Bequia Travel Report - Pics on Travelprotales

Where and what is Bequia and why have so few people heard of it? The simple answer is that it is one of the Grenadine islands in the Caribbean just south of St Vincent, a little north of Grenada and about 35 minutes flight west of Barbados. It is quite small but remarkably full of all the pleasures and amenities people look for on holiday. Why have so few people heard of it? It is probably because it has a small airport and nowhere for cruise ships to dock. It is literally an unspoilt gem of a place.
We first found it about 3 years ago. The attractions of Barbados, Antigua, Tobago and St Lucia were beginning to fade as their popularity grew so we set out to find places that still reflect the charm of the Caribbean. Somewhere that did not have mass tourism but was still civilised, welcoming and reasonably easy to get to. Previously we discovered Anguilla that fits the bill perfectly but now we wanted to see if there were any more out there.
Our ‘must have’ list was not huge but important to us and included the following:
A secure place with nice welcoming people. We did not want to be robbed, abused or snarled at on holiday.
A scenically pretty island with plenty of beaches and picturesque countryside.In other words a place that is welcoming to the eye.
We like to eat out on holidays so we searched for a place that had a diversity of restaurants from local bars to fine dining.
Accommodation to be comfortable in. We did not want crowds so we looked for something more boutique in size with air conditioning, a nice pool and alongside a beach. Somewhere you could really chill out in comfort.
Our first visit to Bequia those few years ago met all these criteria except for accommodation. The island is full of reasonably priced villas to rent and small hotels with basic amenities but we wanted to spoil ourselves. We moved into a hotel that was clearly perfect for us but unfortunately we did not listen to the owners when they said it was still being developed. We lasted only three days but vowed to return when it was finished and this is what we have just done.
So here is the story of our trip to what we hoped would be paradise. I think most will agree when I say there is a lot to know when you visit somewhere for the first time so I will pack my story with lots of detail which you can choose to absorb or ignore!
Obviously getting there is the first part. We flew from Gatwick to Barbados on Virgin in their Upper Class cabin. We chose them because they leave slightly earlier (1030) than British Airways and we had booked a connection separately on SVG airlines. I am glad we did because it gave us the necessary time buffer in Barbados and also BA have been cancelling and delaying their services to Bridgetown recently.
The flight was rather nice. Having got over the strange feeling of sitting 45 degrees to the direction of travel we enjoyed the service. The staff were good, the seats comfortable to sit in, there were plenty of drinks and they had been discreet in the way they had upgraded people into the cabin.
Every airline I know overbooks their economy cabin to holiday destinations as there is simply not enough business folk or higher fare payers to fill the front cabins. There is no way they can alter cabin size or seat types on big jets so they overbook and leave it to the day of departure to sort out. Who gets upgraded can be a bit of a lottery and often staff are assigned the task to walk around the gate area and choose likely folk. If you want an upgrade I suggest you dress smartly and make smiling eye contact with any staff that seem to be looking for someone! Other times the staff are likely to upgrade their friends and other airline staff. In my experience this happens a lot with BA at Gatwick.
The flight left bang on schedule and arrived early. In Bridgetown you walk off the aircraft and, as you are about to enter the building, you will be met by a representative of SVG (St Vincent and Grenadine Air Alliance) who will be holding a placard with names on it and taken to their transfer desk. There they will process your transfer and guide you to the departure lounge.
You will need to have completed a Barbados landing card even if you are in transit. They will also get your bag for you and put it on their aircraft. It will help enormously if you make your bags easily identifiable. I tied a yellow ribbon on bag handles (SVG colours are yellow) and took a picture of them to give to the transfer guy. It worked like a dream and they were the first found. If you are getting hot and thirsty by this time then either bring some EC$ (East Caribbean Dollars) or US$ as the stalls there accept both.
The connection flight will go on time. It has to because the smaller island airports do not have landing lights and shut around 1730. They usually operate De Haveland Twin Otter aircraft which are sturdy and safe but rather noisy. As we taxied out we saw the delayed BA flight landing which meant all their connecting passengers would waste a night of their holiday in Barbados.
The flight was scenic and uneventful and 35 minutes later we were approaching Bequia airport. A word of warning here. Not only do these island airports have no lights but they can be subject to crosswinds and Bequia is no exception. You land right next to some hills and often the wind hits the hill and bounces back. Do not worry! This is normal and the pilots are entirely ready for it even if you might not be!
