Be a Greek

Working with Penny from KimKim was a pleasure from start to finish. She was so easy to work with and I could tell she loves her job. She created a dream trip with everything we asked for to make my husband’s 50th birthday feel special. Every hotel and excursion was spot on, and the private transfers made everything seamless and worry free.
We decided to travel in the shoulder season over Easter and Greek Orthodox Easter and Penny made sure the places we visited were open and ready for visitors. We normally plan our own trips but since we wanted to visit various islands and we were traveling in the shoulder season, I wanted to make sure we didn’t encounter any issues. Plus, who wants to stress over a two week celebratory trip? I can tell you we never stressed on this trip!
We stayed in Athens, Chania and Heraklion in Crete, Imerovigli in Santorini, and Chora, the port in Naxos. Crete and Santorini were our favorite islands. All of the islands had their own beauty and the Greek people were always so friendly and welcoming. Greece is very clean and crime free, at least where we were! Our hotels were amazing, our favorites being the SanSal next to the old town in Chania and Cresanto Luxury Suites. Both were very close and walkable to restaurants and shopping. The guest relations/ concierge were wonderfully helpful and fun to talk to. The rooms were spacious. SanSal had the best sea view and Cresanto had the best shower with instant hot water the whole trip. There was a bit of construction happening at Cresanto while we were there but the room was soundproof and it didn’t bother us. They are expanding. we had our own plunge pool but the weather was still chilly so we didn’t take advantage. I will say it is not very private as the walkway is right in front of the pool so even though it is private from the suites on either side, anyone walking past can see right in.
Our favorite experiences on the trip were a Cretan cooking class in the White Mountains booked by Penny, and experiencing Santorini over Greek Orthodox Easter, specifically the Pyrgos Fire Celebration on Good Friday. I’m only calling out a couple things but we did have an excursion almost daily, most coordinated through Penny at KimKim and they were all great. The cooking class stood out because it took place in a sweet couple’s home who were so hospitable, we had a wonderful small group, a cozy fire (chilly, rainy day) and got to feed the neighbor’s sheep. Mr. George, the husband even shared his personal barrel of wine with us which was wonderful and he had put it in the barrel when he was 15. Great stories and family history. Fun and informative tour guide who interpreted for us as Mr. George didn’t speak English and his wife (very sweet and head chef) only spoke a small amount but was hilarious. We ate what we made and everyone had a wonderful time.
The Pyrgos village lights up on Good Friday with giant candles over every possible surface. It made the most beautiful and memorable sight, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. It’s an entire procession through the hilltop village along with burning crosses. Wall to wall people as Greeks come from all over to celebrate. This was a once in a lifetime experience and something only done on Santorini. If you find yourself in Santorini over this timeframe I encourage you to attend this must see event.
Penny, thank you for putting so much thought into our trip and for always being available to answer questions. Oh also, we did very much enjoy the couples massage you arranged for us in Athens! Thank you for everything!
I highly recommend KimKim for planning your next trip! I’ve already recommended them to everyone I’ve talked to about our fabulous trip and I hope we take another trip where we are able to use them soon!

Hotel Reviews

SanSal Boutique Hotel

Chania

My husband and I loved this hotel. It was walkable to everything and had great sea views. We also loved the spacious room. Very clean and the concierge/ guest relations team were wonderful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to old town

Staff

Everyone we encountered at the front desk was terrific as was the restaurant/ bar staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cresanto Luxury Suites

Santorini

Very close and walkable to restaurants and shopping in nearby Imerovigli. Angela was wonderfully helpful and fun to talk to. The suite was spacious and unique with the sky light. Cresanto had the best shower with instant hot water the whole trip. There was a bit of construction happening at Cresanto while we were there but the room was soundproof and it didn’t bother us. They are expanding. we had our own plunge pool but the weather was still chilly so we didn’t take advantage. I will say the personal pool is not very private as the walkway is right in front of it so even though it is private from the suites on either side, anyone walking past can see right in.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Angela

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

The 7 Villages Of Apokoronas Small-group Tour

Greece

We enjoyed wandering up the mountainside and visiting different village. From tea, to cheese, to lunch, it was a relaxing day. We also loved wandering around the orange orchard and grabbed a great view of the white capped mountains from an unexpected spot.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Acropolis & Acropolis Museum Private Guided Tour

