Maistrali Apartments Reviews

If u are looking for a very clean & Friendly hotel , u will be very satisified with Maistrali ....everything very clean & tidy , all the Staff are Brill & the owners could not do enough to make our holiday enjoyable . Special mention to the Bar ...Steve & Jackie are excellent ... If u are looking for a very relaxing Holiday , this is it !

we stayed at maistrali in Sept 2008 we found the whole experience very good, the apartments were spotlessly clean we even had the bins emptied on Sundays the food on site was very good and all of the staff were so very nice and helpful.Miltos and Effie treated us all as if we were relations which made the stay even better.We will be ba ck there next year. well done

Arrived on Sunday lunchtime 12.30 and by 1.00pm felt like we had never been away (this is our third time) and we didn’t have to wait long to meet someone we knew. Pete and his family from Barnsley shouted some abuse across the pool and we knew we were back at home!

As usual, Miltos, Effie, Steve, Jackie and Voula were all on hand to welcome us and deal with our every request, and within a couple of days we had made lots new pals; Charlie and Ross, Alan and Alison, and Andy and Caroline. This is a really friendly place.

We spent a couple of nights in Tsilivi, one great evening watching the mighty England crush Croatia in a World Cup qualifier (many drinks) and another just chilling watching the world go by (many drinks also)

Tragaki itself is quiet but the restaurant at Amboula beach is fantastic and we managed to get caught up in a Greek christening one night (many drinks)

The whole holiday was nearly knackered by the rather inconsiderate collapse of XL Airlines, which my wife took totally personally, but once again Voula came to the rescue and due largely to her help we got to the airport at the right time and only had to hang around for a couple of hours

All in all business as usual at the Maistrali and we will be back next year at about the same time

Mike and Glenis

Loved the apartment complex very relaxing for first few days, nothing else around at all to do especially if you have teenagers, food and service was great and the bar staff (welsh couple were brill) The locals got priority ie got to leave on departure days hours after check out time amonst other things. Met some really great people but would not return to this resort or hotel/apartment complex.

Arrived on Sun 25 May 08 at the Maistrali Apartments. We had E-Mailed previously to request an apartment not on the ground floor and received a reply from Voula saying she would do her best. We were disappointed when we were offered a ground floor apartment. We complained and were told for an extra 10 euros per day we could have a top floor apartment. We reluctantly agreed (another £58 onto the cost of the holiday). The room was excellent and the balcony looked both onto the centre of the complex and also the sea.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Maistrali. The food was great and reasonably priced and the bar and restaurant were very ably managed by Steve and his partner Jackie.

The brochures say that Tsilivi is only 2 kilometers away. Rubbish its about a 50 min walk or a 7 euro taxi journey.

Tragaki itself is very quiet in fact too quiet. It only has one or two bars and tavernas. It boasts two beaches which are not very pretty.

We went into Tsilivi a couple of times and quite enjoyed it with its large array of pubs and restaurants although I can imagine it could be a bit noisy later on at night.

We did the cruise to Smugglers Cove which was superb. The colour of the water is breathtaking although chilly. Swimming from the boat was also on offer.

The weather for our week was very warm and we had no rain until we got off the plane at Glasgow Airport.

If you wish to see any pictures of my holiday you are welcome to view them at rcraigp.co.uk

Fantastic holiday! Very relaxing, Effie and Miltos very friendly and welcoming. Steve and Jackie in the bar and restaurant brilliant. One of the best holidays we have had!

The MAISTRALI HOTEL is in TRAGAKI BEACH a small and very peaceful location 3 kms north of TSILIVI.

The complex has about 50 apartments, with a large swimming pool (and kiddies pool ) as the central feature. There is a bar and restaurant on site. The food there was excellent-my favourite was the lamb. Prices were good ( abt 7 euros per main course) We ate there most nights and always enjoyed the food. There was also a breakfast and lunch menu available.

