We were very impressed with the level of service Nothing was too much trouble and there was always someone on hand to offer advice and support. The welcome meeting was very informative. Our rep, Judith, had very good local knowledge.

Mr Michael Fitzgerald September 2025

This was our fourth visit to Vathy and once again it fulfilled our wishes for a beautiful relaxing holiday.

Dr Sally Hester Geldard August 2025

We had a very relaxing 2 week stay at Amalthia villa just outside Vathy. Well equipped villa , with a nice pool in a quiet location. Hosts Judith and Nicholas were very helpful with local knowledge and ideas.

Mr Kevin Glass August 2025

Great service from Simpson Travel with seamless transfers from airport to cottage via taxi and water taxi. Perfect and peaceful cottage with the ever helpful Judith and Nicholas on hand with invaluable local knowledge

Mr Victor McMillen August 2025

Simpsons are professional and give an exceptional service that makes you feel special .

Mr Philip Knight July 2025

Fantastic service from start to finish. I appreciated how professional and helpful all the staff have been throughout from booking to meeting us at the airport.

Mrs Kathryn Limbrick July 2025

Simpson offer a quality holiday experience, seamless transfers, Reps who care about their customers and fabulous accommodation.

Mr Philip Rogers June 2025

Our holiday was just what we were looking for - traditional Greece! Travel was extremely well co-ordinated although more choice of departure airports would be welcomed.

Mrs Noreen O'Leary June 2025

From our arrival at the airport and our transfers via land and sea to our villa the the process was seamless. Judith our representative for Simpson travel was the perfect host.

Mr Mark Francis June 2025

We loved our stay here, the walk into Vathy is easy. The drive to Exogi is thrilling and worth a visit. Gidaki beach early in the morning is fabulous.

Phil & Janis May 2025

First time to Ithaca after visits to many Greek islands over the years & this is definitely the most unspoiled of any we have holidayed on. Memories that will last include: our walk to Gidaki Beach – the advantage of being here in May meant that we had the whole stretch to ourselves – our own private beach! Taking a boat out around the island to explore the inaccessible bays & coves is a must – no experience needed driving a motor launch. Don’t forget the cool box. The cooler, rainy weather on a few days meant we did more walking & more cultural sight-seeing. A wonderful week on the most lovely of Greek islands.

Nick and Naomi May 2025

Our holiday on Ithaca was quite simply one of the loveliest holidays we have had. A combination of destination, our villa, and Simpson's exceptional attention to detail contributed towards a perfect week. Special mention must go to our concierge, Judith, who ensured no question went unanswered and whose recommendations for tavernas and places to visit enhanced our week away.

Mr Nicholas McLeod May 2025

Fantastic experience. Planning and logistics were outstanding. Everything went like clockwork. We have already booked for next year. Property was beautiful. Starter pack was plentiful. We had Judith, the Ithaca Queen, as our concierge whose knowledge of Ithaca was endless. Nick was great too. Just another 50 weeks to our return and we can’t wait.

Mrs Marina Bell September 2024

The location gave us lovely views and it was very quiet and restful. Just what we needed after a busy UK summer.

Mr Richard Bray September 2024

We had the most amazing stay at Amalfia, Ithaca. The whole experience of dealing with Simpson Travel and your staff has been outstanding. Judith, and her husband Nick, were both had a wealth of knowledge, and helped make our stay one of our most enjoyable holidays. The standard of the accommodation was superb, and Judith's knowledge of the island, and her obvious excellent relationship with locals (restaurants, where to go, what to see, beaches) was of great assistance. We hope to be back in Ithaca in the near future.

Mr Edward Middleton September 2024

Thoroughly enjoyed our holiday in Ithaca. The quality of the service provided was excellent from the start to the finish. Judith and Nicholas are fantastic representatives for Simpsons.

Mr Michael Bacon August 2024

Ithaca is a delightful island and Villa Amalthia is well equipped and ideally located for access to Vathy and Dexa beach

Mr David Kelley July 2024

My husband Paul and I had a wonderful week at Almalthia Cottage in May 2024. The cottage was beautiful and the situation quiet and peaceful. Very relaxing and we were not disturbed by anyone as we wanted a quiet getaway and that is exactly what we got. The island is very pretty and quiet.

Mr paul ingram May 2024

An amazing holiday on a beautiful island. The little cottage was beautifully situated. Help and information from Judith and Nicholas was Invaluable. Thank you for another wonderful holiday.