So there we were. A seamless hassle free pair of flights and safely in Bequia. So what was it like? Well it is not huge. In fact it is probably about 6/8 square miles in total and less than 5000 people live there. They all seem to know or be related to each other in some way which helps keep community spirit high and crime low.
Anyway, I am starting to digress! Immigration and customs at the tiny airport are probably more thorough than Gatwick or Bridgetown. They take their job very seriously and do it thoroughly. Make sure you have filled in your arrival form; smile and you should get through without too much hassle. After all, if you had a job where you hung around all day for a very few small flights you would want to do it thoroughly to prevent terminal boredom.
The transport was waiting. It consisted of a man who was grinning from ear to ear and a canvas covered pick-up truck. We piled into the back and weaved down the road to our hotel. A hire car had been delivered to the hotel for us. If you send them a print of your license in advance they will queue up and get your local permit for EC$50. Do it as otherwise standing in line yourself is a pain. Did we really need a car? No. If we took taxis every time we needed them it would be cheaper than paying for your own vehicle to sit in the hotel parking lot. It is convenient though!
The Bequia Beach Hotel was everything we hoped it would be. What had been a building site is now a small but immaculate hotel resort with free form pool, spa, and beach restaurant. Everything seems new and clean including the pool and beach chairs and I admit we were very impressed…and not a little relieved. The food was good and so was the limited entertainment they provide. Everything is low key, relaxed and high quality, in fact very Swedish. The GM is a beautiful (in every sense of the word!) Swedish lady called Carina Peterssen and she was always around to take care of her guests. You want something? Just phone reception and a cheerful lady will get it for you.
They have a range of rooms there. We stayed in a beachfront suite which was exactly that. The room faced the sea which was no more than 30 feet away. We chose the first floor so that it was both quiet and perfect for sundown balcony drinks. Other rooms are all comfortable and they also have three villas you can hire as well. All plugs there are British three pin and the current is 220 volts so no adapters needed for the Brits. Those that do need them can borrow some from reception. Bottled water is best and you get free bottles to start you off when you arrive.
We were too lazy to try the spa and immersed ourselves in our Kindles instead. There are plenty of sun shades around the pool and trees next to the beach to shelter under if you wish. The bar is close by and they occasionally check to see that you do not dehydrate! The local beer is Hairoun which tastes better every time you try one.
WE had an unforgettable time there and made lots of new friends. OK there is no room service but, if you need it, pick up the phone and it will come. There are no real water sports but hey, do you really want to jet- ski and they will lend you flippers? There is no TV in most of the rooms but to me that was an asset! The best description of the place would be that you are a 5 star house guest of some very nice friends
The best part was the people. Apart from the lovely Carina there were the guys and girls in the bar and restaurants. So thanks Ozan, Colin Garvey ,Bridget, Daria and all of you for an unforgettable stay. By the end I even had the barmen buying me drinks. You don’t get better than that!
We ate in the hotel a lot, not just because we were staying in the hotel but because the food and service were so very good. They seem to have imported some very good chefs which combined with a very promising local lady turn out exceptional meals. We probably had 12 breakfasts, 8 lunches and 6 dinners here and not one was poor.
The lunch menu stays near the same with at least a couple of daily specials like pasta and fajitas. Otherwise they have burgers that make you drool and all sorts of club, bookmaker and fish ‘sandwiches’. Do not be fooled, they are not sandwiches in the traditional sense but tasty variations on a theme.
Evening meals were different each night and you can eat all kinds of fish, meat and salads. They were all good. And the desserts?! Wow, they were great. They have both a lobster and a barbeque night. Lobster was on Saturday and cost EC$116 (UK£26.50 each) for two courses. They are fresh because we saw the fishermen delivering them when we sat by the pool! The barbecue night was not that expensive and you have a choice of beautifully marinated steak, fish and chicken. Average lunch courses cost EC$55 (UK£12.59). Continental Breakfast EC$30 (UK£6.87) and cooked breakfast would increase this to about EC$50 (UK£11.45).
We also tried quite a few local restaurants which were very good considering the size of the island. Most were concentrated around the ‘capital’ Port Elizabeth. The ‘city’ has two main roads imaginatively called front street and back street with a few intersecting streets. The main supermarket for the island is called Knights and you can get most things there. Knight’s is on the corner of Back Street and the main intersecting lane. Further up is the Pharmacy, Hospital, Police Station and Doctor. We had to see the Doctor with ear infections and he prescribed antibiotics that would stop a charging Rhino in its tracks. It fixed us but boy the toilet visits were ‘interesting.
