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Post by sunfun on Jul 6, 2009 13:14:52 GMT
We were only kidding Carol!  Didn.'t think u were drunk. We like peace and quiet too,so completely understand where you are coming from.It's nice to have company when you want it,but it's good to have privacy too. Can't think of anything worse than being crammed together on a beach with complete strangers. We're lucky that we can go in may and are not restricted to certain months as some people are. Must say though,we went on 20th may this year and noticed a difference the second week,much busier and noisier ,lots of people coming in on boats,so deffo wouldn't like it when it gets really busy. I think it was all the more magical bacause it was so peaceful.You can see from our photos how quiet it was. Hope you don't have to look elsewhere though(but if you find anywhere else so wonderful...please let us know!) ;D |
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Post by Di on Jul 6, 2009 14:13:06 GMT
We've already decided it's Tilos for us next year. We were going to do it independently, however I was put off by the idea of being stranded on Rhodes for days on end if the flight was delayed and we missed the ferry. Apparently the Sea Star is back in service now, which goes daily, but if that's not running for any reason there appear to be only two other boats on a Wednesday (morning and 16.15), then you have to wait 'til Saturday.  |
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Post by carol on Jul 6, 2009 15:04:02 GMT
Hi Di, when are you going to Tilos, only asking because we could come over and meet you for a day if the boat or cat is running, we go on 1st September ;D
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Post by Kinygos on Jul 6, 2009 15:21:41 GMT
When I first went to Halki there were no day trippers, but I avoided the crowd at Pondamus by going to Ftenagia to snorkel, before it existed! Now I go fishing..........  Fish on! That'll save €20 on the evening meal! Nearly beer o'clock! (sorry I meant time for a tactical discussion) It's a hard life. |
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Post by Di on Jul 6, 2009 16:09:30 GMT
Hi Carol. Looking to go around 25th August. We are going to book it through Little Island Holidays (the lady's ex Laskarina) but she won't have the prices until about end September / October.
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Post by Liz on Jul 6, 2009 19:06:35 GMT
Carol - You should not have the same problems on Ftenagia beach as you would on Pontomas. I am only assuming this fact on going in May/Early June. Most of "them"all seem to head for Pontomas when they get off the Ferry. Unfortunatley Ftenagia is affected as well ..we stayed at a house at Ftenagia last year and you could see the boat come in and then the line of trippers over the rocks Ftenagia is only a little beach and access to the water is resricted to one or two places some days it was really busy ..our 15 yr old complained that there were too many people  now I know its not as busy as a lot of places and I know its only for a few hours but it is for the peak hours of the day and it does put you off ! ..I don't see why I should have to retreat back to my villa till they've gone !...next time we go we've said we'll try and stay round the other side of the harbour were we can have access to the sea from our terrace . and I agree with Andrew re Pondamos ...the bags of rubbish up the steps are a disgrace and to be charged 6 euros for a sunbed on a beach which will soon be more fagash than sand beggars belief ! all this said ...I love Halki ....just hope people see the negative side of the trippers and the effect it is having on the people who are putting their hard earned cash into taking their holidays there ...some of whom are starting to re-think their plans |
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Post by kathy on Jul 6, 2009 19:36:32 GMT
So is it still possible to claim a little bit of sand without paying 6euros for the sunbeds? I really don't fancy paying 30 a day for 5 of us! What a rip off! I wouldn't be so bad if they used the money to keep it pristine!  Is it the same at Ftenagia? |
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Post by carol on Jul 6, 2009 19:53:24 GMT
Yes it is Kathy but the big difference is that Ftenagia is very clean, we have not even been to Pondamos for the last two years, the daytrippers and the rubbish have put us right off.
