Three of the best ways to experience Greece and Cyprus
A self-drive holiday, a cruise and a hotel stay can all offer different perspectives of this region. Dimple Shiv has these suggestions – plus Amanda Davenport from Althams Travel shares her takeways from an Olympic Holidays fam trip to Cyprus
Take the scenic route
For an authentic holiday in Greece, it’s hard to beat the scenic roads of Halkidiki. Sunvil has added a new fly-drive exploring the “three fingers” of the peninsula, a route that can be punctuated with stops to enjoy its golden beaches and most interesting sights. The most developed finger is the most westerly, Kassandra, where clients can hike the Koutsoupia-Siviri trail for marvellous views and visit Bousoulas bird sanctuary.
Sithonia is a quieter peninsula – suggest the coves of Kavourotipes and Karidi for sunbathing. Furthest to the east, Athos is largely undeveloped – much of the peninsula belongs to the Autonomous Monastic State of the Holy Mountain and the best way to view the 20 monasteries that make up the Unesco World Heritage Site is with a coastal boat trip.
Book it: Sunvil offers a 10-night fly-drive, with accommodation, from £1,286pp, based on two sharing, departing Gatwick on 15 May. sunvil.co.uk
Go island hopping
With so many islands to explore, Greece is tailor-made for cruising. Celestyal Cruises has tweaked its seven-night Idyllic Aegean itinerary to give guests more time on the islands of Santorini and Mykonos. Both stops benefit from the ship staying in port until 2am, meaning clients can fully enjoy the islands’ nightlife, while the arrival into Santorini has been brought forward, extending the time available for lapping up the atmosphere of this picture-perfect island.
Other highlights of the cruise include guided visits to the Acropolis at Lindos (Rhodes) and Ephesus (Kusadasi) archaeological sites. Culinary capital Thessaloniki and laid-back Milos also feature on this round-trip itinerary from Athens.
Book it: Celestyal Cruises offers a seven-night Idyllic Aegean voyage from £699pp, based on two sharing, departing Athens on 5 or 12 August. celestyal.com
Relax in a beauty spot
For those clients who prefer to sleep on dry land, there’s a wealth of upgraded hotel stock to recommend. Look out for a big new development in Cyprus, City of Dreams Mediterranean, opening in Q2. Located close to Limassol city centre, it will have Cyprus’s largest resort pool complex, luxury rooms and suites, plus numerous leisure and sports facilities.
Also opening for the summer is Kerkyra Blue Hotel & Spa near Corfu Town, which is undergoing a five-star €6 million metamorphosis. All 240 rooms are being renovated, pool areas are being revamped and a new spa will have exterior sea front massage facilities.
Another Corfu opening is Ikos Resorts’ Ikos Odisia in May, which occupies a sublime spot in Dassia Bay, just 20 minutes from Corfu Old Town. The chic bungalow accommodation blends into the natural landscape and Deluxe Collection Suites are available for an upgrade. The kids clubs will cater from toddlers up to teens, while adults can relax in the spa, take a complimentary yoga class and enjoy menus created by Michelin-star chefs. There’s a choice of 10 outdoor and indoor pools and there’ll even be an on-shore childcare service at the beach, giving parents a complimentary half-hour to themselves.
Book it: Inspiring Travel offers seven nights at Ikos Odisia from £9,695 per family of four, based on two adults and two children sharing a Junior Suite Private Garden Pool View on an ultra-all-inclusive basis, departing 23 July. inspiringtravel.co.uk
Feedback from a Cyprus fam trip with Olympic Holidays
Amanda Davenport, from Althams Travel in Denton, Manchester, took part in an Olympic Holidays educational to Cyprus last autumn. Here’s her feedback:
Our itinerary began with hotel visits in Protaras. The one that made the biggest impression on me was Louis St Elias Resort. The hotel is just outside of Protaras so away from the busy centre. It’s good for families with its waterslides and toddler splash pool, however I’d also recommend it to couples, particularly the suites with private pools. It’s wheelchair-friendly too with some accessible rooms.
We then visited four hotels in Ayia Napa, where the standout was the Amanti Hotel. This is branded as a “MadeForTwo” hotel – it’s perfect for couples. It’s brand new – the pool area felt more like Bali than Cyprus. Every room has its own dedicated sun loungers in the pool area with waiter service so no fighting over spots! Not only that but you are also within walking distance of Pantachou Beach. To top it off the food has been overseen by a Michelin-starred chef. I sampled some for lunch and it was amazing.
We also squeezed some sightseeing into the fam – we visited the quaint and beautiful village of Lefkara with its winding cobbled streets, pomegranate trees and distinctive Church of the Holy Cross. The village is famous for its traditional lace and silver jewellery, which is on display in the Lefkara Handicraft Centre.
Another great memory will be the food – especially the traditional tapas we ate at an authentic taverna, called Stou Roushia, in Larnaca – and the signature cocktails from the various hotel bars.
VALUE FOR MONEY
I was pleasantly surprised by Cyprus. It had a brilliantly vibrant atmosphere and the locals were lovely. Plus it was October and the weather was 28-29°C every single day.
I will be talking to my clients who are couples, families and retirees as Cyprus has something for everyone. I have found that clients sometimes have the assumption that Cyprus can be expensive but I thought it was better value for money than expected.
It was certainly a great first fam trip experience for me, and special thanks to Olympic Holidays hosts Emma Hilton and Sarah Francis who organised the trip and were really friendly and informative. I’ve taken a lot from it and know I’ll be in a good place to sell Cyprus now.
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