Many of the bars and restaurants are on the Belmont Walkway. This is a five foot wide strip of a path that creeps between the harbour itself and the mainland. It fell apart in a storm but has now been rebuilt and is better than ever. Here are some that we ate at:
Tommy’s Cantina – A nice reasonably priced place to eat
You can find Tommy’s right at the entrance to the Belmont Walkway. It is nothing pretentious and can get quite busy. We sat next to the rail overlooking the sea in wooden seats (no cushions) and watched the world go by. Do not expect gourmet food here but if you want something basic but tasty and not as pricey as some it is worth a try. The service was friendly and helpful and they will give you food to go. We had 4 beers, Goats Cheese Salad and Grilled Chicken for EC$98 or UK£22.44
Macs Pizza - Didn't want to go but glad I did
This is nuts. I don’t go to pizza restaurants, hell I don’t even like cheese! Nevertheless we went, mainly because of its good reviews and I am very glad we did. These pizzas are VERY well cooked and come in three sizes (9”,13” and 15”) and they will even do a delicious creation without cheese if you ask. There were a huge choice of fillings as well as wraps and sandwiches and, if you cannot finish (you won’t) then take it away in a box.
The place is nearly at the end of the Belmont walkway and is charming to look at and sit in. You can stop on the road high up behind it and go down some special steps to collect a takeaway. If eating there I recommend you sit at the upper level of the restaurant as it catches more of any breeze. It is also a good place to meet local people and we enjoyed a pleasant evening next to our hotel security guard and his wife and child. Cost for 3 rum punches and a 9” and 13” pizza was EC$160 or UK£36.64
Papas Bar – Best bar on the island
This place is sometimes billed as a ‘sports’ bar which I am sure will put as many people off as it attracts but it is much more than that. Yes they do show all sorts of sport from cricket to rugby to NFL to Baseball but mainly on request and only in one area. The rest of the place has panoramic views, good service and decent well priced food. It is perched overlooking the harbour on the left hand side of the road passing the ferry docking pier. You can sit and eat indoors or al fresco on its large balcony. We sat outside watching a children’s dinghy race, drinking rum punches and enjoying some burgers and salad. When we left they charged us $110 which I thought was pretty steep but, as I left, the waitress chased after me saying that I had paid far too many US$ as the price was in EC$. Nice and honest and well appreciated. A great place.
Jacks Place – Very pretty and relaxing
If you want an interesting picture postcard type of place you will not be disappointed. It is very well laid out and overlooks one of the best beaches on the island. They will let you use their beach sun loungers if you eat there which is a nice touch and it is owned by the group who operate Papas and Devils Table.
We had Barracuda and chips as well as pork loin. To be frank the pork loin was rather bland and dry but the fish was very tasty. For some reason many places in the island tend to overcook their meat. So the food was adequate, it was scenically stunning and the people were nice. You need to take a narrow steep track down the hill to it and parking is a little limited. Probably a taxi might be best.

Devils Table - A difficult one to critique
This is a hard one because I met one of the management while having a drink in Papas Bar (they run it too). He was telling me how unfair some of the criticism was about the Devils Table and how he suspected some of it was malicious and possibly local. I told him we would eat there and give an honest personal view and here it is.
This place is visually sumptuous and fun to the eye. It looks like something out of Pirates of the Caribbean which we enjoyed. The setting is perfect too as it seems built into the side of the rocks and has all sorts of nooks and crannies. It is a place to sit back and relax and, unless you take yourself very seriously, a place to chill and enjoy. So that is the best part.
The less special part was the food and I urge them to look harder at this aspect of their service. My wife had baby ribs and I had rib-eye steak. Both were not really up to standard compared with the rest of the island. My steak was dry and poor quality and the ribs were inedible. Sorry Mr Owner sir but they were. They were cooked to dryness and smothered in a dry burnt pepper crust which was not nice. As a contrast the chips and Christophine gratin was spot on. Yet there was a kind of macaroni pie that was truly horrid in a dehydrated sort of way.
The price for our evening which included the two mains and 5 rum punches (we became very thirsty) was EC$233 (UK£ 53.36) so it was not exactly cheap. So my verdict was that the place was great and has fabulous potential and I wish I was there sipping yet another rum punch. I would however recommend that you should monitor your meals more closely before they go out. I would also suggest you allow more space between tables.
