GREECE 📷 (SANTORINI, NAXOS) - TRAVEL REVIEW:

Greece is now the most popular tourist destination in the world. Thanks to Travel channel, Travel reviewers who have rated Greece to be THE NO 1 Destination to travel. This is our second trip to Greece and we absolutely loved it. Greece is a country of multiple islands with great views, beaches, great Mediterranean food and wine and olives.

Traveling to Greece might get complicated as tickets are very high during the summer holidays. Alternatively you can fly to Italy or other European countries and make a connection to Greece using the low cost airline carrier like EasyJet or Ryan Air... if you need more details let me know I can give some ideas. 

SANTORINI, GREECE :

A two and half direct flight from Naples, Italy got us here to Santorini... This is our second trip to Santorini and we cannot stop coming here ... hotels in Santorini are very expensive. If you want to stay in the Cave hotel overlooking the beautiful cliff with a swim up bar facing the cliff you got to plan way in advance. There are few AIRBNB place available for staying. Hotels in peak season rents for 600 Dollars a night and they are always full. You might want to plan well in advance if you want to do the above. We did a AIRBNB and stayed with in a cave which was rented out by a Greek family. It was a bed and breakfast place and their hospitality was just amazing. We just loved our stay with them.

For cheaper option I suggest to stay in the Kamari beach area and rent a car. It’s a 20 minute car drive to Fira and one hour car drive to Oia (the two main attractions In Santorini) from where one can experience those beautiful white color caves with Blue domes.... we were little concerned to drive initially however it was the best decision we made. Driving car around the island made it very easy to see places. 

The white Caves on the cliff has been shown in many many movies. Its a dream come true who are interested in photography. It’s the most unique structures one can experience. Few hundreds of years before they were used to store food items, donkeys and goats to save from extreme temperatures. Now they are the most expensive hotels to stay in the world. The blue color tomb on Greek churches adds a sugar coat to the view. There are numerous cafes that serves great Food and drinks with the view. 

For the spectacular views you can drive to the small town called OIA. This location is filmed in various movies both Hollywood and Bollywood. It’s the end of the island over looking the Aegean Sea. The sunset from there is a splendid experience. The whole place is something that cannot be explained in words and it can only be experienced. The wind mill, the restaurants, the crowd and the beautiful while color caves and the blue tombs, cliff, ocean and the boats and the music .... it’s just magical.... this is what you call as a million dollar view. This can only be experienced in Santorini. There are shops all along which are cute and tiny. One can spend hours strolling through the shops and enjoy the view.

KAMARI BEACH ( Black beach and Red Beach)

Apart from spectacular views Santorini offers great beaches as well. Santorini is a result of volcanic explosions and that’s how the bay is formed. The sand on the beach is either RED or BLACK in color. The water is crystal clear as one expect in Greece beaches. 

Kamari is also an alternative option for people who want to explore Santorini on budget. The hotels are one third the cost.

Compared to staying in the cliff. The distance from the view point to Kamari is drivable. Plus you get to experience the beach and the shopping and countless dining options that this small beach town offers.

NAXOS, GREECE:

When you are in Greece you need to experience other islands so you get a complete picture. While the most famous attractions in Greece are Athens and Santorini there are other islands as well. Mykonos is a very famous island and so is Crete and Naxos. 

While island hoping ensure that you stay in that island at least for a night or else you will not enjoy it. Doing round trip is tedious. There are various Ferry service that offers good connection between islands. 

Naxos is a 2 hour ferry ride from Santorini. This is the place where Salman Khan latest move song from Tiger Zinda Hai was shot. It’s a cute little town with lots of beaches. As I mentioned we did not have a whole lot of time to explore the island as we did a day trip. 

SUMMARY:

Greece and their islands are wonderful. Food is great in Greece. Fresh chicken Kabobs, Gyros and Salads, Fresh fish cooked with olive oil, great fruits are really good in any place you eat. If you are into history Athens is a great place to go. As I mentioned look for a hop into Greece from Italy or other counties. Direct flights from the US or India is a little complicated. 

Greece offers a lot from the beautiful unique structures, blue color tomb, great food, easy and friendly people, beaches and much more. I highly recommend a trip to Greece. It’s a must do in your life.