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About Goa
Located on the West coast of India is the quaint beachy paradise, also known as Goa. The state of Goa is hardly 3,700 sq. km, with a small population that is known to be one of the biggest tourist destinations in India. The state has a heavy Portuguese influence and culture as it is a former colony. Thanks to their Portugal-influenced, the culture and outlook of Goa are visibly diverse from the other parts of India. Goa sees a regular throng of tourists as Indian and international travellers constantly flock over to the tropical state. The domestic and international routes are well-connected, making travelling by flight to Goa, an easy task.
Best time to visit Goa
The best season to visit Goa is undeniably winter! The winters in Goa call for a celebration as the temperatures drop to offer a pleasant atmosphere. The months starting from October to February are peak season where Goa sees an abundance of travellers. The flight tickets to Goa during this season is also quite expensive as the demand is high. However, with various music festivals, Christmas and the spirit of New Year's taking over, Goa easily becomes one of the best places in winters.
The monsoon season that stretches between June to September is ideal for nature enthusiasts. While many assume Goa's beaches to be its identity, the green expanses of the Western Ghats that passes through Goa get some love from nature enthusiasts. The state's hues change from sparkling blue to emerald green, and it is worth exploring.
The summers are considered to be bad as the tropical region faces sweltering temperatures. Often the mercury spikes up to 40 degree Celsius, making it unbearably hot. The flight tickets to Goa are cheap during this season for obvious reasons. If you can handle the heat, then you can make use of good flight deals and book flight tickets to Goa.
Places to visit in Goa
Museums and art galleries
The state might be known for its tourism, but they also indulge in arts and culture. There are many art galleries around the Old Goa region. The state's Portugal roots can further be explored by visiting the Goa State Museum. You should also visit the Museum for technology and Art, which goes by the name Sensistan. Benaulim's Houses of Goa, Goa Chitra Museum and many other religious art museums have intriguing stories that should be explored.
Beaches
Goa's highlight is the beaches, the cuisine and the nightlife. The pristine blue waters by the coasts sparkle under the sun and attract people from all over the world. The most famous and best beaches in Goa include Palolem, Vagator, Chapora, Anjuna, Arambol, Morjim, Colva, Candolim, Mandrem, Butterfly, Agonda, Calangute, etc. The best thing to in Goa to travel within would be to rent a vehicle and beach hop as every beach caters to a certain kind of audience. Depending on your vibe, you might enjoy a certain stretch of beach. The beautiful beaches are definitely worth it.
Churches
The famed Bom Jesus Basilica with the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier is a legendary church. Built in 1605, the church's distinctive architecture using wood, gold, stone and granite gives it a vintage vibe. Not to mention how you will get to witness the miraculous undecomposed body of Francis Xavier, whose body is preserved by the church officials. Other notable churches include the Church of St Francis of Assisi, Church of St Catejan, Se Cathedral and Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.
Things to do in Goa
Water sports
Goa has copious amounts of water sports activities that would keep you indulged all-day. Right from learning how to surf to snorkelling to kayaking in the wide sea, there are various water sports that you can take up. Specific beaches host scuba diving and snorkelling activities while some are known for their parasailing, banana boat ride, ferry tours and other such activities. Depending on which part of the state you're in, you'll get to experience the said kind of water sport.
Beach hopping
The beaches of Goa can either by calm and quaint or loud and noisy. Depending on which neighbourhood you choose, you'll find your own sweet nirvana. The North beaches are more commercial with Baga, Calangute, Candolim, Anjuna, Vagator and more, experiencing excessive crowd. The South beaches are quaint and quiet with luxury settings and fewer crowds. If you wish to indulge in water sports and other such activities, then you should head to North where they happen in abundance. If taking strolls at the beach or going for a swim is what you wish to do then the South beaches are it for you. You can rent bikes or cars and go on a beach-hopping spree.
Ocean treks
To reach some beaches in Goa, you will have to trek the trails. The Butterfly Beach in South Goa is one such beach where you need to trek up the stony trails to reach the exquisite and quaint beach. It is undoubtedly one of the best beaches in the state. Parts of Cabo de Rama beach also expects you to do some trekking, which only adds to the fun of diving in the sea. North Goa's Arambol beach is also famous for ocean treks.
Quad Biking
If you wish to take a day's break from the beaches and the water, you can head to the adventure side of Goa where you'll find quad bike tours. Basically, you can do dirt bike riding on muddy terrains created. You don't need to be an expert to indulge in this activity as it doesn't require any levels of riders.
