Author	Message
nicky_g Member United Kingdom (Great Britain)	# Posted: 4 Mar 2009 11:04:52 Myself and my girlfriend are planning on travelling around the Greek islands this summer, from late June to late July. Could anyone recommend particular islands to visit? Plus I worried about my budget, we will be staying in hostels/cheap hotels, does anyone know what a reasonable daily allowance would be? We will be travelling around the islands via ferry. Thanks!!

Christopher Eastwood Member Belfast, Ireland	# Posted: 4 Apr 2009 12:08:46 Hi Nicky. I have only been on a few of the islands, so I can only offer limited advice... SANTORINI It's perfect for a romantic few days, but apart from the admittedly spectacular views of the Caldera, the island is a bit barren and volcanic. It's very expensive too. I recommend you definitely go here for at least 1 or 2 nights, but perhaps not much more. IOS - party island - it might be a bit two dimensional, sometimes you just want the beach and booze holiday, and for this Ios is pretty good. We certainly had a ball there, but it was messy.... Good points: Massive poolside parties from around 4pm down at "Far Out Beach Club" An unforgettable hostel called Francesco's - it's the place to stay, trust me... affordable, comfortable, clean, loads of people to meet, and the staff are unbelievably friendly and helpful cobbled streets are gorgeous, even when paralytic drunk lol Some spectacular views and the beach was great fun during the day Bad points: Do NOT stay in the Far Out Camping - it is dingy to say the least. I stayed there the first night, and I may as well have been sleeping in the bushes. I only mention it because it is a popular budget choice on Ios, but Francesco's was infinitely better value ( i promise, they're not paying me!) Don't get me wrong, I love Italy, and I love Italian people, but for some reason a particularly sleazy crowd of them flock to Ios each summer. At least that was the consensus among the girls in our group. They said they were getting harassed every night. There's not a whole pile to do outside the old daytime-beach/night-time-party combination, so I would only advise going if you're looking for a few good party days... CRETE Perhaps I have an over-inflated view of how amazing Crete is, but I really do happen to think it is a special place. Who knows... it might just have been the experiences we had whilst there. Anyway... I stayed in Rethmyno in the Rethmyno Youth Hostel, a charming place run by a friendly Serb who's name I can't recall... this place was a great place to stay, and it was only 8 euro per night when we stayed there last summer. Unbeatable! Loads of people to meet, great location and a wonderfully charming town by the sea. The port of Hania on up the coast is equally charming (but stay away from the capital Heraklio and the tourist resorts surrounding the capital, such as Malia and Hersonnisos)... The Ruins at Knossos are definitely worth a trip (ruins of the oldest known European civilization, the Minoans - incidentally, apparently they were wiped out when the Santorini volcano last erupted 11,000 years ago!) The Samaria Gorge is the longest and biggest Gorge in Europe, and it is absolutely amazing! You can't afford to miss it. The coast is littered with great beaches, such as Elafonisi, Vai and Preveli. The caves of Matala are worth a visit too... they are the famous caves which were the home to an international hippy spot during the 60s and 70s. P{eople are no longer permitted to live in the caves, but interestingly Crete retains quite a strong strain of the counter-culture (at least in my experience). For me, this added an exceptionally intriguing dimension to my time in Crete, meeting as I did many extremely interesting people. Overall, I would recommend Crete (Kriti) without hesitation, but ust make sure you stay away from the tourist resorts around the capital. If you stay in those tacky shitholes, it really doesn't matter where in the world you are. They"re all the same, and they're all crap. Hope this helps! "Not all who wander are lost" (JRR Tolkein)*
grasslands Member	# Posted: 12 Jun 2009 21:34:03 if u go to rhodes, a must....check out the acropolis, at lindos, and take a donkey, its cheap and needed up those cardiac hills. its stunning