of Bombay Telephone Numbers
useful.
Yes and no. There are Internet cafes scattered all over Goa. The charges are
variable. Expect to pay about 1 Indian rupee for every minute of use. A
listing of some is in Cyber Cafes of Goa
It is all available in Goa at reasonable rates.
The whole of India has one time zone including Goa. It is commonly referred
to as IST or the Indian Standard Time. The IST is GMT+ 5 and 1/2 hours.
Only if it runs on 220V. If you come from a country with 110V
standard, please get a conversion kit. Since there is wide fluctuation in
voltage in India, you are advised to use a voltage stabilizer to prevent damage
to sensitive electronic equipment.
Relatively speaking, Yes. for more on the Law and Goa
Police please check the Goa Police and the Law Page.
Goa has a special Women's Police Station to handle women related crimes.
Homosexuality is taboo and technically Illegal in India
under an archiac British 1800 law. However so long as open
displays of affection are avoided, there will be no problems in Goa and India.
It is relatively safe as compared to the rest of India. Please
check out the page on Goa Police and the Law in Goa.
Please follow some common Do's and Don'ts while in India in general. This
includes locking your suitcases, keeping an eye on them during travel, locking
hotel rooms and placing items of importance in hotel safes for safekeeping.
Please always keep a sufficient amount of money in small bills in Indian Rupees
for sundry use. Keep passport in person at all times.
Check out or print out the page of Telephone numbers
for
emergencies in Goa.
No. Drugs are Illegal in Goa and in India with severe penalties if caught in
possession of even minute quantities. Please check out the page on Goa
Police and the Law in Goa for more on this subject.
Nudity is banned on all Goan beaches.
Yes. Goa is famous for its own brand of brewing. It is called "Feni
". It is distilled from two sources, Cashew fruits and Coconuts.
Goans proudly speak Konkani, it is Goa's official language and Goans had to
go through a lot to obtain this status. There is a lot of variation in the way
it is spoken among different communities and locations in Goa, this is partly
due to history. It now has a script and is called "Devanagiri"
script as it is common with Hindi. English is widely spoken and understood with
an accent variation depending on the educational background of the speaker and
the area of origin.
Almost all countries have missions in India. Not many of them have or maintain
an office in India. Some of them have their own websites in India are listed
in Foreign Missions in India.
Foreign missions with an office in Goa are as follows.
