Discover beautiful ancient villages and stunning scenery and see Crete’s lovely wild flowers, spectacular natural landscapes of fertile valleys, dramatic gorges and high, isolated plains, and archaeological sites – all in the company of a specialist tour lecturer.
Highlights include
- Explore the island in the company of a Specialist Tour Lecturer
- See Crete's lovely wild flowers and spectacular natural landscapes
Included excursions
- Omalos Plateau
- Akrotiri Peninsula & Chania
- Knossos & Heraklion
- Polirinia
- Megala Chorafia & Aptera
Meal arrangements
- 7 nights half board plus 1 lunch
Also included
- The services of a specialist tour lecturer and a local guide
- Hotel porterage
Specialist Tour Lecturer
In addition to a local guide, each group will be accompanied by a specialist tour lecturer such as Charles Nelson. The specialist lecturer may vary with departure date. An authority in flowers and gardens, your lecturer will provide a wonderfully in-depth insight into the flora and landscapes of this beautiful region. The maximum group size for this tour is 30.
Charles Nelson
For almost 20 years I worked in the National Botanic Gardens in Dublin, and since becoming a specialist tour lecturer I have enjoyed travelling to places where flowers abound – Cyprus, the Italian lakes, Madeira, the Azores and Crete. I think that Page & Moy holidays are so special due to their relaxed pace, well-arranged tried and tested programme and local expertise. One of my best memories of a tour is arriving on the first morning in Crete and marvelling at the astonishing view of the White Mountains.
Your Accommodation
PERLE HOTEL & HEALTH SPA MARINE
7 nights half board. An excellent hotel situated on the north-west coast of the Akrotiri peninsula, between the villages of Stavros and Tersanas. All rooms feature private facilities, air-conditioning, satellite TV, safety deposit box and hair dryer. The hotel has two restaurants and bars, a swimming pool and spa facilities.
Your Itinerary
DAY 1 UK/CHANIA
We fly to Chania via Athens and on arrival transfer to our hotel in the Akrotiri Penninsula for a seven-night stay. This is a tour of contrasts; flora and fauna and visits to the less-frequented cultural sites of the region combine to make this a special holiday that you will never forget. Your itinerary has been carefully designed and is supported by the knowledge of your specialist tour lecturer and experienced local guide.
DAY 2 AKROTIRI PENINSULA & CHANIA
This morning we explore the Akrotiri Peninsula. Our first stop is to the Byzantine monastery at Agia Triada where we visit the beautiful church and garden. We follow the road to Gourvenetou Gorge where we have a short ramble to look for flowers before travelling to Chania. Here we visit the Venetian harbour and the Archaeological Museum and covered market. The rest of the day is free to explore.
DAY 3 KNOSSOS & HERAKLION
Today we drive to Knossos to see excavations of the great Minoan Palace that lay buried here for millennia. This afternoon we visit an exhibition of the most famous treasures of the Archaeological Museums of Heraklion.
DAY 4 THE WHITE MOUNTAINS & SAMARIA GORGE
We begin with a drive to the Omalos Plateau. Travelling through the spectacular scenery of the White Mountains, we hope to see peonies, tulips, daphnes and anemones growing in the foothills. For those who wish, there will be the opportunity to walk the last few miles to the top of the Samaria Gorge and enjoy the stunning views. There will be time for lunch (not included) before returning to the hotel.
DAY 5 CHORA SKAFION, IMBROS & FRANGOKASTELLO
Travelling south through the imposing White Mountains, across the upland plains of Askifou and via Imbros Gorge, where we have the opportunity to walk a few miles through the gorge, we reach the pretty village of Chora Skafion. After some free time we continue to Frangokastello, where we visit the impressive Venetian fortress dating from 1371.
DAY 6 POLIRINIA
We encounter beautiful rural landscapes today as we drive to the ancient village of Polirinia. There will be an opportunity to walk to a lovely church overlooking the village along a path lined with wild flowers including asphodeles, tree spurge and poppies.
DAY 7 APTERA & CHANIA
Today we visit the lovely hilltop city state of Aptera where we can see stunning views over the bay and plain of Chania. Here we find the site of an ancient city protected by massive walls, dating from the 5th century BC. Temples, a newly excavated Roman amphitheatre and a Byzantine monastery all stand deserted in this romantic landscape, filled with wild flowers. Lunch is included. We travel back to Chania for lunch in one of its charming taverns.
