Greece has been on everyone's list and holiday albums lately, so it might feel a bit done to death. But economic downturn notwithstanding, the Balkan nation has plenty to offer beyond the usual ancient history, Ottoman influences and amazing beaches (though those are great, too). And with a great, affordable new way to get there, there's never been a better excuse to book your trip to Greece. Here are four reasons to do it now. 

There will soon be a direct flight from Singapore

Scoot announced last week that it was going to start flying direct to Europe, with Athens as the first destination, the longest direct flight by a low-cost carrier. There will be four flights weekly, on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, on the 787 Dreamliners, starting Jun 20, 2017. But if you book before August 31 this year, Scoot is offering sale fares starting at $288 one-way (inclusive of taxes, exclusive of baggage).

There's more to Athens than the Acropolis

Athens gets a bit of a bad rap, especially since the economic downturn. It's understandable—many streets are lined with boarded up businesses and graffiti-festooned walls, and the homelessness, poverty and unemployment are hard to miss. And with a population of just three million (compared to, say, the 10.5 million of Paris), it can feel a bit provincial. But still, it's easy to feel enchanted by one of the world's oldest cities. There is a lot to see and do in the Greek capital, with its incredible light, hilly roads and charming lowrise apartment buildings.

View of the Acropolis from A for Athens cocktail bar

You have to see the Acropolis, of course, which lives up to expectations. Turn a corner while walking around in central neighborhoods like Monastiraki and Syntagma, and there it is, all lit up and glorious in the twilight. It's equally rewarding up close, despite the throngs of tourists and the baking heat in the afternoon. Entry is 20 euros per adult, and though opening hours keep changing depending on the season and the government funding situation, go either first thing in the morning to avoid the worst of the crowds, or an hour before closing, to enjoy the softer light.

Acropolis Museum (photo credit: flickr user gichristof)

Save some time, energy and another 5 euros for the Acropolis Museum, a gorgeous building housing artifacts from the Acropolis and Parthenon, and with some pretty dramatic views of the ruins, too. Surrounding the Acropolis hill is the trendy Plaka neighborhood, bursting with souvenir shops and sidewalk restaurants. The touristy-ness of it all can be a bit off-putting, except the streets and buildings are just so pretty, and there are some cute shops worth browsing, such as Forget Me Not, a multi-label boutique carrying a curated selection of accessories, stationery, affordable art and apparel by hip Greek designers.

The Clumsies

Food options can feel a bit same-y in Athens, with sidewalk cafes selling souvlaki, Greek salads, dips and house wine everywhere you turn, but there are plenty of gems to discover if you do your research. We loved the cozy Kiki de Grece, a mostly alfresco wine bar tucked away in a narrow alley in Plaka, with a fascinating list of all-Greek bottles from all over the country and simple light bites.

If cocktails are more your thing, then don't miss The Clumsies, a pleasant 15-minute walk away from Kiki de Grece and #22 on the 2015 World's Best Bars list. An old cavernous building with dim light, peeling plaster, lots of plants and strong cocktails, it's pretty Instagrammable.

For the most memorable aperitif of your trip, bear the crowds and the mediocre food and head up to the bar at A for Athens, a non-descript boutique hotel just off busy Monastiraki square. The tight, crowded rooftop space (make a reservation) has a dramatic, panoramic view of the Acropolis, nothing less than magical with a cocktail in hand.

And there's more to the islands than beaches

The ruins of Delos island

Obviously, you're going to visit all the famous islands like Mykonos, Santorini and Crete. The Cyclades islands are synonymous with glorious beaches and those charming warrens of whitewashed buildings with blue shutters and dramatic sunsets. But there is a lot else to explore, too. Sign up for a day trip to the island of Delos, a UNESCO World Heritage site located an hour's ferry ride from Mykonos. (Most island ports will have a couple companies offering the tour. We paid 55 euros round-trip from Paros, which included an afternoon on Mykonos.) The 5km-wide island is the mythical birthplace of Apollo and Artemis and was an ancient center for religion and commerce during the Hellenic era, pre-Roman Empire. There are no hotels or restaurants on the island, just a museum and a coffee shop. But you can walk for hours among the falling-down temples, amphitheaters and old residential villages, with the deep-blue Aegean Sea as backdrop.

It's also a hiker's dream

Your Instagram following will eat their hearts out with jealousy when you skip the islands and head north to Epirus, home to the Zagori region and the Zagorohoria, a collection of some 48 old villages dotting the mountains of the region, largely unknown to non-European visitors.

Sitting area in an Anemi guestroom

Many of the villages now house cute guesthouses, which make excellent jumping off points to trailheads, rafting excursions, rock-climbing sessions with plenty of mountain views and relaxation in between. We stayed in Anemi, a boutique, seven-room guesthouse in the village of Kato Pedina, run by an Athenian couple, with enormous traditional breakfasts, rustic, color-splashed rooms and great water pressure.

Vikos Gorge

Hikers shouldn't miss the chance to hike Vikos Gorge, the second-biggest gorge in the world after the Grand Canyon. We signed up for a guided tour with the well-informed and mild-mannered Georgia Kanellopoulou of Geo Zagori, who is well-versed in the geology of the gorge.

The hike takes six to eight hours, depending on your speed and length of rest stops, beginning with a long, tricky descent into the riverbed, followed by a few hours of beautiful trekking through the gorge, before finally climbing out at the other end (make sure you arrange to have your guest house or your tour operator pick you up). It's somewhere between 130-150 euros for a group of up to four people, and in the grand scheme of things, it's not that difficult. We didn't train for it, and were only sore for a day after.

There are harder hikes, too—one up to Dragon Lake, which involves a sleepover—and easier ones—a half-day tour of the old bridges of the Zagorohoria. 

To get to Zagori, fly up to the regional capital of Ioannina, a charming college town with an old fortress and plenty of Ottoman and WWII history, rent a car and make the 50-minute drive. You can also drive west from Greece's second city, Thessaloniki. Bear in mind that Greeks drive on the right side of the road, and the winding, two-lane mountain roads will make inexperienced drivers a bit nervous. It's worth the freedom your own car affords you, though.

ESSENTIALS

Getting There
The new Scoot flight aside, plenty of full service airlines fly between Singapore and Athens, albeit not direct. We flew Qatar Airways back in July, with a layover in Doha, and paid $1,300 return. The combined flight time was about 11 hours.

Visa
Singaporean passport holders do not need tourist visas into Schengen countries for trips lasting 90 days or less. For citizens of countries requiring a tourist visa, note that Greece works with the Embassy of France in Singapore for visa applications. Make an appointment with the French embassy to get started.

Currency
1 Euro = $1.52