Reviews
Island holidays
On a trip to the island of Lefkas Christine Fieldhouse finds out why Greece still is one of the most popular holiday destinations
WE could almost smell excitement
in the air. The
Galini resort on the
Greek island of Lefkas
was brand, spanking
new, having opened just a fortnight before
our arrival. The villas were freshly
whitewashed, the blue doors and shutters
newly-painted and the plants lining
the steps down to the sea had been lovingly
tended. The scene was picture postcard
perfect. And to top it all, for a handful
of pouting teenage girls with
stardom on their minds, a photographer
was also in situ to capture scenes of
holiday fun for the next brochure.
Within hours of settling in our villa,
we realised why the word "active" was
all over the Crystal brochure - there was
wind surfing, sailing, water skiing,
wakeboarding, surfing, kayaking, scuba
diving and mountain biking, as well as
yoga, tennis, a gym and a games room.
Good job I hadn't wound down completely
- you need a fairly agile mind to
take in all the options, and time management
skills to organise your week.
But mellow we did, as we ambled
round those flower-filled walkways.
Lefkas is connected to the Greek mainland
by a bridge and is less than an
hour's drive from Preveza Airport, making
it perfect for a family holiday. Villas
are fairly basic, but spacious and clean,
with balconies or terraces with a view
of the sea or the gardens. With buffetstyle
Mediterranean meals and children's
options, three times a day, and a
reasonably-priced bar selling good local
brew, it's so self-contained you could stay
put for your entire holiday.
But the bright lights of nearby Nidri
beckoned. Don't trust the bus timetables
unless you like waiting around for hours
- a taxi to Nidri is six euros. There we
found a main street of mostly gift shops,
a good selection of bars and restaurants
around the harbour, as well as banks, car
hire and boat trips.
The seafront is lined with cruise offers
and we opted for the MS Christina fullday
excursion to Kastos, Kalamos and
Scorpios, which was 40 euros per adult,
with a reduction for our seven-year-old
son, Jack. By this stage, we were well
and truly in holiday mode and the deciding
factor was our own on-deck
sunbed aboard MS Christina for the 48-
mile cruise.
There was a clue in the boat's name,
but we hadn't realised our tour guide
was the Onassis family's number one
fan. Once we'd admired the ornate St
John's Church on Kastos, swum in the
sea, admired the "Captain Corelli" prettiness
of peaceful Kalamos and enjoyed
a delicious lunch of feta cheese, meatballs
and salad, we relaxed on board to
hear the story of the Onassis family. It
was like lying in the sun and having
Hello magazine read to you.
Seeing the family's famous Scorpios island
up close brought the stories of the
beautiful people to life. From our
sunbeds we saw the helicopter pad
where Aristotle landed, the special walkway
he built to the sea when he met Jackie,
the trees he had brought from another
island because he liked the look of
them, and the island which belonged to
Aristotle's son, Alexandros, tragically
killed in an accident. There were stories
of glitzy parties, actors, actresses and
models and other famous jetsetters at
the well-maintained island which no one
in the family apparently visits any more.
From Nidri we hired a car from Homer
Car Hire, and we took off to the main
town of Lefkada, which was bustling yet
very attractive. We continued round the
top of the island to the beaches on the
west coast, said to be exceptionally pretty.
They didn't disappoint. At Aghios
Nikitas the three of us sat at the Poseidon
restaurant, just off the cobbled
street leading to the sea and we had one
of those idyllic holiday lunches you always
remember. The food, the venue and
the view were perfect. Later, on another
beach a little further south, 12-feet high
waves crashed against the rocks.
Back at our resort, Jack was a member
of Macs, the kids' club, which
promises a half day of action for every
child. If he wasn't playing tennis or out
on a treasure hunt, he was kayaking or
playing pool games. With qualified
sporty staff, rather than nannies, he
loved the independence. There isn't a lot
to do in the evenings, though the bar is
lively, and the reps put on a quiz and a
bingo session while we were there. The
games room was also a big hit with families.
One evening we parents had a night
off - while the staff threw a party for the
children. My husband Ian and I ventured
back to Nidri for cocktails and a Greek
meal at Panorama overlooking the
harbour.
As with all new resorts, there were
some teething troubles at Galini, but
they were easily sorted by an amenable
bunch of reps. But it was fun being an
early guest and watching the brochure
wannabes in action. It seemed wherever
we went on Lefkas, we were surrounded
by glamour and beautiful people vying
for the limelight.
TRAVEL FACTS
A WEEK'S holiday at Crystal's Club
Active Galini starts at £399 per adult
and £160 per child, and includes
flights, accommodation, transfer, full
board and some watersports and
activities.
Call 0870-405-5038 or visit
www.crystalholidays.co.uk
Before our holiday we stayed at
the Holiday Inn, Manchester Airport,
where a double room and breakfast
starts from £59, while Park and Fly
packages start from £89.
For more information or to make
a reservation visit www.holiday
inn.co.uk or call 0870-400-9670.
11:19am Saturday 2nd February 2008
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