Croatia: Taking Stunning to Another Level...

For some reason, Croatia seems to be in fashion this summer. Everywhere I looked on Facebook, people were posting pictures from there. For somewhere that, not too long ago, was considered a war zone, Croatia has certainly come a long way.

I'm going to be honest, I was a bit nervous about travelling alone- it's been six years since I last did it. For the most part, I'm quite an independent soul...the thing that always makes me most nervous is my lousy sense of direction. I have quite a unique skill of getting lost almost everywhere I go. But, after this week, I've realised that there are only two words that every solo traveller needs to remember. Be Prepared. Be prepared to navigate your way to a hostel- screen-shot maps if you need to, be prepared to ask people. Be prepared with pre-bought bus tickets- make sure you've figured out bus stops, ferry stops etc, and whether you can make your own way there, or whether you will need a lift from the bus stop. Be prepared to double-check that your belongings are safe at all times, as no-one else will be looking out for you. But, aside from all that boring stuff, be prepared to be spontaneous, and to join other people's plans at a minute's notice! Those are the memories most likely to stick.

This has been one of the best holidays I've ever taken- but I don't want this blog post to turn into one big gush-fest. So, I'm just going to mostly let the photos do the talking, and talk about the highs, lows, and what surprised me in each of the five places I visited.

DUBROVNIK

The highs: Ah, so many to list in this gorgeous city! Where do I even start?
The main highlight for me has to be the hostel that I stayed in, as this encompasses so many other fantastic moments. To paint the picture, I had arrived to Dubrovnik Backpackers' Club at 10am, after a roughly 7 hour journey. Two night buses from my flat in Barcelona, one plane, one airport bus, and one local bus, all followed with screenshots on my phone. It's fair to say that I was pretty exhausted; I was fully expecting to just rock up, fall into my dorm bed, and take a long nap. But, I was personally greeted by Sergei, who took me up to breakfast. Within half an hour, I had eaten a lot of French Toast cooked by the lovely Croatian owner, chatted to a few French and American travellers, had a 4 month old puppy (Jo Jo) sit on my toes, was signed up for a caving boat tour the next day, and was off to Copacabana beach within the next hour. Things happen quickly when you travel on your own.
     I met some truly great people in this hostel. Damian- an American living in Switzerland- introduced me to Kate from Brighton, and Kasey, an American living in Prague. On my way to the beach, I met Amanda, an American, in the luggage storage room. Only in hostels can you meet such an eclectic group of people, and explore new cities together without any awkwardness. Later on, we met Irish Michael, and I met Australian Steph and British Rachel on my incredible boating trip.
   Let's move onto that tour briefly- 400 kuna well paid. Only 5 of us went on the trip- Bruno, Steph, Rachel, Lindsay and I- which made a nice change from the usual 40 person boat experience. We saw 5 different caves- 2 exclusive to the hostel- and jumped into the most amazingly blue water, both from boats and cliffs. I was a self-confessed wimp with the cliff jumping- but I managed to shuffle down the rock a bit and jump in the end. One cave was only accessed by swimming underwater (not too far, so I was OK) and one made our bodies look like something out of Avatar. I had a moment, when I was laying out on the front of the boat, drinking sangria, chatting with Steph and Rachel, and trying not to fall off the edge- Croatia was not as cheap as I'd imagined, but it was going to be one memorable holiday.
   As you can see, I am finding it difficult not to gush about Dubrovnik. It was made even better by meeting up with one of my good friends from Barcelona, Elena, who took me to one of the best beaches I've ever been to, Sveti Jakov (an amusing name when spoken out loud). The water seemed clearer here in this little cove than at Copacabana down the road- and there was sand, a rarity on Croatian beaches. Also, I loved the little 'chirringuito' with its roof of palm leaves and cold Croatian beers. It was worth the long way down to get there, and the long way back up afterwards.
   Before this whole blog post becomes about Dubrovnik, other quick highlights include: the orchestra that we saw in Rector's Palace with a twenty-two year old, not wholly unattractive solo saxophone player, as part of Dubrovnik's Summer Festival... and the bar built on the sides of the city wall, that offered incredible moonlit sea views.
The lows: The heat. I sound so British saying that, but my God, it was hot. 35 degrees. For some reason, we chose to climb the city walls in the peak of this heat. This was one of my only chances to do so, so I do not regret it- the views were worth the sweaty walks uphill! As is inevitable in hot weather, air conditioning became a controversial topic in the dorm room- some loved it, some hated it! It's strange the things that can bring together and divide them in such small confines.
   Also, Dubrovnik is not the cheapest part of Croatia- if you come here with an expectation that you are going to spend a little more than expected, then you won't be continually shocked. By no means is it expensive; it is just a little more than the northern parts of the country. The restaurants in the Old Town tend to be a little more than those next to the Marina- and are a bit more crowded, too.
One thing that surprised me: The silvery sheen of the Old Town's cobblestones. I must be used to the lovable grottiness of Barcelona's Gothic Quarter, but Dubrovnik's Old Town seemed to shimmer, as though recently built for a movie set. Appropriate, given that much of Game of Thrones is filmed here.
So, in summary...Dubrovnik is an untouched gem- a sparkling, regal place that offers far too much to be appreciated in one trip. Anyone visiting must go to Dubrovnik Backpackers Club hostel- it's not quite walking distance from the Old Town, but you will not be looked after as well anywhere else!

