In the last few years Goa has experience huge increase in foreign and mostly domestic Indian tourists. The population of Goa is just 2 million but balloons in the winter months with outside workers and tourists. The result is unchecked development and destruction of the environment. Thousands of bamboo and grass huts are erected for the 'season' that last Oct-April.  By May all the huts must be cleared off the beach by government law, no permanent structure allowed with 100m of the seaside.  This is just as well because rain and surf start coming up onto the beach.  Still many structures are illegal.

• Pollution is a major problem in India and Goa is not immune. Goa's climate has changed and become warmer over recent years. Simply due to the huge influx of outsiders setting up in Goa, and clear cutting rain forest. The many kerosine cookers and wood fires that becomes part of every household and tourist business creates smogs and heat.
• Burning rubbish is regular morning activity, including plastics and anything else they care to burn. There is no garbage pick up. Don't expect clean air or grounds in Goa.

• Water. Sea water and local well water may be contaminated. Guest houses/huts near the beach need to have fresh bathing water brought in by trucks, or use the ground water which is cheaper. The local sewer runs into a side river of the beach and then ends up in the swimming beach.  Huts with attach toilets run right into the sand. Do not support these establishments, beware of what is coming out of your shower.

• The beach too is polluted with dog, cow and other animal feces. Better wear shoes and socks to protect your feet. Also expect glass or metal bits and other rubbish on the beach. The beaches in Goa as all over India are the toilets and garbage pits for Indians.

• Noise. Don't expect quiet in Goa. There is always some restaurant trying to attract foreigners to come and drink all night with loud music. There is little privacy in the huts. Expect to be awaken at night by Loud Larry and Drunk Dave.

• Crowds. With a country of over a billion Goa now attracts the worst of India. Cheap slave labour is hired from every part of the country to come and work at the seasonal tourist circus. Indian domestic tourists can easily squash the peace in few hours. Fights between drunken Europeans and drunken Indians seem to have become more common.

• Security and Crime.  Anyone can easily reach into a grass hut and open the door or take what ever. You should not leave any valuables in your hut or hotel what so ever.  Some huts will offer a locker inside the hut so you can secure your things if you go out for a swim. Good idea but most hut owners are cheapos and won't supply it.  Especially around Christmas and other holidays many thieves will strike. The sad part is that your hut owner is in one. The colst and competition to run a tourist business in Goa is high. Hut owners may lose money due to all the competition. How do you think they make up their loses? I know a handful of tourist shacks in Goa that are known criminals. In Goa there are many outside workers who are there and no one really knows them, so crimes has increase with the tourist numbers. Drugs and prostitution have arrived on Goa's shores en mass. In short: there is no security in Goa (or India.) The sad story of Scarlett Keeling.

• Dust from palm weave.  Grass is not really good for a house. The grass is always drying so it is alwasy creating dust. Grass huts are very dusty and may effect your allergies.
• Hot.  Huts usually have just a plastic roof. During the afternoon huts in the sun will get very hot.

• Tile roof: You may pay more for a hut with a brick tile, it is cooler. But do you reallize how dangerous this structure is? I do not recommend you stay in this these type of huts. The weight of the tiles are very dangerous, if it colapses, the weight will kill you inside. Notice how this hut the roof is bowing inward already!

 

     

•  Attached Toilets. Many huts now have attached toilets. Amazing for a grass house? In fact the toilet runs right into the beach with no septic tank. These are illegal. Do not support these establishments.  The pit toilet are also perfect for attracting mosquitoes that can carry Malaria, Chikagungaor  or Dengue fever which has increased over the years (some high risk areas are in Goa such Candolin.)  South Goan beach had almost no mosquito 10 years ago.

• Noisy Restaurants. It is common practice for every guest house to open a restaurant in front of their rooms. This is simply because a restaurant can make more money then huts or rooms. You should be aware that grass huts or ply wood hut offer very little privacy or noise control. Especially when there is a restaurant RIGHT infront of you or beside you. The restaurants also like to blast crappy music to attract drunk people to come and spend money. 
  

• Lack of privacy. Greedy land owners slice up their beach front property and rent each slice out for the season, paid in advance (1-2 Lak) This is because when Goa becomes ovewelmed with tourists in season they can keep on packing them in and will make lots of money!  Unfortunately you may have lots of noise in your huts at any time of the night or day.

• Over Priced. Be warned you'll get a better beach value in Thailand or many other places than in Goa. Christmas and December to February prices can go high and not really worth.

• Mattress. In Goa the conditions are very wet and moldy so the mattress must be replaced every year or a foam type must be used. Of course the owners do not want to spend the money so you will sleep on a moldy old mattress even for 800Rs per night. Hope your good and drunk!

• Environmental destruction.  Cutting down of rain forest and coconut trees to build more huts or guest houses. The placing of concrete under the huts for a floor. The lack of septic  tank. Excess of cheap restaurants burning wood, plastic and kerosene cookers. Workers add to the over population. Don't add to this mess!

• The Party?  Despite all this you expect to go to a good party right? Wrong. There are no parties and when there is it is filled with drunken boys and young men. Parties are banned in Goa. Loud music is not allowed after 11:00pm There is good reason for this. Local people don't want to have to move or have their little ones exposed to reckless parties everynight of the week.

• Attack of the beach chair. He who has the most beach chairs wins! You didn't want to walk or sit on the beach did you? Now you can pay for what you used to get for free but was nicer.

• Waterproof?  Every now and again it may rain during the winter season. You should note that the blue tarps do not repel rain sufficiently. You and all your belonging could easily end up soaked. Predicably you get little more than a shrug from the hut manager.

 

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