Tour dell'isola di Cefalonia di Corelli da Zante

Our tour guide (Kay) was friendly, has a lot of knowledge with tips and was well organized because of a cruise that was also on its way to the Melissani Cave. She had changed the schedule a bit so that we would not stand in line with the people of the cruise and therefore there was no waiting time of 1.5 hours for those 10 minutes in the cave! We could immediately walk through and quietly enjoy the surroundings, it was incredibly beautiful, as was the Drogarati Cave! The tour took a very long time (07:10 pick up to 21:00 drop off at the hotel) but you cannot escape that with a large group. All in all a fun and enjoyable day.

We recently went on a 13-hour tour with Kay, who had a wealth of knowledge about the history of the places we visited. However, despite her expertise, the experience was far from enjoyable. Our group consisted of four people, and we often felt ignored by her. For instance, when she asked how many ferry tickets we needed, I responded with "four," and she replied in an unacceptable tone, almost shouting, "How many children?" This was particularly frustrating as I was standing there with my only child. On the bus, she asked how many cave tickets we wanted, and after the previous incident, I told her we needed one child and three adult tickets. Again, she snapped back with a tone that made it seem like I had upset her, responding, "Four then." This pattern continued throughout the 13-hour journey, as she repeatedly asked the same questions. It’s understandable to forget details, but her attitude made it feel personal, especially since she was kind to other members of the group. As a Hungarian fluent in English, I felt singled out. The tour did have its beautiful moments; some guests seemed to enjoy the stunning views from the bus. However, for those who prefer to explore places in-depth, this tour was not ideal. For instance, we went up to see the beautiful Myrtos Beach but had only about five minutes to take pictures from a distance. Our time in the capital was limited to just 30 minutes, which felt rushed. We also had an hour for lunch, but Kay took us to a restaurant that seemed to have additional charges, possibly service fees, which was another disappointment. Additionally, she suggested that if anyone was late, she would leave them behind, which created unnecessary stress. Although we were never late, she often seemed eager to get on the bus about 10 minutes early, adding to the rushed feeling of the tour. Many people around us shared the same sentiment, feeling that the tour was too hurried. While the views were beautiful and Kay’s knowledge was impressive, the overwhelming stress and lack of consideration for our group’s needs made the experience less enjoyable. By the halfway point, we were all feeling worn out and just wanted to go home. Given these issues, I don’t think I would book another tour like this again.

Led by Kay our informative and friendly guide we took the ferry from Zante to Kefalonia, next we went down around 180 steps into the huge Drogarati caves with majestic stalagtites and mites, then a boat trip on the underground lake at Mellisani cave, lunch in Agia Efimia, a photo stop at Myrtis beach (Captain Corelli fame) and we spotted a Loggerhead Turtle in Argostoli Marina before getting the ferry back!