We stayed in Kaliviani for 10 nights and really enjoyed our stay. We loved the lay-out of the space, but when you're tall you better watch your head at some points - especially at the back of the kitchen. We were very lucky with the weather, so there was no need of a heater or airconditioning, but when we arrived it was heating up the space. We could turn it off without any hassle, so surely it's easy to turn on too! The bed was lovely and the mosquito net was really nice and big; it covered the bed easily.
We met both the parents as Elina and they were very welcoming. Elina's boyfriend makes cloth bags with typical Greek characters printed on it and Elina makes earrings (next to being a primary school teacher) and we received both a bag and earrings as a present - so kind! Elina's mother made a Greek salade, little envelopes with spinach and feta cheese and later also offered to make bureki.
In the yard below the apartment orange trees and olive trees grow, and what's better than fresh and hand picked oranges for breakfast? We loved getting oranges and lemons from the trees surrounding the village and in our own 'private' garden.
We loved the restaurant Grambousa - when you go there, make sure you say hello for us! The people there are so kind and the food was truly lovely.
If you have never driven a dirt road and you do want to visit Balos, a good training would be to drive to Milia (agricultural village) and Elafonisi first. You'll train on rough roads and curvy turns and then you will surely feel capable enough to concur the road to Balos. Make sure to drive slowly and you will get there for sure. The climb down to the beach is not too difficult, but the hike back up is tough - especially when the sun is shining. So, be sure to pack lots of water and some food. But most of all, don't wear slippers or sandals! We were shocked so many tourists had such bad shoes for such a hike.
Staying in Kaliviani is a great idea as it is a good place to travel from - to Chania and beyond and it's very quiet and tranquil to become very very relaxed. Apart from that, the apartment is great and the people are so so kind. We would definitely love to come back some day and spend some more days at this apartment.
Tim & Yara