Finally, how about putting a sign by the road showing where you are. I bet many like me did not realise you are up that side road between Coco’s and the beach and you have parking available.
p.s. your expat locals do seem to scorn island visitors but I expect there is not much you can do about that!
Whaleboner – Thar she blows!
Now this is an interesting place and something I have never seen before. It is about half way along the Belmont Walkway and entered through what looks like an arch made up from whale ribs. The bar itself has another ‘rib’ built into it and the bar stools are made from what appears are whale vertebrae. The rum punches are wicked and the place becomes hard to leave if you settle there! The drinks are very nice, bar staff charming and it is positioned next to a dinghy park which is wonderful for late evening ‘entertainment’ as yachties return to their crafts. It is both open air and sheltered and has a boutique and restaurant attached We did not eat as the menu was frankly pretty average.
A great place to chill and relax. Good luck getting home!
L’Auberge Des Grenadines – Not much changes
The last time we went to this restaurant was about 3/4 years ago and I was looking forward to see how it had developed since then. The answer was not at all. The menu was the same as was the décor. Even the owner appeared the same as he sat in his corner bar stool looking cool, French, and not very visitor friendly. There was a jazz trio with a good guitarist a most adequate lady saxophonist and a distinctly strange keyboard vocalist that looked just like Zoot in the Muppet Show. They actually were rather good except for some laden remarks from ‘Zoot’ if we did not applaud loud enough! It was not crowded so we had to do a lot of clapping to keep him happy.
The starters were excellent and we had the same as our first visit which was Calalou soup and Onion soup and they were first class. We began to relax so ordered wine and water and two lobster mains fresh from the tank. My wife had to hide her eyes as a struggling lobster was plucked from its pool. Sadly it might have died in vain as. Like a lot of things on the island it was a bit dry but I enjoyed mine at least.
By this time the owner’ regular drinkers turned up to join him at the bar. I am sure I recognised some from last time! We certainly started to feel like outsiders at a private party as the bar got louder and louder with much posturing and teasing going on. In fact we paid our bill and slunk off without a farewell from good old Jacques but EC$410 lighter (£93.89). For that price a mere acknowledgement of existence would have been appreciated!
All in all it was great to have so many different places to eat and we barely scratched the surface. There is a place called Fernando we never got to. This is like the front porch of a house where this guy Fernando goes fishing in the morning and cooks it for ‘house guests’ in the evenings. Absolutely brilliant apparently but we never made it. Coco’s is another fun relaxing place that we missed. Many are hard to find so just ask anyone and they will tell you. You will love it I promise.
I hope we have identified that you will not starve on this island. But what about activities? What is there to do and see? Perhaps unsurprisingly there is not a vast amount apart from greenery and beautiful beaches. By the way the best beaches are Lower Bay, Princess Margaret’s Bay, Friendship Bay (where our hotel was) and Industry Bay.
If you want something different visit The Old Heg Turtle Sanctuary. This is a place at the furthest tip of the island run by a guy called Brother King. He both rescues and breeds turtles to a point where they are ready to release back into the sea. This guy must talk about it thousands of times but you can still feel the passion and dedication in him. The island used to be a local centre for the whaling industry and that is what most of the fishermen used to do. He is trying to convert them in to more eco-friendly activities. Entry is free but please make a small donation.

As with all good things our holiday came to an end. We travelled in late November early December and stayed at the Bequia Beach Hotel. The weather was brilliant with only two rain showers which was quite a change from the alarmist forecast that said rain every day.
The flights back were tedious but relatively uneventful. You need to totally clear customs and immigration in Barbados so fill in all those forms! If you want to use a lounge in Bridgetown there is still only one and it is not very nice. All the BA, Virgin, American, Air Canada folk all pile in it. Flying overnight on Virgin was a bit disappointing. Their very new flat beds are not as comfortable as the old ones and their flat pillow means your head is lower than your feet! Turbulence was bad (a seasonal thing) but service was better than BA.
You may have already guessed that we love Bequia. And we will go back. It is how you expect the Caribbean used to be before the crowds moved in. The people are nice and you feel safe there. The scenery is stunning and the sea beguiling.
If you want to know more then send me an email!

