Hi Maegi

Sounds like the weather is great over there

Even more excited now!!!!

Went shopping today to buy more holiday clothes.

Well.....looking ahead already to 2008, does anyone know who will be selling the holidays to the Esperides in 2008?. We went there in 2006 (going to the Flamingo Oasis in Benidorm again this year) and want to return to the Esperides in 2008. These are the only 2 hotels we've been to so far that we'd return to twice!!
Portland (who we booked with in 2006 ) aren't doing it for 2008, neither are Mytravel, Thomson or Thomas Cook!! I'm stumped now and am thnking of contacting the hotel to see if they will be accepting direct bookings.
Does anyone know??? Any help would be appreciated - Thanks

And to all of you that are going soon you'll LOVE it there - its absolutely fantastic. Make sure you catch the fast boat that leaves from the jetty outside the hotel a few times a day to go to Rhodes town. You come into the harbour alongside the huge cruise ships & its a sight to behold. If you walk along from the harbour to the right you 'll then come to the town hall. A land train leaves there on the hour which takes you on a stunning tour of Rhodes town right to the top where the acropolis is - the views are absolutely breathtaking!!

Have a good holiday everyone!!

Hi Fitzmum

We are going to esperides 4 weeks tomorrow. We are travelling with JMC who are part of Thomas Cook. Have just checked their website and they are still doing this hotel next year.

Am so excited, have not read a bad review about the esperides. The tour on the land train sounds great.

Hi Marie, bet you cant wait now you have your tickets. We should get ours soon. Have your passports arrived yet.

Cazzi x

Hi Cazzi, Thanks very much - they must have added the Cardiff option in the past few days as when I last checked I could'nt get a flight out of Cardiff. Still, the price is £2400 for 2 weeks when I got it for £1800 in 2006! I think I'll hang on, see if I can find another tour operator that's doing it and 'barter' a bit between the two & see if I can get the price down a few quid!! That's what I usually do!

Have a fab time (i'm sure you will)
All the Best,

Hi Fitzmum

I do the same. I go to the same travel agent every year but always get the cheapest quote off the internet first and she always beats it. saved £400 this year.

Cazzi x

Hi

Fitzmum - thanks for the info on the boat and land train, just told OH and he said that sounds great!!! Our three girls don't like sightseeing but we always have one or two days when we insist on going and having a look round. OH and son often take themselves off for a few hours to explore the sights.

Cazzi - YES!!! the kids passports turned up in the week , same day as the tickets so we're all ready to go now!!! (well, apart from still having clothes to get and a few more toiletries).

I keep thinking about holidays next year, like to have something to look forward to, but we'd have to do school holidays next year and we keep having panic attacks at the prices!!!!! Next year we're into GCSE course work and stuff so not so easy to take the kids out.

Hi

The Esperides is on the Cosmos website too, priced it up for next year (just in case we loved the place that much) but it would cost us a lot more next year. Priced it up with JMC and it came out a lot more expensive too. This year we've paid just under £2900 for 6 of us, including seats together on the plane and inflight meals.

Sometimes we're found hotels that go all inclusive suddenly do put their prices up after the first couple of years, we've been to a couple of hotels when they've first gone all inc then not been able to afford to get there again!

We will have the same trouble next year as well. My son will be 13 so will be classed as an adult if we go AI. Got a free child place this year. Glad your passports arrived on time. We have been holiday shopping today.

Can anyone tell me if they have a dress code in the restaurants in the evening. The last 2 years we have been to Cyprus and Zante and men had to wear long trousers.

Thanks

Cazzi

Hi
I am sure men are being asked to wear long trousers and a shirt or T-shirt. No tie. The women can wear normal clothes, long or short as long there are no shorts and swimming trunks

Hi,

Can anyone tell me if you can control when the air conditioning comes on in your room or whether it is centrally controlled. If this is the case, what times does it go on and off? We should get there around 1pm and wondered if there will be air conditioning on at that time. Don't fancy unpacking in the hot heat!!

Thanks.

I cant speak for all hotels but the usual routine in the airconditioning will not work without the key card/magnetic key ring being in place, there is also an interlock switch on windows/patio doors which will stop the unit working when open, if conditioning is a chargeable extra then you will normally be given a hand control when you pay for it but the above still applies

wizard

Hi

This time next week I'LL BE THERE .

Keep checking to see if anyones done any reviews for this year but still must be a bit early.

Got the kids some of them splash shoes last weekend as a few people have said the sea is pebbley and last time we went away (Ibiza) I trod on something and ended up not being able to walk very well for the last week. Have read that the sea slopes quickly, anyone know if its still ok for kids to paddle in (8yrs) they never go very far in anyway.

Anyone know how long we'll be on the coach getting there? Suppose a lot of that depends on how many drop offs we have to do first.

Just want to get started on the packing now cause I'm fed up of the clothes hanging round, but knowing me i'll be packing as we go out the door!

Hi Marie,

Bet you're getting really excited now, and the kids too!

Can you tell me where you got your splash shoes from please? I have read that they sell them in the shop at the hotel but not sure whether to leave it to chance as to whether they will still have them or not.

Bought most things for my hols now, just need some mosquito tablets but not having much luck finding any.

Just think, this time next week you will be sitting round the pool in the sun with a cocktail!

Marie,

The kids will be fine! Its quite shallow close to the beach, and the slope isnt quite as steep the further away you are from where the watersports hut it, so they'll be able to stand up for some distance. As for transfers, we travelled with first choice last year, and in the brochure it stated 45mins to an hour... you'll be there in around 25, although like you say, this depends upon traffic and drop-offs.

Elvischeeseburger,

As Wizard said, the air-conditioning will only work with the key card in the slot, and from what i remember, theres a switch in the room which allows you to control it. Trust me, it comes in handy!!

Enjoy your hols both of you

Hi

Elvischeeseburger - we got the shoes from Soccer World (the cheap sports shop) only paid £2.39 a pair for my two 8 yr old daughers (theirs are pink and black) and the same price for OH's (he had blue and black).

They're the Ocean Pacific ones (OP) and the kids love them. Haven't been able to get them in my sons size but just picked him up Tesco's version of them for £4 plus they have their 20% off at the mo.

Hope you manage to find some

Hi

Only 13 more days to go. Can anyone tell me if the evening entertainment at the Esperides is outside or in. When we went to Zante last June it was all outside and as the hotel was on the top of a hill it got quite chilly.

Hi Marie bet you are really excited now. Hope you all have a great time. Save us 3 sunbeds on the 10th ha ha.

Cazzi x

Hi Cazzi,

Last year, the evening entertainment took place outside, on a stage located by the pool. It faces away from the beach, therefore shelters the breezes from the sea. There are two bars either side of the stage area, the Tropical cafe and Tropical bar.

Hope this helps, & if you have any more questions Im happy to help.
Have a great time!

Suddy

Cazzi, will do !!!!

Don't you just hate the rush for the sunbeds in the mornings, especially when people reserve them then never show up till later!

Hope your more organised than me, keep going to town and forgetting things.

Hi Suddy
Thanks for the info. Know what to pack for evenings now.

Hi Marie
We were really lucky last year and had no problem at all. One year we went to Majorca and they were even leaving towels on the night before. One man got so fed up he picked up all the towels one morning and threw them all in the pool. Was quite funny really.

Cazzi x