Mr Graham Howarth October 2023

Our beautiful little villa for the week complete with sun loungers and bespoke pool. Perfect in every way. Thank you Nicholas and Judith for a wonderful and comfortable stay. Your help and advice was amazing. This is our second stay in Ithaca. A little gem in the Mediterranean. It felt like coming home. The sea, the villages and the food so familiar and so very special. We’ve enjoyed frappés, moussaka, lamb kleftiko, calamari, fish, giros and ouzo. We went to a different beach every day and each one was special in its own way. Our favourite times were spent sitting on the veranda at Amalthia (especially in the evenings) sipping ouzo and listening to sheep bleating, their bells ringing and a gentle breeze passing through the olive trees.

Graham and Dawn October 2023

Wonderful location of island and villa. Excellent well organised facilities. The host went out of their to way to ensure that we had a great holiday.

Mrs Hilary Weston September 2023

We enjoyed a lovely, peaceful stay up in the hills just outside vathy. Judith & Nicolas were both extremely helpful throughout the stay and very welcoming. The cottage was well kept and the pool was the perfect temperature for the weather. During the spring or autumn I would probably describe the town as walking distance for many (although a steep walk back) however, we only made this mistake once in the 30°c of the mid August evening. The estate has its own olive and almond trees which cast good shade plus the various covers... It could be rather windy at times though and we had to put the awning and parasol down a couple of times - Nicolas was always on hand to help with this. We would definitely recommend to family & friends.

Miss Emily Griffiths August 2023

Stylish, sleek service from the moment we got off the plane! Simpson Travel, Judith and Nicholas are impressive, warm and helpful. We’ve had a wonderfully lazy week finding it hard to drag ourselves away from the stunning Sarakiniko beach along with Lea’s Bar and all its characters – we loved it! A trip to the north is an absolute must as is a sunset meal at Dona Lefki. Ithaca is a stunning island and Amalthia has been the perfect base. Thank you.

Lisa and Richard August 2023

What an incredible journey we’ve had on this enchanting island! Our first time visiting Greece has been magical. The azure waters, pristine beaches and rugged cliffs painted a stunning backdrop to our adventures. Judith’s welcome talk was very insightful and she and Nicholas were always happy to help. Thank you for our wonderful time here.

Simpson Travellers August 2023

The week flew by on this lovely island. Each day revealed stunning views as we travelled up to Stavros, Frikes, Kioni and Anogi. Lunches, dinners, coffees – everywhere all good. The tiny bay at Sarakiniko was so pretty. All around flowers, wild and those grown above on villa terraces – all eye-catching. Sunset views along the road to Stavros was spectacular! Great location and welcoming hosts who were extremely helpful with their local knowledge.

Jane and Roger June 2023

Definitely a week of two halves! Warm and sunny - enjoyed the pool, snorkelling at Sarakiniko, walking trails to Gidaki Beach (wow!) and to Paleohora, spectacular drive to Kathara and Anogi. The three days of poor weather put a damper on everything but the thunderstorms were memorable! Nicholas and Judith were great hosts with tremendous knowledge.

Martin and Sally June 2023

Our weeks stay at Amalthia was excellent, beautifully positioned property with easy access to Vathy with its lovely tavernas and shops. Highly recommend this property and Judith the Simpson concierge who is very knowledgeable and helpful.

Martyn Clarke June 2023

We had the warmest of welcomes from our host Nicholas. He couldn’t have done enough for us – what a gentleman. We were very lucky in May with all the wild flowers everywhere. It truly is a very beautiful island. The locals were very welcoming and friendly. Everywhere we went we had good food, we are now fully rested and recharged to go back home.

Gordon and Jill May 2023

We couldn’t wish for a more tranquil setting, surpassing expectations. Nicholas and Judith gave us a warm welcome and were happy to give tips and suggestions for us to make the most of our stay. We particularly enjoyed walking the mountain track to Perachori and the serenity of the monastery of Kathara – the wild flowers were stunning. A week cannot do justice to the island – so easy to find pleasure in the small things. We will have very happy memories of Ithaca and hope to come again.

Penny and Mark May 2023

We loved our stay at Almathia villa our host Nichols was brilliant. He could not have done more fantastic.

Gordon Richardson May 2023

We had a wonderful holiday at Amalthea Cottage. It was our first holiday to Ithaca and we are so pleased we chose to go with Simpson Travel as everything was perfect from the moment we stepped off the plane. The cottage was in a beautiful location, well equipped and spotlessly clean. The owners live nearby and were extremely helpful but not intrusive. We would like to thank both them and Simpson Travel for a wonderful holiday.

Hannah Louise Phillips October 2022

Simpson travel made our holiday to Ithaca especially enjoyable, from the seamless car and boat Taxi journeys to meeting Judith our friendly and helpful representative waiting on the quay side. Amalthia Cottage was in a perfect location to allow for total relaxation and convenient Tavernas. We would happily recommend Simpson Travel to family and friends.

