Well I finally have enough time to write a review on Malia, a small island in Crete, Greece. I visited Malia this summer with my friends and found it to be one of the most exciting yet laid back cities in Europe. I hope to share my experiences of Malia to the Ciao community.
Brief History:
Malia is located on the Greek Island of Crete, 34km west of Heraklion, the largest city and capital of Crete. Most of the buildings and ruins found in Crete are from the Bronze Age, making Crete an ancient city with a huge historical background.
Booking the Holiday:
I and my friend's had decided to go to Malia some time back, however had yet to book it. In normal circumstances we would have booked the holiday months in advance, however due to lack of communication and laziness we left it to the last minute. Having looked throughout the internet, our best bet was to go to a local tour operator to see if we could get a last minute deal. We decided to book through Thomas Cook, and found flights for early June. We paid a total of £320 per person for one week, which included flights, transfers and accommodation. Obviously we could have got a much cheaper price, but due to last minute booking we had to settle for this. We were told we would be travelling with Excel Airways, a low budget carrier, much like that of Easy Jet or Ryan air.
The Tour operator booked us with the 18- 30 rep group. For those who don't know who 18- 30 are, they are perhaps the biggest reps. You can book your holiday direct from the 18- 30 website; (www.club18-30.com), however it tends to work out more expensive than your local tour operators.
• Quick Note the tour operator's ask if you would like to have an in flight meal at a cost of £20, say no. When we were on the plane, we were told that food is distributed to passengers regardless of if they have paid of not.
Airports & Flights:
We were fortunate to fly from Gatwick South Terminal on an early flight, which meant we would have more than enough time in Malia. As stated our airliner was Excel Airways. The flight lasted almost four hours, and their was a lot of tossing and turning, but taking into consideration the fact it was a low cost carrier we were happy as long as it took us from A to B. After four hours, we landed at Heraklion Airport, Crete. For an airport that generates thousands of people each year it was relatively small. The staffs were rude and not very helpful, but it didn't dampen our spirits. Once you leave the airport you are greeted by club reps. we looked for the club 18 -30 reps, who helped us load our baggage onto the coach and took us to our hotel. The coach ride lasted approximately 40 minutes, but that was more than enough time to take in the beautiful views. The clear crystal blue sky, the palm trees, the dessert floor all adds excitement over the fact that you are actually on holiday. Once the 40 minutes were up we finally arrived at our hotel, (VILLAGE OASIS).
Village Oasis:
Village Oasis is a family run complex, which is situated 15 minutes away from the main strip. This was great as we were not to close to hear the nigh life, but also within walking distance from clubs, pubs and bars. Before we had a chance to unpack we were greeted by one of the group reps, who took us to our hotel for a quick briefing. It is their that the whole selling part starts. The Reps will try to sell you tickets to events etc throughout the week. I would encourage people to buy maybe two or three events, but no more. Remember you're just as capable of finding your own way around the town without having to pay for it. These Reps work on commission so they will try to press you, but don't be scared to say no.
Ok now back to the hotel complex, we shared three rooms between us, all of which had the basic facilities one would expect. A toilet and shower, kitchen with fridge, gas powered cooker and kettle. The complex also had a brilliant swimming pool which was open from 9am to 9pm, if you stay here its best to get to the pool early in the morning or at 8am at night, as less people use them during this time. We also had a pool table, a bar and restaurant area, a small internet café, which charged 1 Euro for 20 minutes and a small arcade area, with games like pro evolution soccer.
A few quick notes about the complex and infact most complexes in Malia. - They charge you for your safe keys, which you cannot get back at the end of your stay - They have a detailed damage list, which you will find in your room, in the case of you breaking or damaging anything they will charge you ridiculous amounts. E.g. 30 Euros for a frying pan. A tip, if you break anything from the kitchen, go to the local supermarket were you can pick up a replacement for around 5 Euros, trust me we done the same. - Finally in the likely hood of you brining back a male or female companion to your room, hotels and apartments will charge you a fee of anything from 30 to 50 Euros. Something to do with tax law, but very silly, so just keep that in mind.
Now even though most of my holiday involved drinking, we still had time to do some daytime activities.
- In Malia there is a Go Kart track called Kartland, run by a Greek women who is married to an English man. The prices differ depending on how long you drive for. Either it's 15 Euros for 10 minutes of 20 Euros for 15 minutes, however we done some haggling and managed to get 20 minutes for 20 Euros, which is much cheaper than the rates on England. There are however a few things you should no, first although they provide helmets, the go karts don't have any seat belts and thus you could fly about; this is a risk, which you will have to take if you choose to take part. Secondly always ask to drive with your mates, we saw some scary drivers, and thus waited till they finished before we had our go. It's a great fun and I would recommend it to people who like these types of activities. If go karting is not your cup of teas, there is a paintball ranch next door, give that a go.
- The beach is beautiful, as it gives you a chance to soak up the sun and the view are brilliant, however one major problem is that it gets very busy. Your best bet is to get their early. The sun beds can be rented for about 2 Euros. Apart from sunbathing and sleeping on the beach, there are also tons of water activities that you could take part in. I and my friends took part in Jet skiing for about 30 Euros, but other activities include banana boat riding, paragliding and speed boat cruses. All activities come with the suitable safety equipment so not to worry their.
