Porto Zoro Beach - (Beaches in Zante)

Peter N           

OK you need a car to get there - but lets face it,without one you will miss most of what Zante has to offer.
Porto Zorro is a cracking beach, not too busy, great snorkelling round the rocks and safe shallow water for the kids. Reasonably priced sunbeds. Look for the clay pit at the far right hand end of the beach...

Tsilivi Beach - (Beaches in Zante)

Peter N           

Yes, there are a lot of sun beds and they cost 5 Euros a pair for the day. This beach is absolutely perfect for kids - lots of little fish, warm shallow water and hours of fun building castles...oh to be a child again! Levantinos snack bar is very good - reasonably priced and if you want to take food out they take care to wrap everything in little bags to keep the sand off till the last enamel grinding moment! Why not play "I spy another CD seller" or "I spy the scary man offering 20 Euro massages" And listen to the fruit salad sellers...one of them sounds like he's shouting "False alarm!"

Princess Hotel - (Accommodation in Tsilivi)

Peter N           

A cracking little hotel and very professionally run. Without exception the staff are friendly, polite, courteous and efficient - nothing is too much trouble and boy do they work hard.
Some rooms are easily big enough to take an extra camp bed for kids.
The pool and pool area are beautifully clean (apart from an incident when a huge ghastly woman did something unmentionable with her 11 year old sons make-shift nappy = pool closed for 24 hours. Charming)
Pool bar shuts at a family friendly 1 AM - which is just as well beecause some rooms are VERY cvlose to it. And get this...the manager put up a big sign stating that it was not allowed to put towels on sun beds before 9AM...just as well there were no "you know whos" there!!
Breakfast is hardly worth getting up for...but if you fancy more than toast and flakes there are loads of places to eat within a hundred yards or so.
Comments book seems to have been edited with negative remarks either Tipexed out or whole page removed! What's the point in that?
Be aware that AC will cost 5 Euro/day. A fridge 4 Euro/day. Matress for sun bed 1 Euro/day. Safety deposit box 15 Euros/week.

Glass Bottomed Boat Trip - (Zante Excursions)

Peter N           

Wonderful day out for Granny + 2 Grandaughters. 5 year old spotted 7, 8 year old spotted 10...nanny spotted 1 very obliging one! Plenty of fish to see and a shuttle boat to Turtle Island beach. Had we known that this was a nesting site we would not have booked...so thanks to previous commentor for the tip. We booked this and other excursions through Mamfredas in Tsilivi...and recommend them highly.

Horse Riding - (Zante Excursions)

Peter N           

We booked through Mamfredas in Tsilivi. Grannny on old plodding boy oss, wife on feisty grey boy 'oss with lady walking alongside holding the bridle, 8 year old on steady little oss 5 year old on great big girl oss with me.(give me a break I ride a Yamaha not an oss..ok?)Quite a dear do at 15 Euros each for an hours walk about..but the kids absolutely loved it. Fantastic views from the high ground then back through olive groves. Nice to see proper riding hats available..not old cycle helmets and bungee straps like last year in Turkey!

Camelot - (Restaurants in Tsilivi)

Peter N  (02 August 2003)         

How can somebody pass comment and say a place, food and prices are average if they haven't even gone in? Doh!
We thought Camelot was very good and ate there twice. Waiter was quick to provide pens and paper to keep children amused - and their efforts were posted on the wall with many others. Food was good, service prompt and the Mythos nice and cold!

Contessina - (Restaurants in Tsilivi)

Peter N           

Nice atmosphere and high enough up above the traffic to feel more relaxed. The food and service were fine..nice Beef Stifado. Only minor complaint was that sitting on the periphery outside father in law ended up with the low level light immediately behind him which meant he could barely see his plate!

Fiorentino - (Restaurants in Tsilivi)

Peter N  (02 August 2003)         

I agree with most others...this is probably the best place to eat in Tsilivi. Not too big, not too small...excellent service in very pleasant surroundings. Our party of 6 ate here 3 times and had great meals each time. Try the Lamb In The Oven, Pougi or Beef Stifado...you will not find better!

Majestic - (Restaurants in Tsilivi)

Peter N           

Very friendly staff and the food was ok, but nothing to write home about.

Manos Grill - (Restaurants in Tsilivi)

Peter N  (02 August 2003)         

Not too sure why people rave about this place. Fair to say that all the staff are welcoming, friendly and hugely enthusiastic - The mixed grill was very tasty with various marinated meats rather than just plain bits of grilled everything, but you'd struggle to find enough interesting things on the menu to warrant a second visit.

McDonalds - (Restaurants in Tsilivi)

Peter N  (02 August 2003)         

The very best thing about this blight on the scenery was the fact that due to having no licence to trade it was shut. Why not Give the kids a break from junk and let them try proper food? They can fill their bloaty little bodies with sugar and lard when they get home.

