Kos, one of the Greek Islands, is fast-becoming a popular holiday destination for families, couples and nutters out for a mad time. The weather is fantastic; when I went I didn't see one drop of rain. The sun is always shining so invariably it's hot, but there's usually a slight breeze so it's not unbearable! The accomodation in general is Kos is clean and basic - so it can get quite hot at nights. But like I say, it IS clean, the only thing that takes some getting used to is the Greek toilet system. I stayed just outside one of the big resorts, Kardamena, and it was the best holiday I've ever been on. I was literally about five minutes walk from the town centre and beach, which was great. Everything, especially food, is so cheap out there. The only expensive items, I found, were imported beers....hmm. If you ARE going out drinking, I'd recommend sticking to what you know - Michelob, Stella etc. The local brew is a bit odd, I find. Anyway, in Kardamena, there was plenty to do in the daytime - from organised excursions (if you go on a package holiday) to just subating, and shopping. The excursions were great - Scuba Diving, a visit to a volcano and a traditional Greek evening, consisting of a Meze (big feast sort of thing!) and some Greek dancing....have a go if you dare! The sunbathing is lovely, and there are numerous watersport activities you can try, all well-supervised by professionals. Bewarre if you go on the beach, though - you get charged for using their sunloungers (admittedly it's only a couple fo quid for all-day use!) I decided to try a bit of jet-skiing and paragliding...AWESOME!!! If you fancy a wander, there are plenty of shops to visit, most selling a lot of genuine designer clothing for bargain prices. I picked up a Versace shirt at a pair of Armani jeans for sixty quid...both totally genuine. Not bad, eh? There are lots of bars / cafes around, most screening live football if it's on, or episodes of 'Only Fools & Horses'!! Still, great to stop in the shade and grab a cool drink.
The nightlife was brilliant....everyone is really friendly, and you can quite easily get plastered on a tenner. Remember I said about the expensive imported stuff? Doesn't apply to cocktails! Plus, a lot of places give you a free shot of vodka/tequila/schnapps with every beer you buy, so after five beers and five tequilas...well, you can imagine. BUT here's the doozie - after midnight, by law the bars have to stop making noise! There are a fair few with soundproofing which do stay open, and certainly the big clubs that are open till 6 in the morning are soundproof, but if you've got youngsters or just fancy a quiet night, you'll have no shouting and banging music bothering you. There are a lot of Club 18-30 places around as well, so rest ssured, it's NOT boring.
There isn't enough room here to fully convey what a great destination Kos is, but it's not expensive, and I reckon you could live like a King (or Queen!) out there for about 2000 quid a week per person. That's all meals out, buying clothes, generally going mad. So if you're looking for a different holiday destination - Kardamena in Kos is the place to go. Enough to keep families and party-animals alike happy.