Greece is a country in the southeastern part of the Europe continent, flanked by Italy on the west and Turkey on the east.  Parts of Greece is considered to be a part of the Balkan Peninsula. Greece has more than two thousand islands within its borders and only 170 of them are inhabited. The easternmost Aegean Islands of the Aegean Sea are located just a few miles from the Turkish coast. In terms of geography, the country of Greece is surrounded by mountains on one side, while the other side is jutting out into the sea that gives it the access to the outside world. Greece is strategically located at the crossroads of three continents; Europe, Africa and Asia. The location is the key element to Greek’s maritime industry that has been its economic activity since ancient time.

The civilization in Greece dated to 270 thousand years BC in Macedonia, Greek. This means that all three stages of the Stone Age are presented in the area. Greece is considered the core of the Western Civilization as it is the birthplace of great thinking and ideas such as the democracy, political sciences, Western philosophies, Western literature, scientific and mathematical principles, together with the Olympic Games, among others. This made Greece as the home to the first advanced civilization in Europe continent.

Greek was recognized as an independent, sovereign state in February 1830 with the London Protocol that involved the Great Powers; Britain, France and Russia. The protocol was amended in 1832 which established the final borders of the Kingdom of Greece and gave the crown of the kingdom to the Bavarian Prince Otto; the first modern King of Greece. Today, Greece is a democratic and developed country, with the high-income economy, great quality of life and a very high standard of living. The country is also one of the founding members of the United Nations, an intergovernmental organization that promotes international co-operation and maintain order. The country is classified as ‘middle power; a sovereign state with enough influence and international recognition, thanks to its unique cultural heritage, large tourism industry, prominent shipping sector and geostrategic importance.

The official name of Greece is actually the Hellenic Republic based on its historic and Greek name, Hellas. Greece is the English name for the country, derived from the Latin word, Graecia which literally means ‘the land of the Greeks.’ The capital of Greek is Athens, which is also its largest city. Athens is one of the world’s oldest cities with its recorded history had spanned over 3400 years. The earliest human settlement in Athens had started somewhere between 11th to the 7th millennium BC. Athens is located in Central Greece. Central Greece is the most populous region in the country.

The official language of the country is Greek, an independent branch of the Indo-European languages. The language has the longest, documented history of any living languages in the world with its literature has a continuous history for over 2500 years. Some of the well-known literary works include the Euclid’s Element the mathematical works; Homeric epics such as the Iliad and the Odyssey; and even the New Testaments which were originally written in Greek.

Based on 2017 estimation, Greece has a population of 10.7 million people. Almost 98% of the population is Christian Orthodox; a branch of Christianity that is third largest after the Roman Catholics and the Protestants. Greece is the other country in the world that has a great number of Orthodox population. The other country is Russia. The remaining 2% of the population in Greece is divided into Muslims, Jews, Catholic Christian and a handful of other Christian denominations.

The culture of Greece is something that is fascinating. The culture has evolved over thousands of years, beginning in Mycenaean Greece (the last phase of Bronze Age in Ancient Greece) to Classical Greece which was influenced by the Roman Empire to what it is today.

How to Get There?

By Flight

There are no direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Greece. All flights going to Greece will have to transit, and depending on the flights, the transit airport maybe in Singapore, Istanbul, Doha or London. The cheapest way of travelling to Greek is by getting a ticket that has its transit in Singapore. This flight ticket starts from RM 1000, for a one-way ticket. The flight from Singapore airport to Athens will take about eleven hours to complete.

A Malaysian passport holder does not need a tourist visa to enter Greece provided the maximum number of stay in the country is less than three months. Visa is needed if staying longer than three months or planning to work there.

By Road/Taxi/Bus

The Athens International Airport is located about half an hour from the city centre of Athens. The international airport is accessible via several numbers of highways; the Attiki Odos toll highway from the centre and northern Athens; Varis-Koropiou Avenue from western Athens; Laurio Avenue from south Athens, and the Spata-Loutsa Avenue from the east of Athens.

There are taxis available at the designated waiting area at the arrival terminals.

There are four bus companies that connect the airport to the Athens greater area.

By Train

There is a railway station located adjacent to the airport terminal. Proastiakos, the suburban railway service, operates the train from and to this station.

What to Do There?

Greece has been a major tourist destination in Europe due to its rich culture and history. Greece has 18 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, an astounding number compare to other countries in both Europe and the world. The tourism in Greece is also booming thanks to its beautiful, long coastlines and numbers of islands.

Acropolis of Athens

This is an ancient citadel is located on the rocky outcrop, above the city of Athens. The Citadel contains the remains of several ancient buildings with great architectural and historical significances. The Acropolis of Athens was completed by the 5th Century BC and has been influencing architecture worldwide. The Acropolis of Athens also houses the Parthenon which is a former temple, built to worship the Goddess Athena. It is said that the Parthenon was built in 447 BC during the peak of the Athenian Empire. The temple was completed in just nine years. The Acropolis of Athens opens every day from 8 am until 8 pm. It is just ten minutes away from the centre of Athens.

Temple of Olympian Zeus, Athens

This is a former colossal temple in the centre of Athens. It was built as a dedication to the ‘Olympian’ Zeus, the God of Thunder in ancient Greek religion. The construction of the temple began in the 6th century BC but it was never completed until the 2nd century AD, some 638 years later, under the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian. During the Roman period, the temple was renowned as the largest temple in Greece. Its glory was short-lived after disused during the Barbarian invasion in the 3rd AD. Though the temple was unlikely to have been repaired, a significant part of the temple managed to remain until today, including the sixteen of the original gigantic columns. Today, it is a part of the very important archaeological site in Greece. The Temple of Zeus is located about 500 feet from the Acropolis of Athens.

Where to Stay?

Areos Hotel

This modern hotel is located in the middle of Athens. The Areos Hotel is easily accessible by the train line in the city. They have two types of room and the rate starts from as low as RM 300 a night. The room comes with complimentary breakfast service. Based on the previous guests’ testimonies, a pleasant stay is ensured. The hotel has great, friendly and helpful staffs with equally wonderful and comfortable room. The Areos Hotel has express check-in and out services to make sure that they may cater to every need of the guests. They also provide free Wi-Fi connections for the guests.

Electra Hotel Athens

Another hotel located in the middle of the city, just 200 metres from the Syntagma Square. It is the place to stay if one is looking for a hotel that is walking distance to a handful of attractions. The Electra Hotel Athens offers six types of room, starting from the most inexpensive at RM 687 a night for its Classic Single room up to RM 1500 a night for the suite. The hotel has the great view of not only the city of Athens but also the Acropolis. The rooms are all air-conditioned with basic in-room amenities such as the coffee/tea maker set and a minibar. The hotel’s kitchen provides a 24-hour room service apart from serving daily breakfast that has included in the room’s rate. All of the rooms have their own private bathroom with showers. The hotel also provides free Wi-Fi connections for the guests, in the room and the common areas. A great stay is guaranteed with the great location, excellent staffs and delicious food served at the Electra Hotel.