Goa

The former Portuguese colony of Goa is India's most well known beach destination. It offers a distinct cultural experience because of the intermixing of western and eastern culture in music, food and customs.

After 450 years of occupation, the colonizers left their mark on the territory, converting much of its population to Christianity, building mansions and making it a centre for trade. The basis for today's touristic development was also set then, and now Goa is home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The local culture displays a unique fusion of Portuguese and Indian traditions in arts, customs and daily life of its native population. Unified in their diversity, they celebrate all types of holidays, from Diwali and the Ganesha Festival, to the Carnival and Easter.

The landscape is dominated by beaches such as Colva, a 30 km stretch of palm trees, silvery sand and numerous sea turtle nesting grounds. In the colonial days it used to be the retreat for Goa's high society, who would come to Colva for their “Mundanca”(a “change of air”). The beautiful houses and villas are reminiscent of that age.

Accommodation for volunteers in Goa is in an enclosed camp compound, replete with all needed facilities. Much like the other camps near projects in India, rooms are shared by 1-4 volunteers and contain Indian (squat) toilets and bucket showers. There is purified water, recreational facilities and free internet access. In all camps there is a camp manager that manages day-to-day camp operations, a project executive who supports volunteers in their work areas and many support staff that provide driving, cooking & cleaning services, in addition to workshops and yoga sessions.

Note: July and August in Goa are very humid, due to the heavy rains.

Goa volunteer accommodation