“After exploring various options with the team at Abbotts Travel, my wife and I opted for a two-week holiday to Candia Village, close to Agios Nicolaos on the Greek island of Crete. With the guidance of Sharron, we opted for a family studio. Flying with Jet2 was excellent. Despite the delay on take-off and the fact that we didn’t arrive until 3am, we were delighted with how spacious our accommodation was – particularly the large balcony.
A pleasing aspect of the village lay-out is that, whilst being a large complex, all accommodation was spaced in typical Greek-style streets and all no more than two stories high. We overlooked a green garden area that was mostly quiet.
All the staff seemed to be Cretan and from areas local to the complex. We found all, whether room cleaners, waiters, bar or pool attendants, were bright, cheery and helpful. The complex is very family/child friendly and we could see this possibly being a problem for a couple that want a quiet getaway.
Whilst this is very much what we both needed, we found the pool and beach options meant we could find our own space – particularly as we are sea rather than pool swimmers. The 3 tiers for the sunbeds meant the little ones were on the sand where the water ebbed, whilst we generally bedded down on level 2 or 3 to read between our swims.
We had thought of seeking other beaches to try but always opted for the resort’s private beach for it provided everything we needed - including a short walk for a midday beer.
We also found the occasional sounds of children having fun didn’t concern us.
We had the buffet breakfast just once and it was very good. However, thereafter we had breakfast on our balcony. We enjoyed the two evening buffets (one with the Cretan entertainment) – otherwise again dining at home or popping along to Olga’s, the nearby taverna, which was very good.
A few times we caught the bus into Ag. Nicolaos, which is a pretty town, where we bought fresh fish and embarked on a supermarket shop and, after a cooling beer, a taxi back to the resort.
We thought the day trip, which included a coach to Elounda and then a boat to Spinalonga Island (before more sea travel, swimming and an excellent lunch), was good value and a wonderful experience.
As much as we like to visit new resorts when we travel, we have ear-marked a return to Candia Park Village should we unfold plans to holiday with our children and grandchildren, due to the suitability for families, which would work for us. Our return home saw us on a very late flight and reception were most helpful in allowing us to remain in our accommodation until 6pm for a token 30 euro charge. Overall, an excellent holiday which we agreed we would not have found searching online. It truly was a case of Abbotts Travel’s expertise guiding us on our way and for that we are grateful.” David and Heather Hughes