Destination Greece: Who needs an island?

Last week we wrote about why 2022 is a good year to visit Europe, since a multitude of factors, combined with lingering Covid leeriness, kept visitor numbers from exploding faster than recovering travel companies can keep up.

But don’t expect that trend to carry over. We've been talking to travel and tourism executives from companies like Globus, Tourism Australia, Abercrombie & Kent and AmaWaterways, who say 2023 is filling up fast. So you might want to book that bucket list adventure sooner rather than later.

More on that later, along with the first in our two-part “Who needs an island?” series from correspondent Stephanie Mehl on her recent meanderings to the fascinating but lesser-traveled areas of mainland Greece – which, yes, still has amazing beaches.

As always, we want to welcome our new subscribers from around the world, including Australia! And if you have received our newsletter from a friend but haven't yet subscribed, please sign up for free here to support independent travel journalism.

First here’s the news and our favorite stories this week:

• The ‘sexiest’ hotel in Manhattan? We’ve never been to this landmark hourly hotel in the Meatpacking District. But after reading this New York Times piece, we’re kind of thinking we missed out. And we’re sad to think it might be going away. 

• Speaking of no-tell motels, don’t expect an economical tryst at your local Motel 6. They might still be leaving the lights on, but as this piece in The Wall Street Journal shows, this budget chain (owned by The Blackstone Group, which repositioned Hilton years ago) moved way beyond its original focus as a bargain stop for road-trippers.

•  Honey, I shrunk the airline seat! As anyone who flies in the back of the plane has no doubt noticed, airline seats have been shrinking for years as airlines seek to optimize revenue by packing more seats into jets. But have they shrunk too much to be safe? In a widely reported story, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) posed that question to the public and gave us until Nov. 1 to weigh in with thoughts about how seat size impacts the safety of disabled people, people over 60 and kids. As our friend Alan Levin along with Ella Ceron reported for Bloomberg, some suggest body size is also a safety issue. “When it comes to plus size travelers and fat travelers, not only is it a comfort issue, it's a safety issue,” said Annette Richmond, the founder of the travel site Fat Girls Traveling, told Bloomberg. USA Today reported that only one in five fliers can comfortably fit in current seats. Whether the FAA will ultimately mandate a minimum seat size remains to be seen, and even if it does, airlines would likely receive years to adopt it. Want to voice your opinion, check out the FAA’s instructions on how to submit comments.

• Why European river operators are praying for rain. Last week we talked about why we like river cruising in Europe this year, with lower guest ratios and fewer tourists clogging the streets in popular stops. We also wrote that you need to be flexible. And sure enough, the Rhine and Danube rivers' water levels keep dropping, forcing more disruptions in cruises. But hopefully that will ease soon. Read this update from Jeri for Cruise Critic.

Thinking about a bucket list trip in 2023? Better book soon!

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from events the past two-and-half years, it's that our travel plans can change on a dime. But if you're thinking about making up for lost pandemic-travel with a big trip in 2023, that doesn't mean you should wait. (Although in these strange times, we always recommend good insurance.)

Abercrombie & Kent, which offers luxury group and private travels, says group travel is making a strong comeback. To meet demand, A&K has started adding a number of new departure dates to just about every corner of the globe, including the Middle East, Africa, Europe and South America. Still, Stefanie Schmudde, vice president of product development and operations, says things are filling up fast.

Travelers, she said, “should be planning much further ahead than they perhaps would have been planning in the past,” especially for peak travel periods.

At the Globus family of brands, one of the world’s largest tour operators, chief marketing officer Steve Born says bookings are up “more than 10% worldwide, compared to where we were at this time for 2019 – which was our last ‘normal’ travel year.” And in case you don't remember, 2019 was not only normal, it was one of busiest travel years on record.

 “This boost is led by great early success in river cruising as well as European touring vacations. Select dates are filling up so we suggest that advisors – and their clients – book vacations with capacity limits as early as possible – ideally before third quarter 2022. Examples of those types of vacations include National Parks tours as well as river cruise departures.”

And luxury is king as many travelers who held back on travel during the pandemic are willing to pay more. 

Schmudde said that while demand for small group travel is returning, interest in high-end private travel continues to grow.

