Latest Reviews for Benaulim

Having booked this last minute due to manos cancelling a week before we were unsure about South Goa.We could not have been more surprised the resort is fab with loads to do.
You must not use the cabs outside go to the crossroads and haggle. Walk away if necessary you will get a better price.
The local bus service is good and really cheap it cost us a pound to go to Baga return for a family of 4.
The spice plantation is good 500 rupees return by cab about a fiver.
The beach shacks Rogers was good for a curry and cocos next door good for chinese as they have chinese chefs both had good waiters and was really cheap no more than £7.00 for 4 to eat and drink all eve.
Jake the snake croc trip a must from old goa drinks the entire trip and homemade pasties.
A visit to Karnataka and Udiopi on the train a real experience to see the tigers and wash the elephants.
The South is beautiful we were on a nature reserve you have never seen so many wild birds kites eagles etc it was amazing. It is totally unspoilt and the people are lovely.
The only thing I would say is keep an eye on your kids although the majority of Indians are lovely some were a bit rough with our 3 year old and she got fed up of all the attention and photos.One even tried to tempt her away with an ice cream so be aware.
The hotel is not 5 star needs a major refit and is very tired and dated. The room maid was good and cleaned well but it is not to our standard although he did his best it was hard as the place was so old but he was pleasant and very helpful.
Breakfast was lovely Tyson the egg man as our daughter called him was great.
The jewel rep Elsie was great nothing was too much trouble she was lovely and the Karnataka trip was well worth it.
Watch put for time share you could play them at their own game and go to get a £50 voucher with no intention of buying.
you only need attend for an hour but they are very pushy and chrissy did get moody when she realised we were not buying still the guy was nice they even bought us lunch.
Go to Pannalleom on the bus a paradise it was amazing and buy the rough guide of india book a real must
but most of all chill out relax and enjoy a real undiscovered treasure......

On the whole a lovely relaxing holiday. Weather absolutely fantastic although humidity on the rise. The Taj is a very impressive Hotel staff are so polite and the rooms well maintained, but as always there is a down side, as so many have mentioned the prices for food and drink are at least twice the price as eating out. Kingfisher beer 250ml 125 Ruppee at the Taj bars, the shacks or anywhere for that matter 60 ruppee will buy a 650ml?!. By far the best place to eat in our opinion was the Sun and Moon Shack the most expensive meal we had being the seafood platter which consisted of Huge Tiger Prawns, Kalamari (Butter garlic) a Huge lobster and Huge Crab all absolutely Delicious by far the best we have tasted this meal also included a bottle of Pink Zinfadel Wine, beers and whiskey and coke all at the princely sum of 2000 Ruppee ....Bargain! The range of food far exceeded our expectations and we worked our way through the fantastic menu. In order to play fare we did try the Lobster shack at the hotel and this was by far the worst meal we had and I have never known anyone to muck up a club sandwich to be fair.........the cocktail 350 Ruppee ???????????

All the staff are aware the prices are killing the restaurants in the Hotel and customer feedback is sent to head office they say, so maybe they will listen one day as at night the guests leave en mass.

Undoubtedly you will enjoy this Hotel don't be frightened by the sellers on the beach just tell them when you leave you will visit ( I do reccommend lying about your actual leaving date as we did, we left Friday Am and I am sure they all laid in wait as we had actually said we were leaving Saturday! it worked they left us alone) buy an ankle chain and wear when on the beach as this acts as a deterent meaning you have already bought! Lastly have a fantastic time we did. March 2006.

Take notice of the previous reviews. This is the best hotel for service we have ever experienced. It's worth the extra price - it is so peaceful and relaxing, and the staff really can't do enough for you.

Try to time it so that there are no business conferences going on in the hotel. It wasn't a problem, but Tata had there annual conference at the hotel and it was overrun for 4 days. Thankfully, it's big enough to avoid crowds.

It doesn't matter that the hotel food and drink is expensive - we only had one dinner there at the Lobster Shack, but the rest of the time we went to the beach shacks and local restaurants. Definitely worth doing - don't worry about the warnings not to eat in the shacks - they're fine and do the best curries.

We found Sun and Moon and Joecons OK, but not the best. Gigi Park, just outside the main entrance to the hotel, does the best curries. But by far the best time we spent was a little way down the beach towards Colva - only a 10 minute walk along the beach to Rex's bar. Rex and his staff are the best. Rex also has a taxi driver - Ragu (pronunciation, not necessarily the spelling). He was so courteous and drove us everywhere. People always head back to Rex's shack and spend the whole day/evening there (we did).

