Just returned from our first trip to Thassos (went 13th June, came home 26th June, Scala Potomia.) The most beautiful place I have been in a long time - through one window we were staring at the Swiss Alps minus snow, out on our balcony and we could see the sun rise over the sea. Swifts nesting above our heads in the cool shade of our balcony.....definately be returning (and posibly trying to buy a little place in Sotiras

BUT this is just a quickie, and quite important for anyone about to go soon, because I wish someone had told me these things before:

There WERE loads of wasps, and bees: not actually a problem, but the mosquitoes and sand flies were. Take loads of bug repellant, buy a couple of fly swats in the wonderfully stocked (and cheap) supermarkets, and it should be fine.

We stayed at the Athrion studios: there was a heat wave - the local Greeks said it was "freak weather", so hopefully not usual for June! It was so hot in the studio I actually bought a room thermometer and couldn't believe that the room stayed at 93f at night, whatever we tried to cool it down, and one night reached 104f. Make sure you budget to hire a floor-standing fan - 4 euros a day. (The ground floor studios have ceiling fans, though.) After the first week we actually booked into the Esperides Hotel, near Thassos Town, for one night only, just to cool down in the luxury of air-conditioning!

TAKE YOUR TRAVEL KETTLE! Don't foolishly assume (as I did) that "kitchenette" means they provide one! You get two hot plates, with the fridge under them, and they pump out heat forever! The only two electricity sockets were arranged above the hot plates!!

Enjoy your holiday - the islanders were all brilliant: friendly, open, chatty, helpful, laid-back and polite. We never had to worry about leaving stuff on the beach, there seemed to be no crime at all.... the water was perfect, emerald, azure, tourquoise, clear as crystal; the beaches were white and sandy, never saw a scrap of litter... the tavernas served food to die for, and were spotless: all of it very reasonable indeed, and delicious. I have put on 6 pounds - but worth every mouthful of greek yoghurt with honey... We hired a little red jeep for less than 200 quid for the fortnight, and loved exploring all the beaches, and coves, and the interior. On the ferry back to Kavala, we fed the seagulls from the back of the ferry - they took it from our out-stretched hands, and circled away... and we saw a group of propoises (or dolphins) looping their way behind us. Magic. Memories to treasure