Gooing to Sandy Maria in June - would like to hear from anyone who has been - is the pool finished?

We discovered this taverna 13 years ago and it was great to hop off the beach for lunch and then back agaim - returned 3 years later to find it disappointing but visited again last week to fnd it revamped and had a lovely lunch there.

Agree with the comment below - good Greek food and Vangelis is a good host - we ate here on our first and last nights - our neighbours in the apartments ate here most nights - food is good and plenty of it!

Visited only once in our week as Manos is a good walk from where we stayed at Sandy Maria apartments (excellent accommodation) and were lucky to get a table at 22.00 - had we gone earlier we would probably have had to queue. We all chose main course items from the grill and all were excellent - the bill for starter, main courses, drinks (small house wine, one Sprite), and one pud. came to £11,250 roughly £20.

Sorry - forgot to say comment below was for three of us.

Mikalis? Mick would be more like it. I can't believe this has more positive comments on this site than any other eating place - it is a good way out of the centre of Tsilivi and we tried it because we were staying fairly close and knew it from a previous vist (1991) when it had a different name.

Our first holiday with Libra - went to Sandy Maria apartments in Tsilivi - free child place - had a lovely one-bedroomed apartment with sofa beds in the spacious living room/kitchen area - large balcony with doors opening off both livng room and bedroom - Katy, our rep. was knowledgeable, professional and friendly. Airport is a potential nightimare for return flights but Libra reps. made check-in really smooth.

Chosen by 9-year-old grandson for lunch one day and we enjoyed everything we ordered - they made me a lovely cabbage and carrot salad and Danny got a voucher for a T-shirt in the shop across the road. Speak as we find - it was good for lunch with a nine-year old but not what us two would choose for an evening meal on our own, I am sure!!

Big, rather noisy place to eat but everything we ordered was good - 9-year-old grandson's choice for evening meal and, again, not somewhere we would choose ourselves. Go later to have a more peaceful meal.

We stayed near the right-hand end of the beach (looking out to sea) so used that bit rather than the busier part and it was great - the sea is very shallow and safe for children, very clear, little fishes visible too. The taverna at this end of the beach is great but, unfortunately, does not appear on the database on this site so will comment on it here - its called Paradise and is very traditional with excellent food. We didn't see a menu but were told what was available and got the impression that, within reason, you could ask for what you wanted and they would do their best to provide it. Everyone gets a plate of toasted Greek bread with tomatoes, herbs and capers - trust me, it's delicious! Mango Beach Bar is quite close by and had the best Ouzo in 13 years here - tall slim glass full to the top with ice and ouzo poured in about half way - the ice melted to provide the perfect taste with no water required - bliss! Beware though - one is enough!

Mark - you're in for a surprise! We were in Tsilivi in 1988 and 1991 and have just returned from a week there after ten years. Tsilivi stretches much further both ways out of the centre and is much more built-up with new bars, restaurants, shops wherever you look. It's quite hard to locate places you remembered from before but if you want more details, E-Mail us at shirls30@btinternet.com and we'll give you news of places you remember - no sign of Hissing Sids this time - pleased to say!!

Nemorosa is a small, peaceful, traditional bar attached to the Avouris apartments (Manos) located between the Sandy Maria apartments and the beach - nice to call in on the way back from town or the beach for a quiet drink and it would be very pleasant to have a nightcap here if you were staying at the Avouris - definitely not for ravers though.

This taverna is well outside the centre of the resort but worth a visit if you are staying nearby - Sandy Maria, Dinos, Litsa, Sunlight apartments etc. From here there's a sign along the road back to the main road into the centre and if you are staying elsewhere, from the centre, follow the main road and it's along the road back into Zakynthos Town - turn left opposite Sandra's bar by Dionysos taverna and walk along until you see the sign for Demaras - it's very traditional, open lunchtime and evenings, and the first time we visited there was a big group of Greek people having lunch there - good sign! Not recommended for those who are not looing for traditional Greek dishes though.

