Results 1 to 4 of 4

Thread: Greece travel info: Aegean Air and Rhodes

  1. #1
    Banned
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Colorado
    Posts
    3,949
    Threads
    254
    Thank You Posts

    Default Greece travel info: Aegean Air and Rhodes

    Hi,

    I'll be making another trip to Greece this spring. I will be traveling from Rome to Santorini then on to Rodes, then to Munich. My questions:

    I'm looking at Aegean Air from Athens to Santorini (only did the Ferry in the past) and Aegean Air to Rhodes and again back to Athens. I'll be carrying my laptop, 5D2 plus lenses up to 70-200 f/4 (no birds and big telephotos this trip--unless they can be gotten by 200mm + 1.4x TC). I have not flown Aegean air before. How strict is the carry on of 8 Kg? I think I can make that with a photo vest and not too much in the vest, but it could be tough.

    I have not been to Rhodes before (will be there 5 nights). Any must see places and photo ops would be appreciated. Also any day trips from Rhodes I should consider?

    Roger

  2. #2
    Forum Participant Manos Papadomanolakis's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Crete Greece
    Posts
    3,408
    Threads
    179
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hello, Roger!
    I wish you to have a nice trip to Greece! We have great places (I have been on Santorini two times), this island has a wild beauty! It has something different among all the other islands in Aegean sea. Unfortunately, I haven't been on Rhodes and I don't know about photo ops but I have heard about the Castle and the butterflie's forest! Also I know that it is a beautiful island with a history.
    About Aegean Air, I have travelled a lot of times and I had never a problem. You will have no problem with the 8 kg.
    Best regards,
    Manos

  3. #3
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    10
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Roger,

    I have travelled in the past with Aegean Airlines. My recollection is that they were typically Greek and laid back. I cannot remember them weighing hand luggage for the flight from Athens to Lemnos. They certainly did not weigh anything on the way back. Then again, we were one of three flights using the airport that day.

    As to Rhodes, when are you going? My understanding is that the so called Valley of the Butterflies is only worth a look in high summer, as the "butterflies" (actually, a type of Tiger Moth) aestivate there in the heat of the summer.

    I am going to Lindos on Rhodes at the beginning of April for two weeks. This should coincide with thepeak of the flowering season, before everything truns brown by about the end of the month. The Orchids will be very good. Lots of insect mimicing Ophrys species will be in flower in dry limestone grassland and in woodland clearings and along their edges. Should just be in time for the largest of the Rhodian endemic flowers, Paeonia rhodia, in clearings beside the road up Mount Profitas Ilias. May be in time (although I have my doubts) for one of my favourites, the critically endangered and very pretty yellow Fritilaria rhodia.

    If you care to drop me a PM with your e-mail address, I can send you a couple of PDFs. One is a compilation of birding trip reports culled from the net. The other is a draft guide to birdwatching sites on the island - same source.

    I have been there several time before, although not for some years. The best site for birds is a small river with pools just north of the airport (details in the PDFs). It picks up some good waders on migration, as well as herons and egrets. I saw my first Glossy Ibis there many years ago.

    Regards,

    Peter

  4. #4
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    10
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    By way of an update, just returned from Rhodes in the early hours. We enjoyed an extra 5 nights in a 4 star, all inclusive, courtesy of Thomas Cook and our new favourite Icelandic volcano.

    Regarding the original question, securoty was surprisingly tight on leaving the island yesterday. I even had to open one of my checked bags for a vicual inspection. As for weight though, as long as I could have carried it, nobody was going to ask anything about that. Whilst we were not flying with Aegean, we understand that they have the same ground handling agents at Rhodos airport.

    As for bird photography, this is not as good as on some other Greek isles. However, there were a few excellent exceptions, which made it all worthwhile. There is a small colony of Lesser Kestrel immediately below the Temple of Athene on the Accropolis of Lindos. One or two river mouths still hold water as I write this. The most productive was at Stegna, half way between Rhodes town and Lindos with the most remarkably tame Wood Sandpiper. It sat at about 10 metres for ages, and then flew off. I thought that was it, but it did a short circle, and then landed much closer to me. Also Night Heron and Greenshank there.

    The river by the airport is now too overgrown with Mediteranean Giant Reed (looks like, but is not, a large Bamboo). However, there are some nce small pools at the mouth, with a few waders and a female Marsh Harrier. Highlight there was a pair of Little Crake.

    There are many areas of coastal mixed rough and arable ground. These can be good when worked from a car. Highlights here included an adult male Montague's Harrier, a Hoopoe which was too close to fit fully in the frame (Canon 600 mm + 1.4x + EOS 1D III), singing Crested Lark, Swallows on a road pool after a thunderstorm, Sardinian and Ruppell's Warblers, etc.

    If you have not been to the eastern Med. before, you will enjoy Rhodes. It is not as good for birds as Lesvos or Lemnos, or even Crete. However, you will see lots of things that you have probably not seen before probably manage some nice photos of some of them.

    Best to all,

    Peter

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Web Analytics