The Goans are quite friendly towards tourists and celebrate many festivals throughout the year, the most famous being the New Year and Goa Carnival. While the seafood is excellent, Goa has one of the best nightlife in India with trendy bars, beach shacks, elegant cafes and many clubs and discotheques. Thanks to lower alcohol prices in the state, Goa is also great for younger tourists with relatively tighter pockets.

For those of us perpetually confused between North Goa and South Goa, this might help - the state of Goa is divided into North Goa and South Goa. While North Goa is the nightlife hub where all the touristy beaches, flea markets, and beach shacks are located, South Goa is the land of luxurious resorts and laid-back beach vibes. Having been a Portuguese territory for almost 450 years, the Portuguese architecture is nowhere as prevalent as in Goa - visit one of the many whitewashed churches, crumbling forts or spectacular churches. The yellow houses with purple doors, ochre coloured mansions and oyester shell windows is what completes the kalieodscope of Goan architecture.

Panjim, the capital city located in the centre overlooks the calm Mandovi River where the famous floating casinos of Goa are docked. The centre is well-connected with an international airport and roads and trains run from North to South part of Goa. With a coastline stretching for over 100 kilometres, Goa has stunning beaches. While Baga and Calangute are more popular among the Indian family crowd, Anjuna and Arambol draw a lot of foreign tourists. The beaches in South Goa are relatively lesser explored, but some of them like Agonda and Palolem are more beautiful.

Varkala has some of the best pristine beaches, hills, lakes, forts, lighthouses, natural fisheries and springs - all of this together makes this town a little paradise. You will also find a lot of shops with signboards in Hebrew selling Yoga mats, oxidised silver jewellery and harem pants made of cotton. Ayurvedic spas, affordable resorts, hostels, clean beaches make it a must-visit city of Kerala.

Palm clad beaches are dotted with foreign tourists in a majority and very few Indians are seen across. Gokarna is not very conventionally touristy. The beaches are meant for a slow, relaxed holiday and everything on the beach goes at the same relaxed pace. Full of coconut and palm trees, the ocean and clean sands, Gokarna is a 'one of a kind' place in the country.

Kovalam is an idyllic coastal town located around 13 km from Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala. Famous for its three adjacent crescent-shaped shallow water and low tidal beaches, Kovalam is dotted with resorts and ayurvedic massage centres.

One of the 36 small islets of Lakshadweep group of Islands, Minicoy, also known as Maliku in the local language is one of the best-kept secrets of India. It is located amidst the vast expanse of Arabian Sea, just 398 km or 215 nautical miles from the shores of Cochin.

This picturesque destination is a popular tourist spot and has gained immense popularity due to activities like tuna canning, tuna fishing and the presence of pristine palm-fringed beaches. Tourists can enjoy some of the most memorable moments here during winters and the onset of summer, as the weather here is ideal during those months.

The town is not only popular for its unique phenomenon but also its beaches, temples, iconic monuments that attract a huge number of tourists throughout the year. The Kanyakumari Temple, Vivekananda Rock Memorial, Statue of the Poet Thiruvalluvar, the Padmanabhapuram Palace, the Vattakottai Fort, and the Gandhi Memorial are few of the most important sites in Kanyakumari.

Waterfalls in Kanyakumari that you should not miss out on include the Thirparappu falls, the Courtallam Falls, and the Olakaruvi falls. Kanyakumari has an authentic South Indian cuisine, with seafood and coconuts being an integral part of almost all dishes. While Kanyakumari is not a traditional shopping destination, you can buy plenty of souvenirs and curios from the numerous stalls and boutiques dotting the beachfront, with decorative seashell trinkets being a must-buy.

Beach town situated on the shores of Bay of Bengal, Digha is a popular tourist destination known for its untouched beaches and scenic views, especially among people in West Bengal.

Once known for its Cellular Jail- ‘Kaala Paani’ in Port Blair which primarily imprisoned the freedom fighters who were exiled from the mainland of India during the British Era, the graph of the Andaman and Nicobar islands have lately changed drastically and it is now known for its flourishing tourism industry which especially attracts honeymooners, families and adventure enthusiasts. You can either laze around on the sandy shores and enjoy the mesmerising sunsets or try your hand at scuba diving and explore the vibrant coral reefs. Besides, it also has virgin immaculate backwaters for those seeking solitude and ataraxy.

Havelock Island is one of the largest and the most popular attraction of all of Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Blessed with pristine beaches and coconut groves, this one offers myriad adventure sports opportunities to its guests. From snorkelling to parasailing, scuba diving and kayaking etc., there is no dearth of thrilling activities here, for that much-needed adrenaline rush, on an otherwise tranquil leisure vacay. In addition to this, you can visit the bustling city of Port Blair to get a glimpse of the local lifestyle. Steeped in colonial history and boasting of striking architectural monuments, you can also browse the local markets and savour the traditional cuisine.

Puri in Odisha is one of the four must-visit pilgrimage sites for Hindus because of Jagannath Temple that forms the part of Char Dham in India. Puri is a beach city located on the coast of Bay of Bengal which is one of the favourites among people of West Bengal for a short trip.

Known as the resting place of Lord Shiva, the majestic history and heritage of Puri date back to the 3rd century B. C. Puri, Konark and Bhubaneshwar complete the Golden Triangle of Orissa, with their religious significance and cultural heritage being the centres of tourism in this state. There are a lot of places near Puri that one must visit, like the Chilika lake, Puri beach, Gundicha Ghar and the very famous Sun temple of Konark. Puri is soon turning into an industrial hub with major manufacturing companies coming here.

Vehicles do not lead directly to Butterfly Beach and reaching here through land involves a challenging forest hike. However, this also makes for a wonderful opportunity to go trekking through a forest! Interestingly, Butterfly Beach is so named as the surrounding trees attract a wide variety of butterflies occasionally. It may also be because the beach itself is in the shape of a butterfly! Either way, it is just as pretty as one, especially during sunsets.

Enclosed by a thick forest on one side and leading to the open sea on the other, the beach has a unique and picturesque landscape. Butterfly Beach is also one of the few places in Goa to sight the playful dolphins. Avoid visiting the beach during the monsoon as the boat rides are mostly unavailable during heavy rainfall.

Located in the midst of frothy blue sea and emerald greenery, the scenery that this beach boasts of is indeed mesmerising and breathtaking. This place is a favourite among water sports lovers because of the range of activities that are offered here. If you are in the mood for an adrenaline rush, you can indulge in the water sports that are offered here.

The Rushikonda Beach is one of the few beaches that offers swimming under expert supervision, so do not forget to take a quick dip in the water. However, the beach's natural charms are one of the main reasons for its immense popularity among local as well as foreign tourists. The Rishikonda Beach is an ideal destination for a peaceful weekend getaway and is located just 8 kilometres away from the port of Vishakhapatnam, making the place very accessible.

Baga is so named after the 'Baga creek' which flows into the Arabian Sea. It is also famous for its designer stores as well as its street-side markets. While at Baga, grab a sumptuous breakfast at Infantaria - a highly recommended eatery, relax by the beach all day, and in the evening let the party animal in you come alive. Baga Beach is considered to be the extension of Calangute Beach itself since both of these lies on the same stretch of the shore.

Lined with an array of tattoo parlours, tarot shops, palmistry shops, spas, sun decks and some legendary shacks, it gives you a chance to live out your perfect beach holiday. If you are not a party person, you also have the option of starting your mornings with some beach Yoga, having a nutritious breakfast by the sea, and then just spend the day reading quietly on beach recliner. There is something for every kind of traveller in Baga!