Copacabana beach.

Kasey, Kate and Amanda.

Random parrots that you could hold in the street.

Dubrovnik Old Town

A delicious dinner that I had with Kasey and Kate, after wandering around the Old Town for a while. Croatian Chorizo and Prawn Croquettes, with Ratatouille on the side...scrumptious!

Views walking up to the Marina.

City Wall views, in scorching heat!

Sveti Jakov from halfway down the 200 steps!

Elena and Salva

Elena and I.



Full moon by the marina.

On the boat, before heading into the caves

Rach swimming out of the Avatar Cave (real name Blue Cave)

Phone was a bit smidgy at this point, it would seem...

Thinking pose in 'Pirate Cave'

Looks like I'm about to be swamped by a wave...

Where we caught the boat...lots of fearless local kids jumping off cliffs. Some were also playing water polo- apparently Croatia is one of the world leaders in this sport

One picture that Google decided to 'auto-awesome' for me. Literally. Didn't even know that was a thing?!

Avatar cave!

Me, Steph and Rachel

(l-r) Lindsay, Rachel, Steph, me and lucky Bruno

Why must I always look so awkward jumping? Haha

At the Rector's Palace with Kate and Michael

At the bar next to the city wall

Shortly after this, we headed to one of Dubrovnik's biggest clubs, Revelin. Quite a surreal experience- in an old warehouse with tables everywhere, even on the dancefloor. Every type of song imaginable was turned into a dance song! One particular highlight had to be the sext cat women that suddenly appeared on stage- that just added to the whole bizarre experience. Fun, though!

 (l-r) Michael, Damian, me and Kate

View from the hostel

Jo Jo the puppy! He was a cheeky one..

Bosnian border!

Bus to Split...

Enjoying a beachside beer after having to wait 6 hours for my ferry to Hvar. Makes it not so bad, somehow.

