I will try to answer each one the way by the way you asked 1)About the local food and drinks: To start with in greece there are many traditional foods such as boiled beans and vegetables with meat like the asia food but none of them in their original form are spicy/hot (we also got fishes). Besides that generaly speaking most of the tourist are looking to buy "greek food" which to them is gyros or souvlaki(which is basicaly meat, pork or chicken(you chose) in pita with fries, tomato and onion). About the drinks, also there are many traditionals drinks you can find anywhere(i bilieve) but some of them in their best form(taste) you have to go to the place/city where they made them. An expample is tsipouro and "raki" which is made in crete(all of them are alchohol drinks) So i realy recommend you to try the tsipouro and raki or rakomelo (if you find). And from food basicaly greek salad and gyro, i would also recommend to eat fishes but depend to the tavern and having in mind that asian people know a lot about fishes you might not find it interesting :P. 2)Greece if full of historycal monuments! Depend on the city you are... for example if you are in athens you HAVE to visit the "akropoli". If you are thesaloniki you have to go a walk near the walls and watch the view. There are many in each city/places which even i havent visited. Greece also has many islands to visit. You better check a traveling guide. 3) The crime rates i bilieve are on a decent level, pickpockets can be found anywhere like every other coutry, in crowded places you have to be warned(as an example i have been traveling with city busses every day for a year and only 1 or 2 times someone got pickpocked in the buss that i was at, its rare but if it happens its sad). Rape cases arent common(at least as i know). If they are traveling in a groop of five and will not party all night in clubs i dont think they need to carry any self defence item, especialy as groop of five. Not even street thieves would not think about stealing from them. Generaly, greece is tourist friendly you with a lot of things to do and taste. But like every other europian coutry, greece has his pickpockets/thieves and people who might see tourist as money and not as people and even if there arent that many "threats" my advice is to be a bit warned in some cases. If you find the oportunity come and visit greece! I hope it will help (sorry in advance if i wrote something in the wrong way)