Just got home from a long 15 hour day of traveling and I made it a point to write this review immediately (I haven't even showered​ away that airplane air off me).
What can I say? It was our 3 year anniversary and my wife always dreamt of going to Greece. I opted for Paris, but glad we chose Greece. We started our trip with Oia.
It was a long trip from Chicago so we were running on adrenaline + extreme curiosity. As a stubborn man, I took it upon myself to find Helios. I didn't bother reading Maria's detailed email upon arriving (very busy week!). I didn't know there were no addresses in Oia. We (because of me), walked a mile in the wrong direction with the sun beating down on us as we pulled our heavy luggage through sheer beauty of the town. TIP: Message Maria immediately when you get into town.
My wife suggested I call Maria (wives are always right). I chatted her on the AirBnB app and she quickly responded. 5 minutes later...amidst the scorching Greek sun, Sounil greeted us (with a huge smile...we will never forget his smile) at the world famous bookstore and grabbed both our luggages. Mind you, we packed for 2 weeks. They were heavy. The gentleman I am, I asked to carry one of the luggages. He declined my offer, "No, it's too difficult". He continued to carry both "cinder blocks" down many charming cobble stoned flights of stairs. We hardly could keep up. Sounil was the perfect introduction to the friendly Greek culture and set the tone for the rest of our trip.
We saw the entrance to our door (better than the pictures). Excited and drenched with sweat, Maria popped in. My wife was a bit frazzled from the long flight and long unnecessary walk finding the home. Maria (a master at reading people) immediately offered us drinks and had a very beautiful charming calming vibe to her. Her little bio shows she's a very interesting artistic soul. She showed us the lay of the land and the beautiful accommodation (along with what I assume are pieces of her own art), added with advice and discounts. We knew she wasn't pushing her friend's restaurants because we did our own research and they aligned with her recommendations.
The rest is history. Let's just say we had front row, private rooftop seats every night to the greatest show on Earth - The breathtaking sunset. We felt special every night and set the tone for a 2 week Greek adventure.
We don't want to spoil anything. They literally exceeded everything the listing shows. From accommodations, to views, to the breakfast, to communication, to charm, to the thoughtfulness, to making you feel at home - you can NOT put a price tag on that.
Traveling can be greuling, but sometimes all you need is a Sounil + a Maria + the Sunset to spark some magic.