I took a day off on the Friday and flew into Split early in the morning so we had a whole day to explore the city before boarding our boat the next day. After dumping my backpack and checking out our hostel we decided to hire some bikes and ride out of the city centre and down to the beach. We took a few wrong turns but finally made it to the beach which was very different then what we are used to. The beach was sandy but full of grass and the water was crystal clear but very shallow meaning we had to walk for about 100 metres before we were even close to being waist deep. We decided that after our long (read: 20 min) bike ride it was time for beer o'clock so we parked our bikes up and got a local beer. The girls filled me in on all their stories from Greece and Oktoberfest while I soaked up the sun and the beer.
After a couple of beers and a quick swim it was time to go for another ride so we rode back into town to try and find another beach but after getting lost again we gave up and decided to check out the markets instead. We wandered through the old palace walls before giving in to the heat and heading back to our room. Ali hadn't been feeling too well and I was exhausted due to an 6 am flight so we went back for a snooze before heading out for dinner and a few drinks. We didn't want to have too big of a night because we were on the boat the next day so we were early to bed!
Day 1: Milna
The next day we grabbed breakfast at a cafe before heading down to the docks to find our boat - Vgrada. It was docked behind another boat so it took us a little while to find it but once we got on we checked in, met our Scottish guide Fi and started chatting to our other crewmates. After lunchtime we set sail for Milna we had lunch on the boat before a swim stop. I was so excited to get straight into that ocean as it had been over a year since I'd been for a swim in the sea. I jumped off the top deck straight into crystal blue water and had heaps of fun splashing around and sitting on the floaties.
The rest of the afternoon was spent drinking beers up on the deck, lazing in lounge chairs and reading or snoozing. Once we docked we went on a quick walking tour of the town and got to check out a local winery and taste some local grappa before heading back to the boat for dinner. After dinner on the boat we had happy hour at the bar on the boat with a few drinking games before heading on shore to hit a few bars. This was the first of many many cocktails consumed on the trip.
Day 2: Hvar
The next day we were up bright and early for breakfast before a long hard day of relaxing on the boat. Lots of sleeping on sun chairs, swimming at swim stops, card playing and all around lazing about. We arrived in Hvar around 4.30 where we jumped off the boat and headed up to the fort on top of the hill. It was gorgeous views and well worth the 15 min up hill walk. We then headed to the Hula Hula bar which has amazing peach daiquiri's as well as an amazing view. Along the way we played the 'toad' game which means that whoever is wearing a pair of floaties is the toad master. Every time you yell out toad everyone has to jump down on the ground and act like a toad. The last one to get to the ground then becomes the toad master. Sounds a bit silly but its pretty funny when there are 30 of you doing it in the middle of the street. From Hula Hula we went to a couple of other places (I'm not sure of their names) where we had a few more drinks and then carved up the dance floor until the wee hours.
Day 3: Korcula
As the last night had ended fairly early (or late depending how you see it) the boat was fairly quite in the morning with many people taking naps or just lazing around quietly. We had quite a long swim stop on this day which meant there was lots of time to dive in and relax. Once we got to Korcula we had a fair bit of spare time to have a look around the cute little town and some space away from people on the boat. I had a great crew but sometimes hanging out with 30 people all at once was a bit too much so it was nice to take some time out with Ali and Monique and have a gelato and a drink in a cafe and a wander around the town.
That night we had a BBQ on the boat before heading out for Cocktails at massimo bar which is at the top of the tower. You have to climb up a ladder and once you have ordered your drinks they get bought up by pulley! From there we went to another bar that served cocktails in pitchers which even included a stripper pole. Thankfully most of our crew stayed away from the stripper pole but it made for interesting viewing on the outside wall!
Day 4: Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is pretty much favourite place in the world and that didn't really change when I visited it this time around. It was awesome to see it from the water this time as we sailed into the harbor. We got to have a swim stop right near the fortress wall of the city which made for an amazing backdrop to our swimming. We had a whole afternoon in Dubrovnik to roam around. Fi showed us around to an amazing gelati place and then to a cliff side bar where we could bask in the sun and grab a pint. Since I had already been up to the wall of the city I decided to skip that and wander through the cute old town and just people watch and roam around.
That night we went to a couple of places that serve their cocktails in buckets before heading off to a proper club. It was another pretty big night out but a good one dancing in a proper club - that was until I hurt my knee. I just must have twisted the wrong way and my knee (which is already slightly dodgy) swelled up and started to hurt.
