Calangute bars and Mambo's. Review on Calangute, Goa

Spent 6 weeks in Goa last year during the Monsoon season. Spent 5 weeks of that on an intensive IT course in Panjim so the weekends where basically all about relaxing and chilling out. To this end me and a couple of the guys on the course took a taxi every Sat night to Calangute which is about a 30 min taxi drive or 1 hr by Autorickshaw and that was an experience on its own.

Anyway once in Calangute we used to have a couple of drinks in 2Pac (if you go Nilda and Ruth who work behind the bar are very friendly) and maybe something to eat. After 5 weeks of eating curry for breakfast, lunch and tea Nilda told us that they do an English Sunday Roast dinner. It felt completely bizarre sat in a Bar in India eating Roast Beef and Yorkshire pudding while watching Top Gear on TV. (Surreal).

Anyway back to the story. We generally left Calangute around 8pm-9pm and walked down Baga Rd towards Baga beach. Its about a 20 - 30 min walk. Every night we went Titos was shut but next door there is the open air nightclub that is Mambo's. Great music and really friendly people. There are two bars although one is predominantly a cocktail bar and they have a food bar. There is also an area next to the dancefloor with pool tables. As it was monsoon season and out of the tourist season we expected it to be quiet but no. It was packed every night and you get to meet people from all over the world if you are willing to strike up a conversation with them. Something you wouldn't generally do back home.

Also just a point about the taxis. A few times we got a taxi from Panjim to Calangute the taxi driver would wait outside the bar for the 5 - 6 hours that we were partying so that he was guaranteed the fare back. (I suppose business was quieter than the high season). It was like having your own personal chauffer as we got the same driver every weekend.

After finishing the course I moved to Calangute but then just stayed in the local bars. Mainly 2Pac, The Shamrock and there is a nightclub just past the football pitch which we were told is run by two gay guys from England. Think it was called Eden. Really nice and clean if a bit small on the inside and its where all the barstaff from the area go after their bars shut down. Especially the lovely girls from The Shamrock - Geneveive and Elvira.

Hopefully next time I visit Goa it will be during high season and I've been told that New Years Eve is out of this world as they have all the partys on the beach.