Hi

Going to Kalamaki for the 1st time on August 24th. Can anyone tell me how much a taxi from the airport should cost.

Thanks
Gail

Thanks for the taxi info everyone. Can't wait now. I want to pack the suitcase but my hubby won't let me yet.

Hi Russel Land

We have also just returned and was in that block, what number were you in. We were on the 1st floor number 10.

Gail

Hi

Just got back from Kalamaki and had a brilliant 2 weeks. Never been to Zante before but would go back again. I always write a web report when I've been anywhere for www.realholidayreports.com, whether I liked it or not and pick on everything so that people know what they are getting. This doesn't mean I hated it for those who love Greece and Kalamaki, Even if the things I write about didn't personally bother me they might someone else so I say how it is - just in case you don't agree with me please don't take it personally.

Travellers - 2 adults (couple)
Board - self catering
Duration - 2 weeks (24th August 2003 - 7th September 2003)

p.s. hello to anyone that was there same time as us

Accommodation - Antonis Studios & Apartments
Tel: 00-30-695-26783

These apartments were fine. Although we requested the new block through Thomas Cook our tour operator, We were placed in the old block (No.1 I think it was the pink one). The apartments are very basic and have the following in them:

Kitchen area – included a sink, cupboards normal size fridge, 2 ring hot plate and small kettle. If I were to add anything it would be a toaster. You are only provided with the very basics of cutlery and plates, although I think we had one I would take with you a bottle opener and corkscrew just to be on the safe side.

Bathroom – only grumble here was they never replaced the toilet roll when it had run out so I had to keep going to the pool bar and asking for another one, which they gave me with no problem it was just annoying after a while. You only get two very small hand towels so take your own but saying that I wouldn't have used them anyhow because they were not that clean.

Bedroom – area was a decent size with old furniture which had obviously seen better days and ready for replacement. You got the basic 2 white sheets which is all you needed, although there was a blanket for each bed in the bottom of the wardrobe. Take coat hangers with you if you have a lot of clothes to hang up, we had three between 2 people for 2 weeks worth of clothing. You have 2 sets of doors on to the balcony, an outside set brown with air holes and double-glazed glass doors, and both sets had their own locks on them. If it was noisy at night we had to close both sets of doors to get any sleep if you do this in the height of the season you will need a fan because it then gets too hot to sleep. Fans can be hired from the pool bar at €2 a day unless you haggle like we did and get it for €1.50 per day. Then again if you go straight to the Point Break Café at the top of the lane 2 doors to your left you will get them for €7 a week.

Safety – There are no safety deposit boxes in the rooms, I heard there were some in a supermarket near by but to be honest we never bothered. We had nearly €2,000 in cash with us and our passports and a credit card kept in the zip pocket of hand luggage all the time we were there and I never once felt it was unsafe to do so. Normally we would hire a box and if there had been one in reception or the room I would have used it and maybe we were very lucky but it was a risk we took and we were ok with it.

You get either a balcony or terrace depending on whether you are on the ground or 1st floor. These are all open so you don't get a private area, personally I thought this made for a very social atmosphere when you were sat relaxing before going out. The pool as everyone has said - fantastic, in fact we never went to the beach for sunbathing just for stroll in the sea every so often. The pool bar again good snack type food at a reasonable price and the staff very friendly.

Noise – You are under the flight path from the airport and you hear the planes taking off to leave the island. I didn’t think this was a problem but be aware of it because on some days between 3-5 can take off with an hour then you might have a gap of an hour and so it goes on. I didn’t notice the noise of any aircraft landing, the noise didn’t bother us at all but it might some. No aircraft can take off after 10pm because of the turtles, although I’m sure one night it was nearly midnight when one went up. The other noise whilst we were trying to sleep came from the pool bar and the Al’ Sandros Bar at the end of the lane to the apartments. The noise from these two places were worse than the aircraft noise.

Entertainment
The entertainment at the Antonis is good, they have something going on every night which usually takes the form of latest films only just released in the UK, BBQ & Quiz, Karaoke, Quiz & Film or a mixture of any of these. Be warned if you have young children when they have a film or the karaoke on you will not sleep it is very loud. I don't know if this was because we were the closet block to the pool bar where the entertainment took place, but it does go on until quite late depending on how many people are taking part.

They will push the BBQ tickets for the first Friday you are there, it costs €10 which personally I did not think was worth it. Yes you get a plate full of food if you can eat port kebab skewers with more fat than pork on them and a glass of not so dreadful wine, but you can eat in any of the other restaurants for €6-7 with nicer food and just as much on your plate. I would recommend going out for a meal and then return for the Quiz later on at 10pm because this part is free and they have decent prizes.

To hire a car or not to hire a car that is the question. We always have a car for at least 2 days depending on where we go on holiday and what there is to do. Unless you intend to use a car to travel to different resorts in the evening or bays and coves during the day I personally would not bother. We hired a small Getz car for 2 days which cost us €70 and then €10 in petrol. We had practically visited the highlights of the island in the first day and finished off the following morning with a trip to Zante Town for a look around. We wished we hadn’t paid the money and booked the island tour because that would only have cost us €10 each.

All the excursion operators do exactly the same trips unless they change their prices, the Cavo Grosso was the cheapest we found. This is located at the top of the lane from the Antonis Apartments next to the Angels bar.