HVAR

The highs: When I planned to go to Hvar Town, I had originally thought it would be a nice, relaxing island retreat. I'd heard that it was a bit livelier than the others, but nothing prepared me for quite how much of a party-central it was.
   Why am I putting this in the 'highs', I hear you ask? Because, deep down, I love a good 'boogie', much to the amusement of all my American friends who hear me use the word boogie. Also, if there is one thing I have learned during my travels, there is nothing that bonds you more quickly with your hostel mates than dancing together. That certainly worked in Hvar Out, the central hostel I'd chosen here.  I met some awesome people up on the roof terrace- Lydia, Sal, Harry and Jamie (all Brits), a few crazy Aussies, and a couple of wild Dutch boys. Thanks for the fun times, guys- you made me feel very welcome in a place with few solo travellers, which I really appreciate!
    Saying that, one of my favourite moments was nothing to do with partying- enjoying a coffee at the beachside Hula Hula bar, with a Croatian man sitting on the railing beside me, watching the tourists below him. Occasionally he would sit up and watch the scene below, and occasionally just lay back down and relax in the shade. People like this are always the ones to stick in my mind- and inspire my poetry, actually. I'm always drawn to intriguing, lonely characters when I'm travelling- I like trying to figure out their backstory. Anyway, back to Hula Hula bar...it is quite unique, in that it later turns into a 'day club'. I witnessed the fishbowls and raving when I went for a run past there around 5pm.
   Also, everyone loves a good view- for anyone else heading to Hvar, I'd recommend heading up to the fort, which offers una buena vista of the island below.
The lows: Sometimes feeling a little old- there were boys in my dorm that were also from Epsom, and 10 years younger than me. The look on their face when I told them my age was priceless. I didn't really let it bother me, though- age is just a number, after all, or so the cliché goes...
One thing that surprised me: The quaint backstreets that had all sorts of locally-run, independent shops. My hostel was also tucked down one of these. I love dawdling down little hidden-away alleyways, there are always so many undiscovered little treasures to be found.
So, in summary...An 18 year-olds party paradise...but also quaint and historical around the edges, if you look closely enough. It is an island full of supposed superlatives- best nightlife, best beaches, poshest etc.- but, in my experience, it's best enjoyed when kept simple. Coffee by the sea; boogie in a local bar, rather than grand nightclub...that's Hvar at its best.

Lovely little backstreet.

First view you see of Hvar Town when getting off the ferry.

Hvar Town's main square.

Coffee at Hula Hula bar

Croatian man's luminous shorts can be seen on the right.

View from the fort.

SPLIT

The highs: This was a one night only stop, but I still managed to pack a lot in.
   Once I'd dropped my stuff off at the hostel, I met up again with my friends from Hvar, Lydia and Sal, and two of their friends from university. We had lunch- a glass of wine and prosciutto sandwich at a lovely little café tucked down a slanted side street in the heart of Old Town. Apart from trying to keep balanced on my seat with the slant, it was a great little find from the girls.
   Lydia and Sal were only here for a few hours before heading to Italy on an overnight ferry, so we quickly went to explore the Old Town, which is actually built within the original palace. It's always great to witness living history- when old relics are actually being actively used by modern societies. The Clock Tower and underground passages were all very impressive, even if the latter were a little touristy.
   Upon heading back to Situs Hostel, I'd discovered that I was not in fact alone in my hostel (see 'lows' below), but had two new dorm mates. One was Horse, a Kiwi who woke up from his nap at the same time as me, and Jack, an Aussie girl about to head to watch the sunset with an American girl called Cassie. Following my solo traveller mantra- be prepared to be spontaneous- I decided to tag along, and so did Horse. What followed was one of the funniest nights I have had in a while. Lots of laughs (and a little wine) were had up on the hill, before we headed back down to a fantastic restaurant that the hostel owner, Petar, had recommended. Horse, Cassie and I shared a tasty seafood risotto, served on a big silver plate, and Jack's chicken with mushrooms was also delicious. The real highlight of this restaurant, though, was the older Croatian men that we ended up sitting besides. One was a polygot- he could speak English, Spanish, Croatian, German and French, as he has been a yacht captain around the world for many years. Jack and I enjoyed practising our Spanish with them, and sampling their typical Croatian sausage (no rude puns here, please). We were also recommended to drink the local Croatian Graswine with sparkling water, as is the local way.
The lows: When I first arrived at my hostel, Situs Hostel, I did not get the best first impression. Petar the owner was very helpful, but there did not seem to be anyone else staying there, which was a little bizarre. This soon changed when I met Jack, Cassie and Horse, but it was a little unnerving at first.
   Also, one thing that I was not the biggest fan of was the bus station. Bus stations are very rarely a highlight of your holiday, but some are more stressful than others. I haven't decided yet whether Split's bus station has the best or the worst location. It's right opposite the ferry port, in the city centre- very practical and very easy to get to. However, it only has a pavement next to all the buses, and not many boards telling you which bus is yours. This lead to general confusion both getting off the bus, and getting on the bus to Plitvice Lakes the next day. Luckily, there were around 10 of us in the same position, so eventually we all ended up on the right bus- not before I had boarded another bus, and nearly left one of my bags on there though...
One thing that surprised me: This could also fit into the 'highs' section, but Froggyland was definitely a surprise. Unusual museums are a always memorable part of any city, but this one was definitely one of the more unforgettable ones I have ever visited. The basic concept was stuffed frogs put into human positions...507 of them. These were created by a Hungarian artist from 1910 until 1920, who presumably had a lot of explaining to do during those ten years as to why he was constantly busy, and continually hanging around ponds. The only part not real about the frogs, and coincidentally the creepiest part, is their beady eyes. The whole experience certainly offers an insight into the past, as all the frogs are dressed in 1910s fashion...the school pupils, the dentist, the circus performers...all of them. Even as a general taxidermy-phobe (is there a word for that?), I would still recommend this museum.
So, in summary...Split has it all- an Old Town, a seafront location, an eccentric museum- but for me lacks the sparkle of Dubrovnik. A visit out of season would probably change my mind, though.

