Goa is a beautiful place, and it has something for everyone. You can visit the famous beaches, party like you have never before, meditate like a monk, try the best of seafood, take a look at the wildlife and explore the Goan culture. All of this will make you come back for more because the Goa beaches are the best and traveling to every place is not possible in one visit.
Even though solo travelling to Goa is not the most expensive thing in the world, it can go out of your budget if you don’t watch where your money is going. You can comfortably travel to Goa with a total budget of around ₹10,000 to ₹15,000 or spend upwards of ₹2,50,000 too, totally depends on you. But all of us try to travel on a budget while trying to experience the best of everything the place has to offer. Travelling on a budget also allows us to travel more and visit different places, instead of burning the money in one place.
While your solo trip will not be the best around the lower end of the spectrum, you never have to spend at the extreme to enjoy your trip to Goa. In this blog, I will explain how Goa can be the destination for your next solo trip without burning a hole in your pocket, but also allow you to enjoy everything to the fullest that it has to offer.
Accommodation
Goa has something for everyone depending on where and how you want to stay. You can stay in a female dormitory, or a hotel, or even a comfortable home. You can pick a place to stay near a beach or in the heart of the city – at your convenience. Both of these experiences are totally different, and you should, at least once, try it out.
During my solo trip to Goa, I mostly stayed in a hotel near Calangute Beach, which cost me roughly ₹1500/night. You can find hotels on Airbnb, Zostel, or popular travel booking websites like Agoda, Expedia, Booking.com, MakeMyTrip, Trivago, etc. I also stayed in Panaji for one night which cost me ₹1800.
You can find dormitories for as little as ₹300/night, but I doubt thesafety and hygiene of the place. I recommend you to opt for mid-level accommodations with basic amenities, which are available starting from ₹900-1000/night. If you don’t mind spending a lot on accommodation and you are okay with cutting down on other expenses, you can spend ₹3000/night, but no more.
First things first, safety!
Another thing that you should keep at the back of your mind is the location of the hotel and the places you would like to visit during your stay. Do not opt for a hotel that is in a secluded area just because it costs less. Rather, opt for a slightly costly one that is closer to the city or to the places that you plan to visit. By doing so, you would not only be saving your time which can be used to visit many other places, but you would also cut down your transportation expenses by a lot. You might not notice this at first, but all of this adds up during your stay.
Transportation
Buses
If you have enough time in your hands, buses are the perfect mode of transport for you. It’s cheap, comfortable and connects to all parts of the city. There are various types of buses, for example, normal buses which stop at all bus stops for the general population. There are shuttle buses which run between important places and directly take you to your destination without stopping, thus saving time. By taking a bus, you can also interact with your fellow passengers and learn about the rich Goan culture.
Auto Rickshaw
If you are in a hurry to get to a place, or you don’t want to travel on a bus, or whatever might be your reason, auto-rickshaw is an alternative you must consider. You will be able to enjoy the fresh air in auto all by yourself for a slightly higher price as compared to a bus. You can also share an auto with 2-3 other people, which I would recommend you do if you are travelling to a nearby place. If you are travelling alone, make sure you ask the driver to charge you the meter price or fix a price before getting inside the auto to avoid being overcharged.
Cab/Taxi
This is similar to an auto, the difference being that it runs on four wheels and is faster. Keep in mind that the services of Ola and Uber are not available in the state of Goa. However, there are taxis and cabs that you can hire for a day or just from one place to another. Again, don’t forget to fix the price before entering the cab/taxi to avoid being overcharged by the driver. They might be slightly more expensive than an auto-rickshaw, but if you prefer a four-wheeler rather than a three, this is for you.
Renting a bike/car
Keep in mind that you’d need an Indian or an international driving license to rent and ride a bike/car. Additionally, you might also need identification proof to be submitted. So, if you have all this ready, you have nothing to worry about.
Renting a vehicle in Goa can be the cheapest best option if you travel a lot. You get total freedom of going anywhere, anytime, and you can save your time too. Renting a bike will cost you as little as ₹200/day, which is ridiculously cheap compared to the cost of other modes of transport. The only expense for you might be the fuel charges, which are nothing to worry about if the mileage of the vehicle is decent.
