I've just read some of the comments on this site with interest and would like to clear up some points, but first just to say that I visted Panorama twice this year and twice last year. We went over once in 2003, with our terminally ill daughter (and had no issue with cleanliness or facilities despite her being on chemo at the time). Our first visit was in 2000, when my daughter was fit and well, this was the year that Dennis and family lost their precious boy, Makis in a tragic motor bike accident.

So why do we go back year after year, and why do we take friends and family who, in turn, can't wait to go back there?

The apartments are clean and basic (after all, the objective is to spend your time out and about, why do you need anything else). Locally, food is well priced and available.The Panorama itself provides good quality snacks and meals. Year after year Dennis has improved the apartments, he's put a new roof on the bar, he's installed air conditioning (and this also deters the mosquitos), he has tiled the area around the apartments where previously there was gravel. As a small family business man,he can't do this all at once.

The family are warm and friendly and although Dennis and his wife have limited English they make themslves understood. Their daughters Nicky and Mavra speak excellent Englsih ( better than my Greek!!) as does Nicos, who is the barman.

So Nicos smokes....it is well to remember that the Greek attitude to smoking is different to ours......

The pool is clean, well maintained and the only issue that I have ever had with it has been due to ignorant selfish guests.

The Greek night is the best I've experienced in 30 years of holidaying on Greek islands, and is excellent value.

As for rats, I have not seen a single Greek rat in all my visits, and I'd suggest that there are far fewer rats in Alykes than there are in central London!

I'd like to suggest to those people, who expect clean sheets and towels every day, those who want to spend their holiday cooking 3 course gourmet meals in their apartments and those who cannot read the signs that require apartments to be vacated by 10 am on the day of departure so that they can be cleaned for incoming guests, should find themsleves a nice 5 star hotel. Or, better still stay at home, and leave the Panorama and Zante to those of us who really appreciate it !!!!

Finally, if the Panorama is soooo bad, how come it gets fully booked on the Manos webiste so early in the season??????