★ ★ ★★ Keep Shining...... always ★★ ★ ★ HATE the new...
★ ★ ★★ Keep Shining...... always ★★ ★ ★ HATE the new Ciao format... why mess with something that worked????
Member since:31.10.2003
Reviews:25
Members who trust:250
Up until About 7 years ago my partner and I always travelled with First Choice as they offered good accommodation at reasonable prices, however since their take over - like a lot of holiday companies their prices seem to have rocketed sky high.
So the search for a cheaper holiday began. Being a bit of a bargain hunter I like to first look at locations on offer then compose a list of 1st, 2nd and 3rd choices from a selection of brochures then calculate the price of each for comparison – the way I see it is that if you can save a little on your accomodation you can enjoy a few more lavish treats whilst away!!. So this done Kosmar came out tops (with Olympic a close second).
Kosmar offers accomodation in 29 different areas of Greece ranging from the Mainland to the smaller islands and they have 24 years experience in specialised holidays to Greece. Bookings taken for holidays between 1st May – 31st October each year.
Prices
in May for 1 week Start at £179 (including flight, in flight meal and transfers), prices DO NOT include insurance, and it’s probably more advisable to shop around for this seperately. You don’t actually pay much more for two weeks, so check the prices before you book, 2 weeks can cost only an additional £40 on top of the weekly price. The accommodation Kosmar offers ranges from studios to apartments, and the occasional hot2 - 3 stars. Not all accommodation have pools but they usually offer 'use of pool'. Prices jump Witsun by £100 week but overall they offer exceptional value for money.
Our first Holiday through Kosmar was to Kalymnos for 2 weeks in August for a bargain £299 each, this included flights to Kos and the ferry transfer to Kalymnos, accomodation in a wonderful complex with bar, pool and a massive apartment!! what a bargain, since this trip we have not used any other holiday company and have visited lots of Greek islands with Kosmar - Corfu another great family run apartment with pool, Crete - astounding, Kos and Rhodes to name but a few.
As with all Greek self catering accommodation it can be basic, but our sheets and rooms are always clean!! and the reps are always very knowledgeable and not too pushy in selling the trips!!
Before my visit to Kos last year I decided to have a read about my accomodation on a holiday message service on the internet, the write up was horrific - however on arrival we had no problems, basic yes but what do you expect for £199 for the week! my reply to the reviewer was if you expect 5 star then you must be prepared to pay for it!!!.
One setback for some people could be the fact that the accommodation is sometimes situated further out of resort, so if you have walking difficulties check the brochure description well, and don’t laugh but a torch could actually come in useful for late night returns!!, however for the price you can only expect this.
Be warned on our return from Kos last year we decided to book for 2005 - our first two choices were fully booked - a year in advance, again it could be the price but also the fact that Kosmar accomodation owners are usually very very friendly and attract a lot of 'repeaters' - people who return year after year after year!!!.
So this year we have our 3rd choice in Kos - still with pool, snack bar etc etc, 1st choice in Crete - charming apartments above a taverna overlooking the sea, and who knows......i'm still browsing the brochure.
I would certainly recommend Kosmar to anyone looking for cheap and cheerful holidays in Greece, the majority of properties are self catering - not that you could do much catering in a lot of the kitchens - 1 pan, a few spoons and not a lot else, (would you want to?) but as long as you have the fridge to keep your drinks cool, there is always a friendly taverna not too far away with good food on offer!, or the local bakery for pies cakes, bread etc.
The brochure descriptions are always pretty spot on with good write ups in regard to the town, restaurants, nightlife etc and you also get a good description of the accommodation, i.e good standard, basic etc, also there are sometimes comments about the owners, one point to note is that with these friendly owners usually offer a barbeque night so you can get to know other guests, do some Greek dancing etc for about 15 euros!!, also one or two have challenged me to a game of backgammon, again real Greece.
Give them a go, be quick, and enjoy, in my opinion you can't really go wrong, however I expect things may be changing at Kosmar, the 3rd Edition 2005 sees a move towards ‘posher’ bigger but not always better hotels offering all inclusive facilities.
Contact Info: Kosmar Villa Holidays PLC, The Grange, 100 High Street, Southgate, London, N14 6FS
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Mar 4th, 2004
(Apr 1st, 2005)
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