On AmaWaterways, president and co-founder Rudi Schreiner says customers are “booking from the top down,” filling up suites and the prime cabins on their river ships first.

In Australia, operators say they are also seeing a strong return of international travelers after being shut down for two years, many looking for longer stays at intimate luxury lodges.

“Book as early as possible because there is very limited inventory,” said Craig Bradbery, chief operating officer of ultra-luxury Baillie Lodges, which includes the iconic Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island that was destroyed in the 2020 bushfires and is expected to reopen mid-2023.

Destination Greece: Who needs an island? 

By Stephanie Mehl

When most of us think about Greece, we envision its islands, with their dramatic contrast of white-washed buildings cascading down to the bluest sea, pristine beaches and cloudless skies. 

But I’m here to tell you that you can get this -- along with a much more authentic experience -- on a trip through the southern mainland.

My husband I discovered the beauty of this lesser-traveled region during a 10-day road trip with a rental car (more on that later) through a chunk of the Peloponnese.

Looking for tips on building stone walls, herding goats or getting a taste of traditional Greek life? This might be your place. But prepare yourself for a slower pace on curvy mountain roads -- knowing, however, that even in the green midsection, an isolated beach and fresh fish are never too far away. And you can always count on a decent taverna in any village with a good grill.

Starting out:  Seattle to Nafplio

Following our long flight from Seattle to Athens, we drove 90 minutes south to the port town of Nafplio, touted as one of the most beautiful cities in the country and a great place to acclimate. 

We checked into Gambello Luxury Rooms, a boutique hotel that cost $130 a night. Then we set out to navigate the historic city, tried to learn a few Greek phrases (forget it!), familiarized ourselves with menus, ate our first of a multitude of Greeks salads, walked the famous 1,000 steps to the castle hovering over the city and dipped into the sea. 

From Nafplio, we drove to the mountains of Sparta, an ancient city-state that once rivaled Athens in size, to see the Byzantine ruins of Mystras, a fortified town that survived from the 13th to the 16th centuries and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Not only is Mystras incredibly photogenic, it is remarkably well preserved and a great place to begin to understand the Greek history that we would re-live throughout many of our stops at ancient sites. But prepare yourself. Don’t wear sandals or heels and carry a bottle of water for the hour-long climb to the top. You will be rewarded with spectacular views of the region.  

Following a restful sleep at Pritanio, a mountain inn about 20 miles away in the village of Polidroso, we woke up early, gulped down some thick, not so good Greek coffee and hiked to one of the area’s many Greek monasteries carved into vertical cliffs. I'm still wondering how in the world they did that.

The thick sweater, which I brought with me from Seattle thinking I’d never need it, came in handy a few hours later, when we ate lunch in the mountain village of Cosmos, known for its cool air and hearty stews. (This was June, by the way.)

Then it was back on the road. Traversing the landscape between dramatic mountains and rocky coastline, we reveled in the tranquility. Besides us, the only things moving on the roads were some locals quietly herding their goats.

Although our guidebooks prepared us, the ancient castle town of Monemvasia,  dramatically (and I mean dramatically) popped into view from seemingly out of nowhere. The town, which is literally carved into the surrounding gray rock, was constructed to be invisible from the mainland to avoid enemy attacks and has a mysterious, almost other-worldy feel. Walking around the cobbled streets was like a trip back in time. 

Unfortunately, we encountered crowds of Greek tourists for Holy Spirit Sunday. So we soaked up what we could, then made a quick exit to the picturesque fishing town of Gythion.

A fishing village that's still real!

Upon arrival in Gythion, my nagging fear about booking the $60-a-night Saga Pension that I found on Booking.com quickly dissipated. The French couple who owned it kept the place clean and quaint. It reminded me of the seashore hotels in movies about summers long gone. Lace curtains and ugly furniture aside, I adored it. 

There are a few modern hotels, which might be the reason for the lack of foreign tourists. But that was fine with me. The one high-end hotel I did find - the giant convention-center looking four-star LAS Hotel and Spa -- was sorely out of place. 

I fell in love with the town's Venetian-like yellow, gold and blue buildings, the Mycenaean revival architecture (yes, it’s a thing) and watching fisherman unload their catch for the multitude of restaurants lining the harbor. One restaurant owner was literally holding a bucket for his catch to be quickly tossed onto his grill five minutes later.

