![]() ![]() Founded in the 3rd century BC, by - according to legend - Hippocrates himself, this formerly magnificent sanatorium and religious sanctuary was devoted to Asclepius, the god of healing. Our first stop was the No 1 must-see: the ruins of Asklepieion, the most ancient and important site in Kos, and what amounts to the world’s first hospital. But given that our stay was more than a week long, with meals for four big appetites racking up costs, and an island of rich history to discover, we decided to hire a small family runaround for a couple of days. If you’re here for a fly-and-flop mini-break then my advice is to simply splurge, lie back and enjoy. That said, those who are up for driving can reach the island’s capital, Kos Town, in 20 minutes, and in less, the port of Mastihari, home to decent seafood restaurants, shops, bars and a long sandy beach. The dinner menu was divine, but pizzas averaged £13, a Greek dip starter £10 and a humble plate of pitta bread £4 - high-end prices that you’re stuck with, thanks to there being no taverna within easy walking distance. Still, our room’s mini fridge became stuffed with little cheese pasties purloined from the generous breakfast buffet and sneakily wrapped up in serviettes for poolside snacks. But every dish at OKU was delicious, from Aegean sea bass and beef cheeks, to shrimp tempura and Greek-style pizza – and the dazzling beach view from the restaurant balcony was the cherry on top. ![]() On any family holiday mealtimes can make or break you (and in the past ours almost have broken us). They soon realised this wasn’t your average bucket-and-spade store but a fragrant Schitt’s Creek-style apothecary, selling organic body lotions, jute rugs and handmade jewellery. The latter are sold at the hotel shop, where my boys made the mistake of attempting to buy a football. The recipe here is minimalism meets comfort: stone basins softened by rustic wood, an enormous bed, generous corner sofa, indoor/outdoor shower and organic rose-infused bath products in large dark bottles. We could splash about, swing in our hammocks and sunbathe together as a family, but at the end of the day the boys retreated back to their Doritos, balled up socks and wet towel-infested space, while we returned to our more fragrant pad to put the Nespresso machine on. We opted for two junior suites with a shared pool, effectively two self-contained mini villas, and a best-of-both worlds compromise. The multigenerational ingenuity here is in the design of the rooms. Tasteful and understated, it’s a swathe of painted grey walls, brushed concrete floors and smattering of Gubi Grasshoppa-style floor lamps. And here’s the thing - it’s adults-only.įringed hammocks dotted about the vast open reception area immediately reflected the chic but laid-back atmosphere of the place. Just 15 minutes’ drive from Kos airport, down a farm road surrounded by fields filled with melons, turkeys and cows, OKU, in the north of the island, is a little white cubist village overlooking its own glorious private sandy beach. It was here in the Dodecanese that we found the perfect family prescription for our midlife, part-time empty-nester selves and our overgrown chicks. For us, the answer came in the form of OKU Kos, a modernist boutique hotel on the Greek island of Kos, home of Hippocrates. This stage of life not only messes with your head but requires a massive vacation rethink. #Pirates of the caribbean tow guide freeIt feels like overnight that our two lads, now 18 and almost 20, have gone from teenagers content to goof about in water parks and order free Coke refills to six-footers who order pints of lager and drive cars (thankfully not at the same time). ![]() Apart from one - they still want to go on holiday with you, because it’s free. The thing about waving the kids off to uni is that when they come home they’re different people with different needs. ![]() Thursday October 06 2022, 5.00pm, The Times ![]()
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