Athens

The guide was extremely knowledgeable! Poor weather but it made for fewer crowds which was a bonus especially while exploring the grounds.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Real Cretan Cooking Small-Group Experience

Chania

Our favorite of the trip! Don’t miss out. The cooking class stood out because it took place in a sweet couple’s home who were so hospitable, we had a wonderful small group, a cozy fire (chilly, rainy day) and got to feed the neighbor’s sheep. Mr. George, the husband even shared his personal barrel of wine with us which was wonderful and he had put it in the barrel when he was 15. Great stories and family history. Fun and informative tour guide who interpreted for us as Mr. George didn’t speak English and his wife (very sweet and head chef) only spoke a small amount but was hilarious. We ate what we made and everyone had a wonderful time.

Quality of Experience

Wonderful and informative tour guide, and the sweetest family.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Santorini Cultural Highlights Guided Tour with Wine Tasting

Santorini

This was a private tour and we loved our tour guide. She was very knowledgeable and easy going. It was a lovely day to wander around Santorini.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Villages of Naxos Tour

Naxos

Our favorite stop was the pottery shop! Marble village was also cool. Oh and the olive oil press where we were able to do a tasting of olives and olive oil.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We spent 3 nights in Crete. Our Cretan guide, Alex Melas, was exceptionally polite, kind, personal and engaging. By the end of our time together, we were sharing recipes! Kim Kim and Be a Greek did a supurb job with the planning of our entire Greek trip. Effie was our local specialist in Athens for several days. Effie is a personable, witty and knowlegable guide. She made the entire experience much more enjoyable that we could have ever imagined or hoped for.

Hotel Reviews

GDM Megaron

Heraklion

Best breakfast that I've ever experienced anywhere in the world. Simply amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

walking distance to everything in Heraklion

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Athens Ikon

Athens

The suite comfortably accomodated our five member family without the teenagers stepping on each other. The reception staff were extremely kind, friendly and helpfull with dining suggestions, taxis and such. Would certainly recommend Athens Ikon Hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Knossos Palace and Museum Private Mythological Tour from Heraklion

Heraklion

Knossos Palace and the labyrinth were a great destination. Our guide was very knowlegable and patient with our questions. The weather was subprub for the season. Tempurature was in mid-50'sF and sunny every day!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Athens City Bike Private Tour

Athens

Kostas Poulopoulos was our bike guide. He was witty, friendly and patient with our family. The e-bike tour was an excellent way to start our stay in Athens. Kostas and the tour gave us our bearings in city we had never visted before. Would highly recommend Athens by Bike.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We cannot recommend Be A Greek enough! From start to finish, the trip was completely worry-free. They were available anytime we had questions or needed help, and they even rearranged our first day when someone missed their flight. Originally, we planned this trip for 2024, but due to some issues, we had to move it back a year, and they handled everything seamlessly without any stress on our part. Thanks to Be A Greek, we had such memorable experiences. Our food tour in Naxos was incredible, especially the orange cake, and we loved learning about the city’s history. The Naxos cooking class was by far our favorite activity, exploring the farm, picking fresh vegetables, and doing traditional Greek dances and plate breaking. In Santorini, the cultural highlights and wine tasting tour gave us a perfect mix of history, local flavors, and small-crowd sightseeing, plus we found some amazing gifts for friends. And the sunset catamaran cruise with BBQ was breathtaking, romantic, and offered some of the best photos of our trip. Be A Greek made all of it effortless, and we are so grateful for such a smooth, unforgettable experience.

Hotel Review

Elia Ermou Athens Hotel

Athens

The Elia Ermou Athens Hotel was amazing! It was a four-star experience with excellent food and a perfect location right in the middle of downtown. This definitely stood out as a favorite during our trip.

Activity Review

Traditional Naxian Small-Group Cooking Class on a family-run Tavern

Naxos

The Traditional Naxian Small-Group Cooking Class was probably our favorite activity. It was so interactive with plenty of activities, including a farm tour and some history lessons. We even got to dance at the end. Overall, it was an excellent experience that we thoroughly enjoyed.