But the town doesn't truly come alive until dining hours. (Think 2 p.m. for lunch and 9 p.m. or later for dinner.) 

And while this town, like the rest of Greece, was abuzz with holiday weekend revelers, we found an outside table complete with a blue-and-white-checkered tablecloth where we enjoyed a very fresh grilled shrimp and sardine dinner for two with a Greek salad and half bottle of wine for just $26. Good to know these places still exist!  

For desert we took a baklava crawl, which was one of our favorite moments in Greece. We stopped at four different bakeries, all serving up honey-drenched samples of their individual spins of this regional classic.

Rental car beware!

Let me just stop here to say you would be one lucky person if you drove a rental car in Greece and managed not to get a scratch or dent. The roads are tight and many are one way through tiny villages. The car agencies know driving is tricky and expect tourists to bring back slightly scratched or damaged cars. They often make their money on scratches, particularly the smaller, local agencies that tend to be much less expensive. So be prepared for them to take pictures of every inch of the car before you get started. And good luck!

Going full Mani

Our next stop was the southern tip of the Peloponnese called the Mani, which is one of the least traveled parts of the country and even more arid and desolate than the rest of the region. We stayed on the gentler “Outer Mani,” in the tiny coastal village of Limeni, where we met up with Seattle friends. We stayed for $150 a night at the historic Mavromichalai Hotel, a former warlord's stone house set on a rocky ledge with sweeping views that included a few turtle sightings. 

We took a bougie day to relax, swim and eat, paying $50 per person for sun beds and access to the turquoise water from the restaurant next door, as the village beach was rocky and not easily accessible. (And yes, for those that don’t often go to European beaches, paying for a chaise and an umbrella on an “organized” beach, or in this case a restaurant, is standard). 

The next day we drove 40 minutes west and explored Kardamyli. The town was much more sophisticated than the others we had visited, yet it had a low key vibe and the perfect mix of the new and old. With sandy beaches nearby, fresh food and all around  peaceful atmosphere, it was easy to see why writers from around the world -- including Bruce Chatwin and the English travel writer, Patrick Leigh Fervor -- are drawn here. I could definitely imagine making this home for a few months. 

The Deeper Mani - the southernmost point of continental Europe

Driving an hour further south into the region’s “Deep Mani,'' we discovered a desolate and mysterious world at the southernmost point of continental Europe.

The landscape is peppered with large stone “tower houses," the area’s dominant architectural style that originates from ancient Greeks' need to protect from invading armies and pirates.   

Best of all, however, was the uncrowded beach of Marmari, where we sipped ice cold Mythos beer and sampled grilled squid with honey while dreaming about a return with a stay at the Tainaron Blue Retreat, a five-star hotel perched high on a cliff.

Goodbye beach, hello mountains

Leaving the Mani, we spent the night back in Limeni and headed inland the next morning for two nights in the mountains to hike the famous Menlon trail that connects several traditional villages.

Some unwelcome rain storms threatened our plans. But we quickly forgot about the challenges during a stop at an unlit, moody taverna in the village of Steminista, which served a mouth-watering dish of lamb and potatoes in lemon sauce. 

The weather was more cooperative the next morning as we headed out on an eight-mile  hike through goat trails, monasteries and olive groves that were delightfully devoid --  save for one  couple -- of other people. 

By the time we reached the final village of Dimitsana, the sky opened up again, so we ducked into a taverna for beers, and help finding a taxi. The owner pointed to the guy sitting at the next table, who happily drove us back, while simultaneously using his  translation app to talk with us as he maneuvered some sharp switchbacks (Yikes)!  

At an outside taverna for dinner that night, we were greeted by the friendly village dog instead of the usual slew of cats that Greece is famous for.  Even though we saw no semblance of a bar, we hesitantly ordered cocktails to reward ourselves for our hard day’s hike. Three minutes later, a man headed came from another building down the road, smiling and holding a tray above his head that carried ice cold gin and tonics. Now that’s service!

It was also just one of many small reminders of what makes mainland Greece so special. It’s a little rough around the edges, but packed with unexpected surprises.

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