After years of reading about it, dreaming about it and jealously listening to friends describe it, we finally did it! We packed our bags and our appetite for spicy food . . . we were going to Goa!

After a long journey (via England) we arrived in Candolim in the north of Goa, the smallest state of India, which still retains a lot of Portuguese influence with its architecture.

The land is very fertile, having many rivers raging down from the plateau and mountains in the east, forming five large estuaries which are a major part of the Goan coastline facing the Arabian Sea.

Everywhere we went the people were friendly and helpful and always smiling, even though they do not have much and their wages are a fraction of those of European countries.

We had been warned that the star rating of the hotels was probably lower than in Europe so we were pleasantly surprised with our choice of the Lemon Tree Amarante Beach Resort.  We only had breakfasts at the hotel, which were very good, but for our other meals we were off to sample the best of Goan cuisine.

There were so many choices of good restaurants that during our three-week stay we only ate in two places twice. Nearly every restaurant offered choices of tandoori, Indian, Goan, Chinese, vegetarian and continental specialities, and we were never disappointed. One of our favourites was called Inferno, and the tandoori mussels we had there were delicious.

A different restaurant was one called Bomras, serving Burmese food on thick wooden plates and it was exquisite. In Goa, you can have a good meal with drinks for around 10 to 15 euros for two. A decent wine was a little hard to find, so Kingfisher Beer was the favourite until you got onto the cashew nut fenni or Goan raki!

Five minutes from the back of the hotel and we were on a wide sandy beach stretching for six kilometres. There were some sunbeds with thick mattresses and the man in charge went and bought us some drinks. The downside of this beach was the continual interruption of the very persistent hawkers selling their wares. We then discovered Aswen beach, a forty minute drive away which was like paradise where the hawkers stayed away and the only interruption was the odd herd of cows which wandered along the shoreline. Here, there were some shacks serving fresh fish for lunch, or snacks, and you could stay the night in one of the bamboo cabins for as little as 1.50 euros.

The best way to get around is to get a taxi and the driver will take you where you want and wait for you, as we did when we went to Aswen beach for several hours, and it only cost about 12 euros. If you are brave you can try the local buses which race along the roads at terrifying speeds or there are the little three wheel put-puts.

When it came to shopping, there are many jewellery shops where gold is cheap, and you can have rings and things made to your own design. Tailors were also good value, and we had trousers and shirts made at a fraction of the cost. For example, a made to measure suit in a fine material cost 80 euros. There are a few markets to choose from but they are all quite similar, featuring very colourful arrays of bags, bed covers, cushion covers, clothes, wooden boxes and spices . . . so much to look at.



Our main aim when we got to Goa, however, was to book a trip to see the Taj Mahal, so after relaxing for a few days we booked the two night excursion. After a two and a half hour flight to Delhi, we were met by a driver, who took us on the four-hour drive to Agra. Early the next morning, the driver and a guide picked us up for the drive to the Taj. Cars are not allowed near the site, so the last part is by rickshaw. This was an adventure in itself, as the driver was about 90, and we weren't sure he could haul us, but he managed.

Nothing can prepare you for the first sight of the Taj Mahal. We won't go into detail, since we've all read so much about it, but seeing this "labour of love" in real life, built entirely of white marble and inlaid with precious and semi precious stones from around the world, is breathtaking. The symmetry of the Taj Mahal and the pools and all the surrounding grounds is amazing and, yes, we did sit for a photograph on the very seat where Princess Diana sat.

Back in Goa, we visited some nice sites, like the one to a spice plantation. We were able to sample some of their food and to look at the spices and varieties of teas for sale. We purchased some vanilla pods at a fraction of the cost here.

There are many boat trips available for fishing or to see the dolphins or crocodiles or, if you really want to get away from it all, you can spend the night on a house boat or bamboo cabin on one of the islands.

Also, there are many temples to visit and it is well worth having a trip around the area known as "Old Goa."

Of course, there is a lot of poverty and many shanty towns especially around Delhi.  Goa itself is dusty, there are no pavements, cows and the odd elephant or camel walk along the roads, but the memories of the sights, sounds, the kaleidoscope of colours and the people will stay with us for a long time to come. So will the Goan raki!