Month: November 2024

Posted on

Holiday Articles – How to Describe a Holiday Destination

What is the best time to plan a holiday in Goa? Well, Goa is one of those few holiday destinations that can be visited the year round. Depending on your budget, your requirements, and your reasons for holidaying, practically any time of the year can be a fun holiday in this beach paradise.

Let us take a look at what Goa has to offer month-wise:

January

January is the time of the Feast of the Three Kings. This is a feast that is celebrated every year on January 6, which is considered to be The Epiphany or Three Kings Day as per Christian culture. While it is held in the ancient church of Nossa Senhora dos Remedios (Our Lady of Cures), people eagerly participate in this feast, regardless of their religious orientation, many places across Goa also celebrate the feast. This 10-day long festival is full of gaiety, dancing, music and revelry. Devotees come to offer their obeisance and seek the blessings of Our Lady.

Weather wise, too, January is a good time to be in Goa. There is a slight nip in the air, and one can spend hours on the beaches, without fearing for a sun-tan. A holiday in January will be a bit heavy on your pocket though, especially the first half of January, as it is still the ‘peak’ holiday season.

February

Carnival time! One of Goa’s most popular and enduring attractions is the Goa Carnival. Experience the carnival just like it is in South America, yet with a distinctly Indian touch. Like all other Latin American carnivals, the goa carnival culminates in the crowning of the indubitable King Momo, who is selected from the participants.

It continues to be cool and breezy in February, and most hotels also drop their peak season pricing post the carnival, so you can get good deals.

March

Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring! March is the time where the whole of India celebrates the end of winter and welcomes spring, through varied festivals and rituals. In Goa, the 14-day long Shigmotsav Festival marks the end of winter. Holi and Rang Panchami typically falls right in the middle of this festival, and Goans celebrate it with abundant use of Gulaal and other colours. A breath-taking Float Parade is carried out every day of the festival at different locations.

While it starts getting hotter by March, if you are someone who likes secluded beaches and solitude, March is a good time. With most schools gearing up for exams, you will find few domestic tourists. While there will be a smattering of International tourists, these will also have begun to move away, as the weather becomes hotter by the day. You will get good deals on hotels, water sports and so on.

April – May

At the height of summer, Goa will be hot, sultry, and humid. You can still enjoy the breezy beaches though, provided you stay away from the direct glare of the sun, apply generous amounts of sun screen, and keep yourself hydrated with chilled drinks. This is the period that most of the natives flock to Goa, those urbans who call Goa their native place. The biggest attraction of visiting Goa in the summer is gorging on mouth-watering mangoes, jackfruits, and cashews, that abound in the summer. The Konkan Fruit Festival, that takes place in Goa around April-May is a unparalleled experience for the foodies.

June – September

It is in the monsoon months that you will get to enjoy the stunning beauty of Goa apart from its beaches. If you are a lover of the rains, the monsoon is the best time to visit Goa. It transforms itself into a lush green countryside and even the beaches take on a mysterious, tempestuous look. Of course, all the beach shacks, shanties and water sports are closed during the monsoons, so it will be a quiet, introspective holiday if you do choose to go in the rainy season.

The Sao-Joao fest is a major monsoon attraction, normally held during late June. It is a wild water carnival, where the natives engage in revelry and boisterous fun

October – November

October marks the start of the ‘peak’ season in Goa. The water sports are back, the shanties are up, and the prices escalate! The temperature starts dropping only by late October or early November, and the party goers and revelers start flocking. Normally some or the other major festival also takes place in Goa around November – either a jazz festival, or a film festival, or a book festival.

December

Aah, Goa in December, is every party lover’s ultimate dream. New Year’s Eve in Goa is much hyped, and its an experience worth having. The entire week from Christmas to New Year is one bonhomie after another. It is also the most expensive time to travel to Goa though, and the prices will be sky high! But the fun and the experience of New Year in Goa is something you will cherish for a lifetime.

