Island Hopping ... some advice please !

Hey , so we are off to Athens on the 27th of July and then going Island hopping for 3 weeks.

Itinerary is as follows

- Athens - Paros - Ios - Santorini - Crete - Athens

So based on that , what are the best things to see and do on these islands ? Obviously we have been looking at all the websites and books but it would be nice to have your opinions ?

So im talking about the best bars .. best beaches .. wildlife .. activities etc etc etc.

Any advice would be awesome.

Cheers !

Chris and Jade x

I can't give you advice on any of the islands you mention - but I'm well familiar with Athens. Watch your wallets at night (and during the day in crowds). It's a city rife with crime.
As far as a room is concerned, get one off the main drag. The roads are mad busy in Athens - 24 hours a day.

Thanks for the heads up on the crime situation ! We have a room booked , the place looks ok .

So can you give me any idea of some cool places to go in Athens ?

Yes I can.... What's your tipple - drinking, clubbing, theatre, history (endless lots of it)?? Let me know and I'll tell you what's hot and what's not.

Hello Chris and Jade,

I will tell you my experience when i was planning to travel to Istanbul. Everybody advise me to be carefull of scams and the people who was around me and those who trying to start a conversation. The result was that i was afraid everybody approaching me, and when some locals asked me politely to go to their house to eat the pizza they just bought, I said No. Did I miss the good part? Yes i did... The point is when you travel of course you have to watch your stuffs and i m sure you doing this everywhere you go but dont miss the good part. I recommend you to meet some locals and follow them to bars. I think cool places in Athens where many bars are, is Kolonaki, Gkazi and Psiri area, you ll find many many bars there for all tastes.
About Paros I think Naousa has better nightlife than others places and in Santorini Oia is the best. You can see the great sunset from Kaldera. You will notice that Santorini hasnt good beaches but you will love the scenery. Thats for sure. In Crete you ll like Chania old city and for nightlife go to Malia. Great beach in Crete is Vai where a palm forest goes down to the sea.Perfect!! I never been in Ios so I cant give you informations. I hope you ll enjoy your trip. Have fun

Vaios

[ Edit: Edited on 24-May-2009, at 17:58 by vickon ]