Tag: breathtaking

Santorini Diaries; Oia

August 11, 2024

Being considered the most picturesque village on the island of Santorini, we had to visit Oia to experience this world famous sunset spot for ourselves.

Catching the bus from Imerovigli was very easy and only takes 20 minutes or so to get to the central square of Oia where we were dropped off. Arriving early evening at around 5pm, we had a few hours of sunlight left to explore the stunning maze of hilly streets lined with shops and restaurants.

There’s no denying how busy this village becomes during the summer with all the tourists, but we did manage to find some quieter corners off the beaten track like this old windmill.

We stopped to get some shots down this cute side street framed with pink flowers too.

The white wash buildings against the volcanic rock they are built into is so unique and breathtaking to see in real life, it really is like a postcard painting.

It’s the blue top churches and old windmills dotted amongst the white buildings which make that distinctive Santorini landscape so iconic.

I wore this patterned bow back detail dress paired with white buckle sliders, a classic basket bag and my MiuMiu sunnies, the perfect afternoon into evening look for strolling the hilly streets of Oia.

I made 7:30pm reservations for sundown drinks at Veranda Aperitivo, a rooftop bar part of the Canaves Sunday Collection.

With sunset views and away from the crowds of tourists, this was an ideal spot to enjoy golden hour with a drink in hand.

I ordered an exquisite Tommy’s Margarita, whilst my boyfriend had his usual classic Mojito cocktail.

Once the sun went below the horizon, we wondered over to a famous viewing point overlooking Oia to see the village lit up by night.

We then caught the bus back to Fira where we found a lovely Italian restaurant called Da Vinci for a late dinner.

I had my favourite linguine vongole which was divine and my boyfriend had a penne arrabbiata he devoured too; we needed carbs after all that walking!

Whilst the village of Oia was beautiful and amazing to experience at sunset, we didn’t go back again as it was by far the busiest of places we visited on the island.

There are so many other equally incredible places around the island to see Santorini’s magnificent golden hour away from the crowds. Checkout my other posts in my Santorini Diaries series to learn where our top locations are for the best views of sunset ❤

Santorini Diaries; Imerovigli

August 4, 2024

When looking into where was best to stay in Santorini, we settled on the smaller town of Imerovigli situated between the capital Fira and popular larger town of Oia. This turned out to be the best decision not only because it avoids the busy tourist hotspots, but this area has some of the most stunning, uninterrupted views off the beaten track at sunset.

On night one I booked a table at The Wine Bar in the centre of Imerovigli, to have drinks and dinner as we watched our first sundown over the Caldera.

Whilst this was on the pricier side of places we ate, the wine was divine and we enjoyed our selection of dishes including pitta bread, olives, pulled pork sliders and a Greek feta salad of course.

Just next door to the bar was a white rooftop, simply perfect for those gorgeous golden hour shots.

We spent our afternoons soaking up the scorching Greek sun on our private balcony with plunge pool at Cresanto Luxury Suites, just a 5 minute walk from the town of Imerovigli.

The hotel also had a main infinity pool with loungers where we could order cocktails poolside too.

Now these are the kind of Monday blues I’m talking about!

Our private balcony provided the ultimate spot for handstand practice and I would often do my workout routine in the mornings here, before jumping straight in the pool to cool off.

One of the most incredible locations for sunset away from the crowds was Skaros Rock on the cliffside of Imerovigli.

We hiked over to the other side of the rock where there is a deserted church with the most breathtaking sweeping views of the Caldera at sundown.

Unlike the tourist hotspots in Oia and Fira, we had the place all to ourselves making this a hidden gem for golden hour.

Strolling around the town, we finally found the famous spot overlooking those iconic blue top churches.

Once the sun went down each night, the moon came out to glow over the white wash buildings of Santorini.

One evening we decided to take a sunset stroll to this church on the hill which we could see from our hotel.

Walking along this coastal path on the outskirts of Imerovigli was so peaceful and once again, away from any crowds of tourists.

Along the way we stumbled across the super luxurious CavoTagoo hotel where there is currently a Roka Restaurant popup.

Here we stopped to enjoy sundown cocktails with yet more spectacular views of the Caldera and sun dipping below the horizon.

This was a more popular spot in Imerovigli, but we got a table and soaked up the sunset whilst sipping our delicious cocktails.

That evening we strolled into the centre of Imerovigli and ended up at a local restaurant called Mama Lena.

We had courgette fritters with tzatziki to start, followed by rice stuffed peppers for me and a vegetable tomato linguine for my boyfriend. A much more reasonably priced restaurant serving traditional Greek food.

The local kebab shop called Jimmy’s Souvlaki on the main street of Imerovigli, became my boyfriend’s favourite place to grab a classic Greek lunch of chicken gyros.

On reflection we would choose to stay in the town of Imerovigli again given there’s far less tourists, there’s plenty of 5* luxury hotels and suites to choose from, and there’s no denying the outstanding sweeping views of the iconic Caldera ❤

Santorini Diaries; You, Me & Santorini

July 28, 2024

Upon returning from our holiday to Santorini last week, I can definitely put it up there as one of the most beautiful, picture perfect places I’ve ever had the fortune to visit.

From the aesthetic white wash towns built into the cliffs of the volcanic rock overlooking the caldera, to the stunning sunsets every evening showering the island in golden orange hues, I can see why Santorini is a world famous destination for couples in search of a romantic vacation.

During our week we explored most of the island including the capital Fira and the Instagram famous Oia. We even did a sunset boat cruise and had plenty of time for relaxing at our hotel by the pool too, so a week away turned out to be just right.

