If you have a moment, could you please read my udated Hotel Opera review - thanks!
If you have a moment, could you please read my udated Hotel Opera review - thanks!
Member since:13.01.2007
Reviews:22
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Kos is a Greek island in the Dodecanese, next to the Gulf of Kos which with a population of roughly 22,000. The island was once ruled by the Venetian and this is evident in many of the Kos Town buildings.
Kos Town is a marvelous mix of history, nightlife and culture and is an excellent location for a bit of island hopping. It really does have it all!
Some of the best service I have ever had in restaurants has been in Kos, it's the only place I have ever had a tip refused because I tipped the night before (we made sure we left it anyway!) The people are really friendly and welcoming, which is a surprise since they have a bar street which would rival San Antonio's west end!
The main bar street starts from the main road, in front of the sea and stretches up towards the old town. There are plenty of bars to choose from and if you don't feel like running the gauntlet of PR people trying to get you into their bar, fear not there are many quiet and beautiful bars along the beach front which house us more mature people and couples. To be honest, the bar street didn't bother me, it's more of a well behaved bar street
than other places have. It doesn't cause a problem for those of us wanting a quieter holiday.
The town is easy to get around and is wonderful for a stroll, particularly in front of the water. We were lucky to be staying in Psalidi which is about a ten minute walk - but what a walk! You walk down the water all the way, past the marina and some gorgeous little beach bars and restaurants. Just behind the main streets and town is the old town, which is a wonderful area, little cobbled streets peppered with stalls and little cafes and restaurants, at the foot of the old town is a big town square with wonderful little pavement cafes - you can sit and watch the world go by at your leisure! It's such a beautiful place to wander around.
You can catch a bus easily to the other parts of the island also; there are some stunning sights to be seen.
The main reason we chose Kos initially was because there were plenty of ferries which leave the harbour and go to other Greek Islands. Islands which can be visited are Bodrum - which is actually in Turkey but only a couple of hours on the Ferry. You can visit Rhodes for the day which is fantastic. You can also visit the islands of Pserimos, Nisyros and Kalymnos. Being the exploring type of couple we are - we done them all and there is something for everyone. When visiting Rhodes, you visit the town where you can do a bit of shopping and visit the old city which is contained within city walls. Bodrum is a shoppers paradise - every corner you turn has another market, I managed to come back from here with many a handbag! Kalymnos, Pserimos and Nisyros are all beautiful as well, much smaller islands that Kos - but you really get a feel for Greece. These excursions can generally be booked through your rep or there are plenty of little stalls on the water front which can organize this for you.
During an earthquake in 1933, many of the towns ancient ruins became uncovered and since then have many been worked on and restored. There are archaeological sites throughout Kos Town, some in the process of being restored. Bizarrely, you can be walking through a section of restaurants and all of a sudden you have reached an excavated site, which just adds to the excitement of the town.
Places you must see include Agora which is a sunken ruin and used to serve the purpose as the town market, it is possibly better visiting this in the morning as it can become extremely warm throughout the day. There is no admission and you can just wander around and have a look.
It's thought that Hippocrates, the father of medicine taught and was taught in Kos and you can visit the Hippocrates tree which he is thought to have studied under. The tree is thought, dubiously, to be 2500 years old!
The other main archaeological site is the Western excavation which, if it's your kind of thing, you will find fascinating - again try and visit in the morning as it becomes warm.
There is a castle named the Venetian Castle of the knights which is a ruin, but we had a great morning visiting this, its one of the few you need to pay into but it's only a few Euros for one person. You can miss the castle as its right on the waterfront.
One of the most fascinating archaeological sites is about 7 miles out of Kos town and can be reached via the little dotto train which stops on the main road in front of the sea or by car, is the Asklepion which is a temple built for the god Asklepios - the god of healing. I'm by no means any sort of expert or even have a decent knowledge of archeology - I can hardly spell it!! But this place is well worth a visit. It's a huge open air site which has raised areas, almost like stairs, marble columns and amazing views from the top! There is a little shop at the front of it where you can buy orange juice and slush drinks in case you get too hot.
The only drawback I can think of about Kos is the beach, it has a shingle beach and this obviously isn't great. Not to worry, there are some fabulous beaches which can be reached by bus or car,
Kos is my all time favourite holiday and I can't wait to go back - I'm now considering it for my honeymoon.
We booked with Kosmar Holidays and paid about £1000 between us for a fortnight in a four star hotel. You will find that the drinks are quite expensive but you can get a fairly priced meal.
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Jan 20th, 2007
(Feb 12th, 2007)
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