Information on Halki

[tillyboo]

Hi.
Myself and hubby are thinking of coming to Halki on Wednesday, on a last minute booking with Olympic to the Kalliopi apts. I have travelled quite a lot to Greece and islands over the years, but stopped about 15 years ago, when everything became so "touristy & loud" in some parts.
I have some questions about Halki, if anybody could be so kind as to advise etc
We would be on the Olympic flight from Gatwick on the 5th July:
Does anyone know how long it takes for the connection from Rhodes airport to Halki, the flights due in at 3pm & would like to know what time approx the ferry would be ( I cant find any info from Olympic as to waiting times, connections etc)
We are only coming for one week and I have no idea now of costs in Greece, as I havent been for so many years, so for 2 people eating out as local as possible ( I love greek food) twice per day, maybe a couple of trips, beers and wine. We dont want to skimp on spending, but will be bringing cash, as I'm not sure if theres a cash machine & I hate using them overseas anyway.
Silly question time, is it best to bring all toiletries, sun creams etc as I have read some saying dont bring and another saying do bring.
I'm aware this is a really lovely island & it seems unspoilt, so any info anyone can give me will much appreciated!!

My hubbys first trip to Greece so I want to make it special!!

Thanks for taking the time to read and giving any advice!!

[soupdragon]

Hi Tillyboo

When we had our first visit to Halki the ferry seemed to be waiting for us. Literally as soon as everyone was aboard we departed. We were on a Manchester flight that landed around the same time as yours. The time of departure from Kamiros Skala seems to be a bit variable but you should be on the Island for about 6.30-6.45 ish.
Halki certainly can't be described as touristy but now and again there may be a visiting charter yacht with Russian tourist and they can sometimes be a bit noisy. That fact would never stop us wanting to return though.

Cheers. Tom and Rose

[soupdragon]

Costs do vary but depending on how much of the tasty local wine you have an average evening meal for two would cost in the region of €35-40. A lunchtime snack of say salad and a couple of beers I'd put at approx €10-15 ish.
Toiletries I'd say is entirely up to yourselves. We always bring our own but that's just because it's what we've always done, you shouldn't have a problem getting them in the shops there.

Cheers. Tom and Rose

[tillyboo]

Hi.
Many thanks for your replies.
TB

[jamesthebutler]

Jul 2, 2017 13:11:37 GMT tillyboo said:

Hi.
Myself and hubby are thinking of coming to Halki on Wednesday, on a last minute booking with Olympic to the Kalliopi apts. I have travelled quite a lot to Greece and islands over the years, but stopped about 15 years ago, when everything became so "touristy & loud" in some parts.
I have some questions about Halki, if anybody could be so kind as to advise etc
We would be on the Olympic flight from Gatwick on the 5th July:
Does anyone know how long it takes for the connection from Rhodes airport to Halki, the flights due in at 3pm & would like to know what time approx the ferry would be ( I cant find any info from Olympic as to waiting times, connections etc)
We are only coming for one week and I have no idea now of costs in Greece, as I havent been for so many years, so for 2 people eating out as local as possible ( I love greek food) twice per day, maybe a couple of trips, beers and wine. We dont want to skimp on spending, but will be bringing cash, as I'm not sure if theres a cash machine & I hate using them overseas anyway.
Silly question time, is it best to bring all toiletries, sun creams etc as I have read some saying dont bring and another saying do bring.
I'm aware this is a really lovely island & it seems unspoilt, so any info anyone can give me will much appreciated!!

My hubbys first trip to Greece so I want to make it special!!

Thanks for taking the time to read and giving any advice!!

I have not travelled with Olympic but others who see this can advise on precise routines, the Nissos Halki is the boat you will be on leaving from the small port of Kamiros Scala, about 45 mins away from the airport and what Soupdragon has said about when you all Olympic clients arrive the ferry will go (unless you are horribly late or the sea state demands an overnight stay in Rhodes).

There is a cash machine on the Island at the Post Office at the harbour, I have never used it, always taken cash, it is something mechanical, it can have glitches, credit cards are now more widely accepted but your card provider may charge a foreign currency levy, some for example, the Halifax Clarity Card, don't.

How much to take is the Million Pound or Euro question and a minefield to answer. I can tell you that we can have a hugely enjoyable day for next to nothing if we DIY lunch on the balcony with a couple of cheese pies from Dimitri the Baker and make up a Greek Salad and a glass of retsina, we always do mezes in the evening, not individual meals and have a bottle or two of retsina plus a bottle of water, that could be around 25 - 30 Euros, but I emphasise that is us, everyone will be different. If you wanted to have 'big lunch' as we do sometimes and an evening meal then PERSONALLY I think 50 Euros a day would do us. Trips, you've only got a week, so the Nikos Express trip to Aliminia Monday or their Round the Island Cruise now running on Saturday won't cost you more than 20 Euros each, but they are subject to a minimum number of passengers - if you are on Facebook there are Halki related sites plus those for the local ferries and the Fedon fast ferry.

I would have thought bringing your own toiletries makes sense to me, we do, but you will be able to buy most of your needs in the 'supermarkets'. Bear in mind that whist there are two Doctors on Halki, there is no pharmacy, you can get asprin etc but anything on prescription would have to be got in from Rhodes, we have only needed this service once in 25 visits and it was same day. The mini bus to the beaches is a few Euros return but, depending of your fitness all can be walked to, Kania being about a 45 minutes hike.

My strongest piece of advice is to leave your worries behind when you come to Halki, let the island and everyone there cast a special spell over you. If your hubby has never been to Greece before, then do make sure he knows what to do with the loo paper.

Having said all that, the big test will be to hear you post visit report (and how I hate that at work when people say to me 'When you come back from holiday')....... but my sincere hope will be that you'll be back.