Figa, the side street café in the Old Town.

One of the most surreal museums you will ever visit.

A musical scene from Froggyland.

Clock Tower.

(l-r) Cassie, Chris, Jack and I. Thanks Cassie for the photo!

Views from the hill.
 

PLITVICE LAKES

The highs: As a whole, I was really happy with the hostels I chose for the trip. I generally went for small but sociable hostels- and it seemed to pay off! Plitvice Backpackers was a lovely little house, which seemed to in the middle of nowhere with the rolling fields either side. I don't know what I expected, but the location and hostel itself was more beautiful and peaceful than I was expecting- very welcome after the three day madness of Hvar and Split. At first, I was nervous about the pickup situation- Leo, the hostel owner, has just told me that he would pick me up in a black Toyota Corolla. As a solo woman, I didn't want to be getting into anyone's car. However, there were lots of travellers also getting the car back with Leo, so there was no problem at all!
   The layout of the hostel, with its long outside table, made it easy to meet people- and we had a lot of fun playing games. Americans, Portuguese, French, Brits- we were quite the international crowd! Thanks to Maxine and Vicky (two British girls), I now have a new card game to add to my lacking repertoire, 'Irish Snap'- and thanks to Laura, a French girl, I have a great version of Charades to bring to the next party I go to, or in fact any dull evening.
   Now, onto the Lakes themselves. Here comes a unique situation where one of my highs is also one my lows. On the second day, I joined Laura and her friend, Charlene. We were also later joined by Cameron, a Scottish guy who also went to Exeter University- small world! So, the previous day, Laura and Charlene had climbed over some wooden barriers to get to the 'Big Waterfall'- arguably the main attraction in Plitvice Lakes. We thought this sounded like a cool idea, so wanted to try the same thing. It was relatively easy to do, didn't seem dangerous (we were not hanging on the precipice of a waterfall or anything, just standing underneath it), and we got some great photos out of it. But, as we walked back from the waterfall, there was a tour guide waiting for us. All I heard was 'You're not allowed to do that! 900 kuna fine!', before she started taking pictures of us to send to the park rangers. This all seemed very serious, so we did the responsible thing and quickly ran away, up endless steps that took us high and above the lakes, and just kept walking. Changing outfits several times during the day, and avoiding the boats, meant we got scott-free in the end. I may be a fool for admitting all this on the Internet, but this really was one of the highlights of my time at Plitvice! Just call me Jenny 'Danger' Smith!
   Saying that, walking around the less-trodden parts of the lakes- the parts where most people were taking the boat- was actually one of the best parts. Those moments when all you could hear was the rustle of the grass, as you looked onto the still lakes- those were the moments I was searching for.
The lows: See the 'highs' above! Being chased by the rangers, though exciting, did mean I was watching my back for the whole day. I was determined not to have to pay £90 for a little rebellious moment.
    Also, although I booked all my hostels and buses beforehand, I did relatively little research on the places that I actually visited. All I knew was that Plitvice Lakes were a 'must-do' in Croatia, and I always like visiting lakes. In my naivety, I didn't actually realise that would have to pay 180 kuna (around £18) to get in each time. Of course, I could have paid 280 for a 2 day ticket, which would have saved me 80 kuna. Oh well- you win some, you lose some.
One thing that surprised me: You cannot swim in the lakes. This rule is only to maintain the gorgeous, pristine blue of the lakes, but such an incredible colour just invites swimming!
So, in summary...You will not see a more incredible blue than at these lakes; it will make ever other blue seem like navy. Just make sure you do not climb the barrier at the Big Waterfall- no matter how tempting it may seem! It sounds exciting, but doesn't make for a relaxing lake experience. If you do not like big crowds, avoid in August- and walk around the lakes as much as possible.

