Goa, India - holiday on my own, late 50s?

[LandSight]

Thinking about this at the moment for next year. It will be after a long Winter, but also as a treat for myself after alot of struggles.

I would travel on my own, maybe backpack in hostels or small hotels. Can't afford expensive ones.

Probably stay two weeks, give or take. I have the time, but not lots of money.

So .... if anyone could help me that would be great ...

Is two weeks enough? Should i stay longer? If I was backpacking but staying in one place I would be concerned I'd be a bit bored after a week. If I got bored I could maybe do a tour with a travel company once I'm out there?

Is it relatively safe for a woman on her own? I've travelled to other closer places on my own but I wouldn't like to get into too many problems by myself in India - I'm also a bit of a wuss about insects and stuff, lol. But I get the impression women travel fairly commonly in Goa on their own.

Or should I just pick a hotel package and stay there for simplicity (though they do seem a bit pricey and I'd also have to stay in the same place and it might be away from the interesting parts)?

Any thoughts welcome ..... ?

Another alternative might be Thailand (though I have been there once before many moons ago, but might be interesting to re-visit.) I just need somewhere relatively warm and free for a couple of weeks wondering and peace.

Sorry for essay!

I'd have to say that if you are looking for "classical India" then Goa is not the place to go. It's lovely, yes. I wouldn't wish to appear as an apologist for colonisation in any form, but people assume that India was British. Goa wasn't. It was, and remained, Portuguese until the 1960's and their cultural colonialisation was ruthless. In particular almost all of the old temples etc were destroyed. I wouldn't hesitate to go to Goa on my own (I'm 64) but then I travel all over the world, mostly on my own and always have. My attitude is that nowhere is 100% safe, so it is about being sensible more than anything. If you want a relaxing holiday then Goa would be fine for that. If you want to experience the history and architecture - no, there's little to see and do that isn't modern or Portuguese. It is really not like the rest of India.

Ha, the old "I can't be a racist because..." line. You definitely do have a very sheltered view of civilisation if you think the USA represents it. Lone women continue to travel safely to India and Nigeria, and many other places, just as safely as they could in the USA or the UK. You have a jaundiced view of non-white countries if you think that harassment and violence against women don't happen in "white countries" as well. Despite some high profile individual cases, which one could certainly say the same about any country, the vast majority of people, and certainly travellers, are quite safe.

There are places that women perhaps ought to think twice about going, doing or wearing. That shouldn't have to be the case, but it is as much the case in "civilised" Boston or London as it would be in Mumbai or Lagos. Or, in fact Japan, which has a terrible record on womens rights and violence against women:
globalvoices.org/2021/08/31/train-attack-in-japan-exposes-misogyny-and-gender-violence/
www.omct.org/en/resources/urgent-interventions/violations-of-womens-rights-in-japan-un-experts-release-strong-recommendations
Japan is listed as 120th out of 156 countries by the UN in respect of its women's rights record.

@Jalisco Right... I have actually been to Lagos for work twice and I have travelled throughout the US. Although any country can be dangerous, only a crazy person would go to Lagos without a tour group (or someone local). It's definitely not a place like any other and very dangerous. My best friend was travelling through South America on her own and what happened to her in broad daylight on the street made the international news 😭(she survived but think horrific sexual attack by a whole group of men). It's simply not worth the risk going to places that are known to be dangerous without a tour group or someone local. Japan, on the other hand, is one of the most progressive and civilised countries in the world. It's a fantastic place to visit and is as far removed from Lagos as anything can possibly be.

The visa is the bugbear at the moment - it is £140 plus you have to go in person to a designated centre to apply for it.
We have done the winter in Goa for many years and met quite a few single women who do the same and would have said yes to your going it alone before covid but not now. The place has changed so much and not for the better.
There are a few Goa facebook forums where you will get better advice than here and one especially for women or try the Goa travel forum on Trip Advisor.

I have travelled in India as a lone female when in my 30s and felt safe in Goa and Kerala. Kerala is beautiful and very much worth considering. Unlike some parts of India, women are very visible there. It feels much more progressive than some other regions. It's been quite a while since I was there so I can't recommend particular places, as they've probably changed but I'd definitely do some research on Kerala as well.

I much prefer Kerala

You clearly didn't read the links about Japan. If you are a woman it is neither progressive nor civilised. And actually if you read about a lot of things, it is neither progressive not civilised. It is certainly "disciplined" - and often not in a good way.

"Japan has no law prohibiting racial, ethnic, or religious discrimination, or discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. It accepts an extremely small number of refugees each year, mostly from Asia. Japan has no national human rights institutions." It still has the death penalty. Some people were still forcibly sterilised until 1996.

"Protests erupted across Japan this year after a string of rape cases resulted in acquittals. Japan’s rape law requires that prosecutors prove that violence or intimidation was involved, or that the victim was “incapable of resistance.” In one case, a court acquitted a father accused of raping his 19-year-old daughter, although the court recognized that the sex was non-consensual and that he had been physically and sexually abusing the victim since she was younger."
Quotes from www.hrw.org/world-report/2020/country-chapters/japan#:~:text=Japan%20has%20no%20law%20prohibiting,no%20national%20human%20rights%20institutions.