Don't go to the the Dugout. The chef left last year and hasn't been replaced with the same standard.

We got engaged while we were out there, and now wish we had bought the ring from Cosy Nook. They are the best place to buy jewellery and really know what they are talking about when it comes to diamonds. Don't procrastinate like we did!

You don't go to the Taj to experience real Goa - you go to be pampered, and then get the real experience from the beach shacks, Margoa etc.

We'll be going back.

Our fourth time back to the Taj Exotica and it is as superb as ever.
The staff are the best I have come across in any hotel.
My only gripe is the incredible price rises in drinks since we were there in Dec.

The Sun and Moon is consistently the best shack we have eaten in. It is next to the Taj set behind Joecons shack on the beach.
Kapil one of the waiters is a total star and it is worth going there just to experience his humour and personality.
The food is always supperb and very reasonable.

If you want a reasonable and reliable taxi who won't drag you around half the shops on the way to somewhere check out Peter Periera on 9822586638. He is great and has a lovely air conditioned people carrier.

For the best and most reasonable Jewellery whether self designed or copied from a picture you cannot beat the COSY NOOK in Colva and SHAFI ARTS also in COLVA.
A branch of the COSY NOOK also next to Joecon's garden restaurant on the road to the Taj. This is the only place to buy diamonds, emeralds and sapphires at prices that make jewellers in the UK cry when you bring them to be valued here.

We cannot wait to return.

If you travel with Kuoni it will be via Monarch Airlines upgrading is well worth the extra cost.

This hotel is fantastic with great grounds and very fiendly and helpfull staff ranging from the Reception through the restaurant and bar staff to the gardeners and security staff.

The only complaint we have is the prices charged in the hotel which by local standards is very expensive because of which many of the guests eat and drink in local bars abd restaurants.

There is a 9 hole par 3 golf course. I Dave had three rounds with Johnston one of the profesionals from whom I learnt more about my short game than from all the UK profesionals I have paid over the years.

We have read in some of the reviews that people are wary of eating in the beach bars dont be one or both of us had at least a sandwich in 4 of them. Jacons, Sun and Moon and JDs all found to your right when you get to the beach. To the left is Zumbais where the staff said no problem when we did not have enough money on us to pay for lunch. That evening we went back for supper at a cost of 275 rupies = about £3.50 including drinks, one of the drinks was a double gin and tonic of 50p in the hotel the same drink cost £4.00 yes it was the same make of gin.

The best place to eat is Jacons Restaurant only 10 mins walk from the front gate of the hotel (the shop keepers and taxi drivers are not to persistant) One evening we had Jumbo Prawns to start and a whole Red Snapper for the main meal with three drinks each for a total of about £15 to £18. Fish is charged by weight and is brought on a tray for you to chose before it is cooked.

I say again all these places are safe to eat the only time either of us had any tummy trouble was whilst on the Taj Tour in Northern India where we were eating in hotels all the time.

this was our first visit to goa , the culture shock was nowhere near as bad as our last holiday in gambia , departure at the airport was slow but not stressfull , by allowing a porter to carry your luggage you did not have to run the gauntlet of other helpfull porters , all for the sum of 1£.

the ";coach";was old but at least the windows opened to cool the air , the journey was ";speedy"; , the one thing i can add is that you can forget the highway code here , there is no priority given to any vehicle at any junction , saying this you never felt in danger .

we stayed at the royal palms at the start of the season so the resort was still getting into its routine for the season , the accommadation was clean and bright , the staff could not be faulted in any way , we were bandb. which was the way to go as the beach bars were cheap , had a very good menu complete with there own dog pack.
the only thing thats offputting was the fly population .

the taxis were cheap but , we hired a brand new scooter for 2 days for about 1£ per day , this was a great way to see goa , we went where we wanted and dropped into wherever our fancy took us , the biggest hazard i would say was the wandering cows , the weather was very good , even when there were clouds it was still very hot , the beach is 28miles (est.)long with beach huts dotted along it , so a refreshment stop is never far away .
panjim was the most enjoyable trip we made ,it was quite modern while keeping an indian feel , the shops were varied and many , enough to keep you busy for the day .

susan and i liked goa so much we bought a timeshare so there is no doubt we will be going back , we spent 2 weeks in goa and we would be lucky if we saw or did 5% of the country , we will be going to the north next time to contnue our love affair with goa

This was the second time that we have stayed at the Taj and it was even better than we remembered.

