Goa is located on the west coast of India, by the Arabian Sea, and being in the tropical zone it has a hot and humid climate for most of the year. In the winter season, from mid November until March, the temperatures do not get so high and there is a moderate amounts of humidity. It is mainly in the winter time tourists come from overseas to enjoy the splendid climate. May is the hottest month of the year, seeing day temperatures of over 35C (95F) cobbled with high humidity. The monsoon rains arrive by early June and provide a much needed respite from the heat, this is also the time of the year where tourists from across India come to Goa to spend their holidays.
Goa is India's smallest state by area, it only covers 3,700 square kilometers, and with a total population of around 1.4 million it is the forth smallest by population. Goa was a Portuguese colony for over 450 years and the consequential influence of the Latin culture presents Goa with a somewhat different picture to the foreign visitor than any other part of India. There are Iberian style central central squares, Indian bazaars and Portuguese churches sharing their walls with Hindu temples. Goa is best known for its spectacular beaches, but there are also many old churches, monuments, temples and museums worth visiting. Among the major tourist attractions are the Bom Jesus Basilica and fort Aguada.
Goa has about 125 km (80 mi) of coastline dotted with beaches. These beaches are divided into North Goa and South Goa Beaches. The further north or south you go, the more isolated the beaches get. If you are looking for people, then visit some of the more popular beaches like Baga and Anjuna. There are a lot of great hotels and resorts where you can stay, but Goa is one of the more expensive states of India especially during peak season in the winter months, where all tourist spots charge more than they do off season. The prices tend to peak between Christmas and New Year.
Goa has one airport at Dabolim in Vasco da Gama, its largest city. Some airlines fly directly to Goa, but most international flights arrive via Mumbai. There are daily domestic flights to and from Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Bangalore, and twice a week Chennai. Recently, daily flights to Jaipur and Ahmedabad, among a few other destinations, have been added. Also there are direct charter flights to Goa from several European countries, among these are Great Britain, Germany and Switzerland. Goa is fairly well connected to other nearby Indian cities via bus, and most Indian tourists travel to and from Goa by bus. Trains connecting Goa offer an inexpensive and fairly pleasant ride, provided you get confirmed reserved seats. Unconfirmed travel can be pretty harrowing.