Metaxi Mas - (Restaurants in Tsilivi)

Peter N  (02 August 2003)         

Hmmmmmm...ok maybe they were having an off night but it was only the live entertainment in the shape of Phil from near Rochdale and his guitar that saved an otherwise disappointing evening. Party of 6 only one of whom said his meal was "nice"

Passage to Asia - (Restaurants in Tsilivi)

Peter N  (02 August 2003)         

Passage to Asia is ok The waiters were polite, the sweet and sour was nice and the price not too bad...Do not confuse "Passage to Asia" with "Passage to India" which is truely awful

Pieros - (Restaurants in Tsilivi)

Peter N           

The service could have been better. My bottle of beer was plonked on table with no glass. When I asked for one it (warm) was also plonked infront of me by the dude with the pony tail who clearly thinks he is "it". Flat coke for the kids too....but the food was good.
By the way, ref Elizabeth Conways earlier comment how many deaf and dumb lighter sales peeps do you think there are in the world? These are mostly Albanians and what they are doing is begging. They are even stooping so far as to hand out leaflets claiming they are saving money to treat cancer stricken children. Get a reality check woman!

Popeyes - (Restaurants in Tsilivi)

Peter N           

The staff are indeed cheesy...but there is a queue outside every night and the place is packed to the gunwhales which speaks volumes. The food was very good with the exception of the battered fillet of cod - which was like a budget fish finger wrapped in a fatty flannel. Full credit to the waiter - he did offer to change it for an alternative meal. Kids were given a lollipop and a Popeye keyring as a keep sake which was a nice touch.

Cosmos - (Tour Operators in Zante)

Peter N  (02 August 2003)         

Thanks to Gemma - top rep - extremely helpful and enthusiastic. Very good hotel, flights in and out bang on time...but will never do a night flight again. Whatever you do don't get stuck in the airport at Zante without your own stash of food and snacks. The place is packed to the gills and it costs £8 for a roll and a packet of crisps! Would not hessitate to use Cosmos again.

Porto Vromi - (Places to Visit in Zante)

Peter N           

Very pretty spot - hired a car and did the whole island in 3 days...(it's not that big!) Nice little beach for the kids and good snorkelling round the rocks.

Shipwreck Viewing Platform - (Places to Visit in Zante)

Peter N           

There are views and there are views, but this one really does make you say "Wow!" The colour of the sea is beyond belief. Walk along to the right for about 400 yards and you get an even better view. Bad news when coaches arrive en masse and even worse news when juvenile delinquents start lobbing stones over the edge. 800 feet up or whatever with people and boats below...nobs or what? And what did their mummys and daddys say? Nothing. Bless.

Zante Town - (Places to Visit in Zante)

Peter N           

A chance to get away from the men and indulge in some retail therapy and fill up the luggage with pressies for the folks back home. That had been ther idea of wife + mother in-law. mmm well...the shops are mostly full of total crap. Fair enough if you want to browse through shop after shop after shop of lilos, sun cream, post cards, tacky ornaments, fridges full of pop and oh so many things with very funny big willies. Like Blackpool in the sun.

Passage To India - (Restaurants in Tsilivi)

Peter N  (02 August 2003)         

What a pity - the staff were charming but oh my the food! My "Special curry" consisted of all the usual looking ingredients + copious amounts of potato in a table spoon of peppery soapy tasting gravy. If you want a decent curry have it after your holiday!

Euro Divers (Laganas) - (Diving in Zante)

Peter N           

MMM. first open water dives since qualifying in Turkey last year. Nice day out with 2 dives for about 6o Euros. Lots to see and some interesting moments...arches, chimneys etc. All the staff are friendly, efficient and keen to help. Top notch fast dive boat...tho not really much cop for sightseeing passengers. Made our day out thoroughly memorable and enjoyable...highly recommended

Blue Caves and Shipwreck Cruise - (Zante Excursions)

Peter N           

Who cares if the wreck was planted there...let's face it there ain't tht much to do on Zante other than look at the views and this is a blinder! Stunning location and the sea is an incredible colour.
Our boat was fairly full and the toilets were well dodgy..altho the little bloke with the mop worked non stop to cope with tum bug stricken tourists. Sharpen your elbows for the food queue..not the fault of the staff..just pig ignorant foreign wallahs pushing in regardless of kids, women or whatever.

Zakynthos Airport - (Places to Visit in Zante)

Peter N           

Like you've been framed..except it's even less funny. Have a night/ early AM flight and you too will probably end up sitting on the floor with your kids for 3 hours with sooo many others. Animal rights activists moan like buggery when sheep are treated like this. For god sake take your own food and drinks cos the prices are outrageous. Ever been mugged? Ask the smug bint at the bar for a roll and a packet of crisps and for £8 you will be. A real kick in the guts to end the holiday.