Casino and cruises
Goa's nightlife is just as lit as the beaches it offers. While there are regulated parties that take place on the beaches and even some nightclubs, there are dedicated cruises and casino parlours too. Try some play of dice at one of these casinos or hit the party scenes to experience the nightlife of Goa.
Food and Restaurants in Goa
As a coastal state, Goa's staple food involves fish curry and rice. The place serves the most exquisite seafood that one can ask for. The beach shacks have Continental, Seafood and Indian food cuisines as options. A majority of the tourists usually choose seafood over everything else. For the best ambience and piquant seafood, you should visit Curly's in North Goa and Fisherman's Wharf in South Goa. Other places with great seafood are The Lazy Goose, Amavi, Starlight, Ritz Classic, Gunpowder, etc.
While seafood is a staple, the iconic Goan dishes are actually made from pork. Acquaint yourself with names such as Vindaloo, Xacuti, Chorizo and Sorpotel as these Goan dishes are a big hit. From street food to lavish restaurant dining, you'll meet with all kinds of experiences in Goa, and they will all be memorable. The beach shacks also have Goan dishes in their menu so you can always mix up the platter. If seafood is a little too much for you to deal with, then an Italian rendezvous at Da Tita might go down well with you.
How to reach Goa
By Air
Goa's Dabolim Airport, located in Vasco da Gama, is the only airport in the State. Due to the popularity of the state, and the fact that it is the most sought-after destination for Indians, as well as international tourists, the flight connectivity to and from Goa, is incredible. Direct flight to Goa is available from Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, Surat, Jaipur and more. International flights from Goa are also available as some direct planes are flying to Kuwait, UAE, Doha, etc. Although no direct flights are connecting Goa to Western Europe, USA, Russia and the UK, great connectivity and layovers have enabled these international destinations to be connected to Goa.
Nonstop domestic airlines such as IndiGo, Air India, GoAir, Air Asia and Vistara are available. It would be ideal to book your hotels ahead of your trip as shuttle services to pick you up from Goa airport would be convenient. On off-seasons, the flight tickets are cheap and affordable. However, if you wish to travel during their peak season, it is best to book flight tickets in advance for great flight deals online.
By Rail
There are two main railway stations namely, Madgaon Junction and Thivim, which connect other cities to South and North Goa respectively. Direct trains following domestic routes to Goa are also available from Mumbai, Delhi, Mangalore, Kochi, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, to name a few.
By Road
A majority of crowd from the Mumbai and Pune region often use the road as a means to reach Goa. There are overnight buses that travel from Mumbai to Goa, which makes travelling convenient. Various public and private bus service providers have sleeper and Volvo seater buses going to Goa. You can either get down at Mapusa Bus Stand for North Goa or Panjim Bus Stand and Madgaon Bus Stand if you're opting for the South beaches. The State-serviced Kadamba Transport is also available and connects to various neighbouring states such as Karnataka and Maharashtra.
About Gulf Air
Gulf Air is the national flag carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain with its headquarters located in Muharraq. The airline operates services to connect to about 52 destinations across 28 countries in Asia, Africa and Europe. Gulf Air's main hub is Bahrain International Airport. The airline is the official sponsor of a slew of events including the Bahrain Grand Prix as well as Bahrain International Airshow. Initially, the airline was jointly owned by Bahrain, Oman, Abu Dhabi and Qatar before the Kingdom of Bahrain took over complete ownership of Gulf Air. In 2005, a decision was made to make Emirates of Abu Dhabi withdraw from Gulf Air and instead establish the United Arab Emirates flag carrier Etihad Airways. Gulf Air's operations were changed to a dual-hub based between Bahrain and Muscat (Oman) airports. Despite the omission of the United Arab Emirates from the picture, Gulf Air continued to extend its appreciation and support to the said Middle East nation. Claiming how the country has been quite supportive and thanking them for the contribution for more than 35 years.
Gulf Air's large customer base is derived from Abu Dhabi, and hence, the airline has reserved special flights to Abu Dhabi as well as Muscat. This act has further strengthened Gulf Air's network. In 2007, Gulf Air saw another tremendous management switch as the government of Bahrain claimed complete ownership of the airline following the withdrawal of Oman to focus on its flag carrie3r, Oman Air. The change in ownership brought forth a second restructuring program to cease the losses it had been facing a whopping USD 1 million in a day. While Gulf Air's battles in the management continued, in terms of operations, they introduced a non-stop daily direct flight to London Heathrow Airport in 2007. Following the autonomy of falling just under the government of Bahrain instead of varied partners as investors, Gulf Air started acquiring many aircraft to expand its fleet and to enhance its domestic and international routes. They took in a bunch of Boeing flights as well as Airbus A319s and A330-200s as part of their expansion strategy.
