This is a really good idea for a topic. Here is our story.
This time last year we had our annual dilemma. Do we go to somewhere we know and have a very relaxing holiday or do we take a gamble and try somewhere new. The fear is that you go else where and spend two weeks at a place you don't like and wishing that you had gone to your normal destination.
We had been going to Mounda Bay, near Skala in Kefalonia since 1999, and if you look at this video you will see why
Lots of beach with hardly anyone on it and a hotel that is right amongst the sand dunes (
http://www.marinabay.gr/ )
The only problem was that you didn't really see anyone to talk to, except at night, ( and I like to talk ) and Skala was becoming too busy and being spoilt by large developments.
Four years ago we made a decision to try somewhere else and went to Tobago and stayed here
http://www.castararetreats.com/fishermans.php. What seemed like paradise was a disaster, and we spent all holiday wishing we were in Kefalonia.
So, last February we went to a travel agent, described Skala, and asked the assistant to find a similar place. The response from the girl helping us was instant. She said a place in Corfu called Arillas. She had been going there since she was a little girl and was planning here wedding there. She also recommended the Horizon.
I was a bit apprehensive because my vision of Corfu was night clubs, noisy bars and over commercialisation, so we went home to do some research. That night, I found this forum, and ended up talking to a lovely Scottish lady called Eileen, who told me lots about Arillas and her Villa and she convinced me that it would be the ideal place for a holiday and the Horizon would be a nice place to stay.
We booked up the next day.
I never thought that I would find anywhere, that was better than Mounda Bay, but I did, Arillas. I was not sure during the first day, I liked it, but was not convinced. During the second day I had a feeling that I was in a different world, that was unique to anywhere else I had been. It was like like being in a world full of wonderful friendly people, where the food was second to none, you had no fear of anything, and you could actually feel as if you were part of a community and not just a visitor. Arillasitus had set in.
Arillas is a magical place, and it also has the best holiday, website and forum that I have ever seen.
Arillas is a magical place.