Words by Bella Thomas.
"I always do my best to ask for recommendations from locals or friends who have been before. I ask for places that are family run, authentic and have responsibly sourced produce. I then compile this list and try to make these my go-tos while travelling.
I get to know my surroundings. When travelling you’re walking on land that is not your own, so I always make sure to be polite and get to know the land, history and people. We were lucky to be staying in more remote villages while on the islands. Don’t be shy, say hello to your neighbours, get to know your local barista, farmer or village dog.
In Andros we stayed in a tiny, tiny village about 15 minutes away from the town of Chora.
Always make sure to dispose of your rubbish properly, a lot of these islands are quite good and on top of sorting trash well. It’s important to respect and follow these rules well to keep their islands beautiful and clean. I also wear reef safe sunscreen."
"I was on two islands where you do need some mode of transport to enjoy the island entirely and with ease. We rented a car for both islands and only drove it when it was necessary. If you can ride a scooter, that could be a better option.
We cooked at home a lot, mainly to save money and keep ourselves nourished. As we were on the islands for 3 weeks, having a routine and a sense of normality was important to me... I find it hard being in “holiday mode” for too long. We made sure to support our local farmers (quite literally a farmer from across the road). We ate lots of tomatoes for vitamin c and so many cucumbers… hydration, hydration!! We also found a man in town who made his own red wine and had it in these funny DIY bottles, we only drank his wine while on the island to support his work… and it was delicious!"
In My Suitcase