The apartments came equipped with a fridge, toaster and kettle and a two ring hot plate.There was a balcony to sit out on and enjoy the sunshine. TIP- If you get an apartment at the far end- you get the bonus of great sea-views over to Kefalonia and the mainland. The cleaners kept the apartments spotless.

The staff were the most friendly and helpful we have come across- - Jenny and Voula at reception were superb - they will also teach you some Greek to use on your holiday- to impress or puzzle the locals - Steve and Jackie at the bar/ restaurant were terrific and so helpful. The owner Miltos and his wife Effie - were always on hand and worked long hours to make sure your holiday went as hoped. Because the staff are friendly it helps the guests relax and enjoy their holidays much more.

There are two small but pebbly beaches within a few minutes of the hotel. The Amboula beach was the better one and there are several tavernas there. Our favourite was the Amboula Beach Restaurant (one on the right at the waters edge- ) extensive menu- good food- good prices and friendly service.

There were several good walks in the area-from gentle ones through the olive groves to the more strenuous one up to TRAGAKI in the hills some 4 kms away. The views from the hilltops are superb.If you go there visit-Harrys Bar or cafe- a lovely old Greek couple run it and it is like stepping back in time. They only seem to sell-cans of juice and beer and ice lollies and crisps.

The reception staff will point you in the right direction. There is another beach to visit -abt 3kms away- turn right at the Crossroads Taverna_ then down the country lane to the beach- return via the coastal path passing the church on the cliff top. The views from there are terrific. Well worth the walk. The path brings you to the small beach near to the hotel.

There is a small supermarket- opposite the hotel-open 8am to 10pm. It sells everything the self catering holidaymaker needs. Prices are reasonable.

All in all the complex was superb- the local area was quiet- perfect for peace and quiet. We had a super holiday.

MONEY SAVER TIP - We booked direct on their own website booked a flight only from Edinburgh, with Direct Holidays. We saved plenty compared to booking with the major travel companies. Try it and see if it benefits you. Taxi from Zante airport to the hotel was 17 euros each way.

TSILIVI was 3 kms away- a 30-40 minute walk- or 5 euros in a taxi. TIP- if walking -walk there and taxi it back to avoid the steep hill at start of Tsilivi.There is also a bus from nr the hotel to town- just over one euro per fare-The town was lively with dozens upon dozens of bars and hotels -and cafes- very popular with the teens and twenties- The beach there is excellent and goes for a couple of miles.

ZANTE AIRPORT- arrivals are easy- and taxis sit at the front door. Departures are less fun! The check in/luggage scanning needs serious updating and is slow- expect queues -the departures hall is small and seats are limited- TIP_ take your own water/juice-and snack to eat before boarding- save on the high prices inside the building. We were lucky to be warned and and were grateful for the tip.

We would certainly recommend staying at the MAISTRALI and we would return there.

Another fantastic holiday at the Maistrili (2nd yr running).
The staff are wonderful, so friendly, you feel like one of the family. The food is excellent and you will be hard pushed to beat it anywhere.
The whole place is lovely and clean, I just can't fault it.
Met lots of lovely people and will be staying in touch with some of them.

Tsilivi is only a 10 min taxi ride away and costs about 7 Euros, you can walk but it is quite a way. There are loads of places to eat here but that's all we went for just for a change. Try Majestic, Contesina (Italian), all good.

We will return!

if u book a hol at the MISTRALI u wont go far wrong,owners and staff are magic (we know they want your custom but they are really genuine) say hello to PEDRO handy man ,pool cleaner,case carrier,gardener,u name it. previous comments about rooms and cleaners are spot on, eating out,great meals at all the taverns but a special mention about ";THE WAVE"; bottom of the hill on the left hand side at Amboula Beach,look out for ALEX the owner a dead ringer for PETER KAYE, by the 3rd visit u will have met all the family from the chef to the grandchildren,dont think about rushing the meal you sit there till the small hours.

