Highland Beach Resort

Just got back from our second holiday in Candolim, Goa. This was our first visit to Highland Beach, and I had high expectations after last year's stay in Whispering Palms Resort. You need to travel to this country with an open mind - it is the secret to a fantastic holiday. First thoughts on Highand beach were OK - I was amused by the many locks on every door and worried about the matresses on the beds (wafer thin) but as for accommodation goes in Goa, this was a clean, pleasant hotel. The rooms are small apartments - separate living area with TV & fan, air con in bedroom (and ceiling fan). Separate toilet & massive shower room, kitchen area with fridge. It was big compared to average hotels where you only get a bed & TV. Not a lot of wardrobe room but dont take a lot of clothes with you anyway - the first shop you come to outside the hotel - on the left hand side, (the one that sells the locks for the safety deposit boxes) will take any washing you need doing & bring it back on the following day for 10 rupees an item - 12p - a lot cheaper than hotel. Room cleaning was daily and everywhere in the hotel was clean, although B & B we didnt eat anything in the hotel - being English we travel to the other side of the world only to hunt down an english bar and eat full english breakfasts! Ruffles restaurant serves really good full english breakfasts that set you up for the day. We also found the best place to eat on an evening was Bom Successo - left out the hotel & then 10 mins walk. Staff were friendly & menu great, clean toilets & entertainment. Try to avoid the JUST CHINESE restaurant just outside the hotel - food is poor - toilets filthy and I was ill for a week of holiday after trying th Thai Chicken curry. Do not worry about being ill in Goa - most places are execptionally clean and food is fantastic - if however you are ill - doctors are ten a penny and will be with you within half an hour of you needing one - just go to reception and they will send for one. Tablets are really cheap from Goa - you dont need to take a first aid kit - you can get everything you need from there. We have been back in England for 3 days now and yesterday I booked again - back to Goa this December - staying in Highland Beach again - only difference is, this time we are staying for 3 weeks!

we have just arrived back from candolim goa stayin ay highland beach resort 18/12/6 2/1/07. first impression was to go home within the first hour of arriving from taxi to hotel. 24hrs later we were already saying we are going back in 2008 the local people were so friendly shaking hands as you walked passed' yes the taxi drivers and stall holders are always asking you for business but when you learn the culture and what they earn per month you can understand why, we are so lucky in most repects in england. yes there is lot's of litter. there are no pavements. and there's lot's of traffic' horn's blowing constantly. cows.dog's and even the odd rat but i would do it all again tomorrow. we laughed so much in the first week', from seeing elephants and cows wandering down the street to men having a pee at the side of the road (not to mention what both sexes do behind the bushes) and the occassionall trip in the local tuk tuk always made me laugh (even when we had a minor collision with another tuk tuk ) highland beach is a nice hotel by goan stanards (we are used to 5 star in the carribean but there is a big difference) the room was basic but sufficient for our needs although it was a bit of a suprise at first ' but once you accept that this is india you can get along just fine, the food wherever you go is first class we never had a bad meal no upset tummy but i also heard not to take innodium as it's no good, go to the local chemist or druggist and they will give you a yellow pill and you will be as right as rain in about 4 hrs, . as for malaria tabs if you are going as a couple only buy one pack at home about £15.00 you can then take the packet to the druggest and buy the rest for about £5.50 and they will protect you for the rest of the holiday and when you arrive home . we can recommend claudinis shack on the beach great english breakfast and marmite with toast and a pot of tea for less than 200rps. i would also recommend fishermans cove there are 2 in candolim the one near highland beach was fab ) we had great jalfrezzi and garlic butter lobster with starter and drinks £15.00 . i also would recommend johns boat tours for any trips as they are good value for the money around £12 each to go and visit the waterfalls and feed the monkey's ( a little secret take cashew nuts) as they are given too many bananas peanuts and grapes, they are bored with them. christmas and new year are not an experiance to be missed. fire works galore , we had an amazing holiday and i know there is so much more we could have done, but then again ther's always next year; after all every one we met had been going back for many a year and i have to admit we will be joining them; we hope you enjoy it as much as we did have a great 2007.

