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Going Lesvos in 2006 any recommended accomodation (1 Viewer)

T

tuftyhill

Well-known member
I'm planning a May 2006 trip to Lesvos and need a bit of advise regarding accomodation etc. I'm planning on getting the first direct flight out (don't want to mess around flying to mainland Greece first). It will be a family holiday also with our two young children (3 and 1)
Talking to other birders Skala Kalloni seems to be the place to stay, I have Richard Brooks' excellent book by the way.
We're ideally looking for self-catering, is it better to get a package deal, or get the accomodation then arrange the flight separately.
Checking on-line there doesn't seem that many places to stay and from our local Travel Agents we only managed to get a brochure from Manos that flew to Lesvos.

Any recomendations and advice will be much appreciated.
 
Paul,

The Kalloni II Hotel is the one favoured by birders - and you may get lucky and get a room overlooking the Kalloni II pool which will enhance your breakfast! (Think Ashton's Flash with an array of Med wetland birds!)

Skala Kalloni is small enough for any of the brochured accomodation to be suitable.

There is a company that rents appartments - I'll try and find their website and post a link.

I've never tried to book accomodation on arrival - this can be a problem with early flights as some resorts are still "waking up"!

Which ever option you chose I am sure that you will enjoy your visit - the birds are superb and Skala Kalloni is a nice peaceful centre to explore the island from.

The one problem we found last year was that there were few other children and even in June the weather was suprisingly unsettled for the Med.
 
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Another vote for Kalloni II; good family base with a good pool & essentially next to the beach. Rooms of a good standard & hotel food quite good. Really need to be in Skala Kalloni as it's near the top sites & fairly central in the island. The restaurants in Skala Kalloni are almost universally good (some like Marriana's very good). I would strongly suggest you get a vehicle for the duration of the holiday. I have been to Lesvos twice on family holidays (with 2 kids 6 & 8 then 8 & 10). Best plan is early rise birding from the car then return for late breakfast then day with the family followed by some late afternoon birding. Worth a "family picnic" up the Potamia valley & daytrips to Skala Sikkiminia, Ipsilou monastery, Molyvos area & to the Northwest of the island. I can assure you that good birding & a good family holiday can be jointly achieved (we went in high summer when the birding was harder & the weather at times too hot -so should be better in early-min May). Enjoy yourself.
 
Cheers Steve,
I'm certainly looking forward to it, especially as I also take photo's, and from what I've heard / seen it's a photographers paradise.
 
Paul we went to Lesvos in April 2003 We stayed in Scala Kalloni at the Phasephae hotel. Not sure of spelling but this is pronounced "pacify" and we travelled with First Choice Holidays. This is a family run hotel and is about 50 metres from the Kalloni 11 pool and about 100 metres from the beach. This is the second time that I have stayed there. Several tour companies travel to Lesvos but self catering accommodation is rather limited. You must book as soon as possible as the island swarms with bird watchers in the last week of April and first two weeks of May. This has to be the easiest birdwatching for someoen with a young family. A word of warning - several people on our flight were double booked at the Kalloni II hotel and with no other accommodation in Scala Kalloni they had to be found accommodation in other parts of the island. Good luck, hope you have a good time.
 
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Kaloni

Went to Lesbos in 2001.

We rented a self catering apartment through First Choice. As mentioned it takes a bit of time for things to wake up on the island but is very much worth it.

Never seen anywhere else were a Barn Owl get's stalked by a pack of 25 birders at 12 o'clock at night in a town square :bounce:
 
One of the best sources of information on travelling to Lesvos, accomodation, car hire etc. is Richard Brooks' own website at http://www.richard-brooks.co.uk/

I would recommend SK as the place to go but Vatera is also an interesting place with lots of birding. Car hire can be difficult and you would be well advised to arrange this in advance.

Lovely place - enjoy.
 
Just returned from Lesvos last night.

We stayed in Petra on the north of the island, as Kalloni was full up. It wasn't too bad having to drive some distance to the birding sites in that area, and we did visit some good sites not too far away from our accommodation.

One word of advice - the Kalloni pool is all but dried up. Rumour has it that the owner wants to develop the land. We saw nothing of any note there.

I would also advise you that the self catering accommodation can be very basic. We were only given a threadbare hand towel - no bath towel - and we hadn't taken any with us expecting the accommodation to provide these, as they do in Cyprus. No plugs in the sinks either, and the shower tray didn't have a curtain so we had to mop the bathroom floor after having a shower. It was supposed to be a 'superior' classification as well!

