Why Goa?
The behemoth Indian subcontinent can take years, if not longer, to get to grips with. In contrast, Goa, India’s smallest state, allows you to cover its length in a day. But by the time you lay your bags down and start sipping on coconut water with the ocean waves licking at your feet, you’ll realise it makes little sense to rush about here.
A week or two weeks can give you a fairly good idea of the landscape, from the streets of Panjim, the capital, to the palm-fringed villages; all strewn with architectural remnants from the colonial days. Then, there are the beaches. Creamy stretches of sand and warm water that draw swarms of visitors: young and old, hippies and hipsters, party-goers and paradise-seekers.
The Portuguese ruled Goa for 451 years, and the influence remains apparent in the customs and costumes, food and drink, intermingling of cultures and the peculiar fusion of Indian and European norms – Goa is not just about the beaches, as package-holiday companies will have you believe; It’s a combination of these eccentricities that distinguish Goa from the rest of India, giving it a loveable, welcoming charm.
A comfortable bed
The Park Hyatt Resort & Spa (www.goa.park.hyatt.com, 0091 832 272 1234) in south Goa is close to the airport and set on 45 tranquil acres along Arossim beach. It has excellent dining options as well as entertainment for children. Doubles from 12,000 rupees (Dh708).
To experience the grandeur of an original and lovingly restored palácio, a Portuguese mansion with antique furniture and decor, book a suite at Siolim House Heritage Boutique Hotel (www.siolimhouse.com, 0091 832 227 2138). Opt for one of two large suites upstairs but note there is no air conditioning.
Yogamagic Eco Retreat (www.yogamagic.net, 0091 832 652 3796), in Anjuna in north Goa, will appease any yogi who wants to practise in style under the guidance of authentic instruction, while lounging in luxury tents or suites made from local, sustainable materials. Doubles from 9,000 rupees (Dh531).
Find your feet
While the beaches are great, try to explore Goa from different angles. Hire a cab for the day for around 2,000 rupees (Dh118) and visit the historic churches and basilicas of Old Goa or book an exploratory walking tour (www.choltacholta.com, from 2,200 rupees [Dh129]).
Visit the magnificent Church of the Immaculate Conception in Panjim, shop at 18th June Street and discover the Hindu temples.
No visit is complete without eating with locals at a beach shack (try Curlies at Anjuna, www.curliesgoa.com or Anushka at Arossim – ask a local for directions). Nature lovers can book an intriguing wildlife tour with the guide, photographer and snake charmer Rahul Alvares (www.rahulalvares.com, from 2,300 rupees [Dh135]).
Meet the locals
Venture away from the tourist-jammed northern beaches of Baga, Calangute and Candolim and take a train (www.konkanrailway.com for schedules and fares) from Pernem in the north or a bus or taxi from Panjim down to the Agonda, Palolem and Patnem beach cluster in the south. For cultural stimulation, attend an exhibition, musical performance or indie film screening at Sunaparanta, Goa Centre for the Arts in Panjim (www.sgcfa.org, 0091 832 242 1311).
Book a table
Book an afternoon-long lavish tasting feast of Indo-Portuguese food such as prawn cutlets, vegetable soup and whole baked fish from 600 rupees (Dh35), made with locally sourced ingredients at the marvellously restored Palácio Do Deao in Quepem (www.palaciododeao.com, 0091 832 266 4029). The complimentary tour of the landscaped gardens is a treat.
For less fanfare, book a table at Mum's Kitchen (www.mumskitchengoa.com, 0091 9011 095557) in Panjim, where locals and tourists come to sample the famous vindaloos for around 180 rupees (Dh10).
Candlelight (0091 832 227 0157) in Siolim, while bordering on dive-ish, serves moderate portions of Goan favourites. The owner tightly guards the semolina prawn recipe.
