InnReview: Greece in Four Days

My travel schedule can get pretty hectic. Between important events for my friends and family coupled with other personal obligations, things can get a little crazy. Greece was no different!

When I travel, I normally am traveling because of an amazing flight deal. Greece was no different. My trip was $350 round trip! So I HAD to book it, I told a few friends about the deal and we all agreed to go.

My original plan was never to do four days in Greece, more like eight. But when my best friend asked me to be in her wedding, which was during my trip, I had to choose, so I picked both! I altered the trip to make both scenarios work, see how I did it, below:

DAY 1- ATHENS

Athens was named after the Greek goddess Athena. Greek Mythology tells us Athena defeated Poseidon when the people chose her as their protector. When I arrived in Athens, I didn't know what to expect. Driving from the airport, it felt like any other big city, when arrived to our   Airbnb ($50 for one night), it was a 2 bedroom and one bath space with cafe's in walking distance. We had to quickly get dressed for Dinner in the Sky, so there wasn't much time for me to wander around the neighborhood that evening.

Dinner in the Sky takes you 164 feet in the air to have a five course dinner and wine pairings. It cost about $170 for the experience, while this was a little pricey, the views, the wine, and the food were all worth it. We dined as the sun was setting, over looking the Acropolis and the City of Athens. After few glasses of wine, I relaxed and took in the views. I am not afraid of heights, and I do not recommend if you are terrified of heights as the table does turn constantly which really helps you take in the views.

Check out my personal video from dinner in the sky here.
 

DAY 2- ATHENS/SANTORINI

I spent the morning with friends exploring Athens. I walked the neighborhood for breakfast and then prepared to see the iconic Acropolis, the ancient citadel built on a rocky mountaintop above the city of Athens sitting at 490 ft above sea level.

The climb to the top of the Acropolis can get tricky, be sure to wear shoes that have a good grip, the worn out limestone is extremely slippery. The views from the top are breathtaking, this is a must see site when visiting Athens. The cost to enter was 20 Euros.

Photos of the Acropolis and Parthenon below.

After leaving the Acropolis, we head back home to collect our things and fly to Santorini for our afternoon flight. The flight took less than an hour from Athens to Santorini and is the quickest mode of transportation between the two.

We rented out a beautiful villa in Thira, a city within Santorini about 12 mins away from Fira, the capitol of Santorini.

Check out the view when I first arrived in Santorini this video.

Without a doubt, the views will be stunning where ever you go on the island, and I often took strolls around the villa just to take it all in. Accommodations in Santorini are on the higher end, so before planning to travel to Santorini, establish the objective of what you want to see and do and then pick the best city to accommodate your needs. 

The island of Santorini is more beautiful than any video or photo can depict. The primary way to travel around the island is by four wheelers (ATVSs) or cabs. There are very limited number of cabs, alternatively, my friends rented ATVs and small cars to get around. The island is filled with narrow roads, ATVs are you best bet to get around rather quickly. Keep in mind, there are no ride sharing companies on the island so you must pre-plan a car service from the airport, or find a cab company to work with for airport transfers

Night time has arrived, and 170 young professionals have finally arrived to Santorini, and we decided to all go to "The Highlander' in Fira, about 12 mins away from my Villa. The venue was filled with locals and trip attendees. We took over the bar and spilled out into the streets for an unforgettable night. Quick video of the epic night to the right. 

  DAY 3- SANTORINI

Finally, it's time see the Santorini we've all seen in photos, Oia. Oia, pronounced EE-AH is located within the northwestern tip of the Santorini island. This coastal town looks like a painting with the beautiful white architecture with hints of blue, it is the perfect contrast to the deep blue Aaegan Sea. Located within Oia are several unique hotels with infinity pools overlooking the sea, restaurants with amazing Mediterranean food, homes and churches. You can climb homes and stand on tops of the roofs to take the most amazing photos.

Check some of my photos out below:

After our morning trip to Oia, we took a visit to the beach at Santorini Wet Stories, located just outside of Emporio. This area is filled with beach bars, and it's the perfect place to layout beach side with food and beverage service. The average meal cost was roughly 22 euros to include an entree and cocktail. 

For dinner, I decided to stay local. Within Thira, there are many restaurants within the town center, that have extremely affordable dinners. My housemates and I found a great small restaurant that had the best lamb I have ever tasted with two pitchers of rose, I paid 13 euros!

Check out one of my dinners on the left.

DAY 4- SANTORINI 

I ended my trip the way anyone would want to end their trip, on a boat. We used Sunset Oia service to rent out two catamarans. This is a MUST do experience, there is nothing like seeing the inhabited and uninhabited islands from sea while having an amazing time with your friends. Be sure to have your proper cocktails, and negotiate food for the boat ride.

The two catamarans sailed and partied together at sea for a little over five hours.

All in all, Greece has to be my favorite trip, and one of the places I am adamant about returning to soon.

Check out the images below from my trip!

Want to visit Greece?! Let me know down in the below comments!

InnReview: Royal Decameron Haiti

Haiti, The Pearl of the Antilles

Being of Haitian decent, traveling to Haiti is always special to me. Be it to visit my parents, who have been living there for years, or for a vacation.

My latest trip to Haiti, I did a little bit of both. I arrived in Port-Au-Prince a day before my friends would arrive. I was greeted by my Mom and Dad who I hadn't seen in almost a year with smiles and hugs. I hadn't been to Haiti in a few years since the tragic earthquake, that my family survived, took place. There were changes within the airport, and driving through the city it looks like what many Caribbean countries look like,  where the people were just as beautiful, resilient and filled with energy and hope.

While in Port-Au-Prince, my mother blessed me with goat, plantains and so much more! After my meal, we visited the downtown Port-Au-Prince area, I wanted to see Palais Nationale, what I like to call the Haitian "White House". It was damaged completely during the earth quake, and has plans to be rebuilt. I also wanted to visit the lovely Musée du Panthéon National Haïtien, one of the latest developments in downtown. They have a gorgeous garden and in that garden they have a restaurant that serves culinary art. We also stopped to admire the memorial of Henry Christophe, a former slave of West African descent, and a leader in the Haitian Revolution. He's responsible for several iconic palace constructions, most notable being the Citadelle.  

Photo Courtesy of Marriott Port-Au-Prince

Because I am a hotel nerd, I had to see the Marriott Port-Au-Prince. It kind of stands out because of the building height, it's one of the tallest in the area. I didn't get a chance to stay or dine here, although I have heard amazing things about their executive chef. For the moment, indulge in the picture on the right in the mean time. I am certain I will be back!

Finally, it was girl's trip weekend time! My best friend was getting married and we decided to surprise her for her last fling before the ring, with a trip to Haiti. We traveled to La Côte des Arcadins which is about 75-90 mins away from Port-Au-Prince. In the area where Decameron is located, there are a total of five hotels Kaliko Bay, Wahoo Bay, Ouanga Bay, Moulin Sur Mer, and Royal Decameron Indigo Beach Resort & Spa. Together these hotels make up 454 rooms, and provide over 1,000 jobs supporting roughly 9,000 people in the area.

The Resort was nothing short of breathtaking. The arrival experience is a bit rocky because the hotel is some what tucked away behind what appears to be a residential area. But everything after that is incredible, the staff was relatively pleasant. Because I speak fluent Haitian Creole, it helped ease our experience at the resort. 

The resort is filled with things to do, sea excursions, spa over looking the ocean, two massive pools, beach bars, an on-sight night club and so much more. I would recommend this place to anyone who wants to experience only an ounce of the best of Haiti.

Check out the images below from my trip!

Want to visit Haiti?! Let me know down in the below comments!