Grab your passports y’all, and bring lots of snacks! We are taking a flight to Greece, and boy is it a long flight from Singapore (11 hours and 10 minutes on average to be exact).
One thing to know about me is that I am a sucker for Mamma Mia. I love the movies and the music, and literally the whole aesthetic. So in this blog, we are going to live our best Mamma Mia lives and blast some ABBA on the way over!
Also sidenote, usually my parents take me on all of their trips together, but for one of their anniversaries they went to Greece and it is a trip that they always talk about. So I hope, in my own time, to eventually get over there as well.
I think it is obvious that we first have to mention the locations where Mamma Mia was filmed. (I literally just realized how much of a sucker I am for movie-influenced locations haha.) Mamma Mia was filmed on the islands of Skopelos, Skiathos, and in Damouchari. Doing a little research, there is actually a Mamma Mia! Film Locations Tour, which includes a stop at the wedding chapel, a random olive oil factory, the village of Glossa, Kastani Beach, and Agnontas Beach. Everything looks stunning, and I think I would definitely have to do this.
Fanning out from Mamma Mia, obviously I would have to go to Santorini, which is where I believe my parents went. This is one of the most beautiful places ever, with its clean white and blue aesthetic. Interestingly, I think there are multiple cuisines served on the island, not just Greek. According to Santorini-view.com, there is also Italian and Chinese. I am pretty open to trying new foods, but I really hate olives (sorry to all the olive lovers).
Another thing is all of the stray animals on the island. Greece is known for its stray cats and dogs, but luckily the Santorini Animal Welfare Association takes care of them, neutering/spaying them, vaccinating them, and de-worming them. They are so domesticated even though they are strays since they are so used to tourists, so while I would be sneezing a lot, I am always down to pet a cat or dog.
Then there is Athens, home to the Acropolis which is probably one of the hottest Greek tourist attractions, Mount Olympus in Litochoro, the Delphi, the Kastro, Mycenae, and more. I always loved Greek mythology growing up, (I am actually taking a class on it next semester), so it would be really fun to visit all of these places. There are a lot of tours it looks like as well, for sightseeing, boating, seeing volcanoes, etc. On Voyagetips.com, it was also recommended visiting Mykonos for a fun night out, Naxos and Paros for the beaches, and Amorgos and Andros for hiking. So maybe I would just end up island hopping, which sounds really fun. I did that in Hawaii and it was really cool. It seems like you would take a lot of ferries to get around here.
I think overall though that I would be going more for the beaches and relaxing. I am always an active itinerary maker but laying out on the beach is always a solid plan.
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/first-time-santorini-greece
This was super interesting! I only ever watched Mamma Mia when I was younger, but reading this made me want to rewatch it LOL. I’m actually planning on doing a semester abroad in Greece next spring, so maybe I can use this for inspiration while traveling around! I also didn’t know about the amount of Italian and Chinese food served on Santorini, which is very interesting; I’m not a huge olive fan either, so it’s neat to know that there’s a lot of variety on the islands, too. And the amount of cats and dogs sounds super cute!
Oh my gosh!!! I am a HUGE fan of Mamma Mia as well. I grew up watching the movie numerous times and listening to ABBA. I even have a Mamma Mia poster in my dorm room and own some of ABBA’s records. I have always wanted to travel to Kalokairi, which I believe is where the famous hill from the movie is located. My best friend and I planned a trip to Greece in our early twenties because we wanted to experience the Mamma Mia lifestyle! I honestly can’t wait until the day comes because I have heard so much about the island’s beauty. I also hope to visit the Mamma Mia party place in London. I heard it was a dinner and party which imitates the Mamma mia Movie. Overall, It’s so cool to meet someone else who loves Mamma Mia!
SAM! Greece is a fantastic choice. I also instantly thought, “Ha, Mamma Mia vibes.” Excellent. This is a great review and your writing is really making me so envious of everyone studying abroad. Greek guys are literally gods. Maybe we can find some nice guys to show us around when we travel together in the future (me projecting right now). From the amazing historical sights, the fantastic and flavorful food, to the stunning coastal views, Greece is also high on my list of places that I want to visit. Honey, if you go, you so have to show me all the photos because I will be living vicariously through you. Until then, it’s all Greek to me!