GENERAL INFORMATION FOR  PARTICIPANTS

The proposed Belmont Forum Scoping workshop “ Seasonal to decadal predictability of regional climate for decision making": bridging the gap between users' needs and the state of climate knowledge” will be held in Goa during 23 – 25 October 2013. The workshop will be organised by the Earth System Sciences Organisation, Ministry of Earth Sciences (Government of India) and The French National Research Agency (ANR) and will be hosted by National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Goa, India.

Venue

The workshop will be held at Neptune Hall – I in the Bogmallo Beach Resort (http://www.bogmallobeachresort.com/) at Bogmallo beach, situated about 4 km  from  the Goa Airport at Dabolim and 8 km northwest of the port town Vasco da Gama.

International and domestic travel

Goa  is  well  connected  by  various  domestic  airlines  as  well  as  few  International  airlines. International participants, other than those flying dirtectly to Goa, are advised to fly through two major gateways – Mumbai and New Delhi – which are very well connected to Goa.

While Mumbai would be preferred due to its proximity to Goa, New Delhi airport has a modern integrated terminal with excellent passenger amenities. Mumbai airport is currently undergoing modernization works and the domestic and international terminals are expected to be integrated in October 2013.  Till then, there will be a need to transfer between international and  domestic terminals if you are landing in Mumbai. There is a courtesy coach service and is the safest and most convenient means of transfer between the international and domestic terminals. Avoid taking any cabs and if you must, then use pre-paid taxi services located inside the airport immediately after the custom clearences.

Local transportation

Dabolim airport in Goa is about 4 km away from the workshop venue, the Bogmallo Beach Resort. The hotel will arrange free Airport pick-up and drop for all guests who choose to stay with them. Please provide your arrival and departure itinerary to the hotel reservations and/or local organisers. In case you miss the transportation facilities provided by the hotel, please approach the p repaid taxi counters just outside the arrival hall of Dabolim Airport. These taxi counters will charge you the government approved rates to your destination. Note that this is a prepaid system, safe, and you do not have to pay any extra amount after you reach your destination.

Accommodation

Organisers have blocked sea-facing rooms for all participants at the workshop venue (Bogmallo Beach Resort) at reduced rates for the workshop as follows: Single occupancy – Indian Rupees (INR) 5500 per room per night Double occupancy – INR 6500 per room per night.

The above special rate includes all taxes, breakfast, conference meals, and the airport transfer.

To avail the above, participants should mail the local organizer (satheesan@ncaor.gov.in, satheesan.k@gmail.com) with the names, occupancy and dates. Participants would directly settle the bills before departure. The hotel accepts all major credit cards (VISA, MASTER and AMEX).

Internet facilities

Free wireless Internet connectivity is available at the meeting halls. Internet is available at the rooms on payment basis.

Conferencing facilities

The workshop will be held at Neptune Hall – I in the Bogmallo Beach Resort. The hall will be equipped with a pc/laptop, an LCD projector, a screen, and microphones. Participants need not bring any equipment such as a personal laptop from outside. However, participants need to carry own Mac laptops, if needed, to the meeting.

Lunch and Breaks

During conference days lunch will be arranged at Nautilus Restaurant and Tea / coffee at Neptune – I Pre function area.

Financial services

The official currency of India is the Indian Rupee. Well known credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, etc.) are accepted in most places. The easiest and safest place to exchange your currency to Indian Rupee is inside the Airport. New Delhi and Mumbai airports have many foreign exchange counters. Dabolim Airport has one money exchange counter. However, there are few ATMs located enroute to the hotel as well as within 1 km distance from hotel premises. It is advised that participant may carry some Indian currencies as the smaller shops do not accept credit cards.

Things to see and do

Goa is India’s smallest state in terms of area and is located on the west coast of India. With its magnificent beaches, rich cultural heritage, delectable cuisine, and laidback vibe, Goa will provide an ideal location for a productive yet enjoyable conference. For more details, please explore at: Lonely Planet, Goa Department of Tourism, Wikitravel

Weather

October  marks  the beginning  of  tourism  in Goa  as  the  weather  dries  up  considerably  after monsoons. Although the temperatures in October are lower than they are during the summer months, the weather is still warm and sunny, with the average daily temperature around 27°C. More         details         on         the         climate         of         Goa         is         available         at

<http://www.imd.gov.in/section/climate/extreme/goa2.htm>

Local Contact

For further information on logistic arrangements, please contact:

Dr. K. Satheesan

National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research

Earth System Sciences Organisation

Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India

Headland Sada, Vasco da Gama, Goa – 403 804

Tel: +91 832 2525 530

E-mail: satheesan@ncaor.gov.in; satheesan.k@gmail.com