Ionian Islands Beach Villas

We paid for five days but left on the second after a very tense phone conversation with one of the owners. The person I spoke with was rude and, instead of trying to understand the problems, threatened me with a 25% commission as well as charging for the two nights we'd already stayed. The property didn't match its luxurious description, and I ended up paying 300% more for a last-minute alternative. There were lots of issues in the house: 1. Most door locks, including the toilets and master bedroom, didn't work, and the keys wouldn't turn. 2. Lizards and spiders were everywhere. Our kids were afraid to use the toilets after one fell from the ceiling onto my child. This wasn't just nature: lizards had a nest in the WC door frame. 3. The fridge smelled bad. 4. A very bad smell came from the entrance WC two or three times a day. 5. The closet smelled so strongly of damp that we didn't hang our clothes in it. 6. There was no soap, even though this was a villa costing 240 per night. The excuse was that guests might have allergies. 7. During our first shower, the drain was completely blocked. Water wouldn't go down, and the local administrator opened it with a butter knife after we asked. 8. The internet connection was extremely bad, with a 3177ms ping and packet loss every 5-10 seconds. You couldn't browse or work. Forget internet access if you need to surf or work. 9. The TV signal was so bad that we couldn't watch TV. It worked for a while, then went black for an unknown amount of time. 10. Dishwashing wasn't included in the cleaning. We've stayed in much cheaper homes where this service was included. 11. Following GPS, we drove along a donkey path and were afraid for a while. After explaining this to the administrator, we learned of another route. It wasn't a donkey path, but a goat path.

The host is friendly, but don't come expecting things that might be included elsewhere. There was no pool, WiFi, shaded parking, or housekeeping at all, and none of that was made clear. Don't set your expectations too high.

This is away from most tourist spots and works well for families who enjoy very calm, quiet holidays.

A beautiful house, though you'll need a car to get to the nearby shops.