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Topics - Mike G

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16
PlakChat / Holiday Club scam
« on: June 02, 2005, 10:32:37 AM »
We were in Rethymnon Crete on May 14 and were given 2 scratch cards. One of them (my partner's) had "won" the star prize and the guy handing them out said he was pleased as he got 50 Euros for it and there were only two a day. We were told the prize was a free holiday, a ghetto blaster, or a camcorder (our choice); all we had to do was listen to a Holiday Club presentation. We were taken by taxi to a plush hotel about 5 miles away, east of Rethymnon in Platanes, which is a Rethymnon suburb resort and totally over-developed and spoilt. We were given a long presentation (over 2 hours not the 1 hour we were told) by a comapny called RCI which, it was claimed, was the parent company of Avis car hire and Radisson Edwardian hotels, plus other well known names. In spite of what we were told by the guy giving out the scratch cards (copious free drinks!) the only drink we were given was the most dilute orange squash ever. The facilities we were shown were fantastic, 5 star plus. Anyway, we weren't interested in buying (thinking it was a scam). The "prize" wasn't a choice but the "free holiday". This turned out to be virtually worthless as you had to enrol (around £30 per person) and there were options like accommodation free, but you pay for all meals (which must be taken in the hotel) or they arrange (and you pay for) the flight and you get the accommodation free. It just didn't seem worth it and my partner binned it on return to the UK.

My partner was even more annoyed than I was about this. But as I said to her, we only lost 2-3 hours of our holidays. I bet others signed up!!!!!

See http://www.holidaywatchdog.com/forum/showthread.php?t=883
for an explanation of how these scams work.

I would be interested to hear the experiences of others.

Mike G

17
Plakias / Plakias 10 years on
« on: May 25, 2005, 02:45:14 PM »
I have just returned from my first visit since May 1995 and am pleased to report that the place is very little changed. From the Forum I thought it was but was pleased to confirm it.

The road to Souda Bay is now tarmac, the Alianthos Gardens has appeared next to Alianthos Beach, and there are a few more tavenas and apartments. Little else has changed. I was sure the area between Alianthos Beach and the Plakias Bay Hotel (i.e. the Far End) would be built up but was pleased it wasn't.

Summer visitors will be jealous than on many days there was little wind. Temp high 20s, pullover hardly used in the evenings. I thought the sea warm, my partner didn't!

I will do some reports on Kostas Chysoulla and tavernas but would just put in a word for Mousses (Muses) taverna. Their set meals were unbelievable value at 7.20-9.90 Euros per person (incl. 0.5 L wine), and you need to be a trencherman to eat it all.

Mike

18
PlakChat / Airport Car Parking UK
« on: April 26, 2005, 01:32:16 PM »
One of my pet hates is the cost of UK airport parking. I have just paid £6.30 per day (£94.50 for 15 days, Gatwick). In 1987 I paid £1.50 per day and parking costs have gone up much faster than package deal costs and inflation generally.

Does anyone have any experience of hiring a car at home, handing it over at the airport and doing the reverse for the return journey? Is it comparable with airport parking costs?

Mike

19
Plakias / Supermarket and bakery
« on: April 13, 2005, 10:56:47 AM »
I gather from doing a search that there is a bakery next to a supermarket (the main supermarket or one of several?). Could one of the regular visitors please enlighten me as to their location (if someone has a map to mark it on that would be even better).

Thanks in advance.

Mike

20
PlakChat / Dog Dazer
« on: April 06, 2005, 03:38:24 PM »
In over 25 Greek holidays I have had many enjoyable walks and these form an important part of Greek holidays for me.  

However, on quite a few occasions walks have been spoiled by aggressive dogs and I have sometimes had to abandon a walk because of them. On a few occasions an aggressive dog has tried to attack me but (so far) has been restrained before reaching me by a chain- really frightening!  

Has anyone any experience of the Dog Dazer? These are small, hand held electronic devices (about £40) which emit a loud high pitched sound, inaudible to humans but apparently frightening to an aggressive dog. It was wondering if these are more effective than a large stone or a sturdy stick which I have used in the past.

Mike

21
Plakias / Bus services in Plakias
« on: December 02, 2004, 01:24:20 PM »
Can any of the regular recent visitors to Plakias advise what bus services there are likely to be there in May.

Thanks

Mike

22
Plakias / Plakias outside the normal season
« on: August 25, 2004, 01:26:48 PM »
The normal season for UK visitors is early May - mid/late October. Does anyone have experience of Plakias outside these months? There have been occasional references to it in the forum but nothing substantial I think.

On the first of my 26 visits to Greece I learned that Rhodes, the driest place in Greece, experiences an annual rainfall very similar to London. However, London's is distributed throughout the year whereas Rhodes gets virtually none in the summer 6 months. This must mean that their winter period is twice as wet as London (in terms of total amount anyway; not necessarily the same as the number of wet days). Therefore, all other parts of Greece are even more substantially wetter than the south of the UK in winter, explaining why some islands to the north and west of Greece are so lush in spring. Plakias presumably has a climate not significantly different from Rhodes.

