Rome - Flight and Accomodation

Flight from Santorini to Rome: EasyJet (SGD $250) 

Accomodation:

1. Porta Pia Holidays Home (Lazio 00187, Italy)

SGD43/person/night 

PROS: Looks pretty and chic, very near to tourist spots, cheap considering the location

Santorini - Itinerary

Day 0

Singapore -> Athens, Greece
Athens -> Santorini

Singapore Airlines flies directly to Athens three times a week (Mon, Wed, Fri) departing Singapore at 1.00am and arriving in Athens at 7.20pm. Flying time is just over 11 hours and the time difference is five hours.

Aegean Airlines offers four flights daily from Athens to Santorini, with a 10.35am flight conveniently connecting with the Singapore Airlines 7.20am arrival. Flying time is about 25 minutes.

Day 1

• Rent a car from either http://www.santorini.com/rentals/ankor/#, http://www.santorini.com/rentals/autoforyou/ or http://www.santorinieasyrent.com/cars/2/ (GPS but more ex)
• Drive to our hotel for check-in
• Kamari beach
• Amoudi Port (Oia)
• Sunset (Oia) 

Day 2

• Caldera & Hot Springs half day tour at Old Port (Fira)
• Explore Fira
• Sunset (Skaros Rock, Imerovigli)
• Open air cinema (Kamari)

Day 3

• Akotiri (ancient village; the Pompeii of Aegan)
• Pyrgos village
• Perissa beach
• Sunset (??)

Day 4

• Free & Easy
• Depart from Santorini to Rome 

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Try: Donkey Beer (yellow, red, crazy), 

Put in the car: Picnic mat, sweater, umbrella, loud speakers, CDs, extra clothes, slippers, towel, food, water, camera, 

Santorini - Activities

1) Old Port (Fira, the capital of the city)

• All boat tours to volcanoes leave from here
• Cable cars ride up and down, but recommended to take it back up 

2) Open air cinema (Kamari)

• Recent movie played at the cinema 
• Greek cocktails and food available
• Bring mosquito spray

Directions: Main Road, Kamari 847 00 – Drive towards Kamarí Beach, it’s on your right at the main road. The entrance fee is €7, doors open at 8:50pm and the movie starts at 9:30pm.

3) Watch the sunset from Skaros rocks (Imerovigli) 

• Bring a blanket
• Super romantic

Directions: Park in Imerovigli. Walk to the sea side of the small town and start descending towards Skaros Rock. You can’t miss it. First you go down a lot of steps, then hike up the cliff. Probably a 20 minute walk.

We can also watch the sunset at Oia Castle (most famous), Profitis Ilias Pyrgos (highest point) or Vlihada beach (where the volcanic nuances change colour with the sun set). 

4) Take a ferry from Kamari beach to Perissa beach

• Rent a chair for €5, inclusive of a drink and wifi for a day
• Enjoy the beach

Directions: Walk towards the cliff side of the beach (on either side) and find the orange rope. Just sit there until the ferry arrives. You can grab a yummy ice cream from the little shop on the corner of the boulevard to enjoy while you wait. I think it runs every 15-20 minutes.

5) Visit the active volcanos and swim in the sulfur lakes

• Tour group in a small wooden boat, and guide will explain about the volcanos
• Feel the heat with our own hands
• Allowed for some free and easy time to wander around the volcanoes
• Then brought to a hot spring nearby to swim
• Anyone who wanted to jump out of the boat to swim was allowed to 

Directions: 

Our Caldera tour boat left from the Old Port at 11:00u, make sure you’re on time because they’ll 
definitely leave without you. The hostel made a reservation for us, we payed around €15 per person.

6) Eat at Ouzeri 

• Dinner for 2 is about €35 
• Try their Yellow Donkey Beer 

Directions: Famprika Shopping Center, Fira 84700. Come early or make a reservation, it can get busy here.

7) Rent an ATV? Maybe. 

8) Iconic blue domed churches

9) Visit Akotiri 

Visiting Akrotiri is like travelling in time. Walk around the streets and squares of a pre-historic city of 30.000 inhabitants(!), admire the elegant mansions and high finesse of the 17th century B.C.

10) Go scuba diving

11) Explore Potamos and Manolas settlements, which are not touristically developed

12) Panagia Mesiani, the second most important church (Perissa)

To visit the church please call 6977260048

13) Amoudi Bay (Oia)

14) Hiking trail (Fira to Oia)

15) Cliff jump  

Inspiration from:

http://88forever.nl/2014/03/08/travel-to-do-santorini/

http://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Attractions-g189433-Activities-Santorini_Cyclades.html

Picture collection:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/whereisyourtoothbrush/sets/72157637203359384/

Santorini - Flight and Accomodation

Santorini, a little city in Greece, will be the first stop of our big adventure. It's crazy how scenic this place is; every corner is picture perfect. I'm a big sucker for views like these, so I'm definitely 100% excited to visit this place.

Flight: Probably British Airways, or Emirates. Budget: SGD 1700.

Accomodation: Airbnb/ Groupon

We mustn't make the same mistake as we did in Bali - we need to get a hotel near most of the attractions we want to visit. Here's a map of Santorini.

I read up and apparently Fira is where the hustle and bustle are. I think both of us prefer a happening, crowded area with loads of activities as compared to a quiet beach getaway. Even if it's noisy. So I decided that we got to stay near Fira. So Fira is where the shops, restaurants, clubs are.

Kamari is apparently where the best beach is, and also where our open air cinema is located. The best sunset view is in Oia.

A few places I shortlisted: 

~https://www.airbnb.com.sg/rooms/703920?s=Twws (10 mins away from Fira)
Rates: SGD 37/person/night

https://www.airbnb.com.sg/rooms/629039?s=tA8c (Thira)
Rates: SGD 48/ person/night

~Kavalari (Fira) Super super convenient
Rates: SGD 70/person/night

~https://www.airbnb.com.sg/rooms/773673?s=ZauC (Kamari)
Rates: SGD 30/person/night

En Plo Boutique Suites (Oia)
Rates: SGD 75/person/night

~Evgenia Suites (Fira) 10 minutes away from center hub, free airport transfer,
Rates: SGD 35/person/night
vevgenia@otenet.gr

~Scirocco Hotel (Fira) SUPER PRETTY, 3 minutes away from Fira's center hub
Rates:  SGD55/person/night (before 10th May) or SGD 88/person/night (after 10th May)

~Angel Studios (Fira), 10 mins away from Fira, in a small village next to Fira
http://www.angelstudios.gr/en/gallery.php
Rates: SGD 38/person/night

Narrowing down the picks to just three:

*Take note that beds in Greece are hard and thin, so don't be upset if your bed is not comfortable*

1. Thea Studios for 2 (Airbnb) 
check out the listing here
SGD 38/ person/night
Pros: Cheap, relatively pretty, clean, nice exterior, 10 minutes walk to town, 2 minutes drive to town, free airport transfer
Cons: Not in town itself

2. Evgenia Suites (Tripadvisor) 
check out their website here and their reviews here
SGD 34/person/night
Pros: Cheap, many good reviews, swimming pool, 7 minutes walk to town
Cons: Not all rooms are renovated (only the renovated rooms are pretty, the rest are damn bad), not in town itself, room may be small

3. Scirocco Hotel (Tripadvisor) - will only book if we go before 10th May
check out their website here and their reviews here 
SGD55/person/night (before 10th May) or SGD 88/person/night (after 10th May)
Pros: SUPER SUPER PRETTY, 3 mins walk to center hub, right in the center of town, bustling area, amazing view
Cons: Expensive