Went to tsilivi once in the 2 weeks, too fast for us,it loses its greek feel ,great for yougsters though. trips out/ didnt do any ,kept saying lets do it tomorrow but we were so laid back round the pool or on the beach tomorrow never came,till it was time to go home (sad) will go back to maistrali again.

one word of warning......... take plenty of water and food to the airport, cost of food and drink a real rip off but that was the only dowside. all in all great holiday.

We went 1st-15 may 2006.The appartments were very clean and towels were changed more that it was said in the broucher, the pool area was clean and relaxing, plenty of sunbeds. The staff were very friendly and helpful nothing was to much trouble steve behind the bar was brill and welsh. the food at the appartments was great and the Greek night was good value for 10 euros per adult and 5 for kids.

there is a handy supermarket over the road costas which is reasonably priced. Tragaki is quite far out from the nearest resort of tsvilli about 45 mins walking so not thta great if you have kids, however the second week we were there the buses started running and were very regular. we hired a car from eurocar and it was reasonable. If you are going it is probably best to go in season although the weather was lovely very hot, the first week of our stay there was nothing open no resturants or shops. we went to the blue caves which are a must really breathtaking.

all in all it was a good relaxing holiday with nice friendly people.

We had a fabulous time at this resort. The staff were wonderful. Jenny and Voula in reception always helpful and smiling. Myltos and Efie the owners couldn't do enough for us and it was my name day whilst I was there and they celebrated with cake at midnight which was a nice touch.

Steve the barman and Jackie went out of their way to make our holiday fun and the yamis time special in the evening.

This a lovely resort, very peaceful with lots of lovely walks to nearby beaches which were for the most part deserted for part of the day.

We walked up to Kypseli in the hills around 1 hour to visit the two churches and were the only toursits in what is a lovely greek village. We were treated to greek yoghurt and honey and a beer in the only cafe.

It is easy to walk into Tsvili but the best way is to take a left at the crossroads and walk down through lovely olive groves and come out directly at the beach.

Amboula beach is lovely and just a short walk from the hotel. There are a few tavernas nearby on the way to Amboula beach and we ate in the Italian which was fantastic. The meals in the Maistrali are excellent and we ate there most days, the greek omelette and village lamb were definate favouritess.

The studios are well equipped with toaster, kettle, hotplate and fridge. We had a room by the pool and got the sun on our verandah every morning.

We made lots of friends and will keep in touch.

I would definately recommend this apartments for couples and perhaps families with children under 5

Looking forward to our return trip.

Happy to say previous reports are spot on.Mastrali is a great place for a relaxing time.I e-mailed before hand to ask for a top floor (better views)and no noise from above!,Jenny on reception gave us just that,at the rear of the complex with views straight out to sea .
The local tavernas are all good,didnt have a bad meal all week,prices for two of us were 24-28E,usually including a quite palatable litre of house wine.

Had a car for 2 days,went north first day and managed to get lost in the hills,(lack of road signs!)Did the blue cave trip from a local boat near the site for 7.5e each,nice little boat trip but not exactly breathtaking,glad we didnt pay thomsons price ! Quite a nice beach at Alikes.
Second day went south through main town and about 10k down the road there is a large sandy beach with several beach bars sunbeds etc.

All this and with planes on time and no delays at airport , great.

These apartments are only a short transfer from the airport so that is a good start. They are actually no where near Tragaki which is a typical small inland Greek village but the locality does not matter and the area is very rural and quiet. A very good mini market is directly opposite the entrance. The design of the complex is somewhat odd in that all the blocks face inwards. The highest is three stories. I say odd because they look in on each other over the pool in the main and yet the back doors have wonderful views over either the coast/sea or the countryside. So the down side is you miss out on the views but the good side is you get to see all that is going on around the pool and the main blocks get the day time sun.

