Vacation time = Goa time and if it wouldn’t have been a vacation time, a Goa trip is a trip where no one can ever resist themselves from going. Goa is the most happening tourist spot of India because first, the place is beautiful and has en number of beaches and second you can find the best of seafood and alcohol in a pretty affordable price. But but but… everyone knows how things work with friends, a successful trip is always a sudden trip and there can be a time where you were not prepared for an outing so we have a solution for your ‘cash crunch’ trip here. Here are 10 tips to save money on your holiday to Goa. Here we go…
- Book your rooms directly from the hotel: First things first, where there is a trip, there comes bookings and where there are pre-bookings, there is a saga of overcharging. In this era of online marketing, customers are lured to get hotel deals online through booking mediums which at times charges you more than they should. Most voyagers don’t understand it, but hotels and car companies pay brokerage for business earned via web-based booking sites. Their payments can be as high as 15%, which means they keep only 85% of your after-tax payment. So to save a bit you can opt for one on one bookings than other mediums.
- Try Goa’s local delicacies: I remember my trip to Goa back in 2015, we were all students back then and obviously with tight pockets. So we decided upon saving few bucks from the breakfast budget and try the local bakeries and places instead of the shacks. The foods is a must have! Everything right from the Shawarma, Goan Chorizo Pao to the Chicken Cafereal Poi sandwich were just so amazing. There is an abundance of options from local delicacies and comparatively cheaper than what’s sold in the shacks.
- Goa- a city of shades: Okay, don’t judge but I’ve myself named Goa as the city of shades and I’ll tell you why the first shop I saw as I entered Goa was a shop of sunglasses. So if you are planning to buy all the costly shades of sunglasses let me tell you why you should not. The vendors in Goa sell a variety of sunglasses with all shades and styles. You can get an aviator or a wayfarer or any other shades you prefer in merely 100 to 200 bucks. So… why not?
- Buy your alcohol from wine shops: Goa is meant for people who love alcohol because alcohol in Goa is equal to no taxes! You can get a beer pint in merely 36 bucks, can you imagine??? But the same pint will cost you around 90 bucks in a normal shack and the same goes for vodka, whiskey, rum and so on. So why pay more for something that can cost you a lot less outside? Having alcohol in few beaches publicly is not permitted but you can always take the bottles to your room and enjoy it with some loud music and dance with your friends!
- Book a bike or a scooter to roam around: The best way to roam around the city is to grab a map and rent a bike. There are varieties of two-wheelers available to choose so you can get your favourite one. The rent starts with rupees 11/km. They even have bullets, Harley Davidson and few sports bikes. More mileage – less petrol – smiles on faces plus bike rides are always fun as compared to cars any day. And you need not worry about the finding petrol pumps, in Goa, you will find every shop selling petrol at the same cost. Another few bucks saved!
- The hotel location: Both North Goa and South Goa is equally happening but the tariff of your hotel differs drastically according to your location. If you are staying anywhere in North Goa, near the extreme right side of the beach the rooms are a bit cheaper than around Baga Beach though both the beaches are connected. Do your study about the location and hotel rooms before opting for one to save on few thousands.
- Travel during off seasons: We had been to Goa in early February and was pretty close to offseason. Planning for the trip in an offseason will help you save a lot on hotels, travelling and food since the rates go down due to low demand. The best time for a low budget Goa trip would be the low seasons. So if you are a student looking forward to a Goa trip with your friends and you wish to get the best of your trip it is advisable to plan it somewhere around the low season.
- Know your holiday calendar: Keep in mind the dates and check your calendar it there is a long weekend or a holiday time just so you can get a rough idea of the trip expenditure. The holiday might result in price hike of rooms and itineraries so plan well in advance about the date and avoid weekends to save some yourself of additional expenses. Additionally, if you wish to save some more on travelling, use cleartrip coupons that gives up to 3000 cashbacks, 30% instant cashback etc. on domestic flight bookings. So save your time and book your tickets now!
- Join in for some help if asked: The last time we had been to Goa, there was an opening of a hotel next to our and we were asked for some help before evening inauguration and we were ready to help, in return we were offered 100 dollars each and a lavish dinner and stay at the hotel. That how karma works I believe! So, try your luck with such experiences. We shopped and clubbed once more from 100 dollars that we got.
- Shopping: I know a market tour is a must but at times it can go really heavy on our pockets. There are hundreds of vendors and they sell similar products all around, here come your bargaining skills which will help you save a lot more than what you thought. We have bought t-shirts for as cheap as 100 bucks. So, go on in a group, purchase everything in a bulk amount, negotiate and bargain a lot and make the best of your trip and I’m sure this low budgeted trip would be the most memorable trip of your lives.
So these were the 10 tips to save money on your holiday trip to Goa. Hope you liked the tips and will find it equally helpful like I did. It does not matter if you have a lot of money or you don’t, to get the best of your trip the most important thing is to make memories, have lots of fun, click loads of pictures, eat, drink, dance and enjoy. That is how you make a great trip. Hope you have a nice time J
