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Member since:13.10.2005
Reviews:13
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Zante was easily the best holiday I've ever been on. We stayed for 2 weeks at the end of August and it didn't disappoint.
Initially after booking the holiday Zante was all over the news due to Brits drunk abroad, someone had even drunk themsef to death! Luckily, we were staying in Alykanas rather than Laganas which is very much a Club 18-30 resort!
Landing at the airport after a 3hr flight was a bit of a shock, it's tiny! You have to walk across the tarmac to a shuttle bus which was extremely hot...no air condititioning in 38 degree heat, but luckily you're only on it for a minute if that. The airport itself is very small, so there's no need to hang around.
Alykanas is probably only a 30 minute drive from the airport but it took much longer as we were on a coach and had lots of stops. If you're used to holidays in Tenerife etc, you will be shocked as the landscape is almost barren and nowhere near as built! Lot's of olive trees and not much else but don't let it put you off. There are lots of stunning views on the drive and as you come into each resort (Zante Town, Tsilivi etc) you get a feel for the island. If you're on a transfer, the rep will tell you that you cannot flush toilets on the island, which takes a bit of getting used to, but you dont notice after the first day. Bins are provided and the cleaning staff
empty them every day. The pools all face the road which is very strange and aside from Alykanas I felt that the resorts were very cramped, small roads etc.
We stayed at the Letsos Hotel which was perfectly situated just off the main road. There's a good choice of supermarkets selling everything you need such as mosquito repellant (I would definetly recommend this, along with Citronella candles if you're prone to getting bitten), milk, bread, newspapers etc. There's also payphones and cash machines so there's everything you need.
The beaches are lovely, probably about a 10 minute walk away but it's best to get there early as they can get busy. Sun loungers were 7 Euros each for the day with a parasol and there's a good number of bars etc for lunch. I would recommend getting all the cash you'll need for the day as the cash machine is a fair walk from the beach.
The water is lovely, very calm and your kids can play safely. I'd recommend investing in a pair of scuba goggles as there are a decent number of small crabs and fish as well as shells to collect.
The locals were very friendly and as a mixed race couple we never felt out of place at all.
The best restaurants in the area were La Caretta which is on the main road, and The Lemon Tree which is hidden away but leaflets are handed out on the beach daily. There's a good range of food from pizza to traditional greek dishes. The Kleftiko is highly recommended. The Lemon Tree also has Greek dancers on a Thursday evening which is great fun, but you'll need to catch a horse and carriage as it's about a 15 minute walk from the main road and quite tricky to navigate at night once you're out of the well lit areas. It costs about 5 Euros but it's a relaxing ride!
It's a quiet resort, we were in bed no later than 1am most nights so if you're looking for a wild party holiday then Alykanas is not for you. We never once saw any violence or lewd drunken behaviour, it felt very safe and was nice and quiet at night time. Most hotels will have televisions and there's a good choice of English speaking channels such as BBC and Sky news. Some of the channels (Alpha in particular) are greek but have lots of US shows with Greek subtitles, such as Beverly Hills 90210, Smallville, Charmed and films in the evenings. So there's something to keep you occupied while you relax between getting back from the beach and going for dinner. But be warned, the ad breaks last a very very long time!
The hotel itself was standard, it did the job but as we were out every day and evening, we didnt need luxury. Twin beds pushed together, a balcony, and sink were all that we needed. We had a decent sized wardrobe although the self catering facilities left a lot to be desired. The beds were only changed twice in 2 weeks even after reporting it to management, but after a while we gave up.
As I said, mosquitos are rife and we didnt want to pay for our air con so we slept with the balcony door open. If you do the same, get a plug in and a candle otherwise you're likely to get bitten! We didnt see any cockroaches or anything though which was good! The bathrooms in Greece are notoriously dodgy, the only thing I can say is be prepared for the shower to leak (this is why there are drains on the floor), and for the water to fluctuate between hot and cold.
I'd also recommend hiring a car or quad bike for a day. We hired a quad for 15 euros and drove along the north coast to the shipwreck, one of the best days of the holiday. The scenery is stunning and there are plenty of beaches to stop along the way. A word to the wise, they drive on the right side of the road so you will have to drive along cliff edges etc at some point, so do take care, but it's well worth it. There are a lot of steep hills which can be hair raising on the way down and strenuous on the way up in a quad. I'd recommend driving inland as well, as again the scenery is stunning and you get to see how the locals really live. You'll probably notice bullet holes in the road signs, apparantly they use them for target practice so no need to worry!
The Blue Caves is a great day out, we hired a boat for a day for around 30 Euros, and they train you on how todrive it (sea sickness tablets recommended). There's also the turtles nesting beach near laganas which is protected and plenty more sights to see, but we kept putting it off until tomorrow and never got round to it. The island keeps you in a bit of a bubble as its so relaxed so unless you're an avid sight seer you'll need to make the effort to see the island - it's worth it!
Souvenirs are well priced, the same kind of items that you'd find anywhere though to be honest. However, there are a couple of shops that sell lovely designer (fake i presume) purses etc. I got myself a Gucci purse for 15Euros!
The weather was perfect, around 35 degrees every day. We only had one windy day but no problems other than that. If you're staying until early September then you will notice that the nights get cooler and you'll need the blanket rather than just the sheet. Be warned though, the sun is very hot, my boyfriend was badly burnt on the first day so use a high factor!
Items are reasonably priced, we're both smokers and both Marlboro Lights and Benson & Hedges were 3 Euros a packet. Water was around 70 cents for a litre bottle. Dont be fooled into buying Evian etc, the Greek brands are just as good and much cheaper.
All in all, it's a fantastic place. I still think about it every day and we went 5 months ago! I'm hoping to go back this year with my family and I'd highly recommend!
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Jan 22nd, 2009
(Jan 23rd, 2009)
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