I have been inspired by many wonderful travel books, but there is a very special one that I return to time after time. At the tender age of 12 I read My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell, and it made me yearn to travel to Corfu. I could smell the heady scent of the flowers, hear the relentless chatter of the cicadas, and see the fireflies lighting up the pine-scented night. I wanted to walk through shady olive groves, see shiny black beetles as fat as thumbs, and swim alongside sea cucumbers in clear turquoise waters. Durrell’s childhood, his eccentric family, and their strawberry-coloured villa, completely captivated me. Two years later I travelled to Corfu with my parents and it was everything I’d hoped it would be.

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It is a psaro (fish) taverna on a small beach tucked away in Agni Bay on Corfu. They serve the most delicious food, particularly seafood, with views over the water to the Albanian mainland - at night the moon rises over the bay.

www.agni.gr
Google map: bit.ly/l1Wsj3

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Avoid Corfu's grisly package resorts and club 18-30 rep-enforced 'fun' - if you really want a clubbing holiday with sun, sea and sand, it's far cheaper to stay in a hostel.

The Pink Palace is legendary on the backpacker trail for it's beautiful location on the beach, private rooms with (free!!) air conditioning and wild parties.

More like a bargain resort than a hostel, you never have to leave the Pink Palace - the staff will pick you up from the airport or port, and have devised a jam-packed events and excursions calender if you want to do more than veg out on the sand.

The price includes countless extras, from a delicious full cooked breakfast (the perfect hangover cure) to a traditional Greek home-cooked 3 course feast at night, served in the rooftop garden overlooking Agios Gordios Bay.

The 24-hour bar (with a 5-hour happy hour!!) and access to the Palladium nightclub will keep party animals entertained, and you can recover the next day on the private sun-loungers on the beach, in the jacuzzi or in the spa room.

We were amazed at the activities on offer - the 'booze cruise' took us around the island to sea caves, places to snorkel and cliff dive. The Quad Biking 'safari' was a more adventurous way to see Corfu, we found ourselves off-roading through olive groves and scaling the mountain tops!

There was also a Kayak safari, hiking and trail walking, volleyball and basketball tournaments... but we didn't have the energy to tackle them all!

Aside from all the extras, the hostel has all the facilities you'd expect from a hotel- lockers in the dorms, washing machines, a 24-hour reception, a swimming pool... and like some other hostels in Europe, there's no curfew.

The staff were super-friendly, and everyone staying there was out to have a good time.

www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/greece/corfu-island/1056/

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This beautiful 17th century monastery is a hit with the tour buses, but even with the crowds it's a wonderful diversion from the beach, and a great way to see the entire island unfold from your car window as you climb Corfu's hills.

Perched high on a headland and surrounded by wild flowers, the orange buildings are wonderfully ornate inside, and you can look at the famous ceiling carving of the ‘Tree of Life’.

Be sure to cover your shoulders or wear respectable clothing, no matter how intense the summer heat!

Above the beach resort Paleokastritsa

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