Mandrem Travel Guide

Goa is a great place for holidays, but it can get a bit noisy and crowded. If you're not the thrill seeking kind and would rather have a quiet spot for your base I recommend Mandrem beach. I found it a brilliant place to relax and unwind on the beach. It has some good cafes and restaurants, which very often we had mostly to ourselves. Among my favourite spots are:

• The Avalon Inn - excellent accommodation, good value for money - we felt really looked after.
• Riverside cafe - for great food at any time of day. Also excellent value for money. I definitely ate more than I normally do, the food was so good
• The Well Garden - has a great vibe, good music and the pizza (and coffee) tastes just as if you were in the best pizzeria in Italy.

If you're planning a trip to Goa and would like to get away from crowds and noise Mandrem is the place to be, in particular I can recommend the Avalon Inn. It's a pleasant (and short) walk from the beach, not on route of  any trespassers and the owner, Erika Shantz, is one of the most accommodating host I have ever come across. We have spent a peaceful week in the bamboo huts, eating good and healthy breakfasts accompanied by excellent coffee. Avalon Inn is quiet, quaint and meant fantastic rest for us. Not to mention really good value for money and extremely clean!