With experience, comes knowledge. With knowledge, comes the impulse to share. At the very core of Impulse Adventures there is a desire to share our experiences with you first hand. We want you to come with us and experience our amazing destinations for yourself, but before you do, we’d like to share some of the things we’ve learnt over the years, to make your experience more comfortable, more enjoyable, and more rewarding.
Here you will find a collection of stories and guides ranging from exploring concepts of travel, to selecting the right gear, and getting prepared for your adventure.
The Impulsive Traveler
Greece - The Birthplace of Western Civilisation
Thu, 24th Nov 2016Greece. The land of the ancients. The centre of the universe. History that makes the rest of Europe seem like it was born yesterday! When most people think of Greece’s tourist values, they think of these sites, and the beautiful islands littering the Mediterranean. But what of the rest of the country? Greece is an untapped gold mine of adventure! Trekking, climbing, rafting, skiing, mountain biking, you name it, Greece has a place for it!
With one of the longest written histories of any country, Greece is considered the birthplace of western civilisation. It is known to be responsible for the beginnings of democracy, western philosophy, literature and drama, mathematic and scientific principles, political science and of course the Olympic Games! After a long history of city states with constant animosity, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman rule, Greece finally emerged as its current nation state after the war of independence in 1830. It’s rich history is ever present at the countless museums and UNESCO World Heritage Sites across the country.
With Greece’s recent economic crisis, there is no better time to travel there. Tourism is one of the nations biggest exports, and every little bit helps! Reward for your input comes in an array of delights, culinary, visual, and even spiritual. But you’ll find out all about that when you get there!
Getting there
From Australia, Europe is pretty far away! You can get some great flight deals with itineraries as short as 21 hours or as long as 64 hours! (not recommended!). Prices vary wildly, look out for great sales when they come up! A standard return flight to Athens on a decent airline can generally be found for around $1800AUD. There are a number of good quality, great value airlines that fly from Australia to Athens with only one stop over, as with all trips, if you have the time we suggest selecting your airline on where they're based (their stop over) and extend your time there for a 'free mini holiday'! ***holiday isn't actually free, but seeing as you're paying for flights to go there you might as well stay a while and check it out! Our number 1 tip when looking at flights to join one of our expeditions is to check arrival and departure times, its best to arrive as early as possible to your destination (i.e. AM not PM), and depart at least after mid day! This makes your transfers a lot less stressful for you, making the whole experience more enjoyable!
Greece at a glance
Capital - Athens
Language - Greek
Population - Approx. 11 million
Currency - Euro
GDP (per capita) - USD$18,000
Tourism - 18% of the GDP, 26 million visitors in 2015
Area - 131,957 km2 - 0.8669% water by surface area!
Islands - between 1,200 and 6,000 (depending on definition) - 227 of which are permanently inhabited.
Famous dishes - Gyros (the best!), moussaka, spanakopita, stuffed tomatoes, grilled meats and amazing cheeses.
Local drink (daytime) - Espresso Fredo, a large blended espresso shot poured over ice (Athenian staple diet)
Local drink (night time) - Ouzo, liquorice flavoured spirit or Tsiporo, usually home made spirit from grapes.
Greece must be visited at least once by everyone! It is an amazing country, with such variety to offer anyone. For the adventurer it can offer great opportunity for all disciplines without the crowds, for the scholarly there is thousands of years of history and architecture, and for everyone else theres islands, beaches, parties and sun lounges and endless opportunities. But why not combine all three? If you haven't been to Greece, or if you've only been to amazing Islands, join us on one of our expeditions to see a side of Greece most tourists don't!
SEE OUR GREECE EXPEDITIONS HERE
