It seems to be the thing, these days that everyone wants to get married somewhere other than where they actually live. Combining the wedding location and the honeymoon destination in one is all the rage amongst newly weds.
So it was that my wife, our son and myself found ourselves heading for the Greek island of Rhodes, none of us had ever been to Rhodes, so the invitation to my sisters wedding on the island was an opportunity to discover the delights of Greece with the added attraction of enjoying the happy occasion with members of our family.
The wedding was to take place on the south side of the island at a tiny chapel by the waters edge near Lindos with the reception being held on the rooftop of a restaurant in Lindos, with wonderful views of the Acropolis. The wedding party were staying in nearby Pefkos in various locations, we decided to stay at the same establishment as the bride and groom (I was working on the assumption that they would have chosen a good place to stay for their honeymoon).
We booked through First Choice, staying at the Lindia Thalassa Apartments. These were self catering apartments and we chose a two bedroomed apartment with a separate bathroom and kitchen. We also had a balcony off of the main bedroom which had sea views and was only a few hundred yard walk to the beach.
Our flight was leaving Gatwick at 07:00 so it meant a very early start for us, leaving home at 01:00 having had very little sleep. We had pre-booked car parking with an off site company and arrived at their car park at 03:40. We were then taken by bus to the airport and we checked in at about 05:00. The flight left on time and we arrived in Rhodes at 13:00 local time. First Choice had arranged transfer to our apartment which took about an hour, the journey to Pefkos gave us our first glimpse of Rhodes.
We were arriving two days before the wedding and were only staying for one week, the rest of the wedding party had already been on the island for a week and as our coach pulled up outside the hotels reception area, we could see a welcoming party awaiting our arrival. A quick freshen up and change of clothes and we were soon sat around the swimming pool, enjoying a cold drink and a light lunch. It had been arranged that tonight was a joint stag/hen night and we were all meeting up in a local restaurant for dinner before going on to a nearby bar, we wouldn’t be catching up on any lost sleep tonight! After a brief walk to the beach and a little exploration of our holiday home, we got ready for the nights festivities.
The following morning did not lend itself to a lay in either as our First Choice holiday rep had arranged a meeting at 10:30 which we attended to find out information on the island, and to book excursions. The first excursion that we booked with our Rep was a trip to Symi, a beautiful island just 5 miles from Turkey, we would be taken by coach from our hotel to Rhodes town and then catch the ferry to Symi which takes you within just a few hundred feet of the coast of Turkey. Once on Symi we would have a few hours to walk about (guided walking tour included) and time to get some lunch in a local restaurant. This trip was well worth going on as Symi is a stunning place, with beautiful houses and little fishing boats.
The second excursion was just a transfer into Rhodes Old Town. We could have used local transport or hired a taxi, but the price of the coach was comparable to a taxi and we felt safer using the tour companies coach. We did use local taxis on a couple of occasions, once to take us into Lindos where we then hired donkeys to take us to the top of the Acropolis, fantastic views and a unique mode of transport.
Rhodes is a varied island with the best beaches in the south around Pefkos, the water is very clear and we spent many hours swimming with the fish, with my son and I using a snorkel for the first time, which proved to be a great experience. Some areas can be a little arid and rugged but it is never dull and there is of course an abundance of olive groves.
There is plenty to do on and off the island, the weather of course lends itself to swimming and sunbathing, there is plenty of night life with numerous bars and restaurants and of course there is always sight seeing with a lot of history in the old town. We also took a trip on a glass bottomed boat which enabled us to see a variety of fish and marine life. The trip also included a stop in one of the many beautiful bays, in order that we could go swimming from the boat.
The resort that we were staying at was in a perfect location, within easy walk of Pefkos with its many bars, restaurants and shops, and of course right on the beach. The facilities were good with swimming pool with poolside bar and restaurant, a mini market where you could buy your provisions if you choose to self cater, the apartments were clean and well furnished. The hotel also put on entertainment in the evenings, ranging from special Greek nights with dancing to Karaoke nights. Eating out was not only cheap but also a great experience, this was my first taste of Greek food and I loved it, although it did seem that just about every dish included cheese, but then I love cheese as I do fish which was also plentiful.
The wedding setting was magnificent and I can see why the happy couple chose Rhodes as the setting for their special day, we all had a wonderful time and it wasn’t just down to the occasion, Rhodes really is a lovely island and a perfect holiday getaway, I would be more than happy to return some day.
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