First time

[keef]

Hi, just got back from our first but not last visit to Plakias. We had a great time and the weather was excellent. We had no problems at all apart from the idiot in the Ostraco bar that tried to rip us off twice in the same evening!
Many thanks to all the forum members for their help.

Keith

[Susan K]

Hi Keith

Glad you enjoyed your first visit to Plakias although I'm not surprised  

Roll on September!

Susan

[harribobs]

We had no problems at all apart from the idiot in the Ostraco bar that tried to rip us off twice in the same evening!
Many thanks to all the forum members for their help.

Keith
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=6406\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

  was it a big lanky lad?  probably stelios being more dopey than nasty  

[keef]

We had no problems at all apart from the idiot in the Ostraco bar that tried to rip us off twice in the same evening!
Many thanks to all the forum members for their help.

Keith
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=6406\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

  was it a big lanky lad?  probably stelios being more dopey than nasty  
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=6419\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Don't know his name but he was a tallish lad. Dopey once, but twice!!!!!!!

[Ali & Dave]

I know it's not good to have mistakes made but all I can say on Stelios' behalf is that due to a colleagues illness, Stelios was working most days from 8am through to closing with only a couple of hours off in the afternoon.  Never heard of him making mistakes before.

Ali

[harribobs]

I would be very surprised if it was intentional, we've known him for a few years now and like him a lot!

[Mike from Sussex]

I would be very surprised if it was intentional, we've known him for a few years now and like him a lot!

Hello everybody, I'm the latest Newbie.

My wife Chris and I will be visiting Plakias for the first time, during 5 and 19 September, staying at the Leman. Looks to be a popular time with members.

We definitely qualify as Saga louts and would welcome the chance to make some new friends.

We normally like to do a couple of organised excursions, as well as a little personal exploration. Any suggestions on which excursions are worthwhile and which to avoid?

Thanks for any help.

Mike

[Peter&Dawn]

I would be very surprised if it was intentional, we've known him for a few years now and like him a lot!

Hello everybody, I'm the latest Newbie.

My wife Chris and I will be visiting Plakias for the first time, during 5 and 19 September, staying at the Leman. Looks to be a popular time with members.

We definitely qualify as Saga louts and would welcome the chance to make some new friends.

We normally like to do a couple of organised excursions, as well as a little personal exploration. Any suggestions on which excursions are worthwhile and which to avoid?

Thanks for any help.

Mike

Welcome to the forum Mike,

We visited Plakias for the first time last year and went on the organised trip to Knossos.
Although the trip was OK, and the guide was very knowledgeable it was very difficult to hear her above the noise. All the coaches seem to arrive around the same time, hence the place was heaving. Following the guide was also a challenge, running was the only way to keep up on occasions. I think in future I would drive there, buy a good guide book (or use one of the individual guides that hover aroung the entrance touting for business) and wander around at my leisure.

Although I don't have personal experience, a couple we met last year went on the Santorini trip. The whole trip took 22 hours door to door, of which much of it was either on coaches or boats, or waiting for coaches and boats. They would not recommend the trip to anyone.

If you are prepared to drive, then get a local guide book and just explore, which is what we did, and had a fantastic time, so much so that we are back at the Lamon in 11 days (and counting).

I'm sure you will have a great time.  

Peter

[roger]

I would be very surprised if it was intentional, we've known him for a few years now and like him a lot!

Hello everybody, I'm the latest Newbie.

My wife Chris and I will be visiting Plakias for the first time, during 5 and 19 September, staying at the Leman. Looks to be a popular time with members.

We definitely qualify as Saga louts and would welcome the chance to make some new friends.

We normally like to do a couple of organised excursions, as well as a little personal exploration. Any suggestions on which excursions are worthwhile and which to avoid?

Thanks for any help.

Mike

one of the many advantages of Plakias is that it is well off the beaten track so not very crowded. The other side of that coin is a long transfer time and since it takes a long time to get to most other places , trips tend to invlve very long days and early starts .
 Of course it depends what you like - there are trip to archaeological sites like Knossos and Phaestos. but I would recommend a first timer to go on the trip to Chania which is a lovely town and involves a noce trip along the north coast . Long time snce i have done that trip but it is probably also goign to involve a stop on the way back at Rethymonon = which is not my favourite place but has some interesting buildings - and also either Georgeopoulos which is a long beach or Lake Kournas which is a beautiful inland freshwater lake very near Geogeopoulos . Both the last two are aboput half way between Chania and Rethymnon.
 I dont know what the local buses are like now but it used to be possible to get a bus to and from Hora Sfakion which is where the coaches from the gorge - and that is another trip if you are very fit and dont mind a very long day and walk - return from . nothing much in the village but the trip over the mountains is brilliant
 Another thought - if it is still running - is that the little toy train does excursions about 3 or 4 days a week . One of those used to go to Frangocastello which is part way to Sfakion , so also over the mountains and unlike the bus trip , ou can stop at one or two moutain villages like Sellia which is lovely .
Santorini is a very very early start and long day = not been there but it is a volcanic island .
I rarely venture further than Damnoni but if this is your first time in Crete than you will want to see a little more of the island
 A general rule is that the most beautiful parts of Crete tend to be in the south and /or the west .
 I would give heraklion a miss = but i think that is on the same trip as Knossos
 When are you there / i am there from 23 August to 5 september and can be found most early evenigns - around 8 /8 30 to 9 or 9 30 - in the livicon
 Hope you enjoy it
 roger

