| At Bijou Corfu we are passionate about our beautiful island, our services and most of all our guests. So we only work with people who feel the same way, from our villa owners to the restaurateurs we use. One of these people is Irini Goga, a local tour guide that we use for many of our private excursions. |  |
 | All tour guides here in Greece must be officially licensed to lead tours and historically have had to study many subjects covering all of Greek culture and history at the official schools for three years to obtain their Tourist Guide ID card which also states which languages they are permitted to guide in. All guides should have these cards on them should you go on a tour, anywhere you holiday in Greece, so you can check if your guide is an official one. |
Irini studied business and tourism for 4 years after leaving high school and tried various jobs before realising (with a little help from her dad) that her enthusiasm for her home, Corfu island, and her love of meeting people would lend itself to being a guide. So back to school she went and she hasn’t looked back since.
Irini loves her job and this shines through when she is with customers. Whether guiding on the coaches from the cruise ships that arrive en masse here throughout the summer or on the smaller private tours that we organise, her excitement at sharing her knowledge is infectious and she often ends up chatting with guests about their lives and hometowns. She tells me that ‘it’s like travelling the world without leaving home’.
The island tours’ that are so popular with the quick stop cruise ship guests doing Corfu shore excursions last 4 1/2 hours, that’s a lot of talking! “I try to make sure I vary what I say on my tours, not to sound like a tape recording. The guests get on as strangers but when they leave we’re always friends”
The island tours’ that are so popular with the quick stop cruise ship guests doing Corfu shore excursions last 4 1/2 hours, that’s a lot of talking! “I try to make sure I vary what I say on my tours, not to sound like a tape recording. The guests get on as strangers but when they leave we’re always friends”
Her personal favourite tour is the City tour, around the Old Corfu town which is now a World Heritage site. She explains, “You can observe so much of Corfu life here, the three different types of architecture, maybe hear a brass band rehearsing, see the washing hanging between the buildings of the narrow streets, hear the old ladies gossiping on doorsteps” everything that is Corfu is encompassed in just a few squares and streets so it is the perfect place to get a real feel for the island.
We do of course include the tour of Corfu town in our experiences, as well as a glimpse of the traditional villages of the south, a panoramic trip taking in the Achillieon Palace and Paleokastritsa and a wonderful afternoon at a local vineyard sampling their amazing products amongst others.
But what makes our excursions and tours stand out to me, what makes them something I can be proud of and enthuse about is the people involved in every aspect of our guests’ journeys. I know that everybody that we work with will always go the extra distance to ensure every guest has an absolutely fantastic time with us, no matter how they choose to spend their week.
But what makes our excursions and tours stand out to me, what makes them something I can be proud of and enthuse about is the people involved in every aspect of our guests’ journeys. I know that everybody that we work with will always go the extra distance to ensure every guest has an absolutely fantastic time with us, no matter how they choose to spend their week.
To contact Irini Goga direct to arrange a private tour: 0030 695 6288 450 or through her Facebook page.
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