Shopper’s paradise
Head to 18 June Street in Panjim, for a mishmash of clothing, souvenir and bookstores. Bargain at Benz (www.benznx.in, 0091 932 610 4111), a sari store off the main drag. The designer Wendell Rodricks's store (www.wendellrodricks.com; 158, near Luis Gomes Garden, Campal, Panjim) is worth a visit for bespoke resortware. Sacha's Shop (House #E526, SV Road, Panjim, 0091 832 222 2035) stocks an eclectic mix of affordable local clothing, accessories and homeware.
The markets around the state are worth a visit, too (www.goatourism.gov.in/shopping/local-markets).
What to avoid
While security has tightened in recent years, keep a watchful eye on your belongings, especially if you’re staying in a beach shack.
Don’t miss
Explore a palácio. The historian Luis Dias conducts bespoke tours of the old Mint House of the Estado da India belonging to his family, giving insight into Goa's multilayered past (www.luisdias.wordpress.com, diasfluis@gmail.com).
Getting there
Jet Airways (www.jetairways.com) flies direct from Abu Dhabi to Goa, from Dh1,260 return. Etihad (www.etihad.com) flies to Goa, with a stop in Mumbai, from Dh1,490 return.
weekend@thenational.ae
SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company Profile
Company name: Namara
Started: June 2022
Founder: Mohammed Alnamara
Based: Dubai
Sector: Microfinance
Current number of staff: 16
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Family offices
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm
Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh130,000
On sale: now
Why are you, you?
Why are you, you?
From this question, a new beginning.
From this question, a new destiny.
For you are a world, and a meeting of worlds.
Our dream is to unite that which has been
separated by history.
To return the many to the one.
A great story unites us all,
beyond colour and creed and gender.
The lightning flash of art
And the music of the heart.
We reflect all cultures, all ways.
We are a twenty first century wonder.
Universal ideals, visions of art and truth.
Now is the turning point of cultures and hopes.
Come with questions, leave with visions.
We are the link between the past and the future.
Here, through art, new possibilities are born. And
new answers are given wings.
Why are you, you?
Because we are mirrors of each other.
Because together we create new worlds.
Together we are more powerful than we know.
We connect, we inspire, we multiply illuminations
with the unique light of art.
Ben Okri,
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: SmartCrowd
Started: 2018
Founder: Siddiq Farid and Musfique Ahmed
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech / PropTech
Initial investment: $650,000
Current number of staff: 35
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Various institutional investors and notable angel investors (500 MENA, Shurooq, Mada, Seedstar, Tricap)
HWJN
Director: Yasir Alyasiri
Starring: Baraa Alem, Nour Alkhadra, Alanoud Saud
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Company: Growdash
Started: July 2022
Founders: Sean Trevaskis and Enver Sorkun
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Restaurant technology
Funding so far: $750,000
Investors: Flat6Labs, Plus VC, Judah VC, TPN Investments and angel investors, including former Talabat chief executive Abdulhamid Alomar, and entrepreneur Zeid Husban
BLACKBERRY
Director: Matt Johnson
Stars: Jay Baruchel, Glenn Howerton, Matt Johnson
Rating: 4/5
UAE medallists at Asian Games 2023
Gold
Magomedomar Magomedomarov – Judo – Men’s +100kg
Khaled Al Shehi – Jiu-jitsu – Men’s -62kg
Faisal Al Ketbi – Jiu-jitsu – Men’s -85kg
Asma Al Hosani – Jiu-jitsu – Women’s -52kg
Shamma Al Kalbani – Jiu-jitsu – Women’s -63kg
Silver
Omar Al Marzooqi – Equestrian – Individual showjumping
Bishrelt Khorloodoi – Judo – Women’s -52kg
Khalid Al Blooshi – Jiu-jitsu – Men’s -62kg
Mohamed Al Suwaidi – Jiu-jitsu – Men’s -69kg
Balqees Abdulla – Jiu-jitsu – Women’s -48kg
Bronze
Hawraa Alajmi – Karate – Women’s kumite -50kg
Ahmed Al Mansoori – Cycling – Men’s omnium