The room was OK, two sofas in living room with TV and balcony, a "kitchen" which had a sink and fridge. Bathroom OK, (single)beds were extremely hard and for the first week we woke up everytime you moved in your sleep. Tiny wardrobe and a dresser but definitely not sufficient room for clothes etc. When we arrived (after 25 hour delay on Monarch who were rude and unhelpful and made us wait 2 hours for bus to overnight hotel at Gatwick) we were asked what we wanted in the "mini-bar". We said coke, beers, whatever (didn't really care after journey!). We didn't drink all the beer and expected to only pay for what we used. Oh no! They wouldn't take it off our bill and took 20 mins and 5 managers to decide the only thing they could do was give us a drink in the restraurant instead. It was huge huge hassle and they were just ridiculous in their attitude. That more than anything else would put me off going there again. Ate lunch in the pool restauant a couple of times and was nice but far cheaper outside (Claudino's on the beach is great and they have bingo on thurs nights and if it rains!) Like someone else said, the porters were quite ungrateful about tips but our cleaner was really friendly and did a good job. Glad I went, maybe would go back as very cheap to eat there but wouldn't stay at the Highland because of the staff and the beds and felt a bit like being in Spain when sat around the (not too clean) pool.

After a below standard experience 2 years ago at my regular hotel, Dom Francisco, I decided to opt for the Highland this time, which other tourists and locals have always suggested was the best in the area. By booking late, and possibly because of poor take-up due to building works, we got an incredible deal at £341 pp inc flights and hotel.. the cheapest of all 4 of my visits over the last 9 years, and this was a star-rating higher! For those concerned about the building works, don't be! Almost all of this is done by hand and we heard nothing throughout our stay, and we were in a block across the road from it (though facing the other side). The only way we were affected at all was a 20 minute power failure one evening when they cut the lines (and power cuts are common in Goa anyway)... and one night we got in at 1am to find the water supply had been accidently cut off and wouldn't be back on for 2 hours... a bit inconvenient having not been back to the hotel to shower after the beach, but not a major problem. The hotel staff aren't especially friendly, but nor are they rude or surly. You get a polite and efficient service from them. The rooms are very nice by Indian standards (beware reviews that question the ratings without any experience of other hotels). The Highland deserves one star more than the 2 star hotels because of the separate living room, television and air-conditioned bedroom, 24 hour reception and long safety deposit room opening hours (which could be accessed 24 hours in an emergency). The room was very pleasant, air-con worked very well, no problems with hot water (which is heated independently in each room, so no race for the hot water in the afternoons). The cleaner did a very good job, aside from one day when he seemed to get sidetracked before he'd replaced our towels. Another real bonus compared with the Dom Francisco and Dona Alcina is the fact that the breakfasts were edible! Included in the B&B were cereals, toast & jam, an indian dish and eggs prepared however you want, tea, coffee and fruit juices. We didn't sample the restaurant food, as we are familiar with the area and had too many outside places to visit (which are usually cheaper than hotels). The hotel is in a great location set back from the main road right in the middle of Candolim within easy reach of the restaurants, shops & Super Tailor and close to the main beach road. The padlock system for the safety deposit boxes works very well if, like us, you lose your key! Then a maintenance guy can just saw it off free of charge and you buy a new padlock (I was also very impressed with the security system in place when this is necessary to ensure you are the rightful "owner" of the box and that no staff has access to it without you being present). The only thing that might prevent me from going here again is if the prices jump dramatically once the building work is complete. This is one of the best hotels in Candolim.

Julie's review from May 2006 is absolutely, dead right. The Highland Beach is akin to a 2 star greek island apartment in the late 80's... welcome to India! It takes a few days to get out of the 'must clean' mindset. I can guarantee that those who opt for a transfer from the Highland Beach will find that unless they go to the 5-star Taj resort, the accommodation will be of a similar or lesser quality. I'll start with the bad bits and end on a high! The beds are really hard, consisting of a wooden frame with a bed-roll matress overlay. Sheets are white, but heavily stained and they do not like to change them daily. The air-con is great but First Choice withdrew all their customers from the hotel in an air-con fire furore... most of the customers returned to the Highland Beach voluntarily to take their chances having seen the hotels they were being transferred to. (Incidentally, the guy who caused the fire had left the unit turned on at top whack for 4 days continuously... not wise!). The restaurant food and breakfasts are pants but the hotel is brilliantly placed for accessing other excellent restaurants in the area. Power cuts are frequent, but often short lived. Again, refer to 80's Corfu! Goa really makes you appreciate the utilities in the UK, female freedoms and personal hygiene products! Highland Beach hotel is fine. I stayed in the Dona Alcina 6 years ago in 2000, so I can't really compare but the Highland Beach exceeded my expectations and i'd briefed my boyfriend on what to expect. It is on a side-road off the main road through Candolim within easy access of everything. The pools (3 of them) are clean and not overcrowded, although it gets quite hot as they are nestled within the buildings and there is no breeze. The grounds are well maintained and the two main general stalls within the complex are owned by friendly professionals who charge RRPs and allow you not to haggle!!! (I'm very English about this and hate it with a passion!). The Highland beach consists of 3 blocks, some apartments are owned by long-term holidaymakers, but they are friendly and a good source of info for 2-weekers. The Hotel is in the throes of constructing a further building, which is adjacent on the main road, it's huge. This work doesn't effect the established hotel though and we didn't notice extra noise/dust. For a Goan 3-star, the Highland Beach delivers. I'd definitely return and i'd recommend the hotel to friends with the proviso that a GOAN 3-star is not a SPANISH 3-star... expect to compromise on sanitation and utilities because this is an exceptionally rich part of a third world country. Notwithstanding, i've stayed in worse places in the Isle of Sheppey, but that's a different review!