Cephalonia, an Island to Savour

Cephalonia, an Island to Savour – Part Two Our Thomson flight to Argostoli in Cephalonia was pretty uneventful. It took little over three hours which was just about as long as I would be willing to put up with such little leg room. I had made a wrong assumption when booking our specific seats which was that as I had paid to book them I would receive them. This was wrong. If you pay to book specific seats then all you are getting guaranteed is seats next to each other. If you want the exit row then you have to pay more for these extra room seats! If you do as I did which was book the seats that I knew (in that particular aircraft type) were the emergency exit then they reserve the right to move you out of them nearer the flight time – unless you pay more. Coming back I ended up paying twice to get the seats I had originally booked! We enjoyed our full size bottle of champagne and a fine selection of chocolates that I had pre-ordered on Thomson. The champagne brand would not make Moet et Chandon quake in their shoes but very adequate despite my hangover. We also bought snacks on the plane although the prices were through the roof. We initially laughed when an elderly couple next to us got out their picnic of potted meat sandwiches, pork pie and a thermos of tea but the last laugh was on me...and my wallet when I paid silly money for a bacon baguette. So we arrived, on time, at Argostoli and not too much the worse for wear. It was hot and sunny and we entered the building in high spirits. It is not the largest of airports but the air conditioning worked well and there were a few places to sit whilst waiting for one’s bags. It was then that I started wondering about the night before bag check in service and whether they had remembered to load our cases the next day. We waited and waited. Finally the first of our bags spewed onto the carousel. I immediately spotted it was mine not Judith’s which was not good news. Greek baggage handlers must be the slowest in the World and I warn you that you will need to be patient. Time ticked by and no bags were forthcoming. Finally, right at the very end, the last bag popped out and thankfully it was ours. Praise be! Nothing worse than being cloth less in a foreign country, especially as it would have been “all my fault”. The rest of the formalities on arrival at this airport are minimal and we were soon out the other end without ever knowing if we had been through customs. We decided to pick up a car at the airport and we used a company called CBR which has their office less than 5 minutes stroll from the terminal entrance. I simply wheeled our bags up there and the car was waiting. You can get all types of hire car but I recommend you pick one with a slightly bigger engine due to the steep and winding terrain you may end up driving through. The island is split up into two tourist parts. The southern coastal strip, which is more open, sandy and populated, and the north which is mountainous, very much quieter and more scenic. The main southern resorts are Scala, Lourdas and Lassi while in the north you have villages and ports like Fiscardo, Assos and Agia Efimia. In the not too distant past there was a significant earthquake on the island which affected the landscape in the south whilst leaving the north almost untouched. It is a very relaxing place and the overwhelming number of local people are kind and helpful. If you do pick up a car at the airport you must make sure you have good directions to your destination as the road signs are pretty useless. The airport itself is well signposted but if you are going to say Fiscardo like we were than forget it without a concise guide. You have to skirt around the main town of Argostoni and that is much easier said than done. Also be aware that if you are on a roundabout you have to give way to any car joining it! The drive from the airport to the villa we were staying at not far from Fiscardo takes about an hour. Once beyond the main town you literally follow the coast northwards on a good quality very winding road built into the cliff face. Overtaking is neither recommended or that possible and coming face to face with a lorry full of locals speeding the other way is always good fun for thrill seekers! If you have a manual geared car you will have well exercised wrists by the time you get where you are going. Finally watch out for goats as they think they own the road and can stroll in front of you at any time. I was moaning further back about the early flight but its advantage is that flying at 6.30 a.m. means you get out of your car at the villa around 2 p.m. local time which is perfect for gaining access after the maids have cleared up from previous guests. Also, when going home, you can leave the villa around 10 a.m. and have loads of time to get to the airport. Still a blooming awful peak time to fly out from Gatwick, especially if you are checking in bags on the day. So we arrived at our villa and it was beautiful in every way. Breath-taking views over forests and cliffs, clean sparkling pool with plenty of sun loungers, everything you could want…if you could get in that is. The key was in the door but the door would not open. We were literally stuck outside peering through the windows at what seemed a perfectly renovated cottage. It was called ‘Vigli Retreat’ and unsurprisingly located in the village of Vigli which is perched above the Ionian Sea. The villas are high enough to catch any breeze but close enough for the short trip to various beaches nearby. We rented it via a company called Unique Villas and were very pleased with our choice of company and location. It would have been even better if we could have got through