Booked the Elpis Studios in Bali, Crete. It ticked all the boxes for us. Far enough from Heraklion, small village and central enough for exploring the island. Poppy and Dimitris(owners) are very helpful. We hired our car through them as they gave us a great deal, cheaper than other car rental businesses throughout the village.

Our 1 bedroomed apartment was plain and simple with the usual 2 ring hob, sink and kettle. We were on the top floor with a view of the hills and to our right a view of the sea. The Elpis does not have a lift and there is 5 steep flights of stairs to the top floor. There was fresh towels and bed linen every 2-3 days and the floors/ bathroom cleaned every day. There is a small corner shop just along from the entrance to the Elpis but then there are several all within a 10 minute stroll. As Bali is set amongst 4 coves, it is not a flat village there are some short steep climbs so I would not receommend it to anyone who has mobility problems. We used Bali as a central base to explore as much of Crete as we could fit into 10 days. Bali is about 30-45minutes to Heraklion and 1 hours drive to Chania (although this is very dependant on traffic, we always left around 8 in the morning to go anywhere). Would have no hesitation in booking these apartments in the future.

These studios are clean and well placed. The owner is very pleasant and helpful. The onlydown side wasnoisy kids club next door but it was only for an hour each morning and evening and didn`t bother us too much.
Car hire is available here and was good value. We would definately recommend and the resort is lovely and would go back in an instant.

Booked through Kosmar Holidays, a British travel company that specializes in the Greek islands, Spanish islands, Turkey, Croatia and Egypt.
Bali is a small fishing village that has been transformed into a very friendly, attractive tourist area. Crete itself is, in my humble opinion, an extraordinary place. It has so much character, culture, and old world charm. Even though some of the other Greek Islands might have more luxurious hotels, if you are looking for genuinely warm and friendly people, the Cretans are the best! Bali has a number of hotels, some right on the water, others a short walk away. 4 distinct beaches, "Last Beach" being the most secluded, cleanest water, and best snorkling. Although you are not in the tropics, so don't expect to see much.
We stayed at "Elpis Studios", which is up on a hill overlooking the beach and harbor to the front and mountains to the back. They designed the bulding so that every balcony has a view of both. The rooms were perfectly clean and near brand new. A/C available for an extra few $ per day. There was always a breeze if you left the back door open, but this is not an option when you are out. IF they could install a vent of some kind along the back wall or in the door, then you would never even consider paying for the A/C. The owners have their own car rental agency onsite, this was handy. This property happened to house the office of our Kosmar Rep. Katherine. She was such a nice, informative, and helpful young lady. The Tavernas along the waterfront/beaches were numerous. We managed to decide on a few favorites, but you could eat 3 meals a day and never eat in the same one for the entire week. My only regret is that we didn't book 2 weeks on Crete. The island is so big that you need at least 2 weeks to get to visit enough of it. Just another reason to go back someday I suppose. Our British friends have already decided that they are returing next summer. We'll wait and se on that one. Were thinking Egypt soon!!!!!!!!!!!