Goa, India’s smallest state and unlike any other, is famed for its boundless beaches, excellent nightlife, unique seafood, and UNESCO World Heritage-listed architecture. Goa is located in the Konkan area and spans only 3,702 km. It’s a long cry from a hippy sanctuary or a beach escape, and it’s one of the few places open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Goa’s relaxed atmosphere (susegad) draws as many international visitors as it does Indians, if not more.

The Goans are very welcoming to visitors and hold several festivals throughout the year, the most well-known of which being the New Year and the Goa Carnival. While the seafood is delicious, Goa offers one of the greatest nightlife scenes in India, with trendy pubs, beach shacks, beautiful cafés, and a plethora of clubs and discos. Goa is especially ideal for younger travellers with limited funds, thanks to the state’s cheaper alcohol rates.

Visit one of the numerous whitewashed churches, decaying forts, or beautiful churches. Goa has been a Portuguese province for over 450 years, but Portuguese architecture is nowhere as ubiquitous as it is in Goa. The kaleidoscope of Goan architecture is completed with yellow houses with purple doors, ochre-colored palaces, and oyster shell windows.

Panjim, Goa’s capital city, is located in the heart of the state and overlooks the serene Mandovi River, where the state’s famed floating casinos are anchored. An international airport serves the city, and highways and railways link the north and south parts of Goa. Goa boasts beautiful beaches along its coastline, which stretches for over 100 kilometres. While Baga and Calangute are more popular with Indian families, Anjuna and Arambol are popular with international visitors. South Goa’s beaches are less well-known, but some, such as Agonda and Palolem, are very lovely.