Hi! Am leaving next week for Elpida aparts.... am very allergic to Mossies.... can anyone tell me if they found them a problem. Obviously I would take all the usual procautions...buzzy box in room, repellant and keep the balcony door closed in the evening etc... how bad are they? Thanks.

Hi - sorry to trouble again - am off on the 28th to Elpida Apartments and two things spring to mind 1) How are the Mosiquitos at this time of year in resort in your experience? 2) Do we need to take towels and loo roll REALLY? Never have had to anywhere else in the world self catering before...but happy to if definate necessity. Please ither post here or email me on purrsome@aol.com - any info would be much appreciated! Thanks. Di

Hi - sorry to trouble again - am off on the 28th to Elpida Apartments and two things spring to mind 1) How are the Mosiquitos at this time of year in resort in your experience? 2) Do we need to take towels and loo roll REALLY? Never have had to anywhere else in the world self catering before...but happy to if definate necessity. Please ither post here or email me on purrsome@aol.com - any info would be much appreciated! Thanks. Di

Retruned yesterday. Good holiday - bordering on a great holiday! Being constructive, the paprtments have several different blocks at Elpida. The new block - rooms 32 - 49 (I believe) are superior - newer, cleaner and the bathrooms are better. It is also quieter because they are set back from the bar and the pool where people sit of an evening. One loo roll is supplied then it is up to you and one hand towel per person - NO bath towels. Sheets were changed once in a week. Bins taken out every other day. To cook one has two electric rings - no toaster - no electric kettle. Rooms do not have hairdryers. There are plenty of electric sockets - remember your two prog european adapters - remember more than one if you take a hairdryer AND a kettle with you! Pool is small and was crowded with kids on lilos. Photo in Cosmar brochure definately somehow makes it look bigger than it really is! Supermarket is convenient and cheap. Fan hire is only 10 Euro's per week and they are ESSENTIAL as mossies are bad so do not sleep with the balcny doors open! Remember also to shut bathroom window too after dusk or mossies will enter that way. Electric mossies machines worked well - we used two and didn't get one all week in the room. cafe made a good broakfast but the wait is considerable (only one person cooking) which was fine for us but some moaned. Generally was more xpensive than we thought. Prices for most things just a little cheaper than home. You could do it cheaper by making all your meals rather than say just lunch - as we did - but what is the point of going on holiday to cook! Grin... Apartments are set about 5 mins walk from main shops and restaurants and 20 mins walk from Alykes which has more shops bars and restuarants and the only two cash machines you can use. Tip! For heavans sake don't do what we did and take only credit cards to pull out cash with - take a mix of Euros and travellers cheques. Plenty of exchange shops for travellers cheques everywhere but no bank at all to pull out money only the cash machines with credit(bank) cards and they were often out of order leaving us with not one penny! At a push some restuarants take credit cards (only Visa) in an emergency but check before you order. We had one large heavy earthquake and two minor tremors. The brochure doesn't tell you Zante sits on an active fault. The buildings are very safe and well able to take it - specially constructed. they ARE scarey but not dangerous. Enjoy! My email is Purrsome@aol.com you are welcome to ask anything at anytime about the area or the apartments.

there are watersports avaliable from alikanas beach. you can hire pedalo's, one and two man canoes, jet ski's and body boards. the beach is narrow - nice golden sand but just a narrow strip which widens here and there. ranges from about two metres wide to five metres wide. there are sun longers (comfy) and umbrellas all along the beach but you have to pay for them. it ranges from 5 euors per pair (inclu. brolly) to 8 euors depanding where you sit on the beach. its often good to buy drinks from a cafe then you can use their loungers and they generally are 3 - 5 euro's. round the watersports hire hut is most expensive we found. sea is wonderful. very shallow for absolutely ages then drops very gently. the beach is a distant pinp***k before the average person can't touch the bottom. water is warm and very very clean. wind gets up later in the faternoons generally and the sea gets rougher about 3.30 onwards. purrsome@aol.com

Lorraine - Just back today. See my input on the Elpida apartments page - anything else email me at purrsome@aol.com willingly and can answer anything you want on the resort or apartments. Diana Stevens.

Resort not how I imagined it but enjoyed the reality anyway! Imagined a quiet small traditionallt greek place. didn't expect bars with union jacks, Manchester United scarves and English pop music thumping! Nor Mr and Mrs competitions, English breakfasts and restauranters pulling you into their restaurants offering you eggs beans and chips and free wine if you just would come in...! Sounds hell? Well actually it wasn't. We went for a coupley peaceful greek holiday. We found it freiendly, clean and a mix between Skegness, old time Greece and benidorm! You could pretend you never left home if you wanted food wise, pub wise and musicwise OR you could dig up the backstreets, ditch the eggs beans and chips culture and find one or two tavernas serveing mostly greek tradional dishes. Whereever you ate the food was good. The greek food in the retaurants aiming towards the Brits was inferior to the greek restaurants aiming at the locals and those who didn't want mash and fish fingers. There is exchange in the resirt only for travellers cheques and Sterling (English) cash, no cash points and no banks. Walk 20 mins to Alykes and there are two cash points which work OK when they are full but often run out of money for hours at a time. If run out in the morning they are generally full again by the evening. Beach lovely and safe. Sea clean, warm and shallow. Beautiful. Do not be scared but we had 3 earthquakes whilst we are there. We wouldn't have minded if we had been warned but nothing was said at all in the brochure or by the reps. They are frequent (we had 3 in a week) two small one big. Scarey but not dangerous. Be aware it might happen and know there is no need to panic because it is normal! The main street has little in the way of pavements and the locals drive fast! keep kids close to you! There is a good crazy golf course - fun and cheap. So...good food, great beach, good facilities, loads of supermarkets, a little cheaper than home (but not much) we spent £400 in a week with only one excursion and eating out breakfast and evening meal for two to give you an idea. Gifts are plesant and not too tacky. Not the romantic village we imagined but very safe crime wise and a lot of fun.

