Goa

Goa is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its western coast. Goa has been a melting pot of cultures, religion and races over the years. Various dynasties such as Kadambas, Silaharas, Rashtrakutas, Chalukyas, Bahamani, Muslims ,etc have ruled Goa. But the strongest influence was that of the Portuguese. The state of Goa was a Portuguese colony for 450 years till 1962. The Indo-Portuguese culture and architecture here speak for the Portuguese influence on the state. Tourists can get a glimpse of the glorious history preserved in churches, forts, villages and cities.

Goa is blessed with splendid scenic beauty, golden beaches, beautiful rivers and lakes and architectural splendors is undoubtedly a "Tourist's Paradise". The perfect words to describe Goa is - "The land of Sun, Sand and Sea". Goa is world renowned for its beaches and attracts innumerable domestic and foreign tourists every year. The perfect holiday in Goa for many tourists is to laze under the sun on the picturesque and romantic beaches of Goa.

Goa, being in the tropical zone and near the Arabian Sea, has a hot and humid climate for most of the year. The month of May is the hottest, seeing day temperatures of over 35 °C (95 °F) coupled with high humidity. The monsoon rains arrive by early June and provide a much needed respite from the heat. Most of Goa's annual rainfall is received through the monsoons which last till late September. Goa has a short winter season between mid-December and February. These months are marked by nights of around 21 °C (68 °F) and days of around 28 °C (84 °F) with moderate amounts of humidity. Further inland, due to altitudinal gradation, the nights are a few degrees cooler.

Tourism is Goa's primary industry: it handles 12% of all foreign tourist arrivals in India. Goa has two main tourist seasons: winter and summer. In the winter time, tourists from abroad (mainly Europe) come to Goa to enjoy the splendid climate. In the summer time (which, in Goa, is the rainy season), tourists from across India come to spend the holidays. Goa also has a few museums, the two important ones being Goa State Museum and the Naval Aviation Museum. The Aviation museum is the only one of its kind in the whole of India. Also, a place not well known to tourists is the Goa Science Center, which is located in Panjim. The National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) is also located in Goa at Dona Paula. There is a Wax Museum located in Old Goa next to the Churches that is worth seeing-likely the only one of its kind in India.