Divina Studios - (Accommodation in Agios Sostis)

Suzanne C           

Great location for those who want to be close to the nightlife (10 minute walk along the beach) but who also enjoy a few hours sleep at night. The surroundings are lovely and there is a quiet beach 300 yards away with plenty of tavernas and bars for those who don't fancy a night mingling with bladdered, rowdy 16 year old kids who are on their first holiday without Mum and Dad. Despite what the current brochure says, Divina actually now has its own pool (2 months old) which is lovely, and a pool side cocktail and snack bar. The snack bar food is really nice and the cocktails cheap (£2). For those who are looking for a quiet day by the pool - go to the beach. Anthony has a favourite CD which he puts on rather loudly and on a loop. Trust me when I say you will hear it at least twice in a day. Dodgy Euro techno is not my ideal music at 11am - watch out for "Dance with the Devil", it WILL drive you mad. Definitely not an ideal place to take very young children on holiday - they won't sleep, as a young couple found out whilst I was there. Divina appartments are clean, but have the typical one or two lights broken, mosquito oil stains up the walls etc. I would just say watch out if you are on the ground floor - everyone seemed to complain and ask to be moved . . . Overall, a great destination for families with older kids who want to meet the happy medium. As for Anthony, well I can see how a 15 year old (or females with repelling legs)would fall for his charm, but anyone else really should know better!

Cocktails and Dreams - (Bars in Laganas)

Suzanne C           

Anyone staying at Divina in Laganas will feel right at home in this bar. The DJ plays the same CD as the one that goes round twice a day at the poolside bar. Yes, I do mean CD. No sign of any vinyl here. And the sad thing - the DJ pretends to be mixing, when he is in fact just swapping from one CD to another - NOT a place for a true music lover! The CD comprises a variety of music, much like a NOW! CD would, so will cater for all tastes at some point during the night! The drinks are more expensive than other bars, with a small bottle of water being the bargain price of £2!!! The age range of people was either under 18 or over 40. I was unfortunate enough to fall somewhere in the middle, so thought the talent was extremely lacking. My 20 year old brother's words were a little more to the point, "I've never seen so many munters under one roof in my life". For some reason they have a fog horn that they are quite fond of in there as well. If it was being pulled for a particular reason, such as "half price cockatils during the next song", or even "girl over there with her tits out", then that would be fair enough. But the bar staff kept pulling the damn thing for no reason - WHY??? The worst thing about this place though is the smell. It was rank. It smelt of stale sick, stale beer and stale urine. And that was in the bar and not the toilet. Do yourself a favour and go somewhere else . . . ANYWHERE else. This is definitely not the Cocktails and Dreams that Tom Cruise and Brian Brown were thinking of!

Argo Bar - (Bars in Laganas)

Suzanne C           

A great place to start your night with cheap cocktails (£1.40). Very friendly bar staff, who even remembered our names having met us just once before. If you sit at the bar, the bar staff tend to give you a variety of free shots during the evening, which in addition to the cheap cocktails, make for a very pissed up evening! The music could do with being that little bit louder - it has to compete with the bar across the road, but the Greek style "Beadles About/Trigger Happy TV" video playing around the bar makes up for the lack of music.

Cherry Bay - (Bars in Laganas)

Suzanne C           

went in here after the england/albania game. everyone in the place was wearing a union jack or george cross of some description. this can quite safely be described as an english bar/club! it was quite a fun/cheesy place, with reasonably priced drinks (â£3 cocktails). the only downside was that each song was only on for about 50 seconds before it was mixed with another, so don't get carried away with daydream believer, because it will soon turn into the rainbow theme song!! as for the tv's showing porn, well, yes, if you can call a typical 18-30's night porn. all they have done is filmed a previous 18-30's night out at cherry bay and are now exploiting the poor pissed up individuals who felt it necessary to strip off and reveal their non-existent peni or huge a**es at the time, and who would probably now die with shame if they could see themsleves!

Libra Holidays - (Tour Operators in Zante)

Suzanne C  (11 September 2001)         

2 hour delay going out from Gatwick due to 50 baggage handlers not turning up to work because of the England v Germany game the night before. Waited an hour and a half to get our cases at Zante airport - which is probably the world's smallest. Probably not Libra's fault though, to be fair! Unfortunately, we bagged the awfully sweet, nervous laugh, dippy, camp Jamie as our resort rep and some Welsh bird as our transfer rep. Can't say they were the most experienced, professional or enthusiastic individuals. In fact you got the feeling they really didn't give too much of a damn. At the end of the day we all know why they're there, but no need to rub it in our faces. At Divina there were a lot of complaints about Jamie going around, and I have to say that when he came to tell us, 12 hours before we were due to go on it that we "hadn't got on the boat trip - it's full" despite booking it and paying for it 5 days previously, he wasn't apologetic and didn't have a satisfactory answer when I asked him why. He didn't even understand how they booked the trips up - or if he did he wouldn't tell me. (As an aside if you want to go on the round the island boat trip with stops at Smugglers Cove - don't book it through the reps at £20 per person - go to the local shops and go on the Mantalena boat - the only one that goes actually into the caves (in Laganas about 100 yards up from the beach on the right hand side) and get a better trip for £10 per person.) The accommodation was good for us, but some on the ground floor in Divina asked to be moved. Luck of the draw I think, which is what you risk with the smaller tour operators. Overall, not a bad experience, but certainly not the best. Average holiday for an average price.

Blue Caves and Shipwreck Cruise - (Zante Excursions)

Suzanne C           

Do not book this trip through your tour operator. Go to one of the local shops and get it for half the price. We paid 5000 Drs (just under £10) each for a day on the Mantelena. It goes all the way round the island, stopping at Smugglers Cove for a rekkie and a swim, with 2 more swim stops - one on a secluded beach and another in the middle of the sea. Apparently the Mantelena is the only boat to go right into the caves - which is impressive as it is so big! If you like coastline scenery, gorgeous blue waters and a bit of Greek history, then this is a great trip!