John Woodhead September 2022

We thoroughly enjoyed the bucolic setting of Amalthia Cottage and Judith and Nicholas were very welcoming and knowledgeable about the lovely island of Ithaca. We will definite return.

Timothy Joscelyne August 2022

Wonderful stay at Amalthia Cottage. Judith and Nicholas were amazingly helpful and always available to ask questions. Very private villa and a great base to explore the island with close proximity to Vathy and Dexa Beach. Would love to return in the cooler months to do more walking.

Michael Zieja July 2022

This is a wonderful villa in an amazing location. In my opinion a car is a must to make the best of the scenery and beautiful bays all around the Island. We could not have asked for anything more. Having stayed on many Greek Islands this has got to be one of the best, as yet unspoiled and hopefully will stay this way.

Paul Sketchley June 2022

A wonderful return to Ithaca. It was so hard to leave this time, we have fallen for the island. The whole Simpson team are first class. Judith on the island is an absolute credit to you. We'll be back.

Michael Hooper June 2022

Ithaca is a pristine blue and green gem…and Amalthia cottage is beautifully situated to enjoy what it has to offer. A peaceful, stunning little hideaway! A special word for Judith who was lovely, knowledgeable and hugely hospitable. I was holidaying on my own and Judith (and her husband Nicholas) looked after me ever so well without ever making me feel coddled. A special place and special people.

Lesley Ann Bunting May 2022

As first timers with Simpson Travel, we are converts as we loved being looked after. Ithaca island is outstandingly beautiful, small and friendly. Everyone seems genuinely happy to see you. The villa and location were perfect for us, near Vathi our favourite town. A car is a must on this island.

Deborah Stoddart May 2022

We recently returned from a lovely week in Ithaca. Staying in Amalthia Cottage gave us easy access to Vathy for evenings out, shopping, and boat hire but we also enjoyed the privacy of our own villa with pool. Ithaca has beautiful beaches although all are 'pebbled' so beach shoes useful. The scenery is stunning and the island quiet and unspoiled. Judith, our concierge, was 'on-hand' for any help needed, particularly with Covid requirements, and provided lots of useful local advice. Today we booked a return visit.

Denis & Chrissie – via TrustPilot September 2021

I can only praise Simpson Travel for their handling of repeated postponements due to Covid restrictions. They managed everything extremely professionally and fairly. Flying from Manchester (Jet2) was really easy. Airport was much quieter than usual, thus parking and experience from check-in through to departure was simple and straightforward. We had all our paperwork sorted – PLF, vaccination records, etc. and printed copies made it much easier to manage. Entry to Kefalonia was again really straightforward, no undue delays or queues. Transfers to Ithaca also felt safe. As usual, Judi (Simpson’s local rep) was on hand to meet us on arrival. Just love Judi, down to earth but always there to help when needed. Villa was as expected (we've been to the island three times before) and would thoroughly recommend. Overall experience in main town was positive. Did not feel unsafe and face masks warn in all premises. We organised our return Covid test via Judi at local clinic, much easier, quicker (and cheaper) than bringing one with you from UK. We got a printed copy of the test result for our return to the UK. Judi also offered to print out our UK PLF which again made things much easier than faffing around trying to find on phone/tablet. Return trip was just as easy as the outbound one and amazingly no queues at immigration on our return to Manchester. Brilliant holiday, managed well by brilliant company and brilliant rep.

Nick Abbott – via TrustPilot August 2021

We decided to take the plunge when the quarantine restrictions eased and booked a last minute holiday with Simpson Travel in Ithaca and we were so pleased we did! Everything about the holiday surpassed our expectations, from the quiet airport (Birmingham) and flights there and back, to the smooth journey from Kefalonia airport to Ithaca, and the island and villa. Judith, the Simpson rep, was fantastic and gave us lots of tips to get the most out of our time on Ithaca. And what a place! I admit I had never really heard of Ithaca other than from the Greek myths, but we were delighted with it and will certainly visit again. It is small but perfectly formed, and everyone is so friendly. We would definitely recommend hiring a boat for the day to visit deserted beaches and swim in the clear Ionian Sea – heaven! Our villa was lovely with a small but very welcome pool and nothing but the sound of cicadas and the deep blue of the skies to distract from our reading and snoozing. I just wish I was back there now!

Nicola Edmondson – via TrustPilot August 2021

We just wanted to say how very much we have enjoyed staying at your beautiful cottage – we so wish we could have stayed for another week – at least! Ithaca is without doubt a very special place and we will definitely come back some day. We’ve got to know the island pretty well, so thank you for all your tips! And thank you for helping to make our time here so enjoyable.

James & Sara July 2021