We ate mostly in the hotel and sometimes at Joecons. The food was excellent everywhere although our experience of the standard of hygiene at the beach huts and the Goan Hideout (ask to see the kitchen) meant that we would not want to eat there.

I can't understand why some people would feel that the Adega bar in the hotel was expensive. If you get there for happy hour, they will continue to serve at a reduced price all night if you ask them nicely ( besides £2 for a cold 750ml Kingfisher with a basket of tortilla chips and spicy tomato/garlic sauce seved with style isn't too bad, try ordering that in the Met Bar!)

We would highly recommend the hotel and staff, who cannot do enough for you and don't hang round for tips like they do at the Leela! (10 rupees goes a long way in Goa!)

Margoa and Panjim are well worth a visit, don't worry if the clothes you want to buy don't fit, the shops have tailors who will alter for you within the hour for about 50 pence and you wouldn't know that they weren't made just for you originally!

If you can upgrade to the sunset pool villa we would highly recommend it .The price is US$100 per night but the view, pool and room are unbelievable. There really is nothing better than sitting in your own pool with a beer watching the sun set over the golf course and the sea with the occasional palm tree braking up the view!!!

Just don't go anywhere else! This hotel is by far the most superior we have ever visited. This is Paradise, with everyone at the hotel falling over themselves to make sure you enjoy what they have to offer.

Because the acreage is enormous, there is never a feeling of being crowded, no need to worry about the availability of loungers around the pool and your choice of venues for settling during the day are many. i.e. poolside, on the beach, on the grass, in the hammocks dotted around the place, or under the canopies overlooking the beach.

The breakfasts are ENORMOUS and they really set you up for the day. In the evenings, all the restaurants we tried produced good food, at a price. The bar was ridiculously expensive, so we gave that a miss as often as possible.

We mainly ate at the Sun and Moon beach shack which is just outside the property perimeter fence (to the right). This was by far the most superior place to eat. The staff are wonderful. Their sizzlers are to Die for at only 100 rupees (Just over £1.20. They could fill you up on their own, but the menu was so inviting, that we just had to keep going! We ate at Joecon's once, but weren't terribly impressed, the Hideout twice (Not bad) and Martin's Corner, a taxi ride away in Colva. This place has a fine reputation, especially as the tables, floor and decor are upmarket by comparison to everywhere else. The food was good, but we preferred the Sun and Moon shack.

We enjoyed our trips to Margao, got new glasses at a fraction of the price at home, at veg and meat samosas in Longhuinos to die for (4p each!) and at masala dosa's in the upstairs of the Kamat Hotel, just near the bus stops down south.

Up grade on the plane is absolutely ESSENTIAL in our opinion and well worth the cost.

If you go nowhere else in Goa - please try the Taj. They have really worked hard to spoil you, and if you like relaxation, this has it in abundance.

Goa is still a nightmare to get to as the only direct from UK flights are chartered, but there should be a health warning on flying so far in such cramped conditions. The Airbus 330 is a big plane but Monarch pack 'em in and our knees were sore when we got there 9 hours later, the leg room is ridiculously short.

having got over that,the transfer to the Taj is only 40mins. It is one of the newer hotels and absolutely luxurious. The standard rooms are massive, air conditioning is perfect, two huge beds and even the bathroom is divided into 3 areas. They are beautifully furnished. satellite TV shows Indian , American and BBC World TV. Although there are villas in the grounds i fail to see how they can be any better than standard rooms, they are as good as any we have ever stayed in anywhere.the lobby and public areas are unbelievable, sumptious and tasteful.

The 4 restaurants are excellent but food and drink are roughly at UK prices, overpriced by local standards.The standard of service is excellent, there must be one staff per guest!For the best of both worlds, use the hotel facilities for the luxury you expect and pay for but go out and use the local beach shacks and restaurants for that 'local'experience, you won't believe how cheap it is.

parts of Goa are still 3rd world so be prepared when you venture into the towns. you can if you wish simply chill out at the hotel and lie at the pool and on the beach. the hotel is quiet at night but its not the type of place where you would expect to have a 'rave' anyway.We will certainly be going back to the Taj Exotica