All very "civilised" isn't it??? "Progressive"???

Anecdotal information is not the same thing as an informed and sensible approach. I have also been to Lagos - I have worked across Nigeria. I have worked / travelled, alone, the countries you mention (and many others) without incident and without ever hearing of anything much more than a few men being pushy / harassing - the same sorts of incidents that I have routinely seen and heard of in the UK and the USA.

I appreciate that these things are your opinions, but they are not supported by evidence, and they are far from the normal experience. Of course there is violence against women, verbally and physically, across the world. But women have been travelling that world without incident for many decades, and will continue to do so. Or you can safety at home in a progressive and civilised country like the USA or UK where women are also victims of male violence. But in a civilised way, of course.

Tamil Nadu next door is also lovely.

I’d suggest Kerala instead.

Kerala has the benefit of being a matriarchal state, the highest level of female education in India and has the backwaters which are beautiful where you could spend some time?

I love India. I have travelled there on two trips with my husband. Admittedly, in mostly 5 * accommodation. I haven’t come across anti-British feeling, quite the contrary in fact. We found that random strangers waved to us and people everywhere were very welcoming. That said, women are second class citizens there and there are men who see women as prey. I would definitely travel there alone, but I’d be reluctant to stay in hostels. Aside from a potential security risk, I’d expect the facilities to be pretty grim. In your position, given that money is tight, I would actually go for a shorter time, in better accommodation. Lots of Indian families open there homes to guests. These are called Havelis. The larger ones can be relatively expensive, the small ones would be ideal for you. I also recommend you consider Alleppey, rather than Goa. As someone else alluded to, Goa is, in large parts, the Indian Blackpool. Alleppey is much more traditional, very beautiful and much safer. It doesn’t have a beach, but it has stunning waterways and is green an lush.

I should add Alleppey is in Kerala, so I’m recommending Kerala too.

Used to go every year with dh. I wouldn't want to go alone. No part of me longs to go back now that we have children. The poverty put me off, it just upset me to see starving animals and badly disabled people begging. I know that makes me sound ignorant!

Why does bloody everything on this forum have to turn into a race / politics argument. The thread was about holidays and even that's hijacked 😂

Because it was relevant? Not everyone thinks it's funny to assume that India isn't civilised but the USA and Japan are. Like it or not, the position of women in the world is about politics, and tourism is often driven by politics. So not "hijacked" but highly relevant. Feel free to skirt over the posts that you don't want to read.

@Hattie43, there is nothing on here that can’t turn into an argument, nothing. No matter how banal, how unexceptional, at least one poster will go off on a tangent and start ranting.

@Jalisco

This is the tiresome bit , the old you don't understand anything because your white line . Feel free to skip over posts you don't like .

Ha, the old "I can't be a racist because..." line. You definitely do have a very sheltered view of civilisation if you think the USA represents it. Lone women continue to travel safely to India and Nigeria, and many other places, just as safely as they could in the USA or the UK. You have a jaundiced view of non-white countries if you think that harassment and

It's always the same isn't it , this constant turning of everything into a black / white agenda . Can't we just have a nice holiday thread staying as such .

Why not Vietnam and Cambodia? Beautiful, fascinating countries which you can do on your own. Cheap when you’re there.

I'd love to visit Vietnam I've heard it's beautiful. Don't know anyone whose been to Cambodia though

If only. If some posters behave the way they do here in real life, they’ll be being avoided as socially-inadequate weirdos.

@midsomermurderess

Haha definitely

I've been to India several times on my own and Goa(and kerala) are laid back places to go.Many British people go to CCB( Calangute, Candolim and Baga) and that is like going on a package holiday.Baga is very popular with Indian tourists..Further north Arambol is nice.My favourite place in Goa is palolem in the south and from there you can easily walk to Patnem.There are nice country roads around here.No need to stay in hostels as small guesthouses are relatively cheap although someone recommended Ciarans and that is lovely.You could combine a trip to Goa with Mumbai or else Goa and Hampi.
Kerala is beautiful too but I think the beaches are nicer in Goa.Alcohol is not so prevalent in Kerala.When I first went to India 20 years ago i first went to Kerala and it is the best place to ease yourself in.There is less hassle and people leave you alone.
I would also recommend Vietnam but you'd need three weeks at least.Cambodia is also a fantastic destination doable in two weeks.Beaches are not so good in Cambodia though.

If you have not been to Goa in the last 3 years you will find it very different now.
We changed our winter destination for long stay to Vietnam from Goa 5 years ago and it is a wonderful country which has now become very popular but you have to choose your time there more carefully due to the difference is climate from North to South.
We still carried on going to Goa but only for a month but my husband really does not want to go there again so are hopefully changing that month to Sri Lanka which seems to be the country of choice for lots of ex Goa visitors.

@hattie43 and @midsomermurderess and others, I do agree, I would just love a calm (holiday) thread without arguments. Oh well. But thanks to those who have shared their experiences; it makes interesting reading. There is quite a lot to digest, but I do feel more knowledgeable. Over and out.