Vitalis Villas - The Santorini of the North

Picture perfect!

Vitalis Villas is known as the "Santorini of the North," and this is precisely why the gang was tempted to go in the first place. From the website, the place looks amazing - blue and white structures nestled on an island that truly reflects the well know destination in Greece. It's relatively new, so we were aware that some parts are still under construction. But from the reviews, the place is functional enough to ensure a nice and relaxing vacation.

The Santorini of the North

But first, a warning. When we were looking for a good deal for this place, we found a really REALLY cheap rate from a reputable booking site (I don't remember if it was Agoda or Booking.com). I immediately grabbed the opportunity, booked a room, and thanked the heavens. As it turns out, I should have spent some more time researching because I unknowingly booked a room from another hotel. Now I know - Vitalis Resort and Spa, while owned by the same people, is not the same as Vitalis Villas. Lesson learned: If it's too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true.

Vitalis Resort's Pool Area - nothing special about it except for the view.

While it was an OK hotel, we did not drive all the way to the north to visit a hotel like Vitalis Resort and Spa. The pool was normal/average (water was a bit painful to the eyes), the beach was not swimmable (at least for my standards - and I didn't see anybody else swimming while we were there), and the building a bit old. The room we got was spacious and had two double beds, but there was a leak in the bathroom. The view of the other side, however, was fantastic. You can see Vitalis Villas in its full glory from here.

From a distance...

We ended up booking a second night (hurray for not booking everything in advance!!) and got the right hotel this time. It was a bit expensive but we just had to try it out. We didn't want to waste hours of travel and miss out what the North had to offer. The room came with a free zipline ride and access to the resort zoo which we decided to forego. We just wanted to relax, take a dip at the pools, and enjoy the company of friends.

Blinding whiteness.

Look at all this space!

Whatever is this rock for?

As you can see from the pics, the Villa was huge (and this was only the 1-bedroom unit). 2 queen beds, a full dining area (complete with a large rock in case you want to bang your head into it or something), a living room (which can actually serve as a sleeping area for a couple of other people), and 2 bathrooms. The main bathroom had a high tech toilet bowl - and I never got to figure out what all the buttons were for. Our booking also included 3 meals, which kept us full the whole time we were there.

We could stay here all day!

Nothing much to do in this hotel though, except to sleep, eat, relax and swim in the pool. And sleep, eat, relax and swim we did. No stress, no pressure, no schedules. We slept when we wanted to, worked when we could, and swam even when the rain was pouring. The entire island (if you can call it that) is picturesque, and we were shameless in taking photos in every corner (without violating the privacy of other guests, of course). The pool had a semi-submerged bar and it was fun drinking while taking a dip. Hans took some underwater shots using his new camera. Mommy Ann also had her selfie stick with her, so we spent a few minutes toying with that too.

There's always time for work.

If I were the type of traveler who wanted to take a break from life and just go to a nice place to relax, then this would be where you would find me. But I'm the opposite - I look for a place relaxing enough so I can work in peace. Either way, the place is perfect.

*** Disclaimer - actual travel dates were last May 2016