What’s a holiday without a bit of shopping for mementos, to remind you about the place you were holidaying in or to gift your relatives and friends back home?
Here are a few places where you can pick up unique curious and knick knacks during your Goa visit.
Started a few years back, Marcou Artifacts are all about ceramic products and unique souvenirs which depict Goan culture and the local way of life. Their outlet is located in Fontainhas, the picturesque Latin Quarter in Panaji.
Name: Marcou Artifacts
Location: FontainhasPanaji
Contact No: 0832-2220204
Goa Handicrafts, Rural & Small Scale Industries Development Corporation Limited (GHRSSIDC), a Government of Goa Undertaking was set up in 1980 and performs the role of encouraging, promoting and marketing the myriad of Goan handicrafts by making these items available through its various outlets. Several of their outlets are housed in Tourist Residences operated by the Goa Tourism Development Corporation.
Name: Aparant Handicraft Emporia.
Location: Tourist Residency,Mapusa and opposite Police Head Quarters in Panaji
Architecture Autonomous is an architectural firm specializing in Ecological design. It has a wing which runs the Mario Gallery which is dedicated to the work of Legendary Artist Mario de Miranda. It also runs the Museum, Houses of Goa.
Name: Mario Miranda Gallery.
Location: Gauro Vaddo Calangute and Panaji.
0832 2281152
Velha Goa specializes in traditional hand-painted azulejos or hand painted ceramic tiles and also carries a line of ceramics and imported products. All the raw material for the azulejos are imported from Portugal but the painting on the product is completed in Goa by local artisans. You can visit their retail store at the Velha Goa Galeria in Fontainhas, Panaji.
Name: Velha Goa Galleria.
Location: Fontainhas, Panajim.
0832-2426628
Snorkelling
Hundreds and thousands of tourists flock to Goa and its beaches every year. But ever wondered what happens beyond that edge of water that the sea keeps pummelling out? Why not dive under it to find out. Try something like snorkelling. If you haven’t heard about it, try this for an explanation.
Snorkelling is swimming on or under a body of water using a L shaped tube called a snorkel, and usually fins on your feet. In cooler waters, snorkelers normally also use a wet suit, but you wont need one in India.
There are many a places off the state’s coastline which provide excellent opportunities for snorkelers who want to see the sea more intimately by slipping into its womb. The islands off the coast like Monkey Island, Bat Island and Grande Island offer clearer waters and therefore provide a great vantage point to amateur snorkelers. Some snorkelling outfits also offer the opportunity closer to shore like Candolim, Baga, Sinquerim and Anjuna beaches.
To get great deals on a host of snorkelling gigs the best place to choose from are websites like cleartrip.com and india.gobananas.com, where most activities come with attractive deals.
