Vasco da Gama

Vasco da Gama is a port city in the west coast Indian state Goa. Vasco -- as Goa's most populous overgrown town is referred to, and the adjoining Mormugao port are busy, dusty and mainly commercial centres today. Mormugao Port was constructed in 1888, and is today one of the major ports of India. Between one-third of India's ore exports leave from here. Ship-builder Goa Shipyard Limited, that builds Navy and Coast Guard vessels, is built on the 1957-formed colonial barge-repair yard Estaleiros Navais de Goa. The Indian Navy also has a conspicuous presence in Mormugao, with its vast campus, and its contested control over the Dabolim airport enclave. INS Gomantak is the headquarters of the Indian Navy in Goa and sits on the hill overlooking St Andrew's Church and the Zuari river. Nearby is the naval hospital INS Jeevanti. Overlooking the Mormugao Port is the Navy's hydro graphic school. This area's largest naval presence is the INS Hansa, which includes the Dabolim airport. Getting Around: Get around in a car, bus, scooter, or on foot. Like in the rest of Goa, two-wheeler motorcycle taxis are available. You will find them usually painted in yellow-and-black (the color of taxis in parts of India, including Mumbai) and their riders are locally called "pilots". Motorcycle taxis tend to be more reasonably priced, specially if you're traveling alone and don'e mind roughing it out a bit. The "Japanese Garden" up the hill in a place called Sada. It is in a hill top facing the ocean. The route to the garden from the Vasci station, gives a good view of the ships in the ocean in the goan ship yards on your right hand side. It is seated in a beautiful calm place. You can sit on top and watch the ocean, or walk down to a temple at the shore. There is a side walk that takes you to the navy apartments nearby. It is not a usual tourist spot. It is very quiet and calm in the day time and the ideal time to visit would be early mornings or evenings. Beaches: Bogmalo is a small beautiful beach behind the airport. But the water can get very rough here. Velsao is a long fantastic beach a little far from the airport. But its absolutely lonely most of the time, nobody is around! It is not dangerous, but can be lonely! Where to Sleep: Hotel La Paz on Swatantra Path is the best business hotel in Vasco. There are few other hotels like Bismark, Citadel and Karma that cater to the business traveler. There are also two new hotels under construction on Swatantra Path. For the tourists, it is best to find a hotel near Bogmalo beach, which is only 8 kilometers away from Vasco da Gama. Sleep when the sun is high and hot. All shops close down for a siesta in the afternoons in Goa! Find a cool calm place and rest until 4pm!