If you're on the beach, try this one for lunch - it is probably one of the oldest tavernas in Tsilivi and is still, for us, one of the best. It's at the right hand end of the beach, looking out to sea, not far from the Mango Beach Bar and well worth the walk even if you're further along the beach. Didn't see a menu, they just reel off what they've got and everything we had was great - probably our favourite overall, although we did not visit in the evening. A nice little touch is that every one gets a complimentary piece of toasted Greek bread with tomatoes, herbs and capers on - trust me, it's delicious! The octopus in vinegar is divine, village sausage, cheese pies and tzatziki all excellent - go on, try it!!!

This is the place for people who have karaoke, quizzes, pool and video games where they live all year round and want to get away from all that. If you want a peaceful drink in a pleasant bar, friendly staff, not-in-your-face music, this is where to go.

Liz - we think you will like it - we went to Sandy Maria apartments with Libra in June and had a lovely week - first time with Libra and would definitely go with them again. Also first time flying with Excel - on time both ways, but that's probably luck of the draw! Our rep, Katy, was excellent, not that we needed her for anything but you could tell that she would be really helpful if you did. Enjoy!

What tour operator goes to Garden Village, please?

Well - I'll go to t'foot of our stairs - the comments on this site never cease to amaze me! Bring back Quackers (I think that's what it used to be called, I say.

Stan - sorry to hear you have had trouble contacting Golden Sun - I have too in the past but have now got an E-mail address for jade@goldensun.co.uk - try this, I think you will get a response. The next edition of their brochure is out at the end of October and you can ask to be put on the Mailing list. We are Golden Sun fans - have not been to Zakynthos with them but have been to Skiathos twice and hope to travel with them again in 2002. Good Luck!

Lovely accommodation - Sandy Maria are in a peaceful location, about 15 minutes out of the hustley-bustley centre of Tsillivi and about 7 minutes from the quieter end of the beach. We had a ground floor apartment which was very spacious, one separate bedroom and sofa beds in the large living/dining/kitchen area. Balcony doors opened off both rooms, balcony enormous. The apartment was slightly below ground level which meant it was lovely and cool at all times - but beware - the slippiest floors ever, highly polished smooth tiles everywhere, including bathroom! The pool area has plenty of sunbeds and a small bar where snacks are available. The whole place is kept spotlessly clean with all apartments tidied and bins emptied daily. These apartments are available through Libra holidays and are very good value for money - our first holiday with them and they and Excel airline provided us with an excellent week all round - Katy the rep. was friendly, knowledgeable and professional and Sandy and Maria have excellent accommodation here - particularly good if you know Tsilivi and don't want to be in the middle of everything but within easy walking distance. +

Wozzup???? Only 4 customers between 28.07 and 03.10?????

Anyone who has booked Sandy Maria and would like first-hand information from June 2001 - the apartments are lovely. The standard of the accommodation is very good - but!!!! beware!!!! they have the slippiest floors we have ever encountered - beautiful tiles everywhere, but not suited to wet feet at all, particularly if you have young children. They are on the outskirts of Tsilivi which, in the centre, is now a really tourist-orientated resort. It will only take you 10 minutes along the unmade-in June-road to bring you out at the junction where you will find the biggest "supermarkt" and the road there then either takes you to the centre of the village or the busy end of the beach if that's what you need. It will take you 10 mins. in another direction to the quiet end of the beach where there is a taverna, Paradise, probably one of the only real tavernas in the village and, if you go back along to the main Zakynthos town/Tsilivi road back into the village, it wil take you approx. 15 mins to the centre. You really have the best of everyting here - peace and quiet, easy access to the main hustley-bustley bit if you want it - stay put at Sandy Maria if you don't. Incidentally, its worth a trip through the hustley-bustley, out the other side to anothe taverna - Manos - for a meal in the evening - go early or late though, otherwise you will not get in.