We didn't get much hot water either. I had to ask the owner to put the electric on as I was fed up of cold showers. I suppose, as we were a party of 12, we all put a strain on the water system wanting showers at the same time. He made the excuse that the sun hadn't shone enough for the water to heat that day. It was warm for a couple of days, and then went back to whoever managed to get in the shower first!

Apart from that, we had a great time. I haven't counted to total species yet, but we managed 31 lifers.

We bumped into Richard Brooks, who was a bit non-plussed that people should actually be at the sites mentioned in his book!
 
Lesvos

The barn owl is still there Andy. Just come back from Lesvos (will be posting my trip report soon) and there is still a group of birders watching each evening at dusk. It appears from the chimney of the pinkish building there in the square to go hunting and returns at about 20 min. intervals. Had good views there last week.

Sandra
 
Lesvos

I'll bet we met you on Lesvos Diane. We went on 5th May - returned 19th. Will be posting report shortly. We tended to see lots of birders over & over again. Stayed at the Aegeon, (Skalla Kalloni) travelled Excel airways through Manos. B&B basis. Rooms excellent and we certainly did have towels and a shower curtain that actually reached into the shower tray - after about 8 visits I think this is a first!

We were very disappointed at the state of the Kalloni pool. Holiday companies can stop using it as an attraction for staying at Kalloni II now as it hardly exists this year. A few years ago we had as many as 40 species in that area alone - now we just walk past knowing there's hardly anything there. The 5 dogs rampaging through it one night wouldn't help either, although what was more worrying was the fact they didn't flush any birds.

Sandra
 
Oops, just read your report before seeing your comments on this thread. As I said in reply on the other thread, we were definitely on the same flight out.

Huh! Towels and shower curtain, eh? Whatever next? ;) I really miss drying off after a shower with a postage stamp size towel. Must do it more often.
 
We're now booked at the Aegeon but in the Studios, we prefer Self-catering.
We fly out May 4th 2006 for 14 nights, it gives me plenty of time to work out where I'll be visiting, and which are 'family-friendly'.
It's a shame about the Kalloni Pool, isn't there any conservation groups that could 'manage' the pool ?
 
Is the pelican still about ?

One of my fondest memories of that trip, well non birding, is my girlfriend having a fight with said bird for her tuna sandwich !
 
Pelican

There is a pelican there Andy. It's a new one! The previous one went missing in April 2004 (??!!) and word has it that they've got this from a sanctuary - "to keep the tourists happy". It wasn't pinching sarnies when we saw it - quite happy on the jetty preening.

Sandra
 
TUFTY -Lesvos

See you on the plane Tufty! Just booked the Aegeon 4th May for 2 wks. flying from Manchester. Please wear a BF hat or badge or something. Going with First Choice as we're told Manos aren't using the Aegeon next year - unless someone out there knows differently! We are on a B&B basis - the
room we had was quite big. Will e-mail the hotel the week before we go and ask for room no. ...... because we like that one. We may be across from yours.

Hope you remember to remind me to watch out for you - set a reminder for end of April!

Sandra

;)
 
Stayed at the Aegeon last year at Whit - very well placed for the West River and Inland lake - I woke up early on our first morning (4:00ish) and we had Rose-coloured Starlings passing through the Poplar type trees in the hotel grounds, and Balkan Whip Snake on the road outside!
 
Hi Sandra,
It seems less and less tour operators are going to Lesvos now, Thomas Cook told us 'it's just not a popular destination any more'.
We're actually staying in the studios (Self-catering).
I'll wear my BF t-shirt for the flight, bought last year at the BirdFair.
I'll be the balding thirtysomething with a goatee, wife and two 'beautiful' screaming children !!!!

See you at Manchester.
 
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Hi Sandra,
Here's the reminder as requested !!
What flight are you on ?
We fly out on the 07:40hrs flight, but a couple of my mates are on a flight an hour earlier !!!
As I said last year I'll be wearing my BF T-shirt still with goatee beard and wife and two 'mad' children.
There are about 5 other lads from my local patch (Sandbach Flashes) also going on the 7:40 flight but they are are going without their wives !!!!
They are only stopping for the week but obviously it'll be 7 days of total birding whereas I'll have 14 days made up of :

1) Days on the beach with the family ... but with bins round my neck at all times !!! :cool:
2) Days out at other beaches away from Skalla, but near to good birding sites !!! ;)
3) Days out with the 'Flashes' lot just to give my wife a break from me !!! :t:

So if you see a balding, goatee-bearded thirty-something running round after a crazy 14 month old little girl at the airport wearing a BF T-shirt it's me, come and say hello !!
 
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