Wow!
The whole island of Kos
has some fantastic
history. In
research for this
website, we've found
out some pretty
incredible stuff!
But what do you need to
know about
Kardamena? We'll
give you what you need to
know for your holiday,
after that you have
the rest of
the internet to go
at!
Visas are not required
to enter Greece from the
UK. A British passport
holder may stay as a
visitor for three months.
For longer stays, you
will need to apply for a
residence permit. Workers
should make sure they
spend a night in Turkey
to stay legal if they
intend working for longer
than 3 months. See Working
Section.
Kardamena
used to be famed mainly
for it's young and livley
atmosphere however it is,
once again, becoming
popular with all age
groups. Bar street
is where all the action
is offering themed bars
and expensive drinks
while on the outskirts of
the village are the
quieter cocktail bars and
chilled out areas.
Kardamena is a great
place for families as it
offers easy access to the
rest of the island as
well as catering for the
needs of every family
member from fishing,
watersports, quiet
reading, beach
activities, a childrens
playground and lots
more.
Kardamena
is 15 minutes away from
the airport so your
transfer time will be
between 15 and 45 minutes
in a coach. If you
want to take a taxi it
will cost you about
€10 from the airport
to the centre square of
Kardamena.
Barter,
barter, barter!
You're continental now
baby, don't get
ripped off.
The good thing about the
tourist season is that
everyone wants your
business - great news for
you!
Cash
machines are everywhere!
There is one at the side
of the bank and one on
the square plus others
all over the place!
Don't
drink the tap water
- it wont kill you
but it's quite heavy
in minerals so chances
are you will
spend the next
day sat on the loo.
Watch
the sun- your
Rep will tell you this
too. Kos has a
refreshing breeze blowing
through it during the
summer so you are less
likely to feel yourself
burning!
If
you intend to push the
boat out for the next two
weeks then pace
yourself!
I know that your mother
said the same thing but
good sleep, lots of water
and proper food means
you'll keep in better
shape and be able to push
it further into the early
hours. Go easy on
the Red Bull! Try
to drink branded drinks,
they are a little more
expensive but you'll need
less to get merry and
taste better than the low
quality stuff!
"Dave,
I can see Turkey from
here! I bet me and
this partialy deflated
lilo can make it over
there!" -
Don't try to swim
to Turkey! It's
further than you think!
"Dave,
Turkey beat me, but
Nisyros is closer, see
you over there!"
- Likewise, it's 8
kilometers.
Have
safe sex- I know
it's not the Eighties but
it's a basic rule!
Buy your supa-size
holiday pack online from
the Condom Company.
Discreet delivery (mum
will never know!)
Buy them HERE
Your
E111 form has
become invalid.
From 1 January
2006, you will need a new
European Health
Insurance Card
(EHIC) to receive any
healthcare during your
stay. Get one free
- CLICK HERE.
This isn't a substitute
for good travel
insurance! We have
sourced the cheapest yet
most comprehensive
insurance we could find
so make sure you use
them, even if you have
insurance with your
holiday booking - Go Travel
Insurance from
as little as £4 per
trip.
If you intend to hire
a moped or bike then wear
your helmet, there's at
least one fatality every
year from tourists and
workers who don't! If you
don't wear your helmet
and are involved in an
accident then your
insurance company wont
pay!
The hospital is in Kos
Town and is about 35
minutes away. The
only doctor
that works for the
governent works
restricted hours, finding
her out of those
hours is very
difficult. The
other doctors are private
and you will have to
pay. You should be
able to claim
back when they get
home. There are two
surgeries that will
take some insurances but
watch out for
any excess
on your policy, it
can be up to £100!
You
will sweat more.
Some more than others
depending on your
luck, especialy
during the summer. Drink
plenty of waterand put a
little salt on your food.
Our web support guy,
Wayne, got pretty crappy
one year when on a trip
to Nisyros because of a
lack of salt in his body,
the sweaty /
horny bugger!
All cigarettes have
the price written on them
- expect to pay €2.8
(about £1.90) for a pack
of 20.
A bottle of beer will
cost between €1.50
and €3.50 (about
£1.02 to £2.38), it is
usually more expensive in
the bars and clubs and
cheaper in the Kafeneion (Greek
coffee shops)
A decent
restaurant meal will cost
you around €20
(about £13)
The
lower-end your
accommodation the more
you seem to have to
watch the pennies.
Some unscrupulus owners
and room cleaners will
try to milk you for every
Euro they can squeeze
from you! Here are
some of their favourite
methods:
- "You
have rip/torn/stained our
sheets/towels/curtains -
pay us with Euros"
- "That
is not one of our fans -
pay us with Euros"
- "I'm
sure that door was
attached to the wall -
pay us with Euros"
- Any
incoherent babbling
followed by an open palm
and "Pay us with
Euros"
Unless
on an Anglo/Grecko
firefighters exchange
then leave
the fire
extinguishers alone!