Further, as part of the restructuring plans, Gulf Air introduced its Falcon Gold cabin, basically a premium cabin that combined the business and first-class. The same came into existence in 2010 and offered higher standards of comfort during transit. The airline also made a few changes in the cabin's amenities to bring forth world-class services and make it perfect for premium fliers. Despite working on several methods to expand the business, Gulf Air has been recorded to be a loss-making venture, owing to the political unrest in the country of Bahrain. Further, the airline also changed its approach to become a boutique airline, making it stand out from its competition. Basically, as a boutique airline, the focus for the airline is on lifestyle and branding that fall in the lines of upscale hospitality. The experiences offered by Gulf Air are no short of luxury.
Fleet size of Gulf Air
Gulf Air is known to accommodate a fleet of 34 aircraft, as of 2020. The airline only has Airbus and Boeing as part of its fleet. They have about 27 aircraft of Airbus family while seven aircraft manufactured by Boeing. Currently, the airline has Airbus A321ER, Airbus A320-200, Airbus A320ER, Boeing 787-9, Airbus A320Neo and Airbus A320DNeo. In the past, Gulf Air did accommodate a slew of aircraft from various manufacturers. However, with tremendous changes in expansion strategies, the airline now only has Airbus and Boeing.
Gulf Air Baggage Allowance
Gulf Air's baggage allowance varies from the ticket fare family and the possible airline membership. Falcon Gold, which is part of Gulf Air's frequent flyer plan, allow two checked baggage which can weigh no more than 32 kg each. This means travellers who are using the Falcon Gold are allowed to carry a total of 64 kg, which can be divided into two pieces of luggage. Travellers who are going from the economy are allowed to carry not more than 23 kg. The airline accommodates two pieces of luggage which add to a total of 46 kg. These provisions are only available for Falcon frequent flyers. The baggage allowance for economy class is perfect for those who are travelling on budget tickets. In case there is additional checked-in baggage, you will need to purchase at the airport's World Wide Contact Centre. You can also purchase on the website of Gulf Air as they also have some extra details about the deal. Despite the standards set by the airline, the rules and protocols do have some exceptions. These exceptions can be found on the official website of Gulf Air.
As for the cabin baggage, the rules applied include 9 kg weight for Falcon Gold members and 6 kg for Economy passengers. The airline allows one bag out of which Falcon Gold gets an additional small bag which could be a handbag or a briefcase or a laptop bag. However, the dimensions of the cabin baggage must be adhered to as they need to fit in the overhead bin and under the seat space. For Falcon Gold, the airline allows dimensions of 55 x 40 x 30 cm. Meanwhile, the dimensions for economy bags are 45 x 40 x 30 cm. Gulf Air does offer a deal where additional personal items, including a purse, laptop, umbrella, reading book, etc., are permitted in the cabin. The airline has also shared a list of personal items that can be carried in the cabin baggage for free. These include a crutch, an overcoat, a blanket, a laptop, pocketbook or handbag, bag with camera, pair of binoculars, reading matter and more. Travellers with infants also get some perks as they can carry additional bags with baby products for changing, feeding and more.
Gulf Air In-flight services
Gulf Air's in-flight services are quite amazing as they cater to the cabin class with good hospitality. They recently came up with a brand new flatbed for their premium class cabins. The reclining seats also have features such as built-in massage. Further, you can put on the noise-cancelling headsets that are available with the seat. Tune out the noise around you and enjoy the unlimited entertainment that the airline has to the office with its 22-inch screen. The beds are large and can extend up to accommodate 6 ft, tall individuals. The in-flight meals are complimentary for premium members. This also includes a priority for check-in and boarding. Not to mention how the airline also enables access to the passengers to their lounges. The economy class seats are also quite comfortable. They provide decent legroom and recline. The airline also offers a personal entertainment system for all passengers to have a good time. They do have a slew of entertaining content that one can enjoy. You can pick any content from their screen and put on the headset to be entertained during the flight.