You may not have noticed from the brochure but there are about 50 units on this site. This (obviously) means about 100 residents and that means they support and good bar but again the downside is endless loud music especially during the evening when a conversation means shouting. As a result of the canyon type design the noise echoes around all the buildings. On arrival we were allocated a ground floor apartment alongside the entrance. On request we were quickly and efficiently moved to somewhere a little quieter. If you are happy to climb stairs ask for block 'A' or 'B' in the 300's. 307 in either block has the splendid sea and coast views. The area is very quiet but the apartments are not really peaceful especially if you are situated near the bar.

Top marks go to Jenny and Voula on reception who are just typical of the lovely Greeks and did a wonderful job.
The apartments themselves are above average in the Greek sense and even had a toaster, rare indeed. No tea pot though. Also very clean. The pool was also exceptionally well kept but slopes a little quickly towards the deep end. Good sunbathing room all round the pool.

There are three or four very good tavernas within a comfortable walk which are an excellent excuse not to go to the dreadful Tsilivi which you will like if you cannot do without the sun - the newspaper that is - not the one in the sky, and would you beleive it it also has a McDonald's!! This is the place for British owned bars, fish and chips and roast beef -everything that has nothing to do with Greece.

Cars hire is cheap through reception - and we recommend going to Ampoula beach just 4/5 miles up the road. Wonderful sand and gentle shelving into the water, ideal for children and snorkling.
Go to the Blue caves either from St Nicholas Port (probably the cheapest at 6 euros) or from Aspros Vrahos lighthouse area (the shortest trip and about 7.5 euros).

We looked on the website before booking to find a place to ";chill";. Tragaki is a small resort with the sea on one side with views to the other islands, and hills to the other side. No loud bars or nightclubs.

The supermarket opposite the apartment sells the essentials, including many UK brands of tea, coffee, etc. plus cheap wine!

The apartments are basic but very clean with a pool which was never over-crowded and had plenty of free sunbeds with umbrellas. We wondered why people still got up at 7am to place their towels on them when there were plenty for everyone!

We ate out at other tavernas but the food in the bar at the Maistrali, especially the lamb dishes, we liked the best.

The staff were excellent, very friendly and helpful. The Greek night with BBQ was fun with everyone there dancing to Zorba the Greek by the end of the evening.

The turtle boat trip was worth the money as we did manage to see turtles and swam in the clearest water we have ever seen.

It was great to stay somewhere where there was not a kid's club, bingo, pool fitness early in the morning or reps trying to rope you into activities that you don't want to do. We will go back next time we need de-stressing!

Just arrived back on Friday evening (19th Aug) from the Maistrali Appartments in Tragaki. Went to the travel agents on Saturday to price up for next year !! Yes, it really is a clean, nice and friendly place to stay. All the staff are extremeley friendly and helpful, both of the receptionists speak brilliant English, in fact we thought Jenny was English, she spoke it that well. We did not try the Greek night that they hold in the appartments, but plenty people did and they seemed to all enjoy themselves, 10 euros for adults and 6 euros for children, everybodies plates were piled high, so no shortage of food at all, this is the only entertainment they put on, but there is a TV in the bar, which has the Music channel on, Cricket/football or whatever you want on whilst you are there. There is also a couple of pool tables for the kids to play on. You can hire a fan and saftey deposit box at a very reasonable price, I cannot remember if it was 10 or 20 euros a week each - I think it was 10 each.

Sunbathing/Sea: -
No shortage of sunbeds, umbrellas or tables around the pool and Pedros keeps the pool in imaculate condition.
There is a small pebble beach if you turn right out of the appartments and right again (50yards), this is rather small, but there was never no more that 6 people on it on the 2 weeks we were there (no sunbeds). There is also Amboula beach, if you turn left out of the Maistrali then left at the crepe bar (Sweet Corner). It is about 10 mins walk away, again a Pebble beach, you can hire sunbeds from here, they cost 6 euros for 2 beds and an umbrella. There is also Tragaki beach, there is sand at this beach, we had a walk there about 20 mins away, but the tide was in so there was not a lot of space on the beach to lie down, so we did not stop there.

Eating