Kosher Travelers, Elysium Hotel, Rhodes – GREECE I am grateful to this facebook group for last year’s feedback which in turn ended up in us booking this programme and therefore I would like to give a comprehensive review. – We were a party of 20 people with a mix of ages, religious levels and priorities – We are not connected to the organisers and are full payers – This is a fully independent review Firstly, it is important to state that we have been on a spectrum of programmes before; Dubai, USA, Europe and this was, for many reasons, the best ‘all round’ and value for money one so far. Organisers: The organisers, David & Chana Walles, were present at every meal and were incredibly accommodating. They were very fair and super easy to deal with. They greeted every table at most meals There were 650 guests in total and the resort was very spacious. There are multiple buildings on the resort too and therefore no single area felt overcrowded. Almost all of the guests were Anglos (95%) and there was a very lovely atmosphere across the resort. There were multiple minyanim including hashkama, Ashkenazi & Sephardi. Hotel: The hotel is located 20 minutes from the airport and a taxi was 33 euros. It is a beachfront property and all rooms had a gorgeous sea view. Rhodes is very accessible from England as there are multiple flights a day. Our interconnecting rooms accommodated our family of 6 generously and there was plenty of storage. The hotel staff were incredibly attentive and the general areas were always left spotless. Entertainment: The itinerary was jam packed for all ages. I have 4 kids under 10 and there was always an activity for them; bouncy castles, indoor pool, Zumba, bingo, movie nights, treasure hunts. They were constantly entertained and the organisers had brought madrichim from Israel who were absolutely delightful. The evenings comprised of: The Solomon Brothers & Ohad Moskowitz concerts, Shai Barak (DJ nights), Meni Hollender (Mentallist), Greek dancers, Aleeza Ben Shalom (NETFLIX). There were multiple interesting talk options every day on contemporary issues for all religious levels. For teens, they had a young adults chill zone on the beach in the evenings. There was a daily happy hour for adults with delicious cocktails at 5pm. Food: The food was definitely the best we have had on a programme before. It was perfect for an Anglo diet too. There was kids supper every evening at 6-7pm and on Yom Tov there were grand gala kiddushim too. They were very accommodating if certain fussy kids wanted certain foods and we were very grateful for that. The tea room was always stocked and wines were available at every meal. There were also dairy buffet desserts served at 11pm on certain evenings and the Seder food was excellent. Cost: The organisers published their pricing – I always appreciate the transparency! The pricing was 6000 euros per couple for a deluxe room. Weather: Weather was sunny and hot but can get chilly in the evenings. There are water sports in front of the hotel and my kids enjoyed these. There is an indoor heated pool & a beautiful outdoor pool (which isn’t heated) Overall: We had a really excellent experience and would definitely return. The crowd was very chilled and it was certainly a happy environment to be in. Many people had remarked that it was the best programme they had been on. The organisers were so attentive and there was something to do at every moment in the day.

Kosher travelers knows how to do Pesach right! Plentiful, delicious, and healthy food options. A stunning view of the ocean with a private beach. A bouncy house available daily to keep kids of all ages entertained not to mention the outstanding kids program which entertained young kids through teens. Engaging and thought provoking speakers. Daily minyanim. The program participants were from all over the world and it was so wonderful to see small and large families together connecting with each other. The location was convenient and about 15 minutes from the old city of Rhodes where the shopping was enjoyable. The hotel rooms were clean and beautiful. Both the kosher travelers staff as well as the hotel staff were so lovely and kind and accommodating. They even provided containers so you could pack lunch for the day if you went on the road. Plenty of activities to do right near by like the farma Zoo where there’s a Lemurs experience (need about 60-90 minutes to enjoy it!), horse back riding, water rides, fishing, paint ball, ATV and motorcycle rentals. And we didn’t have time to do it all! There was even more to do and see. But most importantly the program had never ending activities and lectures. From a world renowned mentalist who entertained young to old to soulful musicians who elevated the atmosphere, there were activities running morning, noon and night. This is a great program for all generations of your family and a wonderful place to spend the holiday. I highly recommend using Kosher Travelers and speaking with David or Chana about this program or any of their wonderful kosher travel experiences.

This really was the best Pesach program at The Elysium, Rhodes we have ever been to and we were extremely appreciative of everything.

Most important, tons of great food, great team running the program, great kids program and awesome entertainment, what more could you ask for

David & Chana, Shelley, Yossi, Dina, Ariel and all at Team Kosher Travelers! As we approach our first Shabbos after Rhodes, our nearly 30 BA’H family members are looking around for our monster table on the PR level and can’t quite understand why the spread of delicacies isn’t quite what it was this time last week. Or the week before… It’s therefore an appropriate time to thank you all for the most positive, relaxing, fun filled and meaningful holiday we have ever experienced as a family. From start to finish, it has been an absolute pleasure to deal with you all. The logistics of our booking were not the easiest and, throughout, you helped find solutions that made things work. We were overwhelmed when we arrived and equally overwhelmed when we reluctantly left! The attention to detail was unparalleled throughout; the location was beautiful and the class with which you all operated was something hugely impressive. We chose Pesach to celebrate a momentous occasion in Sue & Alfred’s lives and you helped us fulfil that celebration in style and love. And for that and a fabulous 12 days and nights, we will be forever grateful to you all. Keep doing what you do and with the usual smiles on your faces; it is a unique and superb example to your industry. Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom and with love and thanks always

