Anybody visited KOS?

iloveshopping93

Hi everyone, me and my partner are thinking of travelling to Kos next summer. We are both in our early twenties. We are looking at staying for 10 nights in June.

Because I have never been to Kos before, I'm not too sure what to expect. Where are the best places to visit? We are looking to stay half board but be in a location near bars and restaurants. I am looking for a lively resort but nothing over the top. Quiet, cultural holidays aren't really for us.

Could anybody recommend resorts in Kos - or more specifically hotels near the action? Anything to avoid also?

simongregson

Kos town is probably the best bet in terms of somewhere to stay - quite large town, lively bars etc. if you want them but also a town in its own right so lots of restaurants, shops etc.

Avoid Kardamena unless you are after a lively resort with lots of clubs etc. Other towns are quite quiet.

Things to do - in Kos town there is a castle to visit, a tree (I kid you not) and you can travel up to the Askelpion (sp). We hired bikes most days and went out to local water parks etc. There is a thermal beach warmed by volcanic activity at the end of the bus route from Kos town.

I would hire a car for a day and have a look around the island, you can go from end to end in about 30 minutes. You can also get about by bus but they are not that frequent.

Do visit Nysiros by boat, to see the volcano, there are lots of trips running from Kos town that are much cheaper than tour operators offer.

bear in mind this is based on when we went in 2003, so might be a bit out of date!!

ManAtHome

Kos is your usual Greek island - many resorts varying between bonkers and staid. Any resorts on other islands you've liked? Do you just want to lounge around the hotel pool during the day, or are you expecting to head for the beach?

Bear in mind that I'm an 'oldie' - Kardemena is bonkers, Kos town south end is fairly cosmopolitan/laid back, north end (Lambi) a bit "Brits abroad", Tigaki somewhere in between, maybe still a bit quiet in June, Kefalos if you like tumbleweed (but they do have a very cheap booze shop)...

If you stay in Kos town, easy enough to pick up one of the ferries to Bodrum for a day trip.

Unfortunately the one place to avoid is the airport, particularly late night/early morning flights at weekends - the departure 'lounge' just isn't up to the job. Be prepared to elbow your way through security as they just stop the queues if the nearest end is full even though the other end with flights leaving earlier is empty.

YorkshireBoy

Went there this summer for the first time, and stayed in Tigaki self catering. Glad we were SC (although more 'room only'!) because the food, atmosphere, and cost of eating out in the many and varied restaurants and tavernas was all excellent.

Tigaki has a few music bars, but restaurants and quieter bars vastly out-number them.

It was starting to liven up the last week in June.

Hired a scooter for a total of 4 days (out of 14) and saw the entire island. Probably did a full day and 3 nights in Kos Town over the fortnight, and would have to say, after seeing all the resorts, that if I was going back I'd stay either in Tigaki again or, possibly, Kos Town...but in the better area!

Concur with the airport situation. You're queuing outside until almost the very last minute...and that was at 8pm!

Kez1983

Definitely agree with the Kos Town recommendations - been there twice over the past few years. Bar street is a lively place that stays open until it gets light! With a mix of places for different tastes.

Beach, Waterpark, Castle, bubble beach, usual boat trips, day trip to turkey etc!

Kardemena is the 18-30's resort on the island, I went on bar crawls there both times, its the feet stick to the floor type of place! Ok for a night out, but not where I would want to stay!

Agree with everyones airport views, its like a shed and when all the tour buses arrive you are outside for quite a while! Unfortunately on one of my trips our plane was 8 hours late so we spent a looooong time outside!

I would consider private transfers so you can time them away from the tour buses!

EmmaParsons

I've been to Kos a couple of times and really like it.
If you want really lively then as others have said, you would need to look at Kardamena. It is the main 18-30 area, however there are some great hotels just on the outskirts that may fit your bill. I would look at the Sunny View Hotel, Lagas Aegean Village or even the Mikri Polis, which is a decent all inclusive.

Kos Town also has plenty going on, and has lots of great shops etc too. The marina here is great at night and there's a good selection of music bars and clubs too.

I was in Tingaki last year and although I enjoyed it, we travelled with a young child and didn't see much nightlife even in July. The beach here is great and there was a massive choice of places to eat and drink but nothing seemed to be lively to me and I'm not sure if it would be too quiet for what you're looking for.

There's lots to do in Kos itself for people of all ages. There's tons of boat trips, from relaxed day trips to booze cruises and even sunset cruises, as well as trips across to Turkey, Rhodes and Nisyros which is a volcanic island. If you're going as a couple I would recommend a sunset dinner in Zia, eat at the Taverna Oromedon teh food is lovely and the views are great but do book in advance.

ninadam

hi, my oh and i visited kos this year, we stopped at carda beach hotel in Kardamena which was lovely, its all inclusive which we gt a brilliant deal on but we ate out in Kardamena 4nights as i hate staying in the hotel all holiday. we are mid to late twenties and we didnt find kardamena too lively at all but to be fair we were goin home by the time the by the time clubbers were going out. but there was plenty of nice places to eat and i would return! but i would also consider kos town if we go back as i have seen some lovely hotels there & heard good things.

iloveshopping93

Thanks everyone for your input, it has been really helpful.
We have booked a lovely hotel just on the outskirts of Kardamena. It is only a 15 min walk to all the clubs, yet the hotel is in a very peaceful location with lovely views. We have gone for half board, but are looking to try out some of the authentic restaurants and Greek alcohol!
The waterpark is on our list of things to do, as well as some watersports.
We are also very interested in the trip to Turkey for the day (we visited Turkey this year and fell in love with the place).
Thanks all so much for the warnings about the airport! We have booked a package holiday with Thomas Cook so our transfers are included - if all else fails we are not too far from the airport anyway so can always get a taxi