Introduction
If
you are travelling to Goa, your trip is not complete unless you take back a
souvenir from this wonderful place. This means, shopping should be pretty
high on your itinerary, along with the sightseeing attractions. Goan markets
offer plenty of opportunities for shopping and enjoying Goan delicacies. In
Goa, you can pick up clothes, shoes, jewellery, semi-precious stones,
flowers, bags, handicrafts and traditional Goan items. In addition, you can
also buy a range of eatable items such as homemade pickles, sweets spices,
baked delicacies, fruit, vegetables and dry fish.
Do remember that the charm of Goan shopping remains the look and feel of a
small town. People are laid back and life is unhurried, so don't hurry while
shopping. After all, the night clubs near the market places and beaches make
a perfect finale to your exciting shopping spree.
Flea Markets
Goa is known for its lively Flea markets and you should not forget to
mention these flea markets in your tour plan. Many bigger villages of Goa
are home to weekly haats or bazaars, which attract visitors from far and
wide. The most famous bazaars are the Anjuna Flea Market and Saturday Night
markets at Anjuna and Arpora.
Anjuna Wednesday Flea Market : Set up by the Hippies in
the 1980s, for selling their disposable belonging, today, it has expanded
into a full-fledged market. Located in the low-lying areas of the Anjuna
Beach, the market offers an unusual mix of natives and hippies competing to
sell their goods. You will find everything on sale, from jewellery to linen,
electronic goods to motorbikes, Balinese batik, handicrafts and paintings,
mirror worked waistcoats and Thai trousers.
Here, at Anjuna the shops offer an eclectic choice but
just don't forget to bargain. If luck is on your side, you can return home
with a motorbike, a camera or a watch bought at an unimaginably low price.
Anjuna Flea Market is open every Wednesday from 10.30 am - 6.30 pm, between
September to March.
Saturday Night Markets : The Saturday Night Bazaar at
Anjuna and Ingo's Saturday Night Market at Arpora are more exciting and
famous than Anjuna Wednesday Flea Market. Here, the live music played by the
local bands, the riot of colour and light, exotic drinks and delectable
foods offered by the bars, make your shopping experience much more of a
night out. In these markets, you will find a mix of local and foreign
vendors. Items which you can buy here are incense sticks, jewellery,
handmade shoes, T-shirts, lampshades, miniature statues, bags etc. Further,
the fortune-tellers and tattoo bars add extra fun and drama to the lively
atmosphere. The Saturday night markets are open from 7 pm to 1 am, between
the months of November to March.
The Big City Bazaars
The
Big City Bazaars (markets) are usually located in the city centre of Goan
cities. Panaji, Margao, Vasco and Ponda are the big hubs for shopping.
Friday Bazaar (Mapusa) : Although you will find that some
of the goods sold here are similar to the Anjuna market, but the market
offers a totally different experience. In Friday Bazaar, vendors are locals
and gypsy ladies called Lamanis. You can buy a variety of fresh ground
masalas, spices, dry fish, fruit, vegetables, feni, sausages, urak and
cashews. Other items sold here are the leather goods, handicrafts, ceramics,
linen and bamboo products. Some regular shops that constitute the Mapusa
Municipal Market, sell antique lamps, mirrors, bottles and regular clothing.
The Friday Bazaar is open from 8 am - 7 pm, only on Fridays.
Panaji : In Panaji, the 18th June and MG Roads are the
main shopping areas, where you can pick up handicrafts and traditional Goan
items. Apart from these, the shops in the city sell clothes - cottons,
denims, salwar kameezes, kids wear and saris, shoes - leather, sport shores
and jewellery - semi-precious and fashion jewellery. If you are brand
conscious, MG Road is the place for you, the market is home to branded
outlets such as Adidas, Nike, Levis and Bentton. Shops on MG Road are open
from 9.30 am to 8 pm.
Margao : Margao's Municipal Market is
the main shopping market which is located to the east of the Municipal
Gardens. Here, you could shop for the entire day alongwith enjoying the Goan
food. Special items which you can buy here are shoes, a variety of Goan
spices like cinnamon, cardamom, trifala, dagadful, teflam which are used for
Goan dishes, dry fish, dry mango preparations and salted dry mangoes.
Municipal market is open between 9 am - 2 pm & 4 pm - 8 pm.
Vasco : The Municipal Market in Vasco lies in the centre
of the city, adjacent to the Vasco Residency. In the municipal market, you
will find a variety of shoes and clothes. Apna Bazaar is the another market
in Vasco, which houses around 25 shops selling designer garments, cosmetics
and jewellery. There are also several other shops selling popular music
albums, sweets, chaat and cold drinks. The shops in the Municipal market are
open between 9 am - 1 pm & 2 pm - 8 pm.
Beachside Shopping
Goa, popularly known as "the beach paradise" is home to some of
the finest beaches of the world. The Goan beaches are not only known for
their pristine beauty, but they are also famous as the centre of various
leisure activities, shopping is one of them. In reality, every road in Goa
leads to a beach and at every end of it, you will find small and big shops
selling everything, from handicrafts to traditional Goan items, popular Goan
T-Shirts, sarongs and many other souveniors.
Among the beachside shopping centres, Baga-Candolim-Calangute stretch is
the most popular. Shopping in the latter part of the day can be quite
exciting on this beach stretch. Items which you can buy here are
handicrafts, jewellery, sunglasses, goggles, spectacles, light metal
figurines, sculptures, semi-precious stone rings and bracelets. Also, on
this beach stretch, you will find restaurants, cafes and juice bars serving
the delectable Goan as well as Chinese and Thai cuisine.