Interestingly, Gulf Air's in-flight services include a Sky Nanny, for travellers with infants. The sky nanny would take care of your children on board and keep them entertained, so they do not disturb the other passengers in the flight. The meals provided on the flight come from Gulf Air's multi-award winning catering service, Sky Chef. The airline offers a slew of meals on their menu that one can pick from. This ranges from non-vegetarian to vegan food. You can pre-book the meals ahead of the flight on their official website. The airline's Boeing Dreamliner 787 is the most exquisite aircraft in their fleet. The Falcon Gold cabin, as well as the Economy class cabin, are both gifted with impeccable interiors and great facilities at the same time. Some of the in-flight services in Gulf Air's Dreamliner include 22-inch of an entertainment system with power supply attached to the seats. They also have a decent seat pitch for the first class as well as the economy class that would enable a comfortable journey for the passengers.
Popular routes and top cities for Gulf Air
As of 2020, Gulf Air connects to 52 international cities sprawled across 28 countries. The airline is well-connected and has services to quite a few domestic routes and international routes. These include Africa, Europe and Asian continents. Cairo, Paris, Frankfurt, Athens, Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Kochi, Dublin, Amman, Rome, Kuala Lumpur, Kuwait City, Nairobi, Muscat, Karachi, Manila, Moscow, Doha, Colombo, Istanbul, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bangkok and London. The airline's airport lounge is also prevalent in three of the international airports including, Dubai, Bahrain and London-Heathrow.
Why travel by Gulf Air?
Gulf Air's phenomenal flight connectivity to the cities in three continents is what makes it a perfect choice for travellers. The airline has exemplary connectivity with several Middle Eastern cities and sees a strong flight activity in the domestic routes and international routes. Not to mention how the airline's website has also been upgraded to cater to some of the needs of the travellers. You can book your Gulf Air flight online and even get a web check-in done for efficiency. The flight status and Gulf Air's flight schedules are also present on the website as well as other travel portals.
About Goa Airport
Dabolim Airport is the sole domestic and international airport in the state of Goa. Situated in Dabolim, about 4 km from Vasco da Gama and 23 km from the oldest city Margao and 30 km from the state capital, Panjim, the airport is perched up the Arabian Sea. The airport is a civil enclave (a joint-use airport) and is also operated by the Indian Navy's naval airbase, INS Hansa. Goa Airport witnesses a plethora of international passengers throughout the year, especially from the European continent and many from the United Kingdom as well. IN 2013, the airport inaugurated its integrated terminal to increase the passenger handling capacity. The airport recorded capacity of 7.6 million passengers in the fiscal year 2017-18.
Dabolim Airport witnesses many European-charter airlines with flights flying to and from the city on a seasonal basis. There are dedicated charter flights from the United Kingdom, operated by TUI Airways or popularly known as just TUI. These charter flights function from the UK as well as the Republic of Ireland. Along with flights from the UK, Dabolim Airport also witnesses seasonal charter flights from Russian cities. With a consistent increase in passenger traffic and air traffic congestion, a proposal to introduce a second airport in Mopa has been granted a green signal. Mopa Airport is set to complete construction by 2022 and will see flight operations soon.
About Goa Airport terminals
Currently, Dabolim Airport accommodates two terminals for domestic and international flight operations. Terminal 1 handles all flight activities for domestic airlines. Meanwhile, Terminal 2 takes care of international flight operations ranging from landing to take off. The domestic terminal covered an area of 21,527 square feet and was constructed in 1983 while the international terminal came into existence in 1996, covering an area of 10,763 square feet. However, with a tremendous increase in passenger congestion and air traffic, the airport constructed an integrated terminal building to cater to both domestic as well as international passengers. The same was opened in 2013 with extensive features.
The design and layout of the building are aesthetic which comprises of glass and large steel span structures along with frameless glazing. The integrated terminal sprawls across 36,000 square metres and has been designed to accommodate five million passengers in a year. The terminal is also equipped with eight aerobridges. Some of the outstanding features of the terminal include an in-line baggage scanning system, 75 check-in counters, 22 immigration counters for departures, 18 immigration counters for arrivals and a total of 14 security check counters. The check-in counters are located on the ground floor, while the first floor has security checks. Following the installation of the new integrated terminal building, the old ones have been closed.
About Airport Authority
Dabolim Airport is currently being operated under the Airports Authority of India. The government statutory body which falls under the Ministry of Aviation has worked tirelessly towards enhancing the structure of Goa Airport. Over the years, the airport has undergone several upgradations and modernisation. All the expansion projects have been undertaken by the Airports Authority of India. This includes funding and management decisions concerning the projects. Under the AAI, the airport renewed its terminal building into an integrated one that would cater to accommodating international and domestic activities. Some of their works also include installation of the multi-level car parking facility to enable parking of about 570 cars along with parking bays for aircraft. They have also asked for the Indian Navy and the State Government to help them acquire lands to expand the aprons and the older international terminal building space.
