I spent almost two months in Nikitas’ apartment in Afando and it was a thoroughly excellent experience.
I have been bobbing around Afando and Rhodes for the better part of the last 5 years for my job and Nikitas’ apartment has been the very best hosting experience so far for me. It must be said that I travel by motorcycle and solo, so I prefer self-catering solutions. A true kitchen, good living space and safe surroundings for me are key and I found exactly that.
The apartment is new, perfectly furnished and ideal for one guest or a couple. The kitchen area was particularly functional, with a full-sized 4 plate system and oven, a large working area, dual sink and a full-sized fridge with freezer. A full complement of kitchen utensils was available, as were plates and pots. If you are planning to cook for yourself, you can’t find a better solution than this. The village offers a lot of markets and shops at 3 minutes walking distance. Also, there’s plenty of storage space in the kitchen.
The living area has a nice sofa, a table with 4 chairs and a smart tv (with both normal tv, smart functions like ertflix and the standard HDMI port). The internet connection deserves mention: in my apartment (number 2) I was provided not just a cheapo wifi link, but with an OTE DSL modem/router unit, with a dedicated 20/2 Mbit link. I managed to deal with my work perfectly, thanks to a stable, trouble-free connection. The area is also covered by a very performant 4G+ signal by most providers, in case you prefer. I suggest Cosmote if you want to buy a SIM in Rhodes or you can pick your roaming provider.
The bedroom has a very comfortable double bed and the guests have 3 very large sections of a massive wall cabinet.
The bathroom is simple, clean and effective. It’s a long rectangle in design, with a bathtub in the end, a toilet and a washing basing with a mirror. There is no outside window, but there’s an aspirator.
The apartment is bright: there are two large sliding window/doors that lead to the terrace, both of which have openable flynets. There are internal tents to soften the light (especially in the afternoon) and blinds to close up at night. Both rooms have independent AC: I didn’t use because it’s quite easy to create refreshing air flow between the rooms with the windows open. Also, the sun never shines directly into the house: it shines on the terrace, helping greatly with drying things very fast. The house remains very bright, but never turns into a sun powered oven.
The owner, beside the kitchen kit I mentioned, provides a washing line, an iron, a broom and a mop, as some bath essential like towels, shampoo, cleaning products and so on. Also, while a change of bed linens and towels is provided every 10 days in the price (and there are always spares available in the house in case you prefer to change them sooner), a full cleaning service is available for a little extra. I did not use this service, but I was contacted by Nikita before the cleaning staff would come over to make certain it wouldn’t be a problem.
Nikitas was always very helpful and considerate: I asked if I could check in a little earlier than stated on the site and there was absolutely no problem. The check in and out can be contactless if you prefer, the keys are left in a little safe by the door. He also organised some very thoughtful gifts, like a basket of local apricots and wine. Very appreciated!
The apartment is located in the village of Afandou, which is close to one of the longest free beaches of the island. It’s about 10/15 min on foot to the sea, or 3 minutes by car. The village offers a lot of shops and restaurants.
The apartment is located in a side street, with houses all around, and it’s on the ground level. The terrace is big and above road level, but obviously offers no privacy from passers-by or sea view. Also, the neighbours are not tourists: the normal noise of a mostly quiet neighbourhood is to be expected, as the fact that you’ll interact with very hospitable and kind people.
If you plan to visit the island, you definitely should rent a car or a bike (Nikitas can help you with that). I could park my motorbike in the street, taking care not to bother traffic: for a car you should look for street parking a little distance away from the house.
I lived the apartment for a considerable amount of time and I never had a better experience, anywhere. The price, considering the season, the general tourist assault Rhodes is under in 2022, the quality of the place, the items and services provided to the guests, is indeed reasonable. A sea view in a far smaller, far more basic and rundown place in the area will cost you a lot more.
This apartment is a perfect stay for solo/couple travellers and tourists looking to stay away from chaos and organised holidays, but still wanting all possible comforts in the setting of a self-catering apartment in a village to make a base to visit the island or to enjoy the sea and hospitality.