Goa

Goa splits neatly into two moods. North Goa’s Baga, Calangute and Anjuna keep the energy up with beach shacks, night markets and water sports, while South Goa’s Palolem and Agonda trade the crowds for quiet coves and hammock-strung palms.

Inland, Old Goa’s Portuguese-era churches — including the UNESCO-listed Basilica of Bom Jesus — and the narrow lanes of Fontainhas in Panaji tell a different story, all pastel houses and azulejo tiles. Add in spice plantation tours, river cruises on the Mandovi, and some of India’s best seafood, and Goa earns its reputation as a complete coastal getaway.