I have just returned from an amazing and exciting mini adventure. It’s really strange because living and working in the city you absolutely forget just how beautiful our country is and also that a few short hours out of the city a very different world exist’s. For this mini tour my husband and I took a road trip down to the Drakensberg and the north coast in Durban.
The Drakensberg is a mountain range that spans over 1000km and across and through 3 countries including Lesotho, Swaziland and of course South Africa. It play’s host to some of the highest peaks in the country and makes for some beautiful scenery. While we were there we stayed in a beautiful mountain lodge and were totally incommunicado with the rest of the world. It’s weird that a few days with no phone and no internet can be so freeing!
After our lost days in the berg we headed to the coast, sadly we got pretty grey and depressing weather which limited beach time, but allowed us to spend more time finding great restaurants and new places in Durban.
I’m going to go into way more detail about the places we visited, activities and restaurants but for now I thought I’d share some of the pictures of post’s to come.
The second leg of our trip through Greece took us through Paros. Paros is an island in the Cyclades and a major port for most ferries through the Cyclades and onto other islands.
A lot of times when you travel to exotic or dream destinations you have an idea or an image of what that place should be. Many times that image is a very small tourism marketing picture. Paros and Greece on the whole proved that that’s not always the case. When you imagine Greece with the whitewashed houses and blue balconies overlooking a beautiful beach and a lulled Mediterranean, it pretty much is exactly what you get. Paros and Naoussa in particular makes that image a reality. What makes it even better is that it’s not a specific area or a singular spot its the whole town.
The Main city in Paros is Parikia, which plays host to the port on Paros and is also a central point for activities on the island. The main road that runs along the port is lined with a variety of little stores and restaurants.
Another town on Paros and our base is Naoussa, like most cycladic towns Naoussa is full of character with small cobbled alley ways, whitewashed buildings and shades of blue trim making a simple walk through almost magical.
The town of Naoussa is quaint and beautiful, it sits on a small harbour with boats that take you to different beaches on the island. The cute little town has a wide variety of restaurants and boutique stores. The loukomades from the store in Naoussa is unparalleled and highly recommended. Every meal and meze we had on Paros island was beautiful and fresh, I think the best advice is to try everything.
The best Loukomades…with ice cream…& Chocolate sauce
The local bars and clubs are located at the end of the harbour and are stylish and very popular with both Greeks and tourists. We were there towards the end of August which is towards the end of the summer high season, however we were told that during the busy summer months Naoussa can be absolutely packed.
We stayed at a friends apartment on the island however, there is an endless variety of accommodation options available in Naoussa. Travel and getting around the island is also very easy, a public bus runs between major points throughout the day. There are numerous rental places that offer a variety of vehicles from mopeds to mini SUV’s and four wheelers.
There are fantastic beaches around every corner in Paros. Golden beach has a collection of beach clubs and bars that line the beach. The straight between Paros and AntiParos is absolutely stunning and is famous for watersports such as kitesurfing. In all honesty with such a variety of options it’s one of those islands where you can find your own personal favourite spot and make it special.
Secret Cliff Diving spot
Paros and Naoussa in particular is a trip that shouldn’t be missed!
I was very lucky to spend a few weeks in Greece last August. It was our first visit to Greece, which is somewhat weird since we have a lot of Greek friends who are very welcoming.
We spent a total of 3 weeks in Greece travelling between 3 major islands Paros, Naxos and Santorini and visiting attractions, beaches and restaurants along the way. For this blog post I’m going to start at the beginning and probably where everyone’s journey through Greece starts…In Athens!!
Sprawling Athens
Athens is the Capital of Greece and is a very large city that plays host to the International airport and the port Piraeus that inevitably takes you to all the exciting islands. Athens and Greece are famous throughout history for Art, philosophy and some of the greatest legends. Just a few relatively well known such as…Plato, Aristotle & Socrates to name a few. Greece and Athens in particular is a modern European country that is meshed intrinsically with a rich and deep history.
We had a basic list of must do’s and sights in Athens. We stayed in the Plaka district which is basically the old town of Athens, it sits at the base of the Acropolis and is basically central to most major attractions in Athens. Plaka is beautiful, it is the quintessential small cobblestone alleys dotted with restaurants and homes. For anyone visiting Athens, Plaka and it’s surrounds is the place to stay. We stayed at hostel since we figured we’d be adventuring most of the time before we made our way to the islands. Our hostel was the Student and Travellers Inn it was relatively cheap, accommodations were basic but location was prime.
Plaka older BuildingsPlaka Streets
We managed to visit all the major sites in Athens in one walking day, thanks to our great and central location we walked from site to site, if you start your tour at the Acropolis (or really at any site along the major site list) you can purchase an all inclusive tickets for 12 Euro’s that basically get’s you into every attraction, including all Acropolis, Hadrians Arch and the ancient Agora to name a few.
Acropolis – AthensAcropolis – Athens
We were there in August so we missed the major Summer rush, however I doubt that places like the Acropolis get quiet. It’s also very hot, so dress appropriately.
Monastiraki
Monastiraki is the major shopping and market area in Athens. The market is most popular with tourists where you can find a multitude of curios, food, clothing and leather sandals stores. It is also a major subway station stop with a large variety of connections. I can definately recommend Thanassis for a greek gyro in the market. Cross the major road into a shopping mecca with all the popular stores from Mango & Zara to Nike. All the while walking from, towards or within a range of historical sites.
Athens Flea Market – Monastiraki
Food in Greece is typical Mediterranean, meze is a very popular way to eat and gives you an opportunity to try a variety of dishes. Gyro’s are a typical Greek fast food and are found everywhere at a relatively cheap price.
Lampshades light the way
We spent a few days exploring Athens and visiting the sites before we left for the Islands, on our return leg we spent more time in Athens. We rented a magnificent apartment off Airbnb again right next to the Plaka district very close to the Acropolis Museum and spent our time hanging out, visiting the surrounding restaurants and bars and enjoying the great weather.
Life.Lights.Love 