I'm trying to arrange a week's girlie holiday for 4 ladies in their mid 30's this July/August to 1 of the Greek Islands for about £300-£400 pp.
The idea is a chill out relaxing holiday with days spent by the apartment pool or on the sandy beach, possibly a day or 2 sightseeing but not a priority, then out for a gorgeous meal on a night sampling the different foods, sipping wine/cocktails and watching the world go by!!
Whilst we're not looking for a club 18-30 holiday we don't want somewhere too quiet either.
Must Haves:-
Sandy beach nearby
Good choice of restaurants and bars
Not too busy but not too quiet
Somewhere safe for us girls
Some of us have been to Sidari in Corfu and Malia in Crete and enjoyed it but that was out of season (end Sept) so wasn't very busy. We would prefer somewhere different this year.
After reading through the many reviews and trying to decide on what island, I think it might be between Zante and Kefalonia, although I am open to suggestions.
Concerns/Questions/Help??
* I like idea of Kefalonia but will it be a bit too quiet and too hilly for us? Plus the holidays seem more expensive than Zante.
* Kalamaki and Tsilivi in Zante both sound good although there appear to be differing reviews as to which one is better.
* Is it safe to go to the beach with the nesting turtles at Kalamaki?
* Also are the aeroplanes flying so close overhead a nuisance or do you get used to it?
* Which resort is better for the beach and which for the restaurants?
* Which resort are we less likely to get hassled in?
* Is it windy in either resort? (I read that the wind picked up in the afternoon on 1 of the islands so you couldn't sunbathe on the beach but can't remember which 1)
* Is it better to go Self Catering as the reviews I've read of B&B's don't seem to rate the breakfasts very highly?
* Do you get a fridge in the apartment if you do go B&B?
* Would you opt for 2* or 3* apartments?
Please help. So many questions to ask?
Thanks
Both resorts ( Kalamaki and Lassi ) have lovely sandy beaches.
Kefalonia is very hilly
The restaurants in both were good. In Lassi you have the advantage of being very close to Argostoli with more choice of restaurants/shops.
There were more children /families in Kalamaki
We didn't have any wind while we were there ( either resort)
The planes were never a nuisance in Kalamaki, in fact they were entertaining.
There are no motorised water sports at Kalamaki because of the turtles
BB usually means you get no fridge, but check the hotel description. We did SC last year in Kefalonia because we wanted a fridge. We took cereal with us and bought fruit, milk, bread etc.
The year we went to Kalamaki we had BB and breakfast was not anything special.
I don't think you would get any hassle in either resort, I went with just my daughter( 16 at the time) to Kalamaki and it was fine.
There is more sightseeing in Kefalonia.
I would pay more attention to the reviews than the star ratings, and make sure the property has the location and facilities you want e.g pool, air conditioning, not 2 miles from the beach.
Personally I preferred Kefalonia, but you are right the holiday prices are a bit higher.
Hope this answers a few of your questions.
Tsilive would be a good choice and would offer just about all you need.
As for Kefalonia have a look at Scala.
J..
I think what appeals about Kalamaki and Lassi is that they're near to bigger resorts like Laganas and Argostolli if we fancied it. Are they in walking distance? I think we walked about 15 mins into Sidari centre when we stayed in Corfu and likewise when we stayed in Malia, both of which had 1 long road with plenty of different restaurants & bars to choose from.
Tsilivi does however sound like it's got everything we need on the doorstep.
Is Tsilivi more commerical and have more choice of different restaurants than Kalamaki? We all love Greek, Italian & Mexican Food.
What about in Lassi or Scala?
Can you recommend any particular hotels in the resorts?
Did you book through a travel agent or independently?
After reading the reviews and the comment you made MilleMiglia about B&B accomodation I've decided SC is a much better option. I'm sure we can rustle something up in the kitchen on a morning or go out to eat breakfast if we so wish.
I also think that although Kefalonia sounds gorgeous it would be wasted on us if we're not going to do much sightseeing as I know it's supposed to be such a pretty island.
Thanks
We found it to be quite lively at night but certainly not over the top. Theres lots of fantastic restaurants to choose from and plenty of bars - some quiet, some lively, some completely empty. We didn't get any hassle in the resort whatsoever.
I personally always choose to go self catering in Greece as the food in the restaurants is usually top class, whether it be for beakfast, a quick snack or an evening meal. I like a fridge in the room and haven't always had this if gone B&B.
As Bellavista suggests I wouldn't pay too much attention to the hotels rating. I often don't think you can tell the difference between 2* and 3* in Greece anyway. Instead read up on available accomodation on this site and others to help you make a decision. You can get a good basic, clean, friendly 2 star property that gets good reviews or an overated 4 star thats not worth the money.
Don't want to confuse you further but I went to Lindos on Rhodes in 2007 and that sounds exactly like what you're looking for. Might be worth a look.
I was originally thinking of Rhodes but I think I would prefer to go there with my other half and do a lot more sightseeing.
Check out western Crete, Georgiopoli, Rethymno, Almyrida or Chania.
all these are not 18-30ish, but have sufficient bars and tavernas to please all tastes,
and the beaches are nice and sandy, with good public transport links,
There are many private villa's for rent in these area's, and they can work out surprisingly cheap if there are a few of you.
We walked to Laganas along the beach one day from Kalamaki and took a taxi back, so not much difference.
In Kalamaki we stayed BB at the Venus , it was fine apart from the breakfast, although they may have improved this in the last couple of years since we went. If I remember rightly, we also had a fridge here, not sure if we paid for it extra. The pool was lovely and you got a great view of the planes landing and taking off. Lots of restaurants nearby up on the main road, including a very good Italian one.
In Kefalonia we stayed SC at the Mouikis village,Lakithra, and this was also good, nice pool again with a view of the planes at the airport. There was a free bus down to Argostoli and back every day, but only a couple of restaurants within walking distance from the Mouikis, so it probably wouldn't suit your party.
Kafelonia definately, in a different league altogether than Zante, Lassi beach is super, have a look at the San lorenzo village
For a girly holiday i'd go to turkey.
Turkey . Take a look at Parga.
We have been to Tsilivi twice and it's got everything on your 'must have' list and then some. It has a fantastic beach and loads of great bars and restaurants to stop you getting bored. But it still retains it.s Greek flavour and it's not commercialised in any way. It's not windy and you won't get hassled. We love it.You can chill, eat or dance. We went all inclusive to Hotel Zante Maris which is right on the beach and 2 minutes walk from the bars, restaurants and shops. Wherever you stay in Tsilivi you won't be far from anything.
Enjoy!!!
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