By: Nina Pihtayanukul, Travel Consultant
Greece and the Greek islands have always been a bucket list destination of mine. Luckily enough, I was able to go there this August on the Greek island hopper with Trafalgar with my fiance and fellow Travel Consultant, Alfonso Ruiz. Greece proved to be just as magical as in pictures and traveling with Trafalgar made the trip completely seamless.
The trip started off in Athens at the Divani Palace Hotel, which was the perfect starting off point as it was so centrally located. The hotel was a short walk away from Plaka, Athens’ bustling shopping and dining district and almost directly behind the Acropolis Museum. The highlight of our first moments in Athens was the included dining at Balcony Restaurant, one of the top restaurants in Athens, followed by a glass of Ouzo with a view of the shining Acropolis from the hotel’s roof top bar. The following day, we explored all the major sites such as the Parthenon and the Olympic Stadium, with our Local Guide Eleni, who made the ancient sites come back to life.
An early morning ferry took us over to the white washed paradise, named Mykonos. Possibly the highlight of the entire trip was just getting lost among the boutique shops and restaurants covered with bright magenta bougainvillea flowers. Our Local Guide made sure to point out her favorite corners and hidden gems in the town. Overall, our days on the island were spent sunbathing on the white sand beaches, wandering the town, and enjoying an array of fresh seafood. At night, we experienced Mykonos’ famed nightlife, which did not disappoint.
The next stop on our trip was Santorini. We were particularly excited about Santorini because we scheduled our engagement photo shoot on one of our free days on the island. We then did the optional excursion on the Kaiki boat that had us sailing to the nearby volcanic island of Nea Kameni.
Upon docking, we hiked up to the top of the volcano to enjoy the most spectacular view of the caldera and the endless horizon. After the hike, we were taken to a nearby hot springs to soak in the thermal waters.
The last stop on the boat was just off another nearby island, which afforded us the opportunity to dive into the cool blue Aegean sea. Before disembarking, we were treated to a meal and drinks on-board with a sunset view.
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On our last day in Santorini, we had our photoshoot in Oia and Imerovigli, learned about the unique wines from Santorini, and enjoyed one last sunset falling over the domed village of Oia.
After 9 sun kissed days, we flew back to Athens for one last night and to catch our early morning flight home. We ended the trip with our own farewell dinner with all the friends we made.
I would highly recommend this trip to anyone who is looking for a relaxing and leisurely paced vacation to the Greek islands without the effort of having to worry about the logistics of island hopping. This Greek island hopper with Trafalgar vacation was an unforgettable experience and had us excited about the next tour we will take!
By: Nina Pihtayanukul
Travel Consultant
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