the front door but eventually I was able to open the rear entrance. Apart from being well equipped and in a very pretty scenic spot the villa and its location had other virtues. There is a good grocery shop in nearby Maganos and less than ten minutes from there is the beautiful fishing village of Fiscardo which has at least three bigger food stores. On the way to Fiscardo there are at least two excellent restaurants and our favourite was The Stone House who do great spit roasts twice a week on Fridays and Sundays. I will tell you more about Fiscardo later. Probably like most people the first thing we did was thoroughly inspect the villa and what it contained. Unique Villas provide a small supply of essentials but frankly not enough to see you through a continental breakfast. A complementary bottle of wine was a nice touch but no substitute for bread and butter. I was disappointed that there were a shortage/lack of essentials like kitchen roll, toilet paper, oil and the sort of things that others, like us, leave behind them but Unique Holidays say they are restricted in what they leave by food and hygiene rules. I am not convinced! The rest of the villa appeared in excellent working order. The air conditioning was extremely effective in both the open plan lounge/kitchen and bedrooms. There was plenty of hot water to go round and the windows opened up to a very pretty well tended exterior. Like many Mediterranean bedrooms the beds consisted of normal mattresses laid directly on top of boards and took a bit of getting used to. Never mind we thought, we could recover during the day on those brand new sun loungers we saw on the way in. The next day proved a little more taxing. After a night on the hard beds we headed for the sun loungers only to find that they were made of hard plastic and had no mattresses. In fact the only covers of any sort were four small wafer thin seat covers for alfresco dining. It seems strange that someone who has clearly spent so much money on furnishing a villa should skimp on such comfort essentials. We can soon sort this out, I thought. I decided to wait until the following day (Monday) to call the area rep as I did not want to disturb his weekend. It was then that we discovered Panos. Or ‘Panos the Terrible’ as I nicknamed him afterwards! The villa has no phone, no Wi-Fi and practically no mobile phone signal so I took the opportunity of ringing on my mobile whilst shopping in Fiscardo where the signal is strong. Also you can pick up free Wi-Fi there. I got through to a very grumpy Panos on the third attempt. It sounded as though he was driving his motorbike at the time judging by the noise and the regular cutting off which he clearly seemed to blame me for. I tried to tell him about the door and mattresses until he grunted and seemed to hang up. Welcome to Cephalonia I thought. When I got back to the villa I noticed a motorbike that looked half abandoned in the driveway and there was Panos stomping around the corner in all his glory and he did not look happy. He did not seem to grasp the fact that I was not there waiting for him and his mood seemed to deteriorate as I tried to explain about the door and sun beds and the lack of phone signal. The door issue was quickly solved. You see what I had missed was that because such doors have airtight seals you have to yank them towards you before pushing them forward. This he demonstrated with such gusto that strips of the sealant fell off it. Silly me! The mattress problem was a bit harder (excuse the pun). We were told in a voice usually reserved for children’s television announcers that the covers for the chairs were also for the sun beds. He then placed the tiny thin cover on one of the beds just to be sure our tiny brains had absorbed this obvious solution. It was like covering an elephant with a teacloth but by this time I just wanted him out of there. Finally, and with a theatrical shrug of his shoulders he disappeared under the swimming pool and emerged with one of the old sun beds. This was canvas and a little better, but not much. Anyway, he then headed for the gate and I asked if he had a second one. “You want another” he asked incredulously? “No” I said wearily, that will do. The rest of the holiday we part solved the problem by taking all the blankets out of the villa and putting them under our towels. Goodbye Panos! Would we go back to this villa? Yes, like a shot. It was beautiful, well equipped, remote but easily accessible. We would insist on the addition of sun bed mattresses and definitely a ban on Panos calling but otherwise it is a brilliant. Late June is a good time to go as well. We had two weeks of warm sunshine and moonlight nights and the pool had time to get nice and warm. We only had one more panic which was when ‘Bongo Bob’ (another nickname) arrived at the villa next door. This villa is usually unobtrusive and silent as it is not rented to foreigners but, for a few days ‘Bob’ arrived with what was possibly the only drum kit in northern Cephalonia. There we were, drink wine in the pool, basking in those ‘post Panos’ days when the drum roll started followed by cymbals and a backing track. What the hell was that we thought? Fortunately the others in his appreciated his drums as much as we did so we heard them only a few times after if they went out and left him behind. Anyway, back to the Island itself. It really is a special place with fantastic views and very nice people. Some have worried about going because of possible economic unrest but the Greek Islands might as well be a million miles from Athens where there might be any trouble. They are totally dependent on tourism and do not want to spoil the businesses they have created. There is