Our Second Honeymoon in Santorini

Visiting Santorini has been a dream of mine since I was a teen – but as I crossed items off my bucket list over the years, somehow I never ended up traveling to Greece. When my parents offered to watch the twins so that hubby and I could go on an anniversary trip – all of a sudden, the world was our oyster – and we quickly booked a trip to Santorini!

Top: c/o Chicwish / Skirt: c/o Chicwish / Bag: c/o Amazon / Shoes: c/o Rosegal

Sometimes dream destinations don’t live up to your expectations – but for me – Santorini was everything I hoped for and more! Even writing this post puts me in a good mood – because these photos remind me of how perfectly happy I felt during my visit.

WHERE WE STAYED:

Since it was our second honeymoon – we decided to treat ourselves and book the hotel with the best reviews. After doing a lot of research, we determined that Oia was the prettiest spot to stay in – and that Katikies Hotel was the best hotel in Oia.

We booked a double room – but upon arrival, we were upgraded to a junior suite with an outdoor jacuzzi. Look at the stunning view from our room – one of my favourite memories from this trip is hanging out in the jacuzzi and watching the beautiful sunset.

All the rooms are caves built into the side of a hill – I loved the unique architcture and the curved ceilings. It felt so cozy and secluded inside – and it was always so cool and refreshing – the perfect sanctuary.

A peek at our open wardrobe – perfect for displaying my vacation outfits. In addition to these hanging rails, there was also a small dressing room with a dresser and luggage racks.

WHAT WE ATE:

The hotel breakfasts were AMAZING – there were so many hot and cold options, with a menu of fresh items to choose from, along with a large buffet. This was perfect, because jetlag had us waking up super early and super starving! You could eat at the poolside restaurant (with dreamy views) or in the privacy of your own balcony (at no extra charge).

The picture above was taken on our balcony, and the one below was at the restaurant. My favourites breakfast items were: the freshly squeezed orange juice, sesame breadsticks dipped in honey – and of course FRAPPE!!!

The tastes are something I miss as they were unique to Santorini – the oranges were different, the honey was different… at least the Frappe is easy to recreate! I’ve been making Frappes every day since I’ve returned – here’s the recipe. Take a cup with a lid – add in 1 teaspoon Nescafe, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 inch of water and 3 ice cubes. Secure the lid and shake for 30-45 seconds – you’ll be surprised at how easily it froths up!  Open the lid, pour in 3/4 cup cold water (optional – mix in some milk) – add a straw – and there you have it! I’ve been missing my iced coffee drinks since most are made with dairy – but this beats any frapuccino I’ve ever tried!

We visited the popular Ammoudi Fish Tavern, and had dinner on the docks – but the best grilled fish we ate was in a tiny restaurant called Alkioli, off the main road in Oia. Alkioli is a very simple (and reasonably priced) with homey decor – but I kept going back for the fish (pictured above). I would recommend Ammoudi for the ambience and Alkioli for the taste. We also enjoyed eating Thai food at Paradox restaurant – sometimes I just need my rice and noodles!

WHAT WE DID:

Do you know how you come back from a holiday, feeling like you need another holiday? Well – this time, we came back relaxed, refreshed and full of energy. 

Because of jetlag – we had a funny schedule – we’d wake up super early – go for lovely sunrise walks, have a full breakfast, lounge by the pool – and then take a nap during the hottest part of the day. This worked in our favour – as midday was also the time that Oia was flooded with tourists from cruise ships (as we discovered the one day we walked around at noon).

This spot is my favourite part of Santorini – I love the pink walls, the bougainvillea and the classic blue domed church. I came back at sunrise to capture this photo – at any other time of the day, it’s full of people perched on the wall trying to capture that quintessential Santorini scenery shot.

Other than the crowds of people during mid day – it takes ZERO effort to take a pretty picture of Oia – it’s so clean and pretty – and every corner is so photogenic. I think I have enough photos on my phone to publish a book on the Doors of Santorini, LOL!

Window-shopping was fun too – we picked up some souvenirs for family – but I actually didn’t end up buying anything for myself – although if these pink pom pom slippers came in adult sizes – I probably would have bought those!

There was so much to see and do on the island, but we wanted to keep our trip simple so that we could chill out and soak up the atmosphere. Our only major excursion was a 5-hour sunset cruise and it was so memorable. We swam in the sea – and out to the sulphur hot springs (TIP: pack a dark swimsuit otherwise it will get stained), enjoyed freshly-cooked food on board – and got to see the picture perfect sunset from the water.

I know this sounds strange since I’m Canadian with Asian ancestry –
but I felt completely at home in Greece – as if I belonged there! I definitely want to visit Santorini again – and also explore more of Greece – including Mykynos and Athens.

Where is your favourite place to holiday?