We booked this hotel through a travel agent based on the reviews on this site. The rooms are very basic, but at least clean. A cleaner will come in every day and clean everywhere apart from your sink for some reason and will change the sheets and provide clean towels. Be prepared for the very hard beds. We had a suite with a lounge, kitchen (only comprised of a sink and empty fridge, no cutlery, bottle openers etc) 2 bedrooms, one with AC, both with fans and two bathrooms, one ensuite. Take a padlock as they do not provide you for one on the safety deposit boxes which are in a room next to reception. The porter will point you to a shop next to the hotel to purchase a lock but they looked pretty poor and the price was 4 times what they cost if you take a walk 100m down to the main road and buy one from the Elephant newsagent type shop. By European standards the rooms would be 2 stars, large and clean but very basic. No hot water and intermittant TV reception and electricity which is the norm in this area, especially between 4 pm and 9 pm. The rest of the hotel is also clean, especially the open kitchens which looked impressive even by European Standards. It would only be the presence of a pool which pushes the rating to a 3 star. We only ate once in the restaurant by the pool and it was nice, but there is such a huge choice down the road that it would be shame to only eat in the hotel. There's a comical sign near reception which says not to eat outside of the hotel due to unhygienic kitchen conditions! We ate everything, everwhere, meat, fish, dairy, lassi's, coctails, local spirits, beer and never had any dodgy stomachs. Just eat at the busy places and avoid the icecubes and salads. What really lets the hotel down is the atitude of the staff though. Reception staff were indifferent, not a particularly friendly bunch. The porters are even worse, they will insist on carrying your bags and then pretty much demand a tip. i tipped 50 rp which is a hefty tip for over there and didn't even get a thank you. On leaving they picked up our bags and again I tipped 40 rp in coins and was met with "Coins are no good", What a cheek, they have become incredibly greedy and spoilt at the hotel. They then didn't even bother to load the bag onto the bus! We were also charged with a laundry bill on checking out even though we hadn't put any laundry in!! It took 10 minutes to sort out and were not given an apology. It was only for 70 rp but it was the principle. In the end the travel Agent representative offered to pay for it. I just got the impression the staff were all on the take, which wasn't the feeling encountered outside of the hotel which is a shame as although you'll probably pay over the odds at some point during your stay you just don't need it in your hotel and it put a damper on the end of a very good holiday. I'm not sure why everyone raves about this hotel is it's pretty mediocre. I'm planning on returnig next year but will book independant flights, sort a taxi (The coach takes 2 hours 30mins) to the resort and find my own accomodation. There are hundreds of choices in the area. We even checked out some basic accomodation which some backpackers were staying in and it was the same standard as our room, albeit 5 times cheaper. Personally I'd like to be closer to the beach, which would mean a guesthouse down one of the many small tracks and lanes leading from the main road to the beach. If you are looking for nightlife definitely choose Baga or the Northern end of Calungute as you'll only end up getting a taxi there every night anyway. Make sure you don't get charged for the use of sunbeds on the beach, just walk along and and find one which takes your fancy, where the lads are friendly. The costs of food and drinks do vary so it's just a case of checking them out and not being pressurised into using the first one. Some even have showers. We used Bono's which we found to be expensive (Well by Goa's standards) and Arabian nights, which was much cheaper, the young lads very friendly and it had a great shower. Inferno's restaurant is pretty good, never had a bad dish there and the staff were very friendly. Coctails there were very good to. Stone House restaurant which gets good reviews was dissapointing, although the tandoori mixed starter was the best I had in Goa. It was just very busy and the staff didn't look as if they were enjoying themselves. i think the places that make the guide books tend to rest on their laurels and don't make as much effort on the hospitality side of the experience. In short goa is exciting, dirty, smelly, cheap, charming and friendly. As for the hotel, if you are going through the package option then it does the job, just don't have high expectations, if you are going independently check out other options as there are nicer places out there.

