Goa is a package-tour paradise, squeezed between the seas and the lush forested hills. It offers glistening sands, swaying coconut palms, and ultra fresh sea food. Luxury hotels and budget guesthouses overlook fisherman mending their nets, and beer comes cheap and chilled. Discovered by pioneering hippies looking for peace and love. Goa's beaches are now filled with persistent hawkers during the day and rave parties at night. For those intent on discovering the real India, Goa is the best treated as a relaxing break on the southern trail. Lavishly gifted by nature, Goa can also boast of its rich cultural and historical heritage. It is hardly

surprising that the Portuguese who came in search of spices in 16th century decided to put down roots in this tropical paradise. Goa's natural boundaries, the Arabian Sea and the Sahyadri mountains, had sheltered it from much of India's inland turmoil, while its strategic location on the newly discovered trade route to the East made it even more attractive.