Goa is famous for its raging all-night psytrance music-fueled dance party scene. This is still going on, though not as strong as it was a decade ago. The free outdoor parties hosted by the likes of Goa Gil have been shut down by a government that's made clear its interest in attracting a more upscale brand of tourist than the hippie backpacker crowd.
But don't worry. There's still lots to do in the Anjuna area, even if you're not into pounding techno music and flourescent blacklight colors. Here are just a few examples:
1) Sip a $1 beer at a cliffside cafe surrounded by palm trees, like the Nine Bar in nearby Vagator, and watch a perfect sunset over the sea.
2) Chill out at The Jam Connection, a garden cafe with a fantastic treehouse and colorful tapestries hanging overhead, while you feast on organic salads and homemade ice cream.
3) Rent a moped and cruise over to one of the 24 gorgeous white sand beaches in the region, where you can spend the day sunbathing, swimming in the warm ocean, and snacking on fresh fruit.
4) Visit the Wednesday flea market where, for $100, you can stock up on enough Burning Man costumes and accesories, Indian tapestries and linen clothing, and Ganesh/Om/Shiva stickers/t-shirts/bags to last a lifetime.
5) Make friends with your neighbors at your beachfront (read: sand out your doorstep) hostel, who are just as likely to be Indian domestic tourists as they are Israelis, Northern Europeans or Aussies staying in Goa for the whole winter season.
6) Enjoy an Aryuvedic vomitory purge, colon cleansing, or saltwater nasal flush -- if that's your idea of how to 'relax.' For the rest of us, there's plenty of massage and yoga around town.
7) Just sit and watch the cows go by...
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