The airport is spread across 1,700 acres of land and also accommodates a civil enclave of 35 acres. On a daily basis, Dabolim Airport witnesses about 180 flights with a large concentration of passenger traffic between 1 PM to 9 PM on weekdays. The airport is supposed to function between the slated time slot during weekdays for civilian as it has some naval restrictions. The military requires flight training activities to continue during a specific time period and hence follows the specified rules throughout the year.
As the airport is jointly operated by the Indian Navy and the Airports Authority of India, the two parties entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2017, to construct a full-length parallel taxi track that would be suitable to accommodate aircraft like Boeing 747. Both parties will share the construction cost. For the expansion project, Dabolim Airport also received environmental clearance in 2018. The project has been divided into three phases and is set to be completed in a scheduled manner. The first phase of the airport was completed in 2019, which resulted in an increase in the runway's capacity from 15 air traffic activities in an hour to 18-20 air traffic movements per hour.
Facilities at the Goa Airport
Lounge – Goa Airport has a VIP lounge that only caters to travellers with specific access passes or ticket types.
WiFi – Dabolim Airport offers free WiFi services to everyone. There are no restrictions as such. The same good speed can be availed at the common lounge as well as VIP lounges too.
ATMs and currency exchange – As it is an international airport, provisions for currency exchanges and ATMs are also present at Dabolim Airport. You will receive decent exchange rates for the currency exchange. Further, you can also transfer money to your overseas accounts.
Baby care facilities – The airport has reserved special rooms for baby care. These rooms are well-lit and have all the necessary items to cater to a baby and a new mother's comfort. A cosy chair, as well as a changing table, is also available in the baby care room. Plus, the room is private and only allows mothers with babies to enter.
Restaurants – Some many restaurants and cafes are present in the premise of Dabolim Airport. These restaurants majorly have Goan cuisine. However, there are continental, and other global cuisines also present in the airport. As you wait for boarding, indulging in food could be a good way to kill time.
Medical services – The airport has a dedicated team of medical experts that clock in 24/7. Along with professionals, Dabolim Airport also has a room reserved for doctors to take the emergency cases to. These rooms are well-equipped with basic first aid kits and medical facilities. A paramedic is also present in the airport vicinity.
Spa - A dedicated spa service is available at both the terminals of Dabolim Airport. If there are any flight delays or you have enough time in hand, you can avail their excellent spa services.
Top airlines flying from Goa Airport
Many domestic airlines are operating from Goa Airport. These include AirAsia India, Air India, Alliance Air, GoAir, IndiGo, SpiceJet, TruJet and Vistara. These airlines have flights connecting Dabolim Airport to major cities such as Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi, Mysore, Pune, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Nagpur, Amritsar, Srinagar, Varanasi, Kochi, Lucknow, Nashik, Surat, Madurai, Hubli, Guwahati, Coimbatore and more. In terms of international flights that operate from Goa Airport, these include Air Arabia, Oman Air and Qatar Airways. They connect to cities such as Muscat, Doha, Dubai, Sharjah, Kuwait City and more. The airport also accommodates seasonal airlines such as TUI Airways, Air Ukraine and Thomas Cook Airlines during peak season as the demand for the state is quite high in terms of tourism.
How to reach Goa Airport
Reaching Goa Airport is quite convenient, even though it is in the outskirts of the city. Passengers can take buses, taxi cabs and trains as well to reach any part of the state.
By Bus and taxi cabs
With respect to buses, the city of Vasco da Gama is only 4 km away. Several public buses can be taken to reach Goa Airport. The closes stop to the airport is Chicalim bus stop, which is located about 1.5 km apart. Many public buses run by the state are connected to Vasco da Gama. From the city of Vasco da Gama, you can always take taxi services to reach Goa Airport. Provisions of local mini-buses are also available to the airport from Vasco da Gama and Chicalim. Similarly, taxi cab services are available within the city. The city of Goa has its mobile app to book prepaid taxis and vehicles to smooth the process of travelling within the state and reaching Dabolim Airport. The government is also working towards constructing a 6-lane expressway that would make connections to the airport easier from major cities in Goa. Similarly, a monorail system is also being proposed.
By Rail
Dabolim has a railway station going by the same name. It is the nearest station from Goa Airport. You can take the train service to reach Dabolim Airport from various parts of Goa such as Tivim in North Goa, Ponda and Margao in South Goa. The railway station is quite in proximity to the airport and is hence, considered to be one of the cheap and affordable options to reach Goa Airport.