[Mike from Sussex]

Peter, Roger,

Thanks for the replies.

I didn't make myself clear, for which I apologise, but "first time" does mean Plakias. We visited Crete, staying on the North Coast, in 1999 and 2000. We've been to Rhodes, Kos etc since, but Crete kept pulling and we decided to go for the South coast this time.

We have done Knossos, Chania, Lasithi plain, Xrissi Island and Santorini. Peter, we took a late afternoon ferry stayed two nights, which gave us a full day to explore with white knuckle ride taxis (why do they drive so fast on a minute island?), another morning to explore and a post lunch ferry back, arriving in our resort in time for dinner. Much more relaxing, but I had planned it and we came to Crete for three weeks to allow for the trip. Doubt you could do it from the South coast, however, you would lose three days instead of two and the taxi fares would make the cost eye watering. I think the whole thing cost me about 60,000 drachma then.

Roger, we are most definitely Saga louts, beyond doing the Samaria gorge, so it looks like the mini train and a little car hire. We are arriving on the 5th, so will not meet you, but perhaps we can wave as we pass in the mountains!

Thanks again for the responses.

Mike

[John R]

.

Roger, we are most definitely Saga louts, beyond doing the Samaria gorge, so it looks like the mini train and a little car hire. We are arriving on the 5th, so will not meet you, but perhaps we can wave as we pass in the mountains!


Mike

The mini train is no longer running. We like you are Saga Louts - indeed the co-inventor of that term (In the Plakias context). We don't consider ourselves (yet) beyond the Samaris or Imbros etc but we can empathise with you. I also understand that there is no longer a bus service to Sfakia. I think your best bet is to hire a car and drive to Sfakia (our favourite run) - especially back again in the late afternoon. From Sfakia there are choices including boat to Loutro, drive up/down the Imbros gorge road. and indeed a round trip Plakias Sfakia, Imbros, Asfendou, Killikratis, Asigonia, Argyropoli, Plakias. That is our ultimate favourite day long car trip - though we do it in the reverse order to the above. You can also drive to Spilli and on to Aghia Galini. Phaestos is one of our favourites and if you have already been to Knossos then you may consider Phaestos is even better - very impressive and beautiful and you might even find it near deserted very occasionally. There are an infinite number of places to see without leaving the South coast - particularly now that you have made it clear that you have seen quite a bit of the rest of Crete. We did the rest of Crete for 2 years prior to discovering Plakias many years ago and now have no real desire to stray from the South and/or West. We do always hire a car as we are not beach people. Though Plakias is deservedly famous for its superb beach it has vast amounts to offer over and above that.

There are by the way day trips to Santorini from Plakias  - 24 hours job though !!

John R

[Mike G]

The mini train is no longer running. I also understand that there is no longer a bus service to Sfakia.

John R

Mike,

John R is correct with both these facts (I am also of Saga age but hope I'm not a lout)

I haven't done excursions for years but I was very surprised that the two places selling the sort of trips you might be interested in (in May) were selling for exactly the same price as the Olympic rep. Morven was selling them for. I have never come across this before. Normally the reps' ones are significantly more expensive.

Mike

[George]

Hi Mike from Sussex
Check out the 'Where to go' thread on the forum page. If your going to hire a car I've listed plenty of places for a day trip, there are a lot of other suggestions too.
I, as well as a lot of other forum members, have been going to Plakias for a long time so don't do any 'trips'.
Print off the 'where to go' file Mike, hire yourself a car, get a map, and go and get lost, that's what I do most years and you'll find some fabulous places. All the roads are good so you don't need a 4 x 4.
Enjoy!!
I'll be in the Levicon on the 12.09

george g...

[Mike from Sussex]

Hello everybody,

Thanks for the further thoughts. Most grateful.

Hope we see a few of you when we are there.


Mike