Kum Kuat it a Go (Corfu)

Member Name: Dollanganger

Product:	Corfu
Date:	26/07/05 (1201 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Beautiful waters/scenery/architectu re, fantastic nightlife, blissfully not too tourist-orientated

Disadvantages: At times it's terribly hot, there's also a high mossie count to contend with

Let me set the scene. It’s autumn 2004, and a group of friends are disillusioned with life, work, study, and the dreadful Scottish weather. Luckily for this group of friends, amongst them is Dr. Dollanganger, who quickly diagnoses a case of the quite common ‘Severe Boredom and Lethargy Syndrome’. The way to combat this crippling problem? ‘Well,’ says the sharp witted Dr. Dollanganger, ‘I shall prescribe a two week course of antibiotics. I suggest the highly effective Holiday Drug. No go forth.’

That, fair readers, is how myself and four other friends found ourselves touching down in Kerkyra (more commonly known as Corfu) airport a short time ago.

*** Which resort, which resort? For there are so many to choose from…***

Over the past thirty years, Corfu’s popularity as a tourist destination has increased in leaps and bounds, meaning the selection of resorts is pretty decent. Luckily, though, Corfu is hardly on a par with destinations such as Spain, meaning that in each resort there is still a strong Greek culture and presence, which I found fantastic. There’s nothing worse than a town sold out to tourism, so thankfully every second shop is not, as you’d find in Spain, a tobacco retailer, but is in fact often a regular old supermarket or Greek off-license. The most popular resorts of Corfu are Ipsos, Sidari, Kassiopi, Kavos and Paleokastritsa. My party had opted for the slightly lesser known Gouvia, which I’d highly recommend for those looking for a resort that’s a bit more on the quiet side. That’s not to say it’s dead; there is indeed a wonderful array of Greek speciality restaurants, European restaurants, clubs, bars and beaches. The quiet element derives from the fact that most of the hotels and apartments are set slightly back from the main strip, which is a great advantage if you like your sleep! Having visited several of the other resorts during my two week stint, though, I would highly recommend Paleokastritsa. It’s one of the smallest resorts, but it is quite astoundingly beautiful and the least tourist-influenced place in Corfu. This would be the choice of older couples or families uninterested in the bumping nightlife, since the resort comprises of a few apartment blocks, a small number of gift shops, restaurants and a stunning marina with a mountain and sea view. The only problem? This resort is a fair distance from Corfu Town, meaning it’s also quite a trip from the airport. Fear not, rampant party people, there is a resort for your likes, and that is Sidari. Having met some friends there during our stay, we surmised that Sidari is by far the busiest resort. Chock full of English tourists and absolutely convoluted with bars and clubs, combined with the fact that it’s the only resort to house a MacDonalds is perhaps testament to just how tourist orientated it is.

Gouvia, mind, is the resort we got to know best, and it’s quite a fantastic stay. Only a twenty minute bus ride into Corfu Town, it has the benefit of two beaches (one of which our apartment block backed right onto, superb!) and is handy for various high interest places, be it the town, aqualand or the other resorts. As with most Greek resorts, the architecture is cracking, the majority of the Greek houses and apartments being painted in those bright pastel colours, looking clean and attractive all at once. Lovely indeed.

*** What to do, what do? ***

Now, if you’re the kind of traveller who spends their days sunning themselves by the pool, there is no need to read on. This is an active kind of holiday I’m speaking of. That’s not to say you can’t, from time to time, take a day out to bathe on the beach, for there certainly many beautiful sandy shores on Corfu to choose from. However, there is so many interesting things to do upon this island, it’d be a shocking waste if you spent your entire stay by a pool.

For the kids (or the kid in you) - Aqualand is the obvious choice. Now, the island isn’t huge, so no matter which resort you’re staying in, Aqualand will be no more than an hour’s journey away. For us, it was luckily only a ten minute bus ride away. I didn’t go myself (I’m not really one for the slides), though my friends did go, and they came back grinning like a pair of cheshire cats and with a fair bit of sun about them. Considering it’s the second largest aqua park in Europe (according to our rep anyway), this park has a huge range of slides and themed areas (pirates, jungles etc), and my friends certainly enjoyed their day there. Considering they’re both approaching twenty, it’s fair to say aqualand is just as accessible to those a bit older as it is to the kiddies.

For the intelligent people - Yes, that did in fact sound patronising. But if you’re a fifteen year old intent on getting served alcohol for the first time and meeting a holiday romance, you’re far from likely to be interested in this section. If you’re interested in getting some history (and some spectacular views) of the island as a whole, I’d highly recommend a grand island tour. This, contrary to what you may believe, is NOT a bus ride in which a guide with adequate English points out the quickly passing landmarks. The grand island tour sees you shuffled to the best resorts, the Greek Palace, a visit to a monastery, a ride on a glass bottomed boat and a stop for lunch in Paleokastritsa. Most of these tours follow the same route, and it’s a fantastic way to experience other niches of the island and learn some of Corfu’s history. The views you are treated to are absolutely stunning, making for a good picture opportunity, and the vast amount of information derived from the guide was top class, meaning I left Corfu feeling as though I’d studied its history. Now if I ever happen to speak to an Ionian and say ‘Wow, those Venetians eh?’ I’ll actually know what I’m talking about. Which is nice.

For the tourist in general - one of the must-sees in Corfu is Kerkyra Town itself. The modern section, in my opinion, is far too busy and a bit dirty, but the old town is a beautiful place to visit. The architecture, traditionally Greek, means that most of the buildings rise no higher than two stories, there is a very pretty array of colours to behold, and everything looks immaculately clean. There isn’t much byway of shops, though if there was, it couldn’t really be called the old town any more could it?


*** Anything else you big rambler? ***

If you visit Corfu, or the Greek mainland for that matter, chances are you’ll try the national drink, that being Ouzo. Fair enough, it’s a nice tasting drink and it’s a Greek institution. However, if you visit Kerkyra, you should try Kum Kuat, native to the island. With an citrus flavour (unsurprisingly), this is a very, very alcoholic drink, taken best in small quantities. It’s absolutely lovely, and a bottle makes a nice souvenir to take home, a shot now and again a lovely reminder of the hot days in Greece.

Another native taste is the olive oil, which is so vastly important to the Greek people. Corfu in particular produces a high amount of olive oil, and it’s almost a sacred commodity in Kerkyra, where it is used not only in food, but also in religious ceremonies, and in religious lanterns.

*** Some last important points ***

Bear with me people. Something that must be mentioned is the sanitary system in Corfu. Now, you will notice how lovely and clean the sea water is over there. The reason being that you cannot flush your toilet paper down the actual toilet, it actually has to be disposed of in a small bin. This may be completely abhorrent to the more prissy of you, so if you don’t think you can cope (wuss) then don’t go! It’s not a great bother, at the end of the day, the only problem is reminding yourself to do it.

Last, but not least, is my piece of advice. Take insect repellent. And lots of it. The mosquitoes are fierce in Corfu, and they do like to hang about by the pool, which can be a bugger (scuse my French).

Corfu is a truly beautiful island, steeped in history and blissfully still mainly untouched by the tourist machine. For a far more spiritual and cultural holiday you could find elsewhere in Europe, Kerkyra is highly recommended. Whether you’re a beach lover, a party person or someone interested in some Greek culture, you will find everything in Corfu. So if you find yourself suffering from the dreadful ‘Boredom and Lethargy Syndrome’, take Dr. Dollanganger’s advice and prescribe yourself a holiday in Kerkyra. It’s sure to solve your problem.

Summary: The most northern Ionian Island, Corfu is a beautiful place that is steeped in history