Motorcycle Taxi – Pilot
You might be thinking, why does Goa not have Ola/Uber? But who cares? Goa has its own pilot! These motorcycles are painted in black and yellow, just like a taxi, so that you can easily identify them, and they take you around as the pillion rider. It is a cheap and quick mode of transport if you don’t want to rent a bike/car or not a taxi/cab or auto and don’t mind sitting behind a man.
Trains
To be completely honest, I would only recommend you to take a train if you want to enjoy the experience of the Goa train travel and the countryside. Other than that, this is not a mode of transport that I would recommend. It takes a lot of time to travel on a train, which is not a viable option if you are on a solo trip to Goa looking to enjoy and spend your time efficiently.
If you would like to know more about the local transportation of Goa, click here.
FOOD
Food in Goa is comparatively costlier than the rest of the country but cheaper as compared to the rest of the world. For example, an average satiating meal will cost you only ₹200. And guess what, breakfasts are even cheaper than this! From roadside vendors to lavish restaurants, you name it, and Goa has it.
Even though this blog is about travelling on a budget, I would suggest you not think a lot about your budget while exploring the variety of dishes and cuisines that the Goan restaurants offer. Some of these dishes are exclusive to Goa and are not found anywhere else. Although it is about a budget, it is also about experiences. Now that doesn’t mean you spend out ₹5000 on a meal.
What should be the budget for your food?
Coming to the taste, I can bet that you won’t be disappointed. You can choose to eat your favourite cuisine, or if you wish to be adventurous with your food, you can try new cuisine too. Talking about the cost for each meal, I would personally suggest that you keep it within ₹800/meal for one meal a day when you wish to go out to a good restaurant and below ₹400/meal for the other meals of the day. This will ensure that you spend within the limits of your budgets as it gets really hard to track your money while you spend on food.
During my solo trip to Goa, I restricted myself to ₹1500/day on food and no more. This helped me keep a count on my money and not overspend just on food. It was more than enough to try out new cuisines and, at the same time, not go hungry. You can also set a certain limit on food for yourself during your solo trip, which goes a long way, trust me.
EXPLORING THE PLACE
Goa has a lot of places that you must visit during your solo trip. If you choose the right mode of transportation, you can end up saving a lot of money which you would have otherwise spent unnecessarily. Other than that, the entry fees to a lot of places are a nominal one, considering that these are nothing more than petty expenses.
Goa is also famous for its water sports. Parasailing, paragliding, jet skiing, water skiing, banana ride, and windsurfing are some of the many water sports for you to explore in the state. All of these are available for under ₹1000, and there is too much fun to do! So, the next time you visit a beach during your solo trip to Goa, don’t forget about water sports.
The things that you should watch your spending on are alcohol and casinos, nothing else. If not taken care of, these expenses can get out of control. Even though the cost of liquor is cheaper in Goa as compared to other states in the country, keeping track of your spending wouldn’t harm you.
Casinos in Goa
You should also limit going to casinos as they are the best way to waste your money, and when you’re travelling on a budget, this is the last thing that you would want to do. However, if you really want to go to the casinos in Goa, limit your visits to only one or two during your entire solo trip.
And if you don’t enjoy casinos and drinking alcohol, just forget what you read in the last paragraph because you will obviously save the money that you don’t spend, isn’t it? If you are wondering about what to do in Goa, remember that you can not only do some very interesting things here but also visit some great non-touristy places!
SHOPPING
The easiest way to save money on shopping is to not shop at all! Just kidding. Shopping in Goa is very inexpensive, and you have a wide variety of options to choose from. The famous flea markets in Goa are the cheapest shopping centers that you will ever see. They sell previously-owned goods for a cheap rate. These are seasonal markets, so watch out if they are open during your solo trip.
There are other shopping centres around the state which sell almost everything that you will ever want. You will also find a lot of stalls near the beaches that sell souvenirs that you must buy – all of this at a nominal cost.
Your shopping budget will vary depending on the amount and variety of things that you’d like to take back home from Goa. A rule of thumb should be to not buy overpriced products and beware of any tourist scam that may charge you an excessive amount of money. Apart from that, you are good to go.
So, if you think that you need a ton of money to travel to Goa, think again! Even though you can spend lavishly in Goa, you never have to. You can do all you want to for a fraction of the money you might think you need. And if you have never gone on a solo trip, Goa is the place for you to start with! It is a budget-friendly beach destination of India. So what are you still waiting for? It’s about time to fly to Goa and make the most of what you already have!
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