Thank you , thank you !!! We are still on a high…: We have just landed back home and are so thankful for an incredible, magical week. We feel so blessed to have spent Pesach with our family, having memories that we will treasure and being in Greece was just a dream! Just a few highlights: the boys snorkeling ?, the Chazzanut, the inspiring Shiurim, the Tish after dinner, the dancing, the Solomon brothers, the food, touring the island, the view from our balcony, the kiddush’s (the sushi!!), happy hour by the beach and the endless latte’s and hot chocolate’s and being together friends and family! Thank you for such incredible memories!! May you go from strength to strength

I want to thank you both for orchestrating a totally amazing and completely successful Pesach prog at the Elysium, Rhodes. We both felt highly motivated, involved and made many new friends. I was analyzing why the 10 days was such an outrageous success and the following 5 points came to mind : The island of Rhodes is an idyllic location with its natural beauty and rich, though tragic, Jewish history. There is simply so much to explore and see. The position of the hotel is triple A, nestling right on the warm Med and the rooms were so comfy. The Elysium Hotel delivered a level of friendly and efficient service beyond our wildest expectation. The staff, in their entirety, could not be more helpful and pleasant to deal with. The cuisine was of the highest quality and a very big Yasher Koach to the kitchen staff and Mashgichim. The details of the daily program were a scientific work of art with something for everyone from 3 years to 80 ! The planning thereof was exceptional and, being an annal bean counter myself, I was highly impressed with the structure and content of the various activities. And finally, all the participants spoke English !! What a win. We could converse and get to know one another without the barrier of a foreign language. We met many new fascinating individuals and families whom we’ll endeavor to remain in contact in the year ahead. So, all in all, a wonderful and unique experience and clearly a model you’ve created which has been positively accepted and PG will grow from strength to strength in the years to come. Shabbat shalom and once more, Toda Raba from Leora and I.

David, Chana, Shelley and the whole staff. I wanted to say a huge thank you to all of you. The Pesach program in Rhodes was superb, outstanding, perfect without a glitch. Your responsiveness was incredible and attention to detail unparalleled. You spared no costs in pleasing everyone and went above and beyond. Thank you for an impeccable experience. I can’t say enough good.

This year for Pesach in Rhodes you superated yourselves in every aspect. The resident scholars left a positive mark on the entire group and all without exception were approachable for personal contact .The food and respective Kiddush and beverage selection aside having gourmet status, which is a great challenge considering the size of the crowd, had daily innovation for satisfaction of the most finicky elements (myself included)Rooms and service were beyond reproach. The Baalei Tefilla and the duration of the Davening was uplifting, and the icing on the cake was the choir. We look forward to our next trip together, wishing you continued success.

We are writing to thank you for the wonderful Pesach, at the Elysium, we celebrated with you, your extended family and guests. Moreover, we extend to you a second thank you for convincing us, the entire Schuster/Korros family, to “take the plunge.” It was so much fun for all of us to be together, over the holiday, in such a beautiful place. The entire experience was “over the top,” including the hotel, the food, the programs the atmosphere, truly everything. We marveled at how organized you were. It all went like clockwork, and we appreciate how much work the two of you and your team put in both ahead of, and during, the holiday to make that happen. Kol ha-kavod to you. We wish you more successful tours and Pesach programs in the years to come. Keep up the good work!

This was our first time traveling with Kosher Travelers. We went to Rhodes Greece for Passover this year. Everything was amazing. The best kosher Passover program. The KT team was amazing. The food the entertainment was awesome. They really worked so hard to make sure all the guests were happy. Thank you KT team for one of the best Passover vacation. See you again soon.

On behalf of Effie, myself, Chaim, Leslie, family, Yaakov, Shanna, and family— many many thanks for a beautiful Yom Tov! You truly are an amazing host and hostess! You care about your guests’ experience, and we felt your warmth and genuine concern the entire time! You are not afraid of feedback–which shows how committed you are to providing the ultimate Yom Tov! We had a fantastic time! It is depressing to read about how many programs run out of food, matzah, had too many guests, and a variety of other complaints. Kudos to you for making sure we were not lacking anything!! We never felt like there wouldn’t be enough–the tearoom was constantly being refilled–the food in the dining room was constantly being refilled–the desserts were over the top delicious and plentiful– there was matzah–there was everything we needed for the seder! There were so many delicious dishes and meats and salads and fish! This takes a lot of work and organization and planning to get everything you need to the hotel and more! We thank you for that! We even had omelets the day we left- -this is the gold standard!! We save all year for this treat and to take the kids for an incredible vacation and you made it superb! The hotel staff could not have been nicer—they did an amazing job keeping the hotel pristine! Yashar Koach for arranging such a fabulous Pesach and letting us stay for an incredible bonus Shabbos! The icing on the cake!

Hi David and Chana. I don’t underestimate the huge (understatement!) amount of work that goes into making sure things look smooth on the surface of an event like this. You are both consummate pros and we have huge respect for your professionalism. Your kids are a true credit to you, especially Ariel who we dealt with the most. He has inherited your calm veneer and can-do approach to any challenge thrown his way. Nothing flusters him – he is polite and charming at all times, and his calm is contagious, even when challenges do inevitably pop up. Thank you for making Pesach so special for Mum and our family. We made beautiful, precious memories together, which we will look back on for years to come. Shabat shalom to you all back in Rhodes.