CategoriesGreece By admin

CELEBRATING OVER 2,700 YEARS OF OLYMPIC HISTORY

Today sees the start of the Olympic Games, a festival of hundreds of events across 32 sports in Paris. Interestingly we’re back where the modern day Olympics started when, in 1896, Frenchman Baron de Coubertin recreated the fabulous ancient Greek event which ceased to be sometime around 400 CE. This year contestants from more than 200 countries will participate in arenas from Paris to (amazingly) Tahiti – yes, French Polynesia still counts as France and they are holding the surfing events there.

BACK IN THE DAY IT WAS SMALLER BUT JUST AS IMPORTANT

Essentially the ancient games were a religious event honouring mighty Zeus and the sporting events were completed alongside sacrifices. Winners received a wreath made from a sacred laurel tree within the grounds at the Temple of Zeus. Legend had it that the first Olympic champion was Koroibos, a baker from nearby Elis who triumphed in the 600 feet (not quite 200m) sprint. Presumably fuelled by his own baklava!

OLYMPIA IS A WONDERFUL PLACE TO VISIT AND WE CAN TAKE YOU THERE

The relics at Olympia are a wonderful thing to see and one of the world’s most important archaeological sites. The amazingly well-preserved original Olympic Park, track and stadium have been very sympathetically excavated and the museum is a culture vulture’s delight. Quite rightly it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and we would put it on anybody’s ‘must visit’ list. You don’t need to be an Olympic athlete to be on track!

IT’S AN EASY DRIVE FROM ATHENS

You can easily visit Olympia from Athens and you can do it in a day – it’s an 11-12 hour round trip but well worth the effort if that’s all the time you have available. That makes it a flying visit worthy of the speedy Koroibos, but it’s also great to combine it with other iconic sites such as Delphi, Mycenae and Epidaurus on a road trip of the Peloponnese with an overnight or two in charming local 3 and 4 star hotels en route.

A FEW HOURS CAN TURN THE CLOCK BACK CENTURIES

Athens is an incredible base from which to explore Greece by all points of the compass, whether by road or sea or local flights. It’s our back yard in which we can turn the clock back just a short drive or a short cruise away. Come and explore it with us as your guide.

YOUR INBOUND AGENT FOR ALL THINGS GREEK

For more information about our wide range of holidays & trips in Greece get in touch with our experienced team on our contact us page.

Or by calling +(30) 21620 20021.

CategoriesTahiti By admin

HOW DO YOU SOLVE A PROBLEM LIKE MOOREA

In our last email we paid tribute to South Pacific, the famous Rogers and Hammerstein musical. Today we delve back into the movie archive for a shameless pun on a song from another R&H masterpiece, The Sound of Music, a tale of the vicissitudes and coming of age of a novice nun called Maria in Austria on the eve of the Anschluss. Maria is a bit of a problem child, but her challenges are resolved by a handsome sea captain and a bunch of singing children. Happy days, and they all live blissfully ever after once they’ve escaped to Switzerland. What’s not to love? We’ll happily drink a cocktail or three to that, complete with cherry and a paper umbrella!

CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN, FOLLOW YOUR DREAM…

Fast forwarding halfway across the world, today’s tale is of a different Moorea, but also involves mountains. We’re talking fantabulous volcanic peaks rising jaggedly into the blue sky above the warm and balmy tropical waters of the oceans of French Polynesia. It’s 124 sq. kms of very beautiful, mystical and spiritual wonder, known from afar for its rugged mountains and closer at hand for it’s stunning expanses of sandy beach washed by translucent waters and backed by lush verdant vegetation. Just a hop and a skip from Tahiti, it’s all rather dreamlike.


SO WHAT’S THE PROBLEM WITH MOOREA THEN?

If it all sounds rather idyllic then it is. Once you’ve got there and settled-in to your hotel room-by-sea, everything is hunky-dory. But you’ve got to get there, and you’ve got to know which hotel to stay in and then, most importantly, what to do with the dream-time you’ve walked into. That means you need a local expert with a ‘no problem’ attitude to give you the low down on the high spots.

Moorea? There’s a lot more here!

For more information about our wide range of holidays & trips in Greece and French Polynesia get in touch with our experienced team on our contact us page.

CategoriesGreece Tahiti By admin

HAPPY MIDSUMMER’S DAY

Today marks the Summer Solstice – that moment in time where the Earth starts tilting back on it’s axis and the nights in the northern hemisphere start getting longer. In the words of George R. R. Martin, author of Game of Thrones: Winter is Coming! Did you know that footage of Meteora, pictured above, to the north of Athens, was used in the series as the location for the High Castle?

TIME TO START MAKING PLANS FOR 2025

With this summer now almost done and dusted, it’s time to think about opportunities for 2025 and making plans. We reckon 2025 will be a dedicated holiday year – with no Olympic Games, no major football competition and no American election people will be able to focus on simply having fun. We also reckon that holidaymakers will be in the mood to make early decisions.

WINTER SUN 2024-25 – TAHITI AWAITS

Winter may be coming but there is no reason not to look for some sunshine and island-hopping relaxation. In which case Tahiti and French Polynesia should come high on the agenda. The weather is as good as the Caribbean, but the culture is even more laid back and friendly and the food is awesome. If you’d like to explore the possibilities, we have extensive connections.

Discover Opportunities In Tahiti

SUMMER 2025 – ISLAND-HOPPING IN THE AEGEAN

Greece continues to grow in popularity as a summer holiday destination, nowhere more so than in and around the Aegean, where island-hopping has been in fashion since Odysseus’ day. The classic mainland sites of Delphi, Mycenae, Olympia and Epidaurus are also wonderful attractions and Athens remains an eternal delight. There is so much great stuff to do and see that one visit is never enough.

Check out possibilities in Greece

*SOMETHING NOT TO BE MISSED

EVERYTHING YOU NEED FROM THE SOUTH PACIFIC TO THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN
If you’re in the business of organising tours to Greece or Tahiti and want a complete destination management and concierge service, then get in touch and let’s make plans!

For more information about our wide range of holidays & trips in Greece and French Polynesia get in touch with our experienced team on our contact us page.