Day 5: Miljet
After a big night and a sore knee I was feeling pretty sorry for myself so it was good that the day we went to Miljet was a quiet one. We had a swim stop as usual and there were a few nanna naps and relaxing out on the deck. Once we docked the rest of the crew headed onshore and went for a tour around the national park. As it was a fair bit of walking I decided to pass and rest my knee (and the rest of me) and have a snooze up on deck. Refreshed from my nap I was ready to go on shore out to dinner and for a drink at the bar built into an old fortress. We sat outside in the cool breeze for awhile and got to play with some of the local (and most likely stray) cats. I'm not usually a cat person but they were just so cute!
Day 6: Makarska
The next day was a quick trip from Miljet to Makarska where we got probably some of our most onshore time. We got to wander through quite a cute little town that was very resort, water sport and holiday focused. Less like some of the other places we had been to that had an old town this place was very much focused around the beaches and ports. We wandered through the markets down to the beach where we watched some of our crew do water sports.
Before wandering back through to the boat to get ready for our pirates/sailors party. We had happy hour on the boat before heading to a local cocktail bar which made the most.potent.cocktails.ever! Ali got one and it had about a thousand spirits in it with very little mixer. It was rocket fuel and trust me Croatians are big believers in free pour. It wasn't a big night though as there had been so many big nights along the way so we grabbed a delicious panini and headed back to the boat for bed.
Day 7: Split via Omis
Our last day on the boat! Was a little sad at the end of it but overall I was pretty ready to get off. Before heading into Split we were up bright and early to go to Omis where we went white water rafting. I had never done white water rafting before and I was really excited about giving it a go. It was a bit hard with my knee being sore but I managed to bend it enough when needed so it wasn't too bad. I had a great time and would love to give it another go because much of it was just rowing down a steady river with only a few little rapids. The rapids were fun when we went across them but they were few and far between.
After the rafting we jumped back on the boat to head to Split. With one last swim stop just outside the city we cruised on in and docked for the evening. For our last night we all grabbed our own food and met in the square in the middle of the palace walls and just chilled out. From there we went to another bar where I met up with Britt and Luke who I had worked with at my old job. They were both on different sail boats but we fluked all being in Split for the same night so a catch up was definitely needed.
Early the next morning we jumped off the boat and said a few goodbyes before heading with some of the crew to a nearby bar that was playing the AFL grand final. Ali and I snacked on Vegemite crackers while watching it (even though we weren't MASSIVE fans) and just hang about a little bit before we could check into the hostel. Once we checked in we were pleased to find a cute, clean, fresh and NEW flat. We had a bit of a look around before heading out into the town, do some window shopping and grabbing some food. As we were wandering around we ran into some crewmates so we made a plan to do dinner that evening. We headed back to the flat and had a much needed nap in a clean fresh bed, in air con and with black out curtains - best nap ever. We then all had a long long long shower and got clean from head to toe, got a little bit dressed up (in the only clean clothes we had left) and headed into the town to grab dinner. We found a cute little resturant, had a good chat and good meal before heading back to bed (again, because yes we were SO exhausted).
The next day we were up bright and early to get to Zadar where our flight was from. It ended up being cheaper to get a 3 hour bus to Zadar and fly from there rather then flying directly out of Split. Cheaper but not easier. Want to hear our journey home?
3 hour bus ride from Split to Zadar
1.5 hour wait at the bus station in Zadar for a bus to the Airport
30 min bus ride to the airport
30 min check in time because Ali had to repack her backpack twice because she was over her limit
1.5 hour wait until our plane flight
2 hour plane ride
45 in customs/baggage carosel
1.5 hour bus ride to tube station - where we found out the tubes were down
10 mins waiting for a train
10 min train ride
10 min waiting for a bus
15 min bus ride
and then home.
It doesn't sound good and you are probably thinking was it worth it... but between us we saved about £300. Which is A LOT.
Overall I had an amazing time away - lots of sun and sea which was long over due. Also had a fab time just chilling with my sis and exploring another country. Was a little sad to have a holiday end but with Ali staying on for a few days in London it wasn't quite over just yet. We had a few days of catching up with friends, family and spending quality time together before she jetted off. Wasn't such a sad goodbye because I know I will see her soon - still its never easy saying goodbye to a loved one. You would think I would be a pro by now after all my visitors but it always leaves me in a bit of a funk. Still! I am lucky to have visitors at all and very lucky to have had such an awesome week with my sis.
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