The
best insider tip that you
will find on this website
is this....If you have a
digital camera put the
date stamp function on it
and take photos
of anything that appears
out of the normon
your holiday / in your
room. A few photos
on your memory card could
save you a whole lot of
aggro at a later date!
If
you have broken something
then admit to it sooner
rather than later, when's
the best time to squeeze
extra Euros out of a
tourist? Just as
they are rushing to catch
a plane!
Put loo roll in the
small bin at the side of
your toilet or you will
block the sewerage system
up for yourself and the
rest of the rooms in your
apartment block.
You will be charged for
any unblocking that is
required!
Lock
your room! Shut
and lock the balcony
doorstoo, (even
if you are on the top
floor). Tell
yourself that anyone
could have a key
to your room and
lock your valuables
away. Get a safety
deposit box, we'd
recommend Lucas
Rent a Car.
Watch
your valuables
at all times especialy
when in the nightclubs.
Don't
wear your best clobber
when going to the foam
parties.
The
mosquitos are not to
bad. Because of the
breeze that blows across
the island they tend not
to bother you to much but
if that breeze drops
you'll know about
it. Don't bother
buying the plug in
killers before you
leave, they are just
as cheap to buy over
there and you usually
find an old one in your
room so you'll only have
to buy the refills.
Don't
hammer your mobile!
Most UK companies charge
between £0.75
and £1 a minute!
Buy phone cards from
virtually any supermarket
/ random shop you
see. If you do
intend to use your mobile
then phone your operator
and see what
roaming packages they
offer.
Just remember to cancel
any package agreement
when you return, phone
companies can make a
fortune charging you an
extra few quid a month
for a service you're not
going to use until next
year! Try to find
out what is the prefered
local network of
your operator (ie, which
Greek companies your
phone company have
agreements with, this
could save you a
bundle!) Don't
forget to remove any
roaming bar on your phone
well in advance of your
flight, every phone
operator has to
apply the roaming
facility whilst you
are still in the
UK. You can also
buy a Greek Pay As You Go
sim card which will work
on all unlocked
phones. Get one of
these if you intend to
make a lot of calls using
your mobile whether
international or
local. If you have
a pretty up-to-date phone
the
shop staff should
be able to set everything
up for you or take it to
your favourite bar and
get them to sort it for
you! Consider
buying a cheap Pay As You
Go phone before
leaving. You can
put some money on it and
not worry about running
up a huge bill - and it
wont matter if you lose
it (or swap it in a bar
for some drinks on your
last night!) Lukas
Rent-a-Car
offers an amazing
phonecard for €5 for
90 minutes of
international talk - get
one of these!
Make
sure that you have
a British
plug adapter.
Obviously.
You should not become
involved with drugs of
any kind. Possession of
even small quantities can
lead to long terms of
imprisonment. There's
someone doing 5 years in
Kos for smoking weed.
In order to comply
with Greek law, you
should ensure that you
obtain a receipt for
goods purchased. Note
that the purchase of
pirate CDs in Greece can
result in imprisonment.
Personal attacks,
including sexual assaults
and rape, are rare.
However there have been
incidents of sexual
assault and rape. You are
advised to maintain at
least the same level of
personal security
awareness as you would at
home. Never to accept
lifts from strangers or
passing acquaintances at
any time.
Kos and the
surrounding areas often
experience small tremors
and earthquakes. We were
on the volcanic island of
Nisyros just off the Kos
coast in 2004 when there
was a gentle tremor, the
look on peoples faces was
unforgettable.
Get friendly
with the bar
staff! Use one
bar as a base,
a place to return to and
a place to quiz the owner
on all island
matters. Throwing
enough Euros in one
direction will win you
respect, such is the way
of the world.
You
can buy fans for around
€20 or hire
one for around
€30 for two weeks.
Better to buy one and
then sell it on when you
leave.
For
blokes:
Women love someone that
knows the best places to
eat and the places where
the commoners havn't
heard of. Don't
appear too knowledgeable
though it just shows that
you do this thing all of
the time. Make them
feel individual. - Source
- Honchos girlfriend.
For
women:
Your chosen gent of the
evening is the
best! Full
stop. Even if it's
the 7th bloke of the
week, this bloke is the
funniest, smartest,
sexiest, largest
etc. Buy him drinks
but not to many though
and approach him in front
of his mates, he'll feel
like Hercules! - Source
- Honcho.
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