The Greek Islands. Just the thought of them made me squirm with excitement for years. I'm not even sure how I managed to contain myself on the flight from London; fidgeting in my seat, over-enthusiastically greeting airport staff and cabin crew, devouring more than my fair share of Greek chocolate croissants served as in-flight snacks... I was quite frankly, a mess.
I finally touched down in the beautiful island of Kos, and despite the fact that my Greek experience started off disastrously with the airline losing my luggage (thanks again, Aegean Airlines), I was so elated to finally be visiting the destination of my dreams I found it difficult to care.
Attempting to conduct a somewhat budget-style holiday, opting to catch the local bus from the airport into Kos Town was my first step. The bus leaves from a stand just outside the exit of the airport (it's extremely small, so there's not much room to get lost), costs €3.20 one way and takes approximately half an hour to reach the city centre. In typical Greek fashion, the bus was slightly late but making friends with a couple of German backpackers made the wait less worrying!
I met my friends and stayed at Catherine Hotel in Kos Town, which impressed me in both room quality, location and hospitality considering the wallet-friendly price. However, it was a menace to find as the streets don't seem to match up to the Google Maps version, so make sure you take a printout to ask locals if you get lost! Located only a moment's walk to the marina and main restaurant strip, the hotel provided us with an excellent base for our exploration of Kos.
A plethora of restaurants line the sea side and finding a place to dine was a cinch. Although my arteries probably wouldn't agree, living off Greek gyros (kebab meat, tzatziki, tomato, onion and fries wrapped in pita bread) is highly recommended. You are on holiday, after all?
The beach in Kos was a highlight, as the other two islands I visited (Rhodes and Santorini) were not as beach orientated. Tarzan Beach is the main one, located within close proximity to the town and features mesmerising clear waters. The majority of the beach is owned by individual businesses, however many offer free sun lounges and WiFi (you usually have to buy a drink though), so nabbing a spot on the beach is not an issue.
Kos itself is an expensive island, like many of the touristy Greek Islands, and I learnt this the hard way when I had to buy some emergency supplies whilst waiting for my luggage to find it's way to me... €10 minimum for a pair of plastic flip flops, €15 for a flimsy t-shirt and €2-€3 for toothpaste. I was flabbergasted but didn't have much of a choice. Luckily I'd kept a few essentials in my carry-on that minimised how much I needed to purchase!
I'm kicking myself for not spending more time in Kos to go out to some of the other towns such as Kardamena and Kefalos, as well as taking the quick boat journey over to Bodrum in Turkey, which is only four kilometres away! Such is a European tour...
Kos is a stunning island with plenty to offer and can provide both a relaxing summer séjour or a lively, holiday party atmosphere for those seeking a more fun-filled getaway.
Stay tuned for my next post from the island just a ferry away: Rhodes!
Tilda
xxx
P.S. I'd like to apologise profusely for subjecting you to that ghastly pun in the post title. I feel ashamed but it had to be done!
I finally touched down in the beautiful island of Kos, and despite the fact that my Greek experience started off disastrously with the airline losing my luggage (thanks again, Aegean Airlines), I was so elated to finally be visiting the destination of my dreams I found it difficult to care.
Attempting to conduct a somewhat budget-style holiday, opting to catch the local bus from the airport into Kos Town was my first step. The bus leaves from a stand just outside the exit of the airport (it's extremely small, so there's not much room to get lost), costs €3.20 one way and takes approximately half an hour to reach the city centre. In typical Greek fashion, the bus was slightly late but making friends with a couple of German backpackers made the wait less worrying!
I met my friends and stayed at Catherine Hotel in Kos Town, which impressed me in both room quality, location and hospitality considering the wallet-friendly price. However, it was a menace to find as the streets don't seem to match up to the Google Maps version, so make sure you take a printout to ask locals if you get lost! Located only a moment's walk to the marina and main restaurant strip, the hotel provided us with an excellent base for our exploration of Kos.
A plethora of restaurants line the sea side and finding a place to dine was a cinch. Although my arteries probably wouldn't agree, living off Greek gyros (kebab meat, tzatziki, tomato, onion and fries wrapped in pita bread) is highly recommended. You are on holiday, after all?
The beach in Kos was a highlight, as the other two islands I visited (Rhodes and Santorini) were not as beach orientated. Tarzan Beach is the main one, located within close proximity to the town and features mesmerising clear waters. The majority of the beach is owned by individual businesses, however many offer free sun lounges and WiFi (you usually have to buy a drink though), so nabbing a spot on the beach is not an issue.
Kos itself is an expensive island, like many of the touristy Greek Islands, and I learnt this the hard way when I had to buy some emergency supplies whilst waiting for my luggage to find it's way to me... €10 minimum for a pair of plastic flip flops, €15 for a flimsy t-shirt and €2-€3 for toothpaste. I was flabbergasted but didn't have much of a choice. Luckily I'd kept a few essentials in my carry-on that minimised how much I needed to purchase!
I'm kicking myself for not spending more time in Kos to go out to some of the other towns such as Kardamena and Kefalos, as well as taking the quick boat journey over to Bodrum in Turkey, which is only four kilometres away! Such is a European tour...
Kos is a stunning island with plenty to offer and can provide both a relaxing summer séjour or a lively, holiday party atmosphere for those seeking a more fun-filled getaway.
Stay tuned for my next post from the island just a ferry away: Rhodes!
Tilda
xxx
P.S. I'd like to apologise profusely for subjecting you to that ghastly pun in the post title. I feel ashamed but it had to be done!
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