Изумрудный остров Emerald Island

I usually don't write reviews after visiting another resort, as it seems to me that each person has their own requirements for relaxation. As they say, who loves watermelon, and someone likes pork cartilage. But this time I decided to share my impressions of the island of Corfu. The following prompted me to do this: before the trip, I deviated from my rules and decided to look at the reviews of those who had already been there. This is due to the fact that we were traveling with my sister and two small children without being accompanied by representatives of the stronger sex. I was interested in the roads, the possibility of an individual transfer and, of course, the weather. Yes, I made a huge mistake! Friends, never read reviews - they are written only by dissatisfied people! I read the reviews after we bought the tickets. And after reading the opinions, I seriously decided to hand over the permits. I was interested in reviews of the hotel "Gellina Village" in the town of Acharavi. And what did I find out? "Huge wild territory", hordes of snakes crawling along the paths and biting unfortunate tourists, terrible service at the reception and clouds of Germans, for whom there is all the entertainment. In a separate line there were reviews about some building of Gellin Mare, in which devastation and desolation reigned and in which only dumb Russians were settled. To say I was shocked is an understatement! I was especially impressed by the snakes and the ruined rooms. But my sister, who chose this hotel, categorically refused to take vouchers and forbade me to climb on the Internet, "reading all sorts of nonsense"!
In general, we went. Friends advised us not to bring things into the room immediately upon check-in. While things are not in the room - you are not settled there. We decided that if the room is destroyed, then we will demand another one.
The flight from Vnukovo took 3 hours and 30 minutes (by the way, we flew back in 2 hours and 45 minutes! ). At the airport of Corfu (Kerkyra) we were met by representatives of the company "Kaulunas Travel" and taken to the hotel. At the airport, I was pleasantly surprised by the friendliness of the customs officers and passport control.

Our hotel was located in the village of Acharavi, which is 40 km from Kerkyra, the capital of the island. We drove along the serpentine for about 1.5 hours. Everyone was sick. So, take the "Dramina" with you, my child also gets sick on the flat roads of Central Russia, so I was fully armed. Buses are comfortable.
At the hotel reception, we were served within 15 minutes, and the staff was very kind, there was even a girl, Yulia, who spoke Russian.
The hotel is really a very large area, with small buildings scattered across it. They have the names of the children and grandchildren of the owner of the hotel (Niki, Eugenia, Basilia, etc. ). The territory is very green, the vegetation is diverse, clean. True, there was some unfinished football field and unennobled thickets around it, but it was far from the main buildings. The territory has its own very bad water park, free for hotel guests, except Tuesday.
the room consisted of 2 large rooms with double beds and all the necessary standard set of a good hotel, a shared kitchen with a stove and a refrigerator, a bathroom.
We liked it and we allowed to bring things.
Sea. The sea is just very good. The beach is sandy and clean. Sunbeds are free, umbrellas are sometimes not enough. The sea was warm, very clean, sandy bottom. Super for children! There were storms 4 times in 2 weeks, but it was impossible to pull the Russians out of the water. The children were waiting for the waves and were very fond of diving into them, bringing the rescuers to hysterics. Please note that the yellow flag on the lifeguard tower means that children must be pulled out of the water.
Nutrition. I will say one thing: everyone could find what suited him. Personally, I liked the food least of all the hotel bells and whistles. Although everything is very high quality, there is enough choice. Basically I chose fish dishes - they were good!
Service. Cleaned every day except Sunday. Towels were changed daily. Very nice maid, by the end of our stay she had learned a few words in Russian. No one impudently asks for a tip - this is not Egypt.

ENTERTAINMENT. Here, of course, the reviews turned out to be true. Animation is simply NOT there. Also for German children, two anemic girls and two highlighted boys sing songs, but even then very sluggishly. Have fun, i. e. go to cafes with live music in Acharavi. Restaurant prices are very low.
Excursions. The representative of the company was at the hotel every day, according to the schedule. The choice of excursions is huge. Be sure to go to Paleokastritsa - an unusually beautiful place on the Adriatic coast of Corfu and, of course, to Kerkyra. The capital of the island is something special, incomparable.
Shopping. A lot of beautiful jewelry, relatively inexpensive, especially not in Corfu. In Acharavi, we had a little less choice, and the prices were 1%. 20 below. A lot of souvenirs and national products. There is nothing else to buy there. Some of the group asked the price of furs, but they explained to us that Corfu is not included in the "fur coat shop tour", the prices for them there are higher than in Russia.
I summarize. I really liked it. The child (10 years old) unequivocally said that he liked it more than in cheerful Turkey. The island has its own unusually warm aura. Wonderful nature, the eyes just rest. If you need only you and your family and mood for rest, feel free to stay in Hellina Village. And remember, this is not Turkey, where everything sparkles and sings 24 hours a day. This is a healthy and measured rest.