Jennie Bond explores resplendent Rhodes with Sophia Loren and Rambo (the donkeys)

By Jennie Bond

Life in the slow lane: Jannie Bond enjoys Rhodes life with new friends 'Sophia Loren' and 'Rambo'


As we sat on the deck in the late September sunshine sipping freshly brewed coffee and watching white yachts on the deep blue sea, we thought: 'Why on earth are we leaving all this to go on holiday?'

That's the trouble when you live in a little piece of paradise - in our case on the coastline of south Devon. It always seems crazy to go away.

But I'm a firm believer in holidays and the idea of extending the summer into October on the sunshine island of Rhodes tempted my husband, Jim, and me to hand our home over to friends for a week and head south.

And so we left our valley on a lip-smackingly clear day for the tedious journey up to Gatwick. The plane was delayed, but an unusually jovial easyJet crew made up for it with some slapstick humour which lightened the mood.

'The smoking area has been redesignated on the wings,' announced one of the cabin stewards.

'Buy a scratch card and win £10,000 to send your mother-in-law on holiday to Siberia,' said another.

The co-pilot came by for a chat - and turned out to be an old university acquaintance of Prince William, which gave me plenty to talk about!

As we touched down in Rhodes, a voice came over the tannoy: 'Welcome to Mombasa'. And we all disembarked with a smile on our faces.

Our destination was the Amathus Beach Hotel, overlooking the Aegean, a couple of miles south of Rhodes town. The hotel has recently opened a new wing of Elite Suites: 37 large and luxurious rooms, almost all of them with private pools.

As befits an 'elite' wing, it has its own reception where you are greeted with a glass of champagne. Our suite was impressive: white and bright, with a huge bed, a cream settee, plasma screen, an excellent bathroom with separate shower and floor-to-ceiling windows leading to a spacious deck with a very pretty private pool.

We cracked open the bottle of Laurent Perrier that had been left on ice for us and admired our new surroundings.

I've stayed in a lot of grand hotels during my travels as a royal correspondent and some rather less glamorous ones as I dash around the UK for Cash in the Attic. But grand or not, it's often the little things that mark out a good hotel for me.


Exclusive: The Amathus Beach Hotel and its Elite Suites added a touch of luxury to the trip
The Amathus came up trumps: smooth white bedlinen, generous fluffy towels in the bathroom, not only shampoo but conditioner provided every day, a toothbrush and toothpaste each, cotton buds and, to my husband's delight, a shoe horn!

There were also two vouchers for spa treatments: a manicure for me and a pedicure for Jim (a bit of a waste, this one, as he would scream if anyone so much as touched his feet!)

Elite Suite guests get a gift each day: sometimes it was a tray of hors d'oeuvres at sunset, one evening it was a small bottle of a Greek aperitif, at other times there were cakes, chocolates and fresh fruit. A nice touch which makes you feel pampered.

I'm not a great one for swimming but surprised myself by falling into an easy routine of getting out of bed, ordering room service and jumping in the pool to swim against the jets until breakfast arrived. We ate it sitting outside, overlooking the sea in our white robes. It was a glorious way to start the day.

Then there was the island to explore. Jim, who is far more erudite than I, had refreshed his memory about the Ottoman Empire, the Colossus, the Crusades and the Knights of St John and so acted as my guide. We'd hired a car, but - daunted by the heavy traffic and parking problems in Rhodes town - we took the bus instead.

When you walk past the ancient walls into the old town, you feel as if you are entering another world and, late in the season, it's delightfully uncrowded. We soaked up the atmosphere of the Street of the Knights, Aphrodite's Temple and the Old Clock Tower.

At a rooftop restaurant we got chatting with a couple from Staffordshire who told us they were staying in a peaceful little fishing village called Haraki. I always think word of mouth is the best research, so the following day we got in the car and headed to the opposite side of the island to find the village.


Pastel perfection: The beautiful harbour of Gialos on Symi island


It's not the most beautiful we've ever seen, but it was certainly one of the most tranquil. People even spoke in whispers and - forsaking an offer of goat chops in one cafe - we had a delicious lunch of black snapper and Greek salad at a beachside restaurant called Foraklos. It was amusing, too, to have breakfast beside the Aegean and lunch by the Mediterranean!

From Haraki it was just a short drive down the coast to Lindos - a required stop on every tourist trail - and the Acropolis. I'm afraid I've reached an age when one ruin looks much like another, but we thoroughly enjoyed the adventure of riding up the craggy hillside on Sophia Loren and Rambo, the donkeys assigned to us from the melee of asses in the town.

We were surprised by how much we found to do on Rhodes. Boat excursions are very popular and we were told one of the best was to the island of Symi. Do this, if you can.

It was an all-day affair and the ticket was £34 (€38) which included the coach from the hotel and a two-hour ferry journey that took us so close to Turkey you felt you could touch it.

Symi turned out to be stunning and its port, Gialos, quite breathtaking. The piecemeal chaos that typifies modern Greek town planning gives way here to a pleasing orderliness: neoclassical houses set into the hillside, all harmoniously painted in gentle pastel shades of yellow and blue. Many houses bear a 'blue eye' on their facade which, our excellent guide told us, was to ward off evil spirits.

The port is lined with enticing restaurants and myriad sponge sellers - natural sponges were once a major source of the island's wealth. I now have two and every night in the bath I remember our lovely day in Symi.


Another day another bay: The island's coast offers delightful days out and opportunities to enjoy great Mediterranean food


If you prefer to stay on dry land, try driving to a tiny place called Glyfada, halfway down the west coast of Rhodes. And let me know if you are lucky enough to eat at its only restaurant, Paradiso. We were told it was one of the best - as long as you don't mind slowish service and a set menu. The elderly couple who run it grow their own produce and you get whatever's ripe that day.

The drive there was fantastic - through pine-clad hills with scary sheer drops - and we felt exhilarated as we arrived, at exactly one o'clock. A handwritten sign pointed the way to Paradiso, and we parked outside the small, white building at the tide's edge.

It seemed rather quiet: indeed, to our horror, we soon realised that there was no sign of life at all. It was closed as tight as a drum, it must have been their day off and we were crestfallen.

We had better luck at Stegna, on the Mediterranean coast, where we ate at Kozas fish restaurant, served by a little old Greek lady who spoke no English at all. We pointed at the fish we wanted and hoped it turned up on the table. It did - and it was delicious.

My greatest delight, though, was to return to the Amathus after an outing and indulge myself in the hotel's superb spa. As the general manager, Nikos Stergiopoulos, put it: 'Our spa is not just a place, it's a concept'. And he's right. It's one of the best I've had the pleasure of visiting and it made our stay in Rhodes just perfect.

Travel Facts

Classic Collection Holidays is offering seven nights for the price of six and a complimentary upgrade to half-board (saving £560 per couple per week) on all stays at the Amathus Beach Hotel Rhodes & Spa Elite Suites between April 1 and October 31, 2010. It means seven nights cost from £905 per person this summer based on two adults sharing, including return flights and private transfers. Call 0800 294 9321 or visit www.classic-collection.co.uk.

In addition, book by April 30, 2010 and enjoy a complimentary UK airport lounge pass (adults only) applicable to all holidays at the Elite Suites completed by October 31.

For further information on Rhodes visit www.rodosisland.gr.


source: dailymail