DAY 8 CHANIA/UK
We return to Chania airport for the homeward flight.
Travel Extras
We know that picking your dream destination is the biggest part of making your perfect holiday come true. But there are a number of other decisions that have to be made such as where to park at the airport and who to change your money with, to name but a few. So to really get every aspect of your holiday sorted we have set up a one stop travel shop and useful links section for you to organise all your travel needs, leaving you to concentrate on having a memorable and relaxing holiday with Page & Moy.
Holiday Extras - save up to 60%
You can benefit from access to Holiday Extras, a separate company that can organize a whole range of services from airport hotels and secure airport parking to VIP liunges in airports, and more, at 23 airports across the UK.
To book go to http://www.holidayextras.co.uk/pageandmoy.html.
If you find the same parking facility or hotel for less within seven days of booking, tell Holiday Extras and they will match the price or refund the difference. Conditions apply.
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Airport Lounges from Lounge Pass
Start your holiday off refreshed and relaxed by taking advantage of our VIP airport lounge offer, available at a number of airports, both here and abroad. From as little as £15 each, you’ll enjoy a peaceful and tranquil environment, where you can enjoy complimentary drinks and snacks, read the papers, check your email or simply relax and watch TV until your flight is called.
For details, please click here.
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Casual Clothing from Lands’ End
Lands' End offer an extensive range of high quality casual and tailored clothes for men and women. Choose from their selection of jackets, knitted tops, trousers, dresses, skirts and more.
For details, please visit www.landsend.co.uk
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Photography from Jessops
Jessops is the UK's leading specialist photographic retailer. With great on-line savings on hundreds of products, including digital cameras, camcorders, lenses, batteries and much more, plus free delivery on mainland UK orders over £75, Jessops has all your photographic needs covered.
For details, please visit www.jessops.com
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Travel Accessories from Travel with Care
Travel With Care offers a comprehensive range of travel accessories, with everything you need for your holiday. From First Aid, DVT Prevention and Healthcare to money belts, wallets, waterproofs, toiletries, alarm clocks, and much, much more.
For details, please visit www.travelwithcare.com
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Getting you there - European Holidays
Fly direct from your local airport Giving you choice is one of our main priorities, so when it comes to flights, instead of offering just Heathrow or Gatwick as departure airports, whenever possible we offer to fly you direct from your nearest airport to your holiday destination either free or for a supplement of just £29 per person.
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Choice of 20 airports
You have the choice to fly direct to your holiday destination from up to 20 regional airports throughout the UK for a supplement of no more than £29 per person return.
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Regional connecting flights to London from only £69
If you can’t fly direct to your destination from your local airport (see individual holiday details), usually you will have the choice of taking a regional connecting flight to Heathrow or Gatwick from as little as £69 per person return. If your connecting flight and your flight from Gatwick or Heathrow is with British Airways or British Midland, your luggage will automatically be checked through to your final destination, so there’s no need to collect or check your luggage in twice.
Fly from:
Aberdeen, Belfast, Durham Tees Valley, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Jersey, Leeds/Bradford, Manchester, Newcastle, Newquay
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Make your own way and save up to £150 per person
You may want more flexibility to make your own travel arrangements to combine your trip with visits to friends and relatives or travel from an airport which we do not offer. If so, why not take advantage of our make your own way option. We offer a reduction of £150 off many of our holidays to allow you to make your own arrangements, if that is what you want. Details of where this option is available are shown on each holiday.
Please remember that these arrangements do not include flights or transfers and you will need to make your own travel arrangements at the beginning and end of your holiday.
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Getting you there - Worldwide Holidays
To get your holiday off to a great start, we offer a range of transfer options with our compliments.
You can choose from the following options:
1. Experience door-to-door travel with Page & Moy (2009 departures only)
If you live within a 250-mile drive of your departure airport, we will arrange for a taxi to pick you up from your door and take you to the airport, and drop you home on your return, with our compliments.
2. FREE Connecting flights
If you live further than 250 miles from the airport, or if you prefer, you can opt to transfer to the main departure airport by a connecting flight from an airport closer to home (subject to availability).
3. FREE National Express coach travel
Alternatively, why not choose coach travel on the extensive national express network, with over 1,200 collection points nationwide. What’s more, we’ll pay for your ticket!
4. FREE airport car parking (2009 departures only)
If you would prefer the flexibility of travelling independently to the airport, we are pleased to offer
the option of free parking at your departure airport.
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