Just to comment on Fiona's comments posted today. Just goes to show how different people can see things! Three points - The water at Elpida is solar heated. We saw this for ourselves after asking why the water was cool on several occasions. It was not sunny several days we were there so consequently the water was cool but they do not expect this in Greece! The rep warned us at the welcome meeting that the water was solar heated and that at peak times it would almost certainly run cold. They said to shower before 6pm or in the mornings to ensure warm water... but when it was hot a cool shower was most refreshing actually! Secondly, it entirely depends where you are situated at Elpida. There are 4 blocks - two of which are set well back from the road, two of which border the road and the pool. Do not be dishearted - we had next to no noise at all set in one of the further back blocks. Lastly, we found the bar staff extremely charming and friendly - also the manager. he gave us all a free drink after the major earthquake and was helpful and informative. Not saying negative comments aren't justified, we all have out opinion, but just some further info to balance a little!

Interesting Timothy - would be interested to know if you went with Kosmar? At the welcome meeting the rep clearly stated it was solar heated. We checked with the Manager when it ran cool and he confirmed this. Not saying it was top notch acccommodation but then was only in moderate pricing bracket so didn't expect the Ritz. We have stayed in many accom's which are solar heated and all very similar experiences (as I assume you have!) Had many toasting warm showers early on and mid morning. I can only repeat what our Kosmar rep (who was generally poor)told us along with the manager - she could have been wrong but it seemed to fit perfectly with the service we got from the shower. Anyway - warm regards, hope you enjoyed other bits!. Diana.

It is not near Algassi unless you Taxi it or have a hire car.... as the previous writer said, its about 40 mins but not 40 mins walk!

Don, Shame - things must have gone very downhill in the month since we were there! take heart if you are going there - it was smashing so possibly just horses for courses! Saw no dirt round the pool at all, bins and bathroom bins were emptied every two days on the dot! We were in the block away from the pool and had no noise.... and a lovely time - there are 2 blocks away from the pool and 2 near it so taking all into account appears you have half a chance of being disturbed by noise and half a chance of peace and quiet! Di

To the lady (forgive me forgetting your name between reading your questions and typing this comment!) who asked for comments about Elpida because she was on the verge of cancelling. Look, I fall somewhere between (was it Amy!) who voiced strong views that people should stop expecting the Ritz because one has only paid 300 odd pounds, and the people who has consistantly moaned and complained about the property. It is a pleasant, well constructed property which is set into two blocks. Block one is near the pool. We found everything dead as a doornail round the pool in August when returning consistantly at 12 - 2am so the talk of noise was totally against what we found. Yes, in the day it is noisy. Yes, the greeks have very different motors to ours and therefore when they drive up and down the nearby road for the few seconds it takes them to pass it can seem loud. On the issue of cleanliness I am totally gobsmacked about the comments. it is a SELF CATERING property! Brooms, dustpan and mop is provided. Therefore for those who, inbetween the once weekly clean up, feel the place is dirty, have a SWEEP! If one wishes daily maid service then for heavens sake go half or full board somewhere more commercial! Do not go self catering then complain that one hasn't the services provided on a hotel basis. We had a lovely time. The brochure clearly states that the Greek do not use shower curtains and therefore the floor stays very wet most of the time. It also clearly states that you should take your own beach and bath towels! Do this and enjoy your holiday. try and blend rather than pick things out to complain about! If you notice the first half of the year's comments were all positive up till one person started picking holes! If you hate it don't go again! But we throughly enjoyed it and I have stayed all over the world in top and bottom class accomodation! It was good enough for the money. Di - Purrsome@aol.com

Freda, Regarding your enquiry on the resort. There is no need to worry on the earthquake front. Certianly we had three tremours in a week in August however although slightly unexpected they were certainly a talking point and we were at no point in any danger. Buildings are beautifully designed to cope and it is nearly 40 years since they had anything which has actually caused damage! Because we do not have them they are unnerving but you may not have any at all. Apparently they can go many weeks without so much as a tiny hiccup then have 3 little ones in a week as we found. Tell the kids the ground is 'burping' and they will laugh! Mossies. yes they are about... you are going at a good time of year. We used two buzzer machines in the room one near the front door and one by the patio doors. never had a single one in the room and we were at peak season. I personally used need a little protection spray at dusk and in the evening to eposed legs and arms etc to go out. During the day they are not a problem at all. When you leave the room always shut the balcony doors. Hire a fan and have that at night rather than leaving the patio doors open and you will I'm sure be fine. the beach is fantastic for children and parents! I'm sure you will have a lovely time. remember though - most apartments are self catering and this MEANS seld catering! Take plenty of towels and be prepared to have a little sweep and an empty of bins each day and you will be fine! They do not clean maybe as often as one would like if used to a half board basis with full room service. Diana - Purrsome@aol.com