Reviewed 20 Jul 2008 by Sara Wettling
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
There were too many memorable & exciting moments to recount! We did this Stay & Sail as our honeymoon, and it was a perfect balance of relaxation and adventure. Kayaking through the clear water with new friends, meeting a donkey during a bike ride, sailing our own boat through sometimes peaceful and sometimes adventurous waters, anchoring ship and swimming in a cove, enjoying an organized meal with other flotilla members, having a cocktail with the group at the top of a tower in Old Town Korcula, finding a romantic restaurant off the beaten path (restaurant Grubinjac... highly recommended), sharing a bottle of wine with the boat next door.... Everything about it was great!
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Buy some of your simple provisions ahead of time through the tour operators online provision option. You can get your boat pre-stocked with water, wine, crackers, cheese, etc. which saves time when you get there. Though it's nice to choose some things when you arrive so you get exactly what you want. Save your recyclables until you get to a marina that accepts them. We had a great time with just the two of us, but you'll have more "lazy time" while sailing if you have a bigger crew.
You have a lot of flexibility to do what YOU want to do while you're on the trip, so go for it! If you want to ride a bike, ride a bike... if you want to do nothing, do nothing. It was really fun getting to know other people on the trip, but we also enjoyed time to ourselves.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
I feel that it benefited locals because we typically ate dinner at a restaurant (though it was not required) each night when we moored our boats; all of these were local, not chain, restaurants. We minimized the impact on the environment by doing mostly unmotorized activities, i.e., kayaking, biking, swimming, hiking. Though we did have to motor our boat sometimes, we sailed whenever we could. We discovered that some of the marinas had recycling bins, so we were able to properly dispose of bottles there, but wish we had know earlier because we did end up throwing out many plastics.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Overall, it was amazing! We really loved our honeymoon. The trainer and the lead-boat crew were great... they made us feel safe while always encouraging a good time. It was fun going to quaint little towns and exploring different islands while also getting to see a bigger city. The first week of relaxation and training was also lovely, and just what we were in the mood for.
Reviewed 27 Jun 2008 by Francois du Plessis
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Learning to sail, the professional staff and the fact that we could enjoy the freedom of sailing on our own while still having the support of the crew. It was amazing to visit places off the beaten track.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Do not hesitate to book! We have never sailed before and were a bit skeptical but we have never has such an amazing holiday experience.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Absolutely!!!
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent, worth every penny spent!
Reviewed 09 Oct 2008 by Abbie Badcock
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Sat on the beautiful secluded beach between Gayos and Mongonissi on the Island of Paxos, after a great day sailing.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
No need for high heels! Waterproofs are definitely desirable, as you never know when the waves/rain will splash you. The holiday was a great experience - especially as it was in 2 halves. Lots of activities for the first week so bring good shoes (trainers and aqua shoes) and then great sailing the second week. Bring torch and hand wash. Our sailing was a bit like camping (didn't really shower much on the boat) but really worthwhile and great fun.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
I'd hope so. The local restaurateurs seemed to benefit from our custom and there were a huge number of family owned Greek Tavernas that were friendly and welcoming. We were conscious sailors, making sure to use the engine as little as possible and not pollute the waters with rubbish or non-bio degradable products.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
I'd say the trip was a great break. Feel rested and recovered. Our yacht was a bit old, damp and quite worn out. Needed constant attention from the Engineer from the lead crew of the flotilla. The newer and bigger yachts were a lot more expensive - but if you like the luxury, I'd recommend it. The hotel was good - yes, lots of steps (184 from top to bottom) and the food was nice. Bar prices though were very high. Same as London bar prices really - so best to try buy bottles of water / wine from the nearby supermarket in Sivota and bring back to the hotel. The lead crew, and yacht instructors, were really great. Very friendly, patient and helpful - on hand to make everyone's stay as good as possible. Felt really rested after our break (even though didn't get much sleep through violent thunderstorms night before flew home) and am glad we decided to do the trip. If you get the chance - go for it! Northern flotilla is ideal for more sailing, Southern has shorter journeys and not so many miles.
Reviewed 27 Sep 2007 by Liz Walls
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Dolphins swimming at the bow of the yacht, and me being worried about running it over!
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
The stay and sail option is brilliant, weather you are learning to sail or doing other activities, it gives the option of lying in some of the week and trying new things!
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Most of the places we stayed at were in small bays that relied on the flotillas arriving and using their restaurants. Also, staff at the hotel and the marinas included local people as well as Brits (who really just supported the instruction and activities). The staff encouraged minimizing environmental impacts, but some customers were better than others.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent - we were novices to this, and with only 2 of us were a bit worried about taking a boat out on our own after only 4 days of lessons. We needn't have been - the tuition was great, the country and people amazing, and the operator staff a credit to the company. We will definitely go on this kind of holiday again.
Reviewed 06 Aug 2007 by Martin Haworth
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The Flotilla yachting.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Go for it.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Just aware not to put anything in the sea, but yes.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Amazing.
1of3
