Hotel Santana Beach Resort 3 * (India / Goa): photos and reviews

Rest in the resort state of Goa (India) became popular with the light hand of European hippies, who chose this region in the 70s. They were attracted not only by local magnificent beaches with white sand and wine-colored sea; Not only an amazing culture and a special, deep and friendly perception of life by Indians. Times have changed, since then substantial international investment has gone to Goa, the developed resort infrastructure has grown. Our story is about one small fragment of it: the three-star hotel Santana Beach Resort 3 *. It is for tourists a wonderful comfortable portal to India, the starting point for getting to know it.

In Goa, there is a taste of real, unreal freedom in all, musicians from the legendary Liverpool Four loved to relax here. The northern part of the state is a pronounced youth, party-like resort. Forever Goa believe that nowhere in the world, holiday-makers with such force do not feel such emancipation. This special feeling is inherent in the resort town of Candolim.

Goan beach Candolim

In the vicinity of the coastal village of Candolim, there is neither garbage nor slums so common to other parts of North Goa. Here in neat little streets lined cottages are built, the courtyards are well-groomed and the cows do not wander about the village. True, there is an omnipresence of the dogs. But they are some kind of non-aggressive, peaceful, and tourists are willing to feed them.

Candolim is also called a cozy suburban beach, a segment of a huge strip of coastal beaches of Goa, stretching along the coast of the Arabian Sea from the beginning of Baga Beach to the end of Shinkuerima Beach. (In fact, on this coast of the Arabian Sea, there are no strict boundaries between the beaches, but each has its own infrastructure.)

In particular, both the village and the beach of Candolim are considered the most respectable and clean in North Goa. Just on this well-kept mini-resort is located and we are considering a small cozy hotel Santana Beach Resort 3 *.

Location of the hotel

Great demand for European tourists enjoys the hotel complex Santana Beach Resort 3 * (India, Goa). It is felt that there are managers who have a special higher education in the resort, and the staff is remarkably well-trained and cherishes the work. And it is not by chance that he is in the unsung Europeans Candolim. Historically, the inhabitants of this town were among the first in India to convert to Christianity and their way of life is fairly close to European. Here streets were not smelled of slops, and typical for India thin and hungry sacred cows here quite a bit.

The local extensive but quiet and cozy beach is south of the bustling and one of the largest beaches of Goa, Calangute. The local hotels are more respectable than in other regions of Goa. Sheki (seasonal beach cafes) Candolim are relatively tidy, and their food is delicious.

Climate and spa holidays

The rest of the hotel is determined by the seasonality of the weather in Goa. The dry season, lasting from October to May, is most attractive for tourists from Western Europe and America. It coincides with the local high season.
The period from June to September is characterized by humidity, close to 100%, and prolonged heavy rains. This is a low season in the resort. Tourists leave, and the resort infrastructure is curtailed until the next high season.

Also, the important factor determining the specificity of beach rest is the height of the waves. If the sea surface allows you to swim even for children, high waves can drag an inexperienced swimmer into the sea. Therefore, the rather troubled beach of Candolim, according to its characteristics, serves for bathing adults and well-kept on the water.

About the hotel

In a picturesque location, in the resort village of Candolim, amidst dunes and tropical gardens, is a small hotel of the first line Santana Beach Resort 3 *. Photos of his two-story building and cottages of the same storeys are nice, calm and, undoubtedly, attract tourists. Tours to this hotel are sold out as hot cakes. And this is not surprising. By the criterion of price / quality, this hotel complex is one of the best in North Goa. Tourists, who before had a rest in Goan hotels - "five-stars", recognize this hotel is not worse than its "colleagues" of higher accreditation.

At the hotel complex is planted a garden, maintained by the staff in perfect condition, with pedestrian paths and terraces. In the center of Santana Beach Resort 3 * there is an outdoor swimming pool, and next to it there is a very nice hotel bar. Some western tourists simply do not reach the sea, enjoying the recreation area by the pool.

Residential hotel fund

The apartment, not the standard rooms, offers its guests a small hotel Santana Beach Resort 3 * (Goa). Reviews of its guests are very loyal, because the living conditions here in reality - at the level of "four stars" (meaning both furniture and technology, and the functionality of the bathroom). With the apartments (and there are only 20), apart from the sleeping rooms there is a separate bathroom and two large balconies. There is also a small kitchen with an electric kettle and a daily refill of coffee, tea and sugar. A free minibar is replenished daily with bottled drinking water.

In addition to the three-star standard - a 24-hour reception, daily thorough cleaning, a two-time a week change of linen, the hotel has its know-how. So, every cleaning of the room by the staff here is necessarily accompanied by the preparation of installations of towels, and before leaving the tenants from the apartment cleaning their rooms is personally supervised by the hotel's deputy director. If guests who buy a tour to Santana Beach Resort 3 * (India, Goa) are willing to register a marriage here, the administration takes care of organizing the event. However, two months before the desired date, guests should notify the hotel about this by private letter.

