Contiki’s Croatian Island Cruising

Tour Operator: Contiki Tours 

Trip Name: Croatian Island Cruising

Starting / Ending Point: The cruise departs and comes back to Split, Croatia. You CAN fly INTO the Split Airport (SPU). There are buses and taxis that can transport you from the airport to the port area. A taxi costs around 300 Kuna.

Number of Days: The cruise departs on Saturdays and returns to port the following Saturday so the actual trip is 8 days / 7 nights.

When I Went: July 2010 ... and the weather was very warm. But that makes a swim in the Adriatic that much more appealing.

Highlights of Trip: Croatia is an up-and-coming travel destination. My brother actually went a few years ago when people were just getting wind of it and I decided to pay a visit before the tourism explosion officially begins. But, what I found out, is that the uptick is already on its way!

The port town of Split town is beautiful and has a gorgeous promenade where everyone gathers in the evenings. Immediately next to it is where you will find your boat. After an evening spent in Split, I met my group at the boat around noon and, within a few hours, we were sailing to our first stop of Hvar. This port is known as one of the more social ports so expect a late night with clubs that stay open until the wee hours of the morning. You can walk to the top of the hill and take a look at the Arsenal Fort too.   

Continuing on, we went to Korcula, home of Marco Polo. Stepping into this town made me feel like I had been transported to Italy with little wine bars and trattorias tucked away in small alleys. After an evening here, we ventured to Dubrovnik, where we spent two nights giving us ample time to explore. Dubrovnik is by far the busiest place we visited in Croatia, specifically because of the large cruise ships that also dock here. But, nonetheless, we still had a wonderful time exploring the old city, climbing the City Walls and enjoying waterfront dining. To supplement your time, you can kayak around the City Walls for a spectacular view or embark on a day trip to neighboring Montenegro.

After busy days in Dubrovnik, the tone takes a 180 degree turn when you arrive in peaceful Trstenik. The small town is literally untouched and gives you a feel of what life was like in Croatia a decade earlier. There are some walking trails and secluded swimming spots and this overnight gives you a chance to relax and unwind. The final stop before returning to Dubrovnik is Makarska, another touristy port known for nightlife which has a bar located in a cave called Deep. One final night on the boat in Split gives you time to see the city, explore Diocletian's Palace and do some shopping.

My favorite part of the trip? Swimming in the Adriatic Sea. The water is clear and the surrounding landscape makes it picturesque. Take advantage of all the swimming stops with a quick jump in to cool off.

Don't Forget to Bring:

Ear Plugs and an Eye Mask - Boats have thin walls and you will want to leave your door or porthole open at night for the cool sea breeze and nothing is worse than the sun in your eyes at 6am!

Bring your own beach towel as the boat only provides linens and towels for use in the cabin.

You will spend a good amount of the daytime hours at sea so bring reading material, games, a deck of cards and / or music to keep you entertained when you're not sunbathing (with SPF, of course) or swimming.    

The heat can get pretty intense in summer. A wide-brimmed hat to protect your scalp, face and neck is a must. Pair it with a lightweight sