When looking for a resort, don't just plumb for the cheapest. If these two weeks are so important, why mess it up living in a shabby and run-down apartment that's miles away from anywhere with a resentful owner and his half-crazed dog that howls all night. Also, avoid using apartments or hotels that are completely out of touch with the landscape. To date large expanses of the coastline in Kefalonia is being inundated with the all-too familiar ‘identi-kit’ apartment blocks and kitsch villas

We wouldn't tolerate it in a British national park so why do we think it's okay to encourage rapid and ill-planned building across Kefalonia. An obvious example of this is the hideous Braunis Horio Villas on the headland of Assos. Remember to quiz your tour operator. The better ones will know the resorts and their accommodation. It's up to them to provide you with these answers.

2. Consider going independent
The rise of the Internet, and changes in European travel make this a real possibility, especially if you have time on your hands. In turn it will hopefully put pressure on tour operators to improve the quality of their products. You might not always save much money, but you will at least be taking control of your holiday. You might consider staying in a local house, such as in Perahori on Ithaca as part of an Agro tourism project.

3. Go out of season
Contrary to popular opinion the least attractive time of year to visit Kefalonia is late July and August. It's hot and expensive and congested with Athenian and Italians crowding the island in the annual summer holiday. A great deal of the natual vegitation has also been burnt to a crisp. Going out of season, April, May, June, September and October are cheaper and more enjoyable.

4. Don't look like a sheep
Even if the British do have the look of bewildered sheep as they spill from the excursion bus, you don't have to stay with the flock. By knowing the island before you arrive, you will not only get more out of your holiday, but you won't end up doing the same thing every day. Its amazing how quickly visitors develop their daily routines, all of which means that day three on your holiday might look very much like day thirteen. Everybody likes a bit of sun, but with the increased awareness that tanning both increases the risk of aging and skin cancer, the days of 'grill me till I die' are fast coming to an end. If you are part of Europe's increasingly older population, with leisure time on you hands, being dumped on the beach for 13 days might not be your cup of tea. Friends of Kefalonia have a range of publications that will help you get to know Kefalonia before you go. Ultimately, however, we can only suggest ideas. At the end of the day you have the choice of whether to make a break-out on your own.

5. Other ideas
Aside from the fact you've come on an extremely environmentally damaging plane, there is something you can do whilst on Kefalonia to help keep it looking good. Simple things include; supporting local businesses, wine and cheese manufacturers, rather than the giant global ice-cream makers. For your picnics try buying local fruit and veg. Keep the food miles down even if your own are sky-high. When you go to the supermarket take your own bag along rather than accept yet another polythene bag (sea turtles, a short-sighted beast, are renowned for confusing them with edible jellyfish). If you drink local and eat local, you'll save money and the environment. Oh and don't just throw your rubbish away, islands like Kefalonia struggle to keep up amenities in the summer for its vastly increased population Try to use less water, or shower with a friend…after all you are on holiday. If you go to the beach you don’t have to be a rotisserie chicken. Too many fine beaches are disappearing under endless rows of sunloungers that turn these beautiful beaches into plastic wastelands. Take a mat along instead and enjoy the sand. It's not as if you spend the rest of the year living in a desert!

Above all, to say you have no part to play in making tourism sustainable is a mistake. You can do a lot and what's just as important, you'll actually have a better holiday for it.