Posted on

Tips For Guest Bloggers: What You Should Do When You Guest Post

Asking a blogger to be a guest blogger in his site is not exactly an easy task. You have to do your research, consider lots of things and persuade him to saying yes to your guest post. Of course, being persuasive is not the only skill that you must have in order to make him say yes. In order to do that, you must show him that you are worth the slot too. How is this done, you may ask?

Well, take a look at the guest blogging tips that we have in store for you. With these tips, no blogger will surely say no to your guest post offer.

Guest Blogging Tips

When Thinking of a Topic:

Tip: The first thing you need to do is to take a long look at the blog that you want to guest post in. In order to know what the blog is talking about, read the “About” section thoroughly. This will give you the idea about what subject matters the blog is tackling (travel tips, travel ideas, etc.). After that, you should also read some of the blog posts. By doing so, you are assured that you will not pitch any topic that is similar to the blog’s previous posts. This will be a big no-no. After doing the proper research, think of what topic is good to pitch, depending on the reader’s comments and previous blog posts.

When Communicating With The Blogger:

Tip #1: Always be courteous and go direct to the point. To tell you the truth, compliments will get you nowhere. When you butter up the blogger, he can sense what you are doing and chances are, you will not be able to get the spot. Always remember that bloggers are way too busy to entertain all your chats and comments. That is why you should not beat around the bush. When you do an email pitch, tell him what you can offer to the blogger and to his readers in detail. Also, do not try to add more things to your credentials, the blogger will know if you do so.

Tip #2: Include all your credentials. It is always best to let the blogger know about your credential. Through this, you can establish the reasons why you are the best person to do the job.

Tip #3: Let the blogger know about your blog stats. There is no reason for you to hide your blog stats, most especially if they are good. Through this, the blogger will get to know how authoritative you are in your niche. Show them your page view stats, search engine rankings as well as your monthly unique visitor.

Tip #4: Include links to a sample of your work and your blog. How can a blogger decide if he will take your offer if you will now show him any samples of your writing? This is why you should provide links to your blogs and other online writing projects when you pitch your topic.

These are just some tips that you should take note of when doing your pitches.

Posted on

Surprise Your Regulars With Creative Restaurant Marketing Strategies

Have you ever heard of the 80/20 rule? This well known business rule stipulates that 80% of your business comes from 20% of your clientele. This rule can generally be applied across all forms of business and should tell you that your creative restaurant marketing strategies should be aimed towards your existing customers.

When we hear about the 80/20 rule we might initially question it. However, word of mouth is by far the best form of advertising and people generally look for some kind of “social proof” before they choose to eat at a particular location. Television, newspaper and Internet advertising may be one thing, but people want to know that they are going to have a good experience and turn to others for their opinions.

If you choose to focus on your existing, good clientele, you can apply some creative restaurant marketing strategies to help spread the word. You just need to focus on some relatively small ideas and remember that it is those neat touches that people remember.

If you know that a very regular party is coming in for a special occasion, determine what this is and go the extra distance. For example, if it is a significant anniversary consider a special bottle of wine at the table when they arrive. If it is a Valentine dinner, a red rose for the lady would be great.

Look at the small costs of providing something free as an investment in your business future. People remember the little things and will undoubtedly tell their friends. This “knock on” effect is what you’re looking for when you employ creative restaurant marketing strategies.

Use every opportunity you can to place suggestive messages in front of your guests. Business owners often forget that people need to use the bathroom and as this is literally a confined space a strategic, subtle message displayed on the wall or on a mirror will be productive. Again, be subtle and think of how you can sow the seed of an idea with such a message.

These days social media is very important. You must have your own Facebook page for your restaurant and should also open a Twitter account. Publicize your site address on your check or bill receipt and suggest that people who sign up as members of your various sites may receive a special discount of some kind against a future purchase.

Always try and get the e-mail address of every visitor. If you can, determine their birth dates, month and day. Establish an automatic messaging system called an auto responder, sending out invites to the birthday boy or girl, offering a free meal. They will invariably arrive with others to celebrate and you will probably, once again, be introducing your great service to new prospects.