a bit more poverty and food does cost a bit more than previous years but not much. You can still change money easily and there is more in the shops (apart from Sun bed mattresses) than in the past. As I said earlier the island really split into two markets. The south is for bigger beach resorts with plenty going on and the north is all mountains, coves and fishing villages. If you like nightspots the north is probably not for you but if you want coves, sleepy villages, good food and pretty tavernas it is spot on. Some of the places like Myrtos Beach and Assos village are almost breath-taking in their beauty. Fiscardo is a wonderful place which still has its own small fishing fleet which you can lazily watch as you enjoy a drink and meal on the quayside. It is a wonderful place for people watching too which seems to be the local pastime. I recommend that if you want to watch the world go by then sit at Theodora’s Café/Bar either by the water or on her balcony. You will get great people and a perfect view of all the yachts, boats and people as they pass by. The food here is good but there are loads of other places all around and at the end of this blog I have added a critique of those I went to. You owe it to yourself to go to Cephalonia at least once in your life. It is a wonderful place with kind and warm hearted people. We will certainly be going again. RESTAURANT GUIDE CAPTAINS CABIN “Call that a Salad!” Reviewed 12 July 2012 We wanted to enjoy this place as it has one of the best plots on the harbour-side. The tables are almost on top of the moored yachts which can be fun, especially when their meal looks better than yours. The reason for our dissatisfaction was the excuse for a Greek salad they gave us. This consisted of a bunch of lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and ham cubes DRENCHED in thousand island sauce. I also had garlic prawns and one of them had a head but no body. My Pork was just about OK but nothing to write home about. IRIDAS “A Disappointment” Reviewed 12 July 2012 We really wanted to enjoy this place. In fact we saved it until our last night. But it was not very good.We waited ages to be served, in fact two other couples got up and walked out.First course was garlic bread which consisted of under toasted French bread with raw garlic and olive oil splashed on it,The main course was a reasonable steak but with nothing apart from half a tiny baked potato with it. Anything else costs extra including bread.The bill was prohibitive compared with it's competitors. Sorry, but no. NEFELI in ASSOS “Mezze is vast!” Reviewed 12 July 2012 This must be the definition of a picture perfect location and a palate perfect meal.We had great seats close to the water and enjoyed the best and biggest mezze starter we have ever encountered. In fact we were so full afterwards we struggled to eat the main course.You owe it to yourself to go there but have the mezze first before you order anything else! OLD STONE HOUSE “Best value and best food” Reviewed 12 July 2012 This place is about 2 miles out of Fiscardo on the 'main road' if you can all it that! Because of it's loacation it is nearly half the price of what you pay harbourside and, because locals go there, they have to maintain high standards all the time. It is a friendly place opposite a little playground where local and visiting children play nicely and quietly. It is relaxed, easy on the eye and a venue where you can truly relax. Now to the food. We ended up going a few times and we never had one slightly disapointing meal. Look at their daily specials because they really are just that. They do spit roasts on Friday and Sunday which are delicious. Try the Pitta bread aptitizer as the seasoning is out of this world. On top of this their local house wine served in carafes is damn good. Their puddings? YUMMY......They also will provide anything on the menu as a Takeaway including anything (like Pizzas) that you cannot finish. THEADORAS “The place to go” Reviewed 12 July 2012 I am going to struggle to not make this report sound like an owners adverorial because it was so great and played a large part in the enjoyment of our holiday.We found it perfect for loads of reasons which include:If you want a light snack e.g. omlettes, crepes etc they are the best in town.If you want to sit and drink great beers/wine/cocktales and gaze at the harbour it is perfect.If you want to see everything that goes on in the port relax on their balcony and enjoy.If you want to meet the nicest familly and staff just go there and their kindness will embrace you.A true and wonderful find and we popped in most nights to sit, relax and enjoy. If you go, say Mike and Judith from England say Hi! ALEXIS “Nice setting and OK food” Reviewed 12 July 2012 This is one of the many pavement/quayside restaurants in Fiscardo. This one is alongside another in the open square that leads to the harbour and has the better view. The food is acceptable rather than memorable and the menu consists of all the usual Greek favourites. I had Souvlaki which was served with fries and a salad and my wife tried the Moussaka which she said was excellent. We had a bottle of Kefalonian white wine called 'Aspro' which was very acceptable. Like many others it is a great place to watch the World go by and the staff were friendly and attentive. NICOLAS TAVERNA “Repetitive eccentricity!” Reviewed 13 July 2012 This place is a strange one. The setting is stunning, the outdoor dining was sheltered but spacious. The view of the harbour from your table is second to none especially at dusk. Then you have the ever present fast talking (when not singing) owner Nicolas who is eccentric. We knew he was eccentric because the first few pages