View from Plitvice Backpackers.

Plitvice Backpackers. I was staying on ttop floor.

#nofilter.

Laura and Charlene out on the rocks. Five minutes later, we would be running from the rangers!

Charlene and I.

'Non-suspicious' selfie while the rangers drove past. (l-r) Laura, Cameron, Charlene and I.

ZADAR

Just a brief summary of Zadar, seeing as I only spent a maximum of two hours there. This was an unexpected joy- I expected to just go there, have a bit of lunch, then straight to the airport- but it was made much more fun by the company of Maxine and Vicky, who were headed there on a day trip. The first bit was a little stressful, as potential buses seemed to keep whizzing past our random little rural stop- but eventually, one did stop, and we were at Zadar within 2 hours.
   Low point at Zadar bus station- a woman stood on my toe, and pulled the nail right off. Not ideal, but at least it happened at the end. I soldiered on with the girls to the waterfront, where we enjoyed a cool drink before an impromptu swim in the sea. Was it the best thing for my toe? Probably not, but it was the best thing for me at that moment- I could not leave Croatia without one last dip in that gorgeous blue!
   Zadar city itself was much prettier than I expected; it reminded me of a smaller Dubrovnik. Nice shimmery cobblestones, and surrounded by the sea and a fortress. Unfortunately, I did not have time to enjoy anything that the city had to offer before my flight, but it was enough for me to recommend it to anyone looking to visit Croatia! I chose it because it was the cheapest flight home, but it would be a lovely place to spend a night or two.

(l-r) Maxine, me and Vicky. We don't look it, but we were a little stressed that we had missed the bus to Zadar at this point, so took a selfie to ease the pain. Thanks so much Vicky for the photos- was lovely to meet you girls!

Impromptu swim...can't beat it!

When you travel alone, you quickly find out what kind of traveller you really are. One thing I have rediscovered about myself as a traveller, is that I love being on the move. I really enjoy the actual process of travelling- heading from one place to another, reflecting on where you have just been and what is to come.

 

Croatia is a great place to travel as a solo female- lots of solo travellers, very safe, and very easy to get around. I loved my time here more than I thought I would- and that's saying something, considering the hype that has surrounded Croatia this year. Stunning blue sea and lakes, stunning cities with living history- Croatia has a perfect, rugged beauty. One short dip in the silky Adriatic Sea, one waterfront coffee on the coast of Hvar, one wander in wonder around Dubrovnik's city walls- and you will be as hooked as I am.