In recent years, holidays in India have become more and more popular among tourists. Many people choose to get to know the country on vacation in Goa. Travel companies are actively offering inexpensive tours to Goa, enticing with bright sunny photos of beaches with palm trees. There are travelers who plan their own vacation, choosing a route and hotels without outside help.
When planning an independent trip, it is necessary to take into account that in India the weather conditions are strikingly different from each other at different times of the year. The best time to visit is from October to February. Excellent weather, many resort activities at this time are available in full. During this period, the load on the Dabolim airport in Goa increases significantly due to the large influx of charter flights from all over the world.
Goa is a resort paradise for tourists
The smallest state of India (a former colony of Portugal) is of interest to travelers due to its unique features:
- You can go to Goafind a variety of recreation. The north and south of the state offer radically different holidays. In the north - discos, a lot of impressions. In the south - a calm quiet rest.
- Smiling Indians, friendly and always ready to help, captivate with their spontaneity.
- Sunrise and sunset fascinates with its indescribable beauty and transience.
- Many interesting sights, original holidays and colorful ceremonies. Goa has an original landscape and many beautiful temples and churches worth visiting.
All this color attracts tourists to the state. In recent years, the influx of tourists to Goa has increased significantly.
How to get to Goa?
The constant flow of tourists to Goa poses a real problem with finding cheap tickets. Please note that charters fly only during the holiday season. They fly according to their schedule, and operators can change it at will. In addition to them, there are also regular flights of airlines. There are direct flights to Goa departing from Moscow. The number of flights is fixed, so it is better to think about buying tickets in advance. You can also get to Goa with a transfer: via Delhi, Mumbai or the UAE.
Goa Air Service
How many airports are there in Goa? The only air port in the state is Dabolim Airport. It is located on the southern outskirts of the city, near the village of Dabolim, from where it got its name. It used to be a military airfield. The growth in tourist flow has forced the state government to take measures to expandairport to receive passenger traffic and limit military flights. Now Goa Airport (India) has a terminal for international flights.
The first terminal was built in 1950, when Goa was still a colony of Portugal. After independence, the airport was taken over by the Indian military.
When the first travelers began to arrive in the country in 1960, it became necessary to renew the region, and the first hotels began to be built in Goa. The state authorities have agreed with the military to use the airport terminal for peaceful purposes, to receive passenger flights at Dabolim Airport. In 1966, the first international flight arrived at Goa Airport.
Dabolim Airport
The full name of the airport is Goa International Airport Vasco-da-Gama (DABOLIM). Total has 2 terminals:
- terminal 1 accepts domestic flights;
- terminal 2 - international.
Movement between the aircraft and the airport building is carried out only by bus. Baggage claim takes place in one part of the airport, there are 2 baggage belts. Luggage carts are available at the airport. At the exit of the airport there is a taxi rank with fixed prices for all resorts in Goa.
You can enter the Goa Dabolim airport building only by presenting a ticket, and not earlier than 4 hours before departure. This is a feature of all airports in India. In the spring of 2014, Dabolim Airport was completely renovated. A new building was openedmodern terminal with levels and spacious waiting rooms. The flow of tourists at that time was already more than 4 million people a year.
How to get to Dabolim Airport?
From the resort to the Goa Dabolim airport building can be reached in different ways:
- By train to Dabolim Rail Station. This is the nearest station, located 1 km from the airport.
- Local buses. Ticket price - from 250 to 650 rupees. Buses stop running during breakfast and lunch.
- Transfer from hotel or taxi.
From the airport building you can also get to any resort in the state using buses, taxis or trains. There is a prepaid taxi stand at the entrance to the terminal. The tourist makes a payment in advance, receives a receipt and, at the end of the trip, gives it to the taxi driver.
Goa airport passport control
Upon arrival in Goa, you must go through passport and customs control. Even on board the aircraft, a questionnaire is issued to fill out - the Arrival Card. The questionnaire must necessarily indicate the place where the tourist will be during his stay in Goa. Therefore, it is better to take care of renting a hotel and choosing a resort in advance.
Usually, the passport control procedure does not take much time. There is a nuance to passing the inspection for those who arrived on a domestic flight (for example, with a transfer from Delhi). After passing control at the local terminal, you will have to get another 25 minutes to the international terminal in order to go through a similar procedure there.
For passport control, you must present:
- filled in the plane questionnaire;
- passport with entry visa.
When applying for a visa upon arrival, you must present a visa approval and get a stamp in your passport replacing the visa.
What do tourists think?
Goa Airport reviews of tourists are not the best. According to tourists, there are many shortcomings at Dabolim Airport, on average, the comfort of staying there is rated at 3 points out of 5. The main drawback noted by tourists is outdated information on electronic scoreboards. Therefore, the main advice for travelers to Goa is to be very careful at the airport, keep track of time on your own and check with the staff for up-to-date information as often as possible so as not to miss a flight.
A tourist destination in Goa was opened relatively recently, and the airport was upgraded from military to international flights only a few years ago. Now the main passengers of Dabolim Airport are tourists of international flights. With the opening of the new terminal, your stay at Goa Airport has become more comfortable. The new international terminal is a two-story building with departure and arrival halls, small souvenir shops.
The internal infrastructure of the airport contains everything necessary for tourists: cafes and restaurants, a mother and child room, waiting rooms of various classes, car or motorcycle rental desks, equippedtransit areas and parking.
The Dabolim airport runway is very interesting, it has a length of 2393 m and rests on the sea coast and the beach. This makes takeoffs and landings quite unusual.