of his menu are old newspaper cuttings saying he is. What could go wrong? The food went wrong. We had just about decided what we were having when Nicolas swept up to our table. We gave our order and he groaned. I can do this for you sir and madame BUT for just 14 euros (he conspiratorially wrote the number on our table cloth) I can offer my special bream with crispy stir fried vegetables and a special sauce. OK, my wife said but I resisted his charms and chose his mixed grilled meats. Having half achieved his goal he cracked a couple of spontaneous jokes about the nearby yachtsmen and went on his merry singing way. Very eccentric we thought. To start we had some Tzaziki and I admit it was home made and delicious. We looked forward even more for the main. The restaurant got busier and Nicolas plunged into 'eccentric overdrive'. All we could hear was his singing, his pen scribbling 14 euros on nearby tablecloths, conspiratorial suggestions and two 'spontaneous' yachtsman jokes Sadly he turned out not to be one of life's eccentrics but more of a premeditated salesmen. Never mind, we thought the Bream would be special. The Bream arrived and it was not special. It was small, dry and tasteless. The stir fry was a few vegetables floating in olive oil and covered with a sprinkling of tinned peas. My mixed meats was clearly heated up previously cooked stuff with most of it dry and leathery. We decided to quietly pay and go so I asked for the bill. Meanwhile a waiter walked up to the table, looked at my wife's fish, and said in an accusing way You Don't Like it?! He thrust the bill at me and the cost was 75 euros, nearly twice what we paid for similar meals and drink elsewhere. Once he had made his initial pitch Nicolas himself ignored us. We walked past him on the way out and he said nothing as he was too busy being eccentric and selling his overstocked sea bream to another round-eyed couple. You may wonder why I have reported this? Well it is because Nicolas is so confident you are going to love him and his food that he attaches a card to his bills inviting you to report your experience Online. How could I refuse! I wonder if he is related to Panos at all?!

Low Cost Airlines - Honeymoon Over?

The other day I spoke to a friend who had always been a massive supporter of European low cost/no frills airlines. He looked pretty annoyed and moaned about the fact that many of the deals that used to be around no longer exist. He also could not understand why he now has to do a lot of the work for them such as online check-in etc yet pay for almost every extra you can think of. Why, he said should I do all the work yet more often than not have to pay an administration fee.

It seems to me that more people than just my friend are falling out of love with these airlines. One person put it quite emotionally by saying he felt ‘betrayed by these so called ‘people's champions’. Having been in the business for many years I was surprised that folk could believe that these airlines were working in anything else but self interest but I guess if one looks at some of their past marketing and newspaper publicity one might understand.

I have my own views on this sector of the market and, as he asked my opinion I gave it. This is what I said:

OK, this is how I think the low cost airline model works:
They start a route on the stack them high and sell them cheap basis. They cut their costs to the bone and undercut the prices of any competition from the big boys. This works for a year or two until they have got hold of as many passengers they can on that route. Then their problems start.

You see, like all business they need to generate increased year on year profits but where is that increase going to come from? After all, their costs have already been stripped to the basics. They struggle to increase passenger numbers because they have already cornered their share of the market. Also this share is being attacked by the major carriers who have adjusted their prices to compete on the same ‘net plus extras’ model.

So the only way to please their investors is to enter new markets (they are already established in the best ones) and get more money from existing passengers. How do you get more money from them? Well you check your stats, booking patterns, peak flights and increase fares on those services that are popular (good timings etc) up to the highest level they think they can get away with. Then they look elsewhere amongst ancillary costs such as credit card fees, airport service 'frills' and start charging for them. When the authorities catch up with those they feel unacceptable they move these charges to a grey area described as 'admin fees'. On top of this they try to sell their customers non airline services like car hire and hotels and then go to these suppliers and negotiate special commissions for giving them business.

So the issue is that they have to keep growing in order to keep their share price up. Great in the old days but hard now they are established. The only good thing about this is that, as a result prices are finally becoming much more transparent so you can choose what you are going to get i.e. you can pick poor timings on less popular routes and still pay a low fare. As mentioned earlier these companies sell through big time marketing campaigns which mean they will still offer the occasional mega headline grabbing deals here and there.
The thing to remember is these airlines work on the basis that they do not want you to pay less than the maximum you are prepared to spend and they are finding out what that sum is in all sorts of clever ways. One could argue they are more pirates than charities!

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