Cost – €25

Went on this trip and really enjoyed it. You will visit 2 caves that are wonderful but will have to pay extra the first cave, Drogarati Cave will cost you €3.50 entry fee and Melisani Lake will cost you €5 entry fee. The tickets for each of these were sold to us on the cost just prior to arriving at the caves. As part of the trip I hoped we would see where Captain Corrillis Mandolin was filmed they had all on to mention it never mind take you anywhere near it. But apparently the place where it was filmed was built specially for the filming and then torn down once they had finished.

All the excursion operators do exactly the same trips unless they change their prices, the Cavo Grosso was the cheapest we found. This is located at the top of the lane from the Antonis Apartments next to the Angels bar.

Cost – €75

Fantastic trip well worth the time and money. It is very tiring and a lot of time spent on the coach but the Acropolis is worth every minute of it. The hotel we stayed in overnight is right in the middle of Athens but not very close to any restaurants or tourist areas, but saying that it only took us 10-15mins to walk to an area that was full of fabulous street cafes. Before you arrive at the hotel they try and sell you tickets to the Greek night, up to you but I would not recommend it. It costs either €16 or €19 depending on which meat choice you go for, but then when you get in there each drink costs you €6.

We stayed at the Dorian Inn if you end up in the same hotel you must go to the roof top pool bar area – the view is breathtaking, you can see the Acropolis from the roof and is worth a beer jus to sit and look at it all lit up. After that leave the main entrance of the hotel and turn right, keep walking until you come to a sort of square area with a metro station (oh yes there is a goody’s burger place and a KFC here) go past these and take the first road to you right keep walking until you reach another square. If you go around 9.00pm is you can’t miss it because of the hussle and bussle and noise it was brilliant. We sat all night in a restaurant and had a great meal for a few Euros with a beer.

You can find every kind of restaurant. We spend most of our holiday evenings in restaurants rather than bars and have a meal with drinks so we liked the traditional taverna type restaurants and we have spent from €6 - €12 each for a meal again it depends on where you eat and what type of food you like. My problem is I like it all so had to try them all.

Bakkus Grill is more like a traditional Taverna than some, a bit smaller maybe but that’s why we liked it. Very good food and prices. Made to feel very welcome.

You can find every kind of restaurant. We spend most of our holiday evenings in restaurants rather than bars and have a meal with drinks so we liked the traditional taverna type restaurants and we have spent from €6 - €12 each for a meal again it depends on where you eat and what type of food you like. My problem is I like it all so had to try them all.

One of the ones that everyone knows about, had a three evening meals here. First meal brilliant, second meal we had to a wait a few minutes for a table because they were busy but well worth it third meal had same as second visit because I enjoyed it that much, but it was also the night of the England match and they have had it showing on their big screens. I think they were over run with customers and although we had gone after the match had finished, the meal wasn’t a patch on what it should have been and I didn’t really enjoy it. I think if they are busy they rush things and don’t pay attention to what they are doing so much.

You can find every kind of restaurant. We spend most of our holiday evenings in restaurants rather than bars and have a meal with drinks so we liked the traditional taverna type restaurants and we have spent from €6 - €12 each for a meal again it depends on where you eat and what type of food you like. My problem is I like it all so had to try them all.

One of the best restaurants we went to whilst here, had a couple of meals here and couldn’t fault it in anyway.

You can find every kind of restaurant. We spend most of our holiday evenings in restaurants rather than bars and have a meal with drinks so we liked the traditional taverna type restaurants and we have spent from €6 - €12 each for a meal again it depends on where you eat and what type of food you like. My problem is I like it all so had to try them all.

This was recommended to us by a group we met on the Athens trip who were also staying in our resort. I didn’t like the fact they didn’t have a menu outside to look at before we went in not because of the prices, because although they may have been slightly more expensive and I’m only talking about €2 or €3 more than anywhere else it was to see what choice they had. When we got inside we were led to the very outskirts of the restaurant, there was no one sat round us we felt out of it all, it took them ages to serve us and the menu wasn’t that great. Saying that the food when we got out meal was great.

You can find every kind of restaurant. We spend most of our holiday evenings in restaurants rather than bars and have a meal with drinks so we liked the traditional taverna type restaurants and we have spent from €6 - €12 each for a meal again it depends on where you eat and what type of food you like. My problem is I like it all so had to try them all.

Good food although basic, very friendly staff but a bit lacking in atmosphere because it’s such a large restaurant there weren’t many people in.

You can find every kind of restaurant. We spend most of our holiday evenings in restaurants rather than bars and have a meal with drinks so we liked the traditional taverna type restaurants and we have spent from €6 - €12 each for a meal again it depends on where you eat and what type of food you like. My problem is I like it all so had to try them all.

Point Break – English run. Normally we wouldn’t on principal go to an English place when in Greece as they say, but they had special of fish & chips one night which my other half couldn’t resist. It is just like going into any café you would find in England apart from of course the heat and being able to sit outside. It also does take away in case you have had enough of being social and fancy a quite night. We had a couple of evening meals and a breakfast on our final night. Fairly good food with good prices and made to feel very welcome. The only down side is that it is sandwiched in between Al’ Sandros Bar, Angels and a Supermarket which makes for a very noisy meal some nights.