Andaman vs Goa: Choose Your Next Destination
Written By Go2andaman Editorial Team on January 23, 2021 Andamans or Elsewhere?Planning Your Holiday
Page Jump
You will inevitably find yourself choosing over these two when planning your holiday. The Andaman vs Goa discussion is long and endless. Both cultures have been heavily influenced by colonial rules- Goa by the Portuguese and Andaman by the British. To help you out in your decision, we’ve made various comparisons between the two destinations. At the end of the article, you can decide for yourself which one is better.
Andaman vs Goa
1. Number of Days
Goa
You can tour most of Goa in under a week. It is a small place and has key attractions in different places. You can tour one after the other, and enjoy the nightlife scene as well.
The beaches of Goa are also very unique and well-formed. All these can be visited comfortably under a week.
Andaman
Andaman on the other hand does not have a ‘key’ attraction as such but has a lot of things to see and do. The amount of experiences you can have at Andaman outweighs that of Goa. For this reason, you can’t possibly cover all of Andaman under a week.
That is why it’s more sensible to choose which places you want to visit according to your own likes and dislikes, sort of like a buffet. Andaman has something for everyone, and you can choose accordingly. Ideally, spending a little over a week here will ensure you have a splendid time.
2. Distance
Goa
For most tourists, especially from the West Coast of India, Goa is much closer. There are a lot of weekend plans made in which groups of friends visit Goa and have amazing nights there. The best part is that groups can take a car and leave at their convenience.
Andaman
Andaman cannot be accessed and left as quickly as Goa. However, that increases its charm. Andaman would take a day’s journey to reach from most places around India. It isn’t that hard to reach Andaman.
Plan your holiday well and take the time to relish Andaman. You can’t come to Andaman and leave in a couple of days, you need to savor it. Just book your tickets in advance and hop on to the flight here!
3. Cost
Goa
If you’re looking for partying, Goa will come out on top. Cheaper liquor prices there brings down the overall expenses by a big margin. Andaman isn’t as cheap, but the parties here are worth every penny. The bars make killer cocktails and the nightlife scenes are amazing.
Andaman
Goa does have the edge over Andaman to cover travel costs as well. Plane tickets to Andaman might cost quite a bit, especially during peak season. Goa on the other hand can be accessed by your car. Even the price of plane tickets to go do not rise as high as Andaman. However, Andaman can be enjoyed all around the year. During the off-season, plane ticket prices drop drastically and if you’re looking for a good budget trip, now’s the time to snatch the opportunity.
In conclusion, Goa will be cheaper than Andaman for overall costs but Andaman will undoubtedly give you a better value for money, which is the most important thing.
4. Crowd
Both destinations receive a variety of crowds. In Goa, there’s a mix of domestic tourists coming to enjoy the weekend and a diverse international crowd that has come to enjoy Goa for a week or two. Andaman has its own share of international crowds coming in during the season.
Both states have backpackers spending their time roaming around and taking photographs and occasionally filming the streets. Locals of Goa and Andaman are used to the tourist crowd coming. In both Goa and Andaman, there’s a variety of languages spoken as well so feel free to test your linguistic skills.
5. Natural Beauty
Goa and Andaman are among few of the last natural havens in India that haven’t been swallowed by the concrete jungles. The vast acres of forest in Goa add to its charm. A lot of people visit Goa to get away from the stressful jargon of city life. Andaman is another heavenly place and is truly a masterpiece of Mother Nature. There are forests, beaches, mountains, it’s basically a nature lover’s paradise. You can visit either place for a breath of fresh and clean air.
Nature is at its finest in these two places. However, in the long run, as an island Andaman may never come under the rule of massive construction works because it is home to a variety of birds and insects. Nonetheless, for now, the two stand on equal ground when it comes to natural beauty but having said that Andaman wins because of variety!
6. Nightlife
Goa has a cheaper nightlife scene, drawing a bigger crowd than Andaman. The clubs at Andaman have their own unique aura, and you can’t compare them to the ones at Goa. Goa has its fair share of popular clubs, mostly situated in the Anjuna area. Anjuna Beach has a party in full swing every night! When it comes to nightlife we feel Goa steals the cake.
7. Water Sports
Andaman beats Goa hollow when it comes to water sports. Over the last decade, Andaman has been dedicated to improving the water sports available on beaches. Authorized instructors and agencies are employed in this service. Most of the water sports available in Andaman are safe and have been tested.
The beautiful corals that lie on the bed, covered by crystal clear water make the water sports at Andaman an experience that you can’t miss out on. Goa has its own Water sports, however many of them are not safety tested. However, Banana Boat rides and parasailing are a better experience in Goa.
8. Best time to visit
The best time to visit Goa is undoubtedly during the winters when the weather is fine. The beaches can best be enjoyed then. The sun and goa blend as well as paint on a canvas. Andaman is perfect to visit at any time of the year really and is a tropical wonder during monsoons as well.
There’s always something happening year-round. Summer is naturally when there is the highest demand for plane tickets to Andaman, so if you aren’t ready to shell out big, come during the off-season.
9. Shopping
Goa has two malls, the second one just opened a few years back. However, it’s more fun to indulge in street shopping. You find some really unique things including some traditional Goan art and apparel. Andaman has no shopping malls and for good reason.
The local market will have everything you need and more- from delicious local food to clothing. There are also a lot of unique locally made ornaments like earrings and pendants on sale in the streets. Do not miss out on this experience in either place.
10. Safety
Andaman and Goa have had a lot of tourists and take good care of them. Safety is very high in Goa, and cases of theft or any such crime towards tourists are isolated. It is, of course, recommended to travel in a group. Andaman is very safe as well and tourists can freely roam about without the fear of getting robbed.
Female travelers are also safe in both these places and both these destinations see quite a few female backpackers throughout the year. Locals in both places are very helpful and are more than happy to assist you in finding what you’re looking for so don’t hesitate to ask.
In conclusion, you can’t really put Goa over Andaman or vice versa because both places have their own charms. It really depends on the kind of trip you would like. We hope after reading our comparison you can choose for yourself which destination sounds better and plan your escape soon!
Hello! We’re a bunch of content enthusiasts writing about all things Andaman. Our blogs are the result of our immersive first-hand travels to the Andamans and the experiences of those we know closely. We keep a close watch on the travel space in the Andamans, so we can always bring to you the most updated information. Hope you enjoyed reading this blog as much as we enjoyed writing it!