Winning tip: Sahakari Spice Farm, Ponda
A short rickshaw ride away from the town of Ponda, this spice farm is a great place to relax and spend the day. The tour of the spice garden is led by knowledgeable staff who identify everything and let you know all the possible uses. The tour is followed by a delicious lunch and herbal tea, all made with spices grown on the farm.
sahakarifarms.com, tour about £4pp
hannahloryman
Menezes Braganza, Chandor
Be sure to visit one of the old Portuguese mansions for a taste of colonial Goa. The best-known is Menezes Braganza. One wing is like a museum – well-maintained and stuffed full of antiques. The other wing is more faded grandeur but charming and homely.
Mu Tucker
Mario Miranda gallery, Panaji
One of the most familiar names in Indian cartooning and illustration is Mario Miranda and here there are thousands of his cartoons chronicling daily life in India. The museum is in Reis Magos fort, which was renovated recently, and has books and compilations of Miranda’s works.
mariodemiranda.com
Nisha Jha
Casa Susegad, Loutolim
For a true flavour of Goa, travel inland to the villages. Loutolim is my favourite, surrounded by waterfalls, lush vegetation, whispering monkeys and fruit plantations. Casa Susegad is a five-room colonial mansion offering meals from organic produce grown in the garden. Laze around the pool or sit on the terrace with a glass or two of coconut feni – the Goan firewater.
casasusegad.com, +91 832 648 3368
nicolletta
C-Five restaurant, Benaulim
This all-vegetarian, cold beer-serving, rustic restaurant on the main drag in Benaulim is nothing short of delightful. Rahul, the owner/chef, is a culinary genius and I haven’t tasted better vegetarian food anywhere.
Benaulim beach road, +91 992 206 8306
Freddyboy
Alila Diwa hotel
On the last Thursday of each month this hotel hosts a “dine in the dark” event at its Spice Studio restaurant. You have no idea what you’ll eat next and the sensory deprivation really heightens the senses.
alilahotels.com/diwagoa
Jeremy French
Lazy Dog Lounge, Mandrem
Also known as Beach Street, this is an old fort converted to a restaurant (or upmarket shack) on Mandrem beach in north Goa. Sit round the swimming pool within the fort walls or sunbathe on the loungers by the Arabian Sea and have drinks and food brought to you. There are also several luxury beach huts to rent if you decide to stay. There is abundant bird life as the tide flows in and out of the creek.
facebook.com/beachstreetresort, +91 942 388 2600
Baggins123
Mandala Goa Resort
This hotel is in a stunning setting amid the wetland of Mandrem beach. Take some time to chill with nourishing Goan fare: juices, handpicked tulsi tea and unforgettable papaya jam. Morning lakeside yoga takes place to the chorus of native birds, followed by an exhilarating outdoor shower experience, enclosed by palm trees and serene botanicals. You stay in unique villas or yurts.
themandalagoa.com, +91 965 789 8021
ID1625709
Rangeela Boutique, Calangute
This is the best place to shop in Goa for clothing that’s modern, stylish and designed so it fits in to the culture of the Indian beach state. It’s housed in a remarkable ancestral home with high whitewashed walls, pink-trimmed windows and cool, green gardens, offering the ideal Goan shopping experience.
Arpora, Calangute,+91 832 227 6123
Indiana Gordon
Agonda beach
Difficult to get to but worth the effort, Agonda is a good escape from crowded parts of northern Goa, and a beautiful place where you can sunbathe with the cows. Get up early and head to the rocky end of the beach and you may spot dolphins. The Sandy Feet is good for a meal.
rorytin
The German Bakery, Anjuna
The German Bakery was my favourite place in Goa. The range of breads is amazing and it’s great for just chilling out. It has free Wi-Fi, too, and you can stay in Portuguese-style suites (from £40 for two).
german-bakery.in, +91 909 605 8775
charlottesteggz