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Andrew
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Post by Andrew on Jul 6, 2009 21:30:36 GMT
It saddens me greatly to think of going elsewhere. We have been ten times and our kids haven't been anywhere else. So far, they don't want to go anywhere else either. It is also sad to see such diehard fans such as yourselves express doubts. The pity is that most of the islanders don't benefit from daytrippers and don't want them. Even the daytrippers themselves seem disappointed with it! We happen to prefer Pondamos to Ftenagia. Dare I say it but Ftenagia just feels wrong; like a builder's site with shingle bulldozed onto the rocks. It shelves so quickly too which isn't good for crap swimmers like me. The taverna is fine of course! On one day in August last year, we counted over two hundred people on Pondamos. (I reported on this before - there was a large Richard III bobbing along in the sea).  A few years ago, Mary took great pride in cleaning the beach every morning. There is no-one doing this any more, but we are still being charged £3 per bed per day. I am hoping that the credit crunch will mean fewer day trippers this year and maybe we will feel like going back in 2010. Andrew |
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Post by sunfun on Jul 6, 2009 22:30:19 GMT
:)Hi Andrew,yes,we agree,it's really sad to think of people going elsewhere.We've just found halki and hope to return many times. Unbelievable that there were so many people on the beach ,over 200! By the way,the richard 111 that was bobbing in the water...my hubby's just explained what it is...i thought it was a large boat that they'd all got off! Must be 'cos i'm tired...and stupid! |
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Post by Kinygos on Jul 7, 2009 6:56:53 GMT
There are certain characteristics of the Greek philosophy of life that are a good example to us, and others that are not. To live here one has to appreciate that the values of the indigenous population are not those to which we are accustomed. I could site the comparative treatment of children and animals, but it is the area of customer satisfaction that the contrast is clearer.
I can recall seeing a father and son on Mandraki harbour. The father carefully unwrapped the chocolate bar for the boy and threw the wrapper in the sea therefore; I am not surprised about the detritus on the beaches described. The aim of the business is to cram a year's income to Halki into six months. Such is the nature of beach tourism. Unfortunately, the Dimos does not understand the effect on the regular customers of their product of the mass influx of the day-trippers, and their Greek habits. There may also be an element of xenophobia here; favouring Greek tourism.
Is there anybody reading this board who was in Halki on 13/06/09? There was a conference on at the hotel, some 300 people turned up and there had been a last minute scrabble to find accommodation for them. The Dimos then decreed that on the evening of Saturday the 13th the harbour side tavernas were to be turned over to the exclusive use of the conference people. The logic here is that the phlegmatic Brits will turn up every year whatever happens, and not complain. This is also the reason for the success of the “drachma heresy”. I suspect that the regular British tourists are no longer the favoured clients because they are doing more self-catering and less eating out. In short, you are not spending enough money. Yet raising prices cause a positive feedback loop.
When Laskarina folded there was talk of the Scandinavians becoming the new preferential clients. For the first year some came. Where are they now, and why did they not come back? It is a mystery to me.
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Post by Liz on Jul 7, 2009 7:14:17 GMT
The way I heard it simon was that they were not happy with the accomodation ( again I may be wrong ) but they were not happy to put up with the little foibles that we do . |
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Post by Kinygos on Jul 7, 2009 7:34:52 GMT
Methinks you missed the irony in my last comment!
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Post by Liz on Jul 7, 2009 7:40:30 GMT
T'is early ..and I have been up half the night because of the leccy going on and off   |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 7, 2009 7:41:05 GMT
I understand it didn't suit them on several scores. It may not be such a big mystery Simon. Take a drive, park your car, and have a stroll around one of the areas in Rhodes traditionally favoured by Swedes and Finns. I think you will see that Halki offers little they require. The German view is different in many ways and there may well eventually be an increase in numbers there.
You are so very correct in your comments regarding Greek philosophy above and about the Dimos with it's 'take' on the conferences. You are also right concerning the regular Brits unfortunately.
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Didn.'t think u were drunk.
A few years ago, Mary took great pride in cleaning the beach every morning. There is no-one doing this any more, but we are still being charged £3 per bed per day.
