A Traveller's Diary: A Unique Way to See Greece

A Holiday With a Difference

I have grown tired over recent years of taking package holidays to resorts where the reps just want me to party and do other boring excursions. This year, I decided to take a trip with a bit of a difference. Rather than booking two weeks of accommodation in some glamorous resort, I sorted out my flights and organised a couple of nights in Athens at either end of a two-week period.
This might sound a little mad, but I didn’t actually book any other accommodation. Instead, I contacted a number of hotels around the islands to ask if they could accommodate me if I just turned up and, with two or three available options in each location, I set off for my holiday worry free.

The Big Idea

In case you have not worked it out yet, my main objective of my holiday was to get around as many islands and see as many sights as I possibly could. No sitting on the beach or around the swimming pool for me! I simply love culture, so decided that the best idea for me would be to travel around the various islands a day or two at a time. There are daily ferry services from Athens, as well as between the islands themselves, so I am sure to be able to take in much of what Greece has to offer.

The Holiday

I spent the first days of my trip around Athens, taking in all of the sights and monuments around this great city. I planned to use the two days at the end of the holiday, when I return to Athens, to treat myself with any of my remaining budget in the many luxury shopping boutiques situated around the city.
After leaving Athens, my first trip was to the island of Sifnos, which is a reasonably quiet island that has not been overrun by wild tourists treating the place like a 24 hour nightclub, bliss. After Sifnos, I stuck to the oft-beaten track, visiting tourist hotspots such as Mykonos, Rhodes, and Crete. Even with tourism as the main economy driver on these islands, there is still much inspiration to be found in the way of history and culture.
My holiday with a difference this year is probably the best I have had. I have marked the islands I have visited this year, so in 12 months I can follow the same idea and take in the others. I strongly recommend this style of holiday to anyone with an adventurous side.
Touristorama is one of Europe's leading travel consultants specialising in Greece hotels, travel, and excursions.