[tillyboo]

Ha ha Ha!! thats made me chuckle!! Christ I remember the loo roll now!!

We love walking, so thats all good.

I love retsina or never ending jugs of wine, as I used to call them, my hubby doesnt drink any wine ( had a bad experience with a very cheeky red in lanzarote and had a 48 hr hangover!) Hes a dark beer bitter drinker, but knows he'll have to suffer lagers, not such a big hardship!!

It sounds idyllic and we are now looking forward to it, we love being at sea as well, so the ferry trips sound great as well

Many thanks for your info, much appreciated.
I'll update upon our return!!

[tillyboo]

Sorry, I meant to ask.
We are bringing cash, can sterling be changed on Halki or would we have to change up in the UK?
I always prefer to change overseas, but not sure whether Halki as any banks etc to change??
TIA

[jamesthebutler]

Sorry, can't answer your cash question we bring Euros I buy over the course of the year whenever I think I can get the best rate ha ha.

I am pretty sure that Zifos Travel would be a starting point for money changing again, someone who knows better than me hopefully will be able to help.

Btw the rather good value 1.5 litre bottle of Retsina from the supermarkets is around 5.50 to 6 Euros a bottle,average is 5 Euros for the 500 ml bottle in the tavernas, beer in bottles or on draught.

Enjoy.

[Deleted]

Quote:- Hes a dark beer bitter drinker, but knows he'll have to suffer lagers, not such a big hardship!!

He just might find a can of Guinness in Lefteri's supermarket. Can't promise but I have seen it and bought it there.

[tillyboo]

Ok thanks for info!!

[ketut]

You should try a meal in Minori, and ask Mike about the bottles of dark beer he has in stock.  Can't vouch for it myself, but a couple in the next apartment to us drank beer as opposed to lager and seemed happy with what he supplied.

[soupdragon]

You may be able to find a bottle or two of fix dark. I'm sure I saw it listed on one of the menus somewhere, or did I dream it? If you can find it, it should keep his taste buds happy till he gets home

Cheers. Tom and Rose

Ah, must read previous posts before posting myself

[muriman]

Hi Tillyboo, others have answered most of your questions but for what it's worth here are a few further random comments. Re food costs - I reckon for evening meals in the tavernas if you assume costs similar to a pub meal in the UK you won't go far wrong, in fact that should be an over-estimate of Halki costs; from memory I think the evening meal at most tavernas during June this year usually cost us about 30-35 euros for two people including either retsina or carafe wine or beer - sometimes less if we had smallish meals and/or split a starter and main course between us. As you probably know from your previous times in Greece (even if long ago!) it's common practice to split courses between two people - for example we found that a plate of Halki shrimps was an ample starter course for two. Costs also depend a lot on what you drink. Retsina, beer (usually Mythos or Amstel, I've not tried to get the dark beers others have mentioned) or carafe wine are I think what most people opt for. Pre-dinner drinks for two at Costa's (towards the right hand side of the harbour-front looking from the sea) were typically 8-9 euros - but the quantity of gin in the G&T there always seems to be larger than standard UK measure!

There are about three "supermarkets" (ie small shops which sell a range of things if you are partly self-catering, also basic medicines, suntan cream etc) and a bakery (Dimitri's, near the Zifos Travel office). I reckon one of the shops is better value than the others but perhaps it wouldn't be fair to specify which here, you can no doubt do your own checks if you want (it's not necessarily the closest to the Kalliopi apartments). We have usually taken most toiletry and basic medical requirements with us, just to avoid having to shop for stuff like shampoo or suntan cream; but as we travel with hand baggage only that means no containers more than 100 cl.

Re transfers and ferry times - as you are with Olympic you will be "going with the flow", ie as far as I know Olympic will put you in a minibus at the airport and ferry arrangements from Kamira Skala will be pre-booked, then Maria at Zifos Travel (Olympic's local agent) will meet you off the ferry. The ferry booked by Olympic will normally wait for delayed flights so you might have a wait at KS for other Olympic clients (unless you pay yourself approx 10 euros per person to take an earlier ferry, sometimes that is possible but probably not much of a gain? There is a taverna next to the harbour at KS with draft Mythos). If there are major flight delays Olympic will overnight you in Rhodes, but they try to avoid that.

On currency, I agree with JamestheButler it's best to take euros if possible. You would probably be able to change UK pounds (nothing smaller than £20 notes, preferably new or at least clean ones), but cash in the form of euros is best. (The way the pound is going, I reckon getting extra euros could be a good investment for next year.) Since JTB is returning to Halki in September having already visited in June, maybe you could do a deal with him if you have spare euros!) I found Thomas Cook pre-book and collect from their local travel agency shop gets as good an exchange rate as most others, and last year they had a free insurance deal on the cash, I don't know whether that's still so. Whatever you do, don't exchange pounds for euros at Gatwick, the rate will be terrible.

Hope some of the above ramble may help.

[tillyboo]

Hi, thanks for your replies!!
Well we're all booked, the first package holiday for me in years, but it was such a great offer & I really wasnt to"clued up" re ferries etc I just fancied booking & going with the flow!!
I've got euros, we have small hand luggage cases which we'll check in & hopefully not see them again until Halki!!
I have requested top floor in Kalipoli, not sure if that will be honoured, but thought I'd try.
So now really getting in the holiday mood & cant wait to see Greece as it used to be!!!
Thanks for everyones input, I will let you know how we got on!!
Hoping so much to see dolphins on the crossing, but that would be too much wishful thinking!

[soupdragon]

You don't need telling I'm sure but have a great time.

It's almost impossible not to, check that. It is impossible not to

Cheers. Tom and Rose