In February 2015, we visited India with two children, ages three and five. We were often asked how we could possibly travel to India with children. Admittedly, we chose India only because we happened upon cheap flights heading toward Bali, via Mumbai. I decided to set aside an extra ten days to visit the nation, figuring we may as well seize the opportunity to explore a new place while we’re there.

My sister recommended we stop in Goa, hyping up its hippie-infused culture and picturesque beaches. While staying in Mumbai at the lovely Courtyard by Marriott Hotel, we booked a last-minute Jetair flight to Goa departing the next day, for roughly 90€ per person.

Life guards on the beach in Goa – Copyright by Ants-in-our-pants.com

Once at the airport, we managed to find a rental car to drive to Arambol. Though India may appear to be all dust and dirt, you’ll find a clean respite from those conditions if you can afford a five-star hotel, like the Ramada Caravela Beach resort where we stayed. To make sure, you book the right hotel let me review Ramada Caravela Beach resort Goa.

The resort is located along one of Goa’s many white sand beaches, located about an hour from the airport and on the outskirts of the small town. You’ll need to enter by taxi – we traveled by rickshaw, and had to unpack our luggage just to replace it on a golf caddy provided by the hotel. 

We booked the hotel hardly a half hour before arriving for our stay. As you might guess, we love being spontaneous. We received a warm welcome at the reception area and secured a garden room. We soon found out they didn’t honor our request for a king-sized bed, so we were stuck with only 2 twin beds. Since we have two children who need their space to be sure they don’t roll off the edges, we swiftly changed rooms, ending up in a suitably furnished one with pool view. 

The pool is conveniently-shaped, so one can sit in the middle sipping a drink at the pool bar. The pool was a welcome escape after our long days on the road.

Pool bar of Ramada Caravela Beach resort – Copyright by Ants-in-our-pants.com

That said, it couldn’t compare to the beach. One of the best in Goa, the shoreline was sandy and soft, complete with gentle waves and since there were no other nearby hotels, plenty of space. There was only a lifeguard station, two restaurants 500m away and a small stall providing watersport rentals.

Beautiful beach in front of the hotel – Copyright by Ants-in-our-pants.com

My husband plays golf, so we booked him a one-hour lesson the next morning for roughly 1000INR (16€). He enjoyed the round and the breathtaking scenery while the kids had their fun at the kids‘ club, an area in the night club where they worked on paintings with a personable employee.

What a scenery! – Copyright by Ants-in-our-pants.com

Breakfast and dinner were buffet-style, which was perfect for our children, who wandered around picking and choosing their food as they pleased. The atmosphere suited us just fine.

Overall our stay was extremely pleasant, and we’d only offer two cautions to other travelers.

1. Taxis are excessively pricey and often late.

We called reception all of three times to book a taxi for the airport. We were left waiting outside the hotel, all of our baggage in tow, for 20 minutes before the cab finally arrived. Evidently, there are a few problems between the taxi drivers and hotel management, so the drivers have to be called out, as they aren’t allowed to queue up in front of the place. The taxis end up costing more than double the price of a typical cab. Hopefully the hotel can straighten out this matter before long.

Very nice architecture – Copyright by Ants-in-our-pants.com

2. The staff is not well-trained.

During breakfasts and our visit to the reception area, plus a few other occassions, it was plain to see the staff weren’t properly trained. They were friendly all the same, but couldn’t answer many of our questions, ignored our requests or would just arrive late. Goa may not be Mumbai, but a five-star hotel should still employ also five-star staff.

I hope the review of Ramada Caravela Beach resort Goa helped you – please contact me if you have any questions!