We stayed at Cresanto Luxury Suites in the town of Imerovigli situated between Fira and Oia. Whilst this is a newly opened hotel which is still finding its feet in terms of delivering a 5* service, it was a great location and our spacious room with the private balcony and plunge pool with sea view was fantastic.

Dinners and drinks out were fairly expensive which we expected, however my boyfriend’s favourite gyros spot Jimmy’s Souvlaki was less than 10 euros for a meal and drink. When in Greece it’s local gyros for lunch most days!

We enjoyed lots of delicious meals together including wonderful fresh seafood, my favourite Greek feta salad on repeat of course, and even some great Italian cuisine too.

Over the next few posts I will look back on each area of the island we explored and share my top tips along with my food and drink recommendations.

Having been to Santorini before, my boyfriend already knew of some hidden gems for sunset which avoid the crowds and provide uninterrupted, panoramic views at golden hour.

So stay posted for all the picturesque Santorini content to come as I relive our incredible week on this breathtaking Greek island of love ❤

Summer Holiday Booked; Santorini Greece

April 28, 2024

As we near the month of May, this gloomy English weather is not giving way for Spring which we can only hope means a hot summer coming our way. In the meantime, I needed another holiday to look forward to so I got researching into our options for a European get away in mid July.

After considering the South of France as well as other Greek Islands, we settled on the beautiful Island of Santorini. Whilst I’m aware it is a very popular holiday destination and won’t be cheap, Santorini is simply iconic with its white brick towns set against the vivid blue ocean, not to mention it’s incredibly romantic too.

We’ve treated ourselves to a deluxe suite with hot tub and sea views at Cresanto Luxury Suites, just outside of the capital Fira. I can’t wait for sunbathing in our own private paradise and sundowners in the hot tub with those breathtaking views.

It will be a week of pure bliss in stunning sunshine enjoying delicious Greek food and wine whilst soaking up endless sunsets; bring on Euro Summer 24 ❤

Dubai Diaries; Helicopter Highs

January 16, 2022

Happy Sunday Babes! I can’t believe how quickly the week has passed here in Dubai and I’ll be very sad to be flying home to the UK on Tuesday morning. We’ve done so much during our time here, I really can’t choose a favourite day from our holiday. Taking a helicopter ride over the city was however a very special highlight and an incredible experience I’ll never forget.

On Wednesday morning we were out bright and early for our 10am helicopter tour. Before flying we had a safety briefing to prepare us for the flight and soon enough we were boarding the heli!

Having never been in a helicopter I was super excited for our flight. It’s amazing how it banks up and out to take to the air, I couldn’t help but squeal as we left the ground and took to the sky!

It was amazing to see all of Dubai from above so clearly. We went out over the Burj Al Arab and back past the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Financial District.

Taking a loop in our tour, on the way back to base I had a brilliant view out over The Palm. It’s just so perfectly shaped and seems surreal to see from the sky like that.

What an adrenaline rush the helicopter tour was, I would highly recommend this to anyone visiting Dubai. We booked with https://helitoursdubai.com.

After our exciting morning, we headed over to the Madinat Jumeirah for brunch in the sunshine amongst the most stunning surroundings.

I couldn’t resist a cheeky Bloody Mary to kickstart my day. When on holiday 11am cocktails are a must, am I right?

We had fun exploring the Madinat Jumeirah hotel complex with it’s picturesque bridges and gorgeous details at every corner.

We did go up the Burj Khalifa on another evening to see Dubai from the sky by night also.

Whilst this was a different experience to the helicopter tour, I would recommend the helicopter over going up the Burj as you see so much more from the sky and with uninterrupted views too.

Now it’s Sunday evening and we’re planning on a beach day tomorrow for our final 24 hours here in Dubai. What a time we’ve had and I can’t quite believe how much we’ve packed in during our 10 day stay.

Get ready for more blog posts on our experience here including my top recommendations for anyone visiting the incredible city of Dubai – It certainly is worth the hype and exceeded my expectations ❤

A Fairytale Wedding Come True

August 15, 2021

Whilst Friday 13th is seen as unlucky for some, my two best friends went against the odds and chose Friday 13th August 2021 to tie the knot. With ongoing Covid restrictions forcing them to reschedule three times, this date was a long time coming in the diary and it sure didn’t disappoint as we were treated to the most fabulous of Wedding celebrations.

The stunning bride was absolutely breathtaking alongside her beautiful bridesmaids and gorgeous bouquet arrangements featuring one of my favourite flowers, Gypsophilas. The excitement and anticipation in the air made for a buzzing atmosphere and happy smiles all around and all day long.

After capturing that token confetti throwing shot, we waved off the newlyweds in their Rolls-Royce followed by the bridesmaids loving life in their super cool VW camper van!

At Tylney Hall we were greeted with bubbles and canapés on the terrace over looking the picturesque grounds, perfect for photo opportunities with my favourite girls.

It was a truly idyllic setting as the live acoustic musicians played and we sipped our bubbly savouring the moment.

What a joy it was to be back in the company of so many old friends from school and sharing such a special day together amongst the most beautiful backdrop of Tylney Hall.

Soon we were ushered to the Wedding Breakfast where we could finally give our feet a rest and indulge in a delicious three course meal.

Everything was just exquisite and every detail thought out and perfectly executed. The day went far too quickly and once we got on the dance floor, the night ran away with us as we had the time of our lives celebrating together like we were teenagers again!

Thank you Jess and Ryan for pulling off a truly magnificent day and wishing you both a lifetime of happiness together ❤