To my knowledge, no UK tour operator features any part of Greece in its winter programme, so those that go must book independently. I think I read in a book sometime that the sea at the south coast of Crete is warm enough for swimming most of the year.

Are there many tavernas open outside the normal season? In some of the resorts I have visited I have been told that they virtually shut down in winter as most of the property owners live elsewhere. I would not think this applies in a big way to Plakias, but could be wrong.

I would be interested to hear from those with experience of Plakias out of season.

Mike

23
Forum and Website discussion / Logging in
« on: July 14, 2004, 01:00:23 PM »
To the website administrators.

I think that when logging in it would be better if the default situation was that the website did not remember your login ID unless you had taken a positive action to that effect. Currently you have to remember to change the default setting if you don't wish to be "remembered". Most other sites operate in the way I am suggesting.

Mike

24
Where to stay / Brochures 2005
« on: May 01, 2004, 03:20:35 PM »
Brochures for 2005 are starting to appear (get a life I hear some of you saying- we haven't been away in 2004 yet!). First Choice is offering Costas Chrysoulla and Irida. Haven't seen Olympic yet- they usually offer Costas Chrysoulla and Dora. I have used the search facility on this website and there is quite a lot of comment about Dora (mainly positive) but little on Irida.

Dora looks to be on a 1 in 3 hill or is it just the way the photo has been taken? I don't remember Plakias being as hilly as that, although the surrounding area certainly is.

Opinions on any of the First Choice or Olympic properties would be welcome or advice on any other tour operators including Plakias in their programmes (I prefer to use a tour operator rather than going independently, as I believe they are better value, in low season at least).

Enjoy your holidays this year.

Mike

25
PlakChat / Independent vs Tour Operator
« on: August 16, 2003, 10:24:29 AM »
There are several mentions in the forums of "Going Independent" to Plakias. I have never done this on any holiday, in fact I have never seen the attraction, especially as one of the correspondents admitted that you didn't save money. Let me explain my reasons and perhaps some of you will try to convince me otherwise.

The one think I look for on a holiday is relaxation and a minimum of stress. That's one reason why I enjoy resorts such as Plakias so much. This was admittedly more important when I worked (I took early retirement a year ago but it still applies). For this reason  I have never hired a car, looking on it that this is one aspect of 21st century life I can do without (buses in Greece are an interesting (?) holiday experience). I don't want the hassle of a taxi journey from an airport or looking for a studio on arrival. I like the fact that a rep meets you at the airport, says "you're in Coach C in the car park", and am dropped off outside the studio. I like sitting on the plane knowing there is a bed with my name on it! I have never been pressurised to buy excursions etc by a rep and in a new resort find the welcome meeting is a useful source of information and meeting other holidaymakers.  When I used to holiday with my daughters I found a rep invaluable when one of them was ill and he prevented this from becoming a stressful experience.  I always book as soon as the brochures come out (I want to go where I choose to, not take what is left the week before, even if I pay a bit more).

Talking of cost, over the last 5 years I have paid only around £200-240 for 2 weeks in both May and Oct (always Greece), including insurance. Good value or what? You need to know who is offering good discounts. Admittedly the rep is often not too well informed in May but in Oct they always are.

Someone mentioned Smart Holidays and I checked out their brochure. Yes, they have a better selection in Plakias than either Olympic or First Choice. However, you have to book the flight separately and get yourself to and from Heraklion airport. The latter would cost best part of £100 for the two way journey.

I accept that the Internet has made booking independently easier but would be interested in the counter view from some of your correspondents.

Mike G

26
PlakChat / Plakias 1995
« on: August 11, 2003, 02:41:25 PM »
I visited Plakias in May 1995, staying at studios that overlooked Kostas-Chrysoulla apartments (I can't remember their name but think the Tour Operator was First Choice). I thought Plakias was really excellent. I am always reluctant to go back to a resort; however I'm now running out of new ones in Greece that I want to visit (Greek holiday No 25 coming up). I remember Plakias as having a good beach (best at the east end) with another excellent one 1-2 miles to the west. The resort had a nice feel to it (definitely no lager louts), had a good selection of tavernas (including a very friendly gyros pitta bar on the seafront), adequate mini markets for buying provisions, and had really excellent walks to the east, north and west. There seemed to be some major construction being started at the beach to the east as large drainage pipes were about to be installed.

Could some of the Plakias afficionados please let me know how the resort has changed in 8 years so I can gauge whether I will enjoy my return visit when I make it. Some of my other favourite Greek resorts are Petra/Molyvos (Lesvos), Scala (Kefallonia), Tingaki (Kos), Agios Georgious (Corfu), and Paralio Astros (Pelopponese).

Thanks in advance.

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