Beware of flying with Monarch, we were delayed 4 hours (not there fault but the staff were indifferent and rude). Our allocated seats did not exist on the plane and the crew were very unhelpful. On arrival big shock even though I had read the other reviews but don't let this put you off! Goa is a fabulous place and considering in the first few hours I wanted to go home now I can't wait to go back. The hotel is very basic and we were lucky to have a suite. The air con was only just ok and the shower runs cold after about 5 mins. All this apart the staff are friendly and helpful, the hotel complex itself is very clean. My 8 year old son was ill when we arrived (nothing to do with food probably something already hanging around him)and the local doctor came out so please be reassured by this, he was wonderful and my son picked up within 24 hours. The resort of Candolim is very different from anything I had experienced mainly due to the manic drivers and the fact there are no footpaths so everyone walks in single file. There are cows aplenty! The shopping is great fun. Taxis are dirt cheap and the taxi drivers all so friendly. We travelled with Thomas Cook and the rep Lindsey Bullock was fantasic. She was great when my son was ill and so friendly - she restored what little faith I had in a holiday rep! Our favourite beach was Candolim Beach and if you go down Holiday Road and use the beach shacks around there you can use the loo in the Golden Eye for 10 rupees it's lovely and clean and only 2/3 mins walk from the beach. Food: No-one had any tummy problems, we ate at Souza Lobos in Calangute and in Candolim Mario's, Sea Shells, Little Italy, Fishermans Cove, After Eight. You must seek out the Bai Thereza 5 star resort in Nerul where all the bedrooms are teepees - fabulous. We bought bags and bags and more bags, copy designer gear, jewllrey and clothes and shoes, shoes and more shoes!! We will return to Goa very soon, I have to I left my heart there.....

We stayed for 2 weeks in March for the Test Match in Mumbai (only an hour by plane - £30 SpiceJet - well recommended!) and went to the Highland Beach on the recommendations on TripAdvisor. It was in a great location and would definately recommend Candolim as the resort to stay in, much quieter and more friendly (less kids!) than Cangalute and Baga. The room was basic and the beds a bit hard but fine considering we didnt spend much time in the rooms. Very good by India's standards... The pools were wonderful and the weather perfect. We didnt spend too much time on the beach because we got sick of people trying to sell us things so spent a lot of time at the pool or travelling around by taxi. Tips - slap on the fake tan - the locals will hound you to sell you things when you are bright white and they only calm down when you have a tan. Always say you have been to Goa before even when you havnt, then they will not rip you off. Don't take heels or dressy clothes - they will get dirty and you will look out of place. Casual but smart is good. Take some alcohol hand wash everywhere with you. Toilets are ok, much better than expected, but hand washing facilties poor. And the locals will want to shake your hand! Overall we were very pleased with the Highland Beach and Goa, would go again and recommend it.

This hotel is just what you need. It's quiet but not dead. The staff are friendly but don't intrude. Our room was attended to every day and sheets, towels and floors all changed and cleaned whenever you came back from the beach - just what you need. Yes there all things like the bathrooms and the light switches that remind you that you are in a third world country after all, but it's India - you have to accept that. I would recommend you take your own towels (or better still buy some there very cheaply and leave them), because although they are clean in the hotel they are a bit scraggy. We had a separate living room, with a balcony over the pool. Bedroom with aircon when you want it and hot water for showers when ever you wanted them. The hotel has 3 clean pools and you can have laundry done very cheaply. Its a nice hotel - but you have to remind yourselve to expect something different from India. From what little I saw of elsewhere and lots we were told, Candolim is the best resort in Goa to stop in. Not too busy and deffo not too quiet. Lots of restaurants and bars, beach shacks and shops! Get taxi's everywhere as they are cheap as chips and the driver will give you a guided tour (750 Rp - £10 - for a full day's return trip to a particular beach 45minutes away). Must do's for us are The stone house (restaurant and bar which is an old Portuguese house with terraces nestled in a huge Mango tree!! Great food & live music) 21 Coconuts beach-shack which is top end of beach towards the massive marooned ship (~found this by accident and met Rupesh who makes the best 'double cheese & double ham' cheese toasties in India). The way to the Fort and light houses is a great walk. Ingo's Saturday night market - an amazing mix of local folk selling their trinkets, tourists buying them and Euro-hippies in day-glow dance togs. There is lots of food and drink and live music at the market which makes it a must. Ashvem beach - so romantic and secluded that my man proposed to me while we watched the sun set into the Ocean! A wonderful holiday spot which is touristy in all the right ways full of gracious genuine and friendly locals.