Abdullah Al Marri – Equestrian – Individual showjumping
Team UAE – Equestrian – Team showjumping
Dzhafar Kostoev – Judo – Men’s -100kg
Narmandakh Bayanmunkh – Judo – Men’s -66kg
Grigorian Aram – Judo – Men’s -90kg
Mahdi Al Awlaqi – Jiu-jitsu – Men’s -77kg
Saeed Al Kubaisi – Jiu-jitsu – Men’s -85kg
Shamsa Al Ameri – Jiu-jitsu – Women’s -57kg
Common symptoms of MS
- Fatigue
- numbness and tingling
- Loss of balance and dizziness
- Stiffness or spasms
- Tremor
- Pain
- Bladder problems
- Bowel trouble
- Vision problems
- Problems with memory and thinking
Previous men's records
- 2:01:39: Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) on 16/9/19 in Berlin
- 2:02:57: Dennis Kimetto (KEN) on 28/09/2014 in Berlin
- 2:03:23: Wilson Kipsang (KEN) on 29/09/2013 in Berlin
- 2:03:38: Patrick Makau (KEN) on 25/09/2011 in Berlin
- 2:03:59: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 28/09/2008 in Berlin
- 2:04:26: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 30/09/2007 in Berlin
- 2:04:55: Paul Tergat (KEN) on 28/09/2003 in Berlin
- 2:05:38: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 14/04/2002 in London
- 2:05:42: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 24/10/1999 in Chicago
- 2:06:05: Ronaldo da Costa (BRA) 20/09/1998 in Berlin
Honeymoonish
Director: Elie El Samaan
Starring: Nour Al Ghandour, Mahmoud Boushahri
Rating: 3/5
Non-oil trade
Non-oil trade between the UAE and Japan grew by 34 per cent over the past two years, according to data from the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre.
In 10 years, it has reached a total of Dh524.4 billion.
Cars topped the list of the top five commodities re-exported to Japan in 2022, with a value of Dh1.3 billion.
Jewellery and ornaments amounted to Dh150 million while precious metal scraps amounted to Dh105 million.
Raw aluminium was ranked first among the top five commodities exported to Japan.
Top of the list of commodities imported from Japan in 2022 was cars, with a value of Dh20.08 billion.
Stree
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5
The specs
Engine: 2.3-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 299hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 420Nm at 2,750rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 12.4L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh157,395 (XLS); Dh199,395 (Limited)
Forced Deportations
While the Lebanese government has deported a number of refugees back to Syria since 2011, the latest round is the first en-mass campaign of its kind, say the Access Center for Human Rights, a non-governmental organization which monitors the conditions of Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
“In the past, the Lebanese General Security was responsible for the forced deportation operations of refugees, after forcing them to sign papers stating that they wished to return to Syria of their own free will. Now, the Lebanese army, specifically military intelligence, is responsible for the security operation,” said Mohammad Hasan, head of ACHR.
In just the first four months of 2023 the number of forced deportations is nearly double that of the entirety of 2022.
Since the beginning of 2023, ACHR has reported 407 forced deportations – 200 of which occurred in April alone.
In comparison, just 154 people were forcfully deported in 2022.
Violence
Instances of violence against Syrian refugees are not uncommon.
Just last month, security camera footage of men violently attacking and stabbing an employee at a mini-market went viral. The store’s employees had engaged in a verbal altercation with the men who had come to enforce an order to shutter shops, following the announcement of a municipal curfew for Syrian refugees.
“They thought they were Syrian,” said the mayor of the Nahr el Bared municipality, Charbel Bou Raad, of the attackers.
It later emerged the beaten employees were Lebanese. But the video was an exemplary instance of violence at a time when anti-Syrian rhetoric is particularly heated as Lebanese politicians call for the return of Syrian refugees to Syria.