- There is a small crazy golf course right in the middle of the strip. It's a nice place to come and relax and simply chill out with the mates and have a bit of fun. 18 holes will set you back 4 Euros, however prices may have now changed.
- There is also a trams service that runs from the town, which takes you around the island, this is defiantly worth a try, and it may sound boring, but for only 5 Euros you get to see everything and chances are you will even find new bars and clubs that you never knew existed. It also gives you a chance to take a scenic view.
Quick guide to Mopeds and Quads:
The first thing you will notice when in Malia is hundreds of people on quads and mopeds. It may seem like a quick mode of transportation, but be advised there are some serious repercussions with renting them. The Sellers will say you are covered on their insurance, but don't be fooled because you aren't, if you crash or damage the moped or quad they will charge you the full whack. Our rep was telling us how the week before we came; a boy crashed his quad and was charged 4000 Euros to repair it. We also witnessed an accident between a quad and moped, so at the end of the day the risk is yours, if you have a deep pocket then by all means try it. But im giving you the same advice the reps will give you.
Nightlife:
This is the part of the review, which I feel I will enjoy writing about. We spent almost every night at a different bar, and it was great fun. Malia has a lot to offer in term of nightlife, they cater for everyone, with different types of music, drinks and atmosphere. Now one thing you will notice is that their will be people trying to encourage you to enter every club along the way, my view is there's no harm, almost every pub, club has a free entry policy and your always welcome to come and go. Banana club is defiantly a club that everyone should visit, its lively atmosphere, cheap drinks and great music makes it one of the places to be. They always have special offers, which vary depending on they day of the week, but your bound to get a good deal.
Newcastle bar is another club, which one should check out. Again lively music, a good crowd and cheap drinking flowing all night. Other clubs include Malibu, Sugar and Camelot Castle club (The only one were they charge to get in).
If clubs are not your cup of teas, and you want something a bit more quite, there are several bars, which cater to a more relaxed crowd. Nice deco seating, chilled out music and quite atmosphere make them a place to be if you have had enough of a crazy night. Lush Bar is defiantly my recommendation, located rite in the middle of the strip, its always chilled out and relaxing, no trouble and people just sitting down having a nice chat with one another.
Drinks & Prices:
Well I could go on and on about this section, you don't have to take my word for how many different types of drinks they have. From straight vodka shots, to jelly shots to fishbowls everything is a must when on holiday in Malia. The must is a fishbowl, which is basically what it says. A big fish bowl, packed with vodka and fruit juice, this is the type of drink which will normally set you back any where from 15 to 40 Euros and usually caters for about 8 people. So I would defiantly recommend this drink. I always found that beer was slightly on the expensive side compared to vodka and spirits. If you are a bear lover I would recommend by bear from the supermarket and having it at the hotel, or just bring it with you and drink it on the street, as far as drinking on the street anything goes, just don't bring it into the clubs and bars.
Prices vary depending on the bar and or club you go to. Usually most places will have the famous by one get four free, with one drink setting you back around 5 Euros, and this is again worth it. A note most spirit drinks and watered down, hence the cheapness of them, but they still do the same as normal drinks I feel. Secondly the bar person tends to fill drinks with huge amounts of ice, so just tell them to calm down with the ice or simply don't put any in, that way you get more of the drink.
Food:
Well Malia has a huge variety of cuisine that you could go for. There are traditional Greek Restaurants, which you should defiantly check out, as they always out on good shows, i.e. plate throwing and street fires with dancers dancing in the middle. There is also an Indian and Chinese restaurant and well as a Mexican restaurant. If you go to these places expect to pay a bit extra, but its worth it. If the though of expensive food has driving you away don't worry, there is also a McDonalds, Subway, Domino's, local kebab shops…… should I go on. Food is not a problem in Malia; I suppose its all down to one's taste and preference. Alternatively if you are doing self catering like we did, it would work out cheaper if you paid a visit to the local supermarket. The biggest and cheapest in Malia was Spar Supermarket, which has a greater choice that any tesco or asda in London.
Things Tourists should watch out for:
- Street Children: During the night you will be accustom to seeing street children selling whistles, and party gear, although they may seem cheap, there is a deeper meaning. Whilst one child persuades you to buy the goods, another will be trying to pick pocket you, so be very careful, always stay in a group. - Malia Touts: These again you will see night after night, they will grab you by the hand and try to lure you into a club or bar or event, best bet is to just walk away, again staying in a group often enough discourages touts to prey on you. - Finally the Malia police who ask anyone who's been to Malia, have a reputation for being a bunch of no braining, arrogant idiots. They love preying on tourists, especially the one's who are drunk, so again be careful and just don't get into trouble.
Money Exchange: It's a best bet that you should generally get your money exchanged at home before you go on holiday as it saves you the hassle to doing it when on holiday. In the event that you forget to change your money, there are several money exchange shops that will exchange money for you, and in most cases you will get a better rate than any Marks and Spencer's.
Quick Notes: - The time difference is GMT +2 - Always carry insurance - Never carry passports with you, keep them somewhere safe - Stay in a group, its just more safer that way
Remember Malia isn't just about drinking; there are things and places to see during the day, which I would recommend.
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