Hi, My husband and I and our 7 year old son stayed at the Highland Beach Hotel for two weeks at Easter. The hotel is fine but basic, although when speaking to people in and around Candolim it is probably one of the best around, which gives you an idea of the standard of accommodation in Goa generally! The rooms are all suites and very spacious and we had a two bed suite with two balconies, one overlooking the main swimming pool. The bed linen etc. is changed daily and the floors cleaned. However, he bathroom sinks were never cleaned or the mirrors and the light switches in the property were filthy. It bugged me so much I went around with a wet wipe trying to get the ingrained muck off them (sad I know but that's just me!!). Breakfast here is OK - tea/coffee/toast/butter/jam - a choice of two fruit juices and eggs, eggs, eggs. There is also an Indian selection (if you like curry for breakfast). You can order bacon, sausage etc. but you have to pay extra for it. We hardly ate in the hotel because it's much cheaper outside (and better) and the hotel charge a standard 10% service charge. There are three swimming pools around the resort and there are usually beds available as people like to get out and about and travel around when you visit Goa and it tends not to be so hotel based. The staff at the hotel were all friendly and fine but sometimes needed a push up the rear end. I suppose you have to accept that their culture is different but no-one is ever in a hurry to get you anything. For example, you are supposed to ask the pool boys for towels and parasols but hey best to order a day in advance. "One moment" is the standard reply - best to bring your own or accept you may be waiting a while. We visited at the end of the season so there was no entertainment whilst we were there. It was a shame because the main pool was lit up with tables and chairs around and looked lovely and there was space to have a BBQ at the top end of the pool or around the gardens but there was nothing. Most people had a quick drink before going out and I quite like coming back and ending the night with a coffee but it was just so dead sometimes we didn't bother. You just feel the management need a good kick because it has the potential to be a really nice hotel. However, Candolim is a great resort with some fantastic restaurants - in fact some of the best food I've ever had anywhere and too numerous to mention although here goes - I'll try - The Mango Tree, Teaman, Floyds, Inferno (fab) and probably my favourite. The list goes on and we certainly didn't have time to try them all. The best beach shack by far is Bonos. Go straight down the main beach road and once on the sand turn right until you pass Laurencios Shack until you come to Bonos. Fantastic food, fantastic people, spotlessly clean and the cleanest and poshest loo you'll find anywhere in Goa!!! We didn't go anywhere else. There are so many return visitors and everyone was recommending this place. Bono (whose real name is Reginald is a former footballer) and his wife who was pregnant when we visited were lovely people and their staff were wonderful. Pasquale is a true gentleman and he would often play cards and Top Trumps with my son. The lady who cooks the food at Bonos has the most hilarious accent, with bits of Liverpudlian and Geordie all mixed in and she is quite a character and of course not forgetting Sanjeev from Calcutta who has worked here for 3 years every season and then goes home for the monsoon season - he is a bit of a Casanova but very funny. They will do anything for you. They take your towels and find you the best beach beds and run around after you all day. You hardly need to move. It was very cheap. We used the beds and parasols all day, had all our drinks, including sometimes cocktails, beers, bottles of water, numerous sprites and cokes, had lunch, including king fish, prawn curry, cheese toasties, chips etc. and we never spent more than £8 for the three of us!!! Taxi drivers here are brilliant too - you ask them to take you somewhere and they stay with you all day and wait while you shop/visit the sights etc./spend the day on another beach and bring you back for next to nothing... All in all, Goa is a fantastic place to visit - Candolim is a lovely resort. The people are fantastic, very friendly and we felt 100% safe the whole time we were there. The food is fab and the shopping is another world (soooooo cheap). BUT travel light. DO NOT take heels ladies - you will not wear them and will be out of place. We like to dress up as a family and took some nice clothes but my heels stayed tucked in the case and never came out. It is very casual and you will need lots of space for all the stuff you will DEFINITELY buy, believe me you cannot help yourself. We bought jewellery, trinkets, leather bags, clothes (loads of them). My husband had exquisite shirts handmade by the local tailors. Remember to haggle hard - it's part of the fun and make sure you visit an Ayurvedic Centre for at massage at some time during your stay. We visited the Elephant Sanctuary, The Spice Plantation, Old Goa, Ponda and Panjim during our stay and still haven't seen half of what we wanted to. Enjoy - beware of staying in anything less than a 3 star hotel (and even then some of them were terrible). I think you will need a recommendation because we heard some horror stories. Hotels to avoid are Hotel Nizmar, Calangute, Dona Alcina, Candolim and the Prazeres Resort in Candolim. All looked awful and we heard some nasty stories about them. The Highland Beach Hotel as I say is fine and most people we met were very happy with it. Sorry, perhaps I'm just a bit fussy about cleanliness but I just think it could have been better. Have a great time. Julia