Breakfast at the hotel

The breakfast included in the price of the tour is quite extensive. They include local and European dishes, toast, cheese, omelette with spices and vegetables, soups to races, or gave a flattened paracha, sweet pudding from rice khir, muesli, fruit (pineapple, papaya, watermelon), jam, freshly squeezed Juices, tea, milk-lassi, coffee.

The breakfast menu of Santana Beach Resort Candolim 3 * is almost vegetarian. About once every three days there are chicken sausages. After all, food companies in India pay a tax on meat.

Lunch and dinner at the restaurants of Candolim

However, vegetarianism does not threaten hotel guests. Following along the short road to the beach (some one hundred meters), they willingly enter the Calamari Bathe & Binge Calamari restaurant on the way. The specialties of this institution Goan Fish Curry and Prawn Balchao suited them to taste.

Tourists from Santana Beach Resort 3 * (Goa) usually organize their daily lunches and dinners, find for themselves an inexpensive, good-quality restaurant near the beach. For example, The Stoun House, where you can tastily and inexpensively taste a portion of chicken or tomato soup (equivalent to 100 rubles.), A large portion of spiced spinach salad at the same price, a delicious seafood soup (130 rubles.), Noodles With chicken or seafood (260 rubles). Also cafe "U Pasha", located 10 minutes walk from the hotel, also deserves positive reviews of tourists. The prices for running dishes there are similar to the above, but here you can also enjoy delicious seafood (cooked lobster costs 1,600 rupees).

Generally speaking, the average check for a two-person non-alcoholic lunch is 800 rupees.

Beach holidays

The hotel in question is in the first line, the tourists for 2 minutes walk to the beach directly from the territory of Santana Beach Resort 3 * (Goa). Reviews of them on the beach are positive and even metaphorical, judge for yourself: "golden sand," "gentle waves," "charming sunsets" ... However, one should keep in mind that tourists write that come to rest without children (namely they are absolutely Prevail in the hotel complex).

We have already mentioned the relatively high waves of Candolim beach. It should also be reminded of an uneven drop in the bottom when entering the water, which is undesirable for the youngest holiday-makers. Thus, on this resort beach it is comfortable to bathe to young and healthy people. Children and elderly guests of the hotel can safely swim in the pool.

Additional amenities for tourists spending time on the beach, promising cheeks - seasonal beach cafes, preparing a full meal, including seafood at affordable prices for economy-tour. For tourists it will be profitable to buy fresh lobster or tiger shrimps at the fish market and ask chef cooks to cook them.

Excursions

Guests of Santana Beach Resort 3 * (India, north Goa) immediately upon arrival offer a whole list of standard excursions. Among them - an inspection of the six-hundred-foot waterfall Dulsagar, trips to the plantation of spices, sea walks. Excursions in the old Goa (price $ 100 per person) hotel guests give a low rating. After all, an experienced taxi driver for only $ 40 will be able to show the sights at once to four tourists.

The most steep excursion here is a trip to the village of Hampi in the neighboring state of Karnataka, which is 260 km away from Goa. There are well-preserved ruins of the capital of the ancient Vijayanagar Empire, belonging to the UNESCO world heritage.

The Empire, which owns all of South India, existed from the 13th to the 15th century AD and was destroyed by the Arabs. The majestic remains of the buildings of its capital are in a mountainous area on an area of 26 km ² : the temple of Rama, the temple of Virupaksha, the sacred wells, the temple of Krishna, the palace complex.

An excursion, if bought, is quite expensive: 200-250 $ per person. Have the Santana Beach Resort 3 * folded their hands at the helplessness of seeing such a price tag? The testimonies indicate that there is nothing! They go to her with savages: they leave on the night by bus, going from Maputa to Hospet, located 14 km from Hampi. At the same time, the price of one way ticket is 20-30 $. Tourists are advised to organize in a group with a couple of people ("slipper bass" provides twin sleeping berths, and the European can be shocked by the neighborhood of the Indian). Then, upon arrival in Hospet, tourists hire motor-rickshaws (there are many of them), which play the role of guides to ancient structures. Payment for the day of work motokrishi - $ 14.

Water sports

On the beach of Candolim, closer to its border with the beach Sinkaerim, there are centers of almost all sports. Beginner tourists can take in them introductory lessons on diving and surfing. By the way, diving in Goa is possible only unprofessional. Although for those who wished to learn this occupation of tourists, lack of transparency of water did not become an obstacle for diving and acquaintance with the local coral world.

Another thing - surfing. The Goa waves, whose usual height is one meter, are ideal for training him. In addition, Russian instructors often work in the surfing centers, capable of effectively training newcomers-fellow-countrymen.

Conclusion

A wonderful place to explore India is the Santana Beach Resort 3 * in Goa. Reviews of tourists repeatedly state that India, filled with human kindness, left in their soul the impression of an easy touch to the hidden aura of the lost paradise. Those familiar with these reviews of tourists get the impression that they "looked at this country not with their eyes, but with the soul."

Indeed, despite the poverty of most of the population, India is beautiful and, contrary to it, lives positive. Perhaps this explains the tourist phenomenon of Goa.