Travelling with a little human

Archie is now 19 months old and has been travelling with us on our trips to Greece since the age of 6 months! Our little man has done several flights including one long haul and he really seems to be getting the hang of it now… as do we! Alex and I often get asked how we find travelling with a young baby/ toddler. So, I thought I would share with you some of our tips, including useful gadgets and good advice given to us along the way.

The Flight

Firstly, try not to over-fret! 90% of people on the flight have probably had children of their own or have children in their family so they know it isn’t easy travelling with little humans. Cut yourself some slack – if your baby starts crying don’t worry, try and stay calm – your baby will sense your anxiety and it will only make things worse.
Snacks, snacks and more snacks. Now Archie is a toddler we pack as many snacks as we can. We try and go low sugar so he doesn’t get too excited on the flight!
If your little one is walking, try and tire him/her out as much as possible in the airport. If they want to walk up and down the aisle on the flight – stay close but again don’t worry about the occasional passenger scowl – most people understand. A three hour flight to Greece is a long time for a child to sit still.
If your baby is on formula you can pre order this from Boots up to 5 working days before you fly and pick it up in the terminal … it’s really handy. You can also do this with baby food too!
To help with ear popping on the flight a friend told me to try to feed your baby their milk at take-off and landing. The sucking really helps regulate the pressure.
Fun pack … we always pack a little fun pack for Archie full of some of his favourite toys along with some new exciting ones to keep him busy on the flight and for the holiday. But don’t forget to hold some back for the flight home!

Our favourite holiday must-haves and gadgets

Bullabaloo muslins – these muslins are great and so versatile. I particularly like the large size. I used mine for snuggling Archie up on the plane and when he was small they were great for creating shade or as a blanket at the beach. https://bullabaloo.com/collections/new-muslin-swaddles/products/muslin-swaddle-blue-cloud
Once out of a pram it’s a great idea to invest in a lightweight travel pushchair. Our friends who also travel a lot recommended the baby jogger buggy, it folds up easily and has a travel bag with straps. http://babyjogger.co.uk/product/city-tour/
Greek tavernas will make you and your children feel welcome. Many have highchairs and some even have toys/crayons etc. Sometimes we like to go off the beaten track so we take a travel highchair with us – it’s great for beach picnics and can be strapped to any chair. https://summerinfant.co.uk/product/pop-n-sit-booster/

Our top toddler friendly villas

When choosing a holiday villa it can be hard to know which ones are toddler-friendly. Here are our Ionian island favourites ….

Paxos

Elissa– sleeps 6. The property is all on one level with plenty of outside space and shade. Also within walking distance of Lakka bay which is great when you have a buggy.

Kefalonia

Artemis–sleeps 5. The villa is all on one level with lots of grass for burning off some toddler steam!

Ithaca

Limonia – sleeps 8. A great location in the centre of Vathy port close to a children’s play-park. The villa also has an enclosed, fenced-off pool area.

Corfu

Kalami – sleeps 4. A spacious modern villa in large grounds with plenty of grass around the pool.

Lefkas

Nicholetta – sleeps 4. The villa has an enclosed lawn and swimming pool area. It is a 10 minute walk to Agios Ioannis beach which has a few tavernas and a sheltered swimming area at one end. Lefkas town is also only a 10 minute walk via a flat track.

If you would like any further advice you can always give us a call or email. We have been to all our villas and can help pick the best one for you and your family.

Catherine xx

April 16, 2019

Last Minute Easter Deals

We are offering some fantastic last minute Easter deals on Paxos for UK Easter week. Stay in either Avra, Elissa or Angelika…

15th April – 22nd April
** Only £500 **

Or maybe you fancy the festivities of Greek Easter instead…

22nd April – 29th April
** Only £500 **

Please get in touch with us for further details call 01243 820928 or email enquiries@ionian-villas.co.uk

Villa Avra – Sleeps 4

Villa Elissa – Sleeps 6

Villa Elissa – View down to Lakka Harbour

Angelika – Sleeps 5

Don’t miss out on this great offer!

April 9, 2019

Moor a Hire Boat on Your Doorstep

For many people, the concept of a relaxing holiday is not to be dependent on a car. The smaller Greek islands are therefore conducive to chilling on foot and not slumped behind a steering wheel.

On most of the Ionian islands you can hire fibreglass boats and larger ribs with outboard engines ranging from 30HP to twin 350HP. A speedboat license is required for engines over 30HP.

Hiring a boat with outboard engine is a fun and to many, an out of the ordinary way to explore an island. Distances on the Ionian islands are not large but a few special properties have a mooring spot within a stone’s throw:

ON PAXOS

Angelika (sleeps up to 5) is a 2-minute walk to Gaios waterfront.

Averto Avalli’s (sleeps up to 6) doorstep is Gaios waterfront.

The Levrecchio Beach Villas (each sleeps up to 4) are a 4-minute walk to Loggos waterfront.

Marina (sleeps up to 15) has a mooring point at the bottom of the gardens.

Mermaid Cottage’s (sleeps up to 2) doorstep is Loggos waterfront.

Sula’s Apartment ( sleeps up to 6) is an olive stone’s throw away from Gaios waterfront.

ON ITHACA

Dora’s House (sleeps up to 7) is a few steps away from Vathy waterfront.

Limonia (sleeps up to 8) is a short stroll to the Vathy waterfront.

Marmika House (sleeps up to 4) is 50 metres away from the Vathy waterfront.

The Kioni Suites (sleeps 2) are 10 paces away from the Kioni waterfront.

ON MEGANISSI

Waterfront Villa (sleeps up to 4) is 50 metres away from Vathy waterfront.

ON KEFALONIA

Katy’s Apartment (sleeps 2) has complimentary bikes and the Fiscardo waterfront is a 2-minute bike ride away.

Sonia’s Apartment (sleeps 2) and Villi’s House (sleeps 6) are a 5-minute stroll to the Fiscardo waterfront.

February 28, 2019

IONIAN ESCAPES ON LAND & SEA

The Ionian islands of Greece have some of the most beautiful, natural coastlines and crystal clear waters in southern Europe.

The islands offer a diverse playground for both explorer and cushioned deckchair enthusiast.

Say you are the one responsible for planning the family holiday or for trying to get a party of friends together – say Sally wants to escape city pressures and read a book in the shade of an olive tree; Malcolm only has a week off and wants to experience a different island coastline each day; Isobel just wants everyone else to be happy (especially Malcolm as he just won’t sit still); twins Frank & Fiona can’t do boats as they fear sea sickness; Pops and Granma want to be pampered. The Huddlestones and the Brinkmans don’t yet know if they can join the party.

How do you choose the right compromise for everyone’s holiday enjoyment?

A more conventional decision might be to either book one Greek island villa for all or one crewed yacht for all. But why not mix the two and satisfy everyone?

Ionian Villas offers a wide selection of Ionian island properties for parties of 2 to 20. Fleewinter offer luxury crewed yachts in the Ionian for up to 10 people.

Why not spend a week in a comfy Ionian island villa to keep everyone except Malcolm happy, followed by a week on a Fleewinter yacht exploring the other Ionian islands. If Sally and the twins don’t want to join the yacht party, they can fly back home or extend their villa stay. In any case there’ll be plenty of room on board for the Huddlestones and Brinkmans.

Fleewinter’s yachts have from 3 to 5 cabins taking up to 10 and each one has a skipper and private chef. You can get involved in the sailing or just take it easy and let the crew do the work. Each day you decide with the crew whether to take it easy in a beautiful bay or explore some of the villages and tavernas.

It’s a bit like having a floating luxury villa, and like all great houses each yacht has a garage full of toys: waterskis, wakeboards, paddleboards, windsurfers and inflatable toys that are towed behind the private speedboat. All meals are included except dinner where you have the option to dine onboard or head ashore to explore.

If you book a 2019 Fleewinter yacht charter through us before the end of March, a 10% price reduction will apply.

Call us on 01243 820928 to get more information.

February 12, 2019

Escaping to Ithaca Needn’t Be an Odyssey

After the Trojan War it took Odysseus 10 eventful years to return to his Ithaca home.

Reaching the end of his journey, Odysseus was taken from Kefalonia to Ithaca in a Phaeacian longboat. Seeing the Phaeacians returning to Kefalonia, Poseidon raised his trident and turned the boat and oarsmen to stone.

Tzika House and the Sunset Cottages look down to an outcrop of rock emerging from the sea in the distinct shape of a Phaeacian longboat.

It is said that the Phaeacians dropped Odysseus off at the beach below Dexa Beach House and Villa Areti. The photo below was taken by the owner of Areti – the rainbow falls onto the beach.

Nowadays Odysseus could fly to Kefalonia, then a 40 minute taxi journey to the port of Sami with a private speedboat to whisk him over to Ithaca in 30 minutes. All arranged by our Ithaca manager, Sue.

And to regain his strength before slaughtering Penelope’s suitors he could hide himself away in comfort at Hilltop House.

January 31, 2019

Villas with the Wow Factor

What boxes need ticking when you look for that special Greek island holiday?

Most people look for: a modern villa with pool but one that feels Greek; the biggest and most dramatic sea views possible; seclusion but close to a village and beaches; privacy and tranquillity.

All of our Ionian properties have one or more of these attributes but here is a shortlist for each island of the ones we consider to head the wow list.

The Best Sea Views

PAXOS

Bougainvillaea (sleeps 2) – forested, west coast hillsides and the open sea.

Evangelia (sleeps up to 4) – birds eye views over Gaios port.

Jupiter (sleeps up to 6) – east to the Greek mainland, north across Mogonisi Bay, west to AntiPaxos.

Chimara (sleeps up to 8) – a big sea and the mountains of the mainland, framed by tall cypress trees.

ITHACA

Sunset Cottages (sleeps 2) – watch the sun set behind the north coast of Kefalonia.

Fassoulou’s Cottage (sleeps up to 4) – over Afales Bay and across the sea to the islands of Lefkas, Meganissi, Kalamos, Arkoudi and Atokos.

Hilltop House (sleeps up to 5) – the highest spot above Kioni Bay.

Tzika House (sleeps up to 8) – across the sea to Kefalonia’s north coast.

KEFALONIA

Sonia’s Apartment (sleeps 2) – watch the fishing boats and yachts arrive at and depart from Fiscardo port.

Villa Lito (sleeps up to 4) – a valley of olive groves to the sea, the pine and cypress forested foothills of Mount Aenos and the sandy coastline.

Villa Cara (sleeps up to 8) – looks out over a spectacular, natural landscape of pine and cypress to the sea and in the distance, the island of Zakynthos.

LEFKAS

Rhoda (sleeps 2) – the sun sets directly opposite.

Vassiliko (sleeps up to 4) – over a valley of olive groves and across Vassiliki Bay to the islands of Ithaca and Kefalonia.

Victoria (sleeps up to 10) – across Vliho Bay and up to Lefkas’ mountainous interior.

Helena (sleeps up to 10) – panoramic views over the offshore islands of Skorpios, Sparti, Skorpithi, Meganissi and across the sea to the Greek mainland.