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Anjuna Beach
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Anjuna is a small village in North Goa, 16 km from Panaji. Its claim to fame is
that it is one of Planet Earth's former hippy capitals -- along with Kathmandu,
Bali in Indonesia and Ibiza in Spain. Anjuna is not quite Goa. Neither does it tally
with what one expects of India. In this pocket along the west coast of the country,
there's a strange mix of east and west, of the hippy seventies and the consumerist
nineties which leaves locals totally bewildered.
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As you can see from
the photos on the website, Anjuna has a beautiful coastline, consisting of soft sand
beaches and clear waters. It makes a perfect holiday if you want to
soul search, relax or find some artistic inspiration. You can snorkel
in the sea and discover the colorful coral reef, or relax under a beach
hut in the shade with a cold drink while you play PartyCasino.it
or email holiday snaps from your laptop. You are likely to
meet some interesting and inspirational people on your travels, who could include
carefree hippies, monks or artists.
Anjuna attracts a weird and wonderful collection of over monks, artists, artisans,
defiant ex-hippies, gentle lunatics, seers, searchers, sybarites and itinerant expatriates
who normally wouldn't be seen out of the organic confines of their health-food emporia
in San Francisco or London.
One of the biggest beaches, the vastness of Anjuna can be realized by the fact that
there is a north, a south and middle to the beach. While most of the hotels, bars
and
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restaurants are in north Anjuna, towards the middle Anjuna is Flea market and in
the south is Little Anjuna Beach. |
Things to see and do
There is no end to fun, adventure and thrill on Anjuna. Once there leave your inhibitions
and get into the party mood. It’s difficult to say what's the main attraction of
this beach, the beach parties, walking through the beach on moonlit night or the
ever so famous Flea market.
The Acid House Party
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The party never stops on Anjuna and is known for its full-moon (acid house) parties.
Its the party hard spirit that makes Anjuna a rave venue for big parties and party
animals, especially during the Christmas and new year period. Usually the nightlife
of Anjuna centers at Shore bar which is in the middle of the beach. The night comes
alive with Goa trance music and the pounding rhythmic sound system. There is no
dearth of party places. All you need to do is just swing into the party mood and
voila! the fun begins. |
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The trance party with dance, frolic, and merriment goes all night besides the fire.
It is just the right place for lazing holidaymakers. Besides the calm waters of
the Arabian Sea lapping softly on the Indian shore, Anjuna comes live with its ever-famous
full-moon parties and the Wednesday flea market to take one onto a trance trip.
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Wednesday Flea market
Flea market is a tradition decades old, held every Wednesday dates back to 1960's.
It began as a place where hippies who were either broke or were leaving sold their
possessions. Banned for several years for allegedly promoting drug trafficking,
Flea market was revived several years back by Anjuna Panchayat.
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Every Wednesday, at around 11 a.m., Anjuna breaks into a riot of colors. The popularity
of the market among the locals and tourists can be judged by traffic jams here every
Wednesday. But once there, Flea market will offer you with a range of products so
unique that it will be a memory of a lifetime. From a used paperback to a haircut,
cameras to elephant rides, Tibetan, Kashmiri and Gujarati trinkets and handicrafts,
European snacks, to cassettes and CD’s of "Goa Trance", artificial ornaments carvings,
T-shirts and chillums meant to smoke banned drugs there is no end to the variety
here. |
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An elephant ride and a photograph with a fake sadhu or a fake snake charmer can
also be found here. Flea market is a heaven for hardcore shoppers and good bargainers.
The market begins around noon and goes on till sunset. Once in Goa, you can't afford
to miss this riot of colors.
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Get into the Mood
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Swimming or bathing is safe at southern end where a rocky terrain keeps the sea
calm and undertow to a minimum. Long walks along the beach under the shining moon
will soothe you beyond imagination and watching the sun going down is a favorite
pastime. Take a walk to the Baga retreat house to get to some sea cure shops. On
calm days one can enjoy snorkeling at the southern end and spot some mullet, parrot
fish and groupers.
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Some Sightseeing
There are quite a few structures to tickle your architectural bone. There's a Albuquerque
Mansion which was built in 1920. It is flanked by octagonal towers and Mangalore
tile roof. Another mansion is Mascarenhas Mansion which has rich and classic 'balcoes'
(balconies). An L shaped seat along the porch is carved out of expensive wood. There
are also some fine stained glass floral etchings. And to catch up with some scenic
beauty of the Anjuna beach, mount Chapora fort. This fort was under Muslim rulers
before Portuguese came to Goa.
Where to Stay
There are plenty of guesthouses around the village, and even a couple of hotels.
Someone planning a longer stay should look out for 'To Let' signs, as there are
plenty of houses that are available on rent along the back lanes.
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