Koukounaries, Amalia Apartments

I have just returned from two weeks at the Amalia Apartments with my family and friends. The owner George, his brother Otis and the staff made the holiday. They are all extremely friendly, helpful and great fun. You couldn't wish for a better holiday. We all relaxed immediately. It was great having so many amenities including safes, TV, air conditioning on one level. The prices were very reasonable. We were always able to keep the children, that is 8 children ranging from ages 9 - 15 years, in our sights. The staff made them welcome and would often be found playing pool or table football with them. The grounds are very pretty and clean. The rooms are basic but kept very clean. The pool is wonderful and the bar is the best. Just listen to George's recommendations and you won't have a bad meal on the island! Only two times we didn't and it went wrong, all night George was saying, I told you so, but never mind.

A fantastic restaurant, my favorite, that George sent us our second night was Ilias or the runway. We went back there three times. If you go there Ilias's Stifado is out of this world. Another nice restaurant at the resort is Willie's bar, we've eaten there several times and every meal was a delight. Our group ranged from 16 - 21 people and there was never a problem with being seated together. Be prepared to sample the Ouzo for starter and a Metaxa with the bill!

The only slight problem we experienced was getting the local bus to take us into town of an evening. From around 6 - 8 pm the buses would be packed with everyone coming back from Banana beach and it was impossible to get on them. Some of our group rented a car and it was great fun, if you ask George at the bar he can get it for you at the best price on the island. Our friends asked the Olympic rep about a Jeep and later that day George got it about 1/3 of the rep's price! Be careful not to alert the rep. We also experienced problems getting the bus to Banana Beach (to feed the fish) around 5pm as the bus drivers thought we were trying to jump the beach queue to go into town. The only way to get taxis is for the hotel to call them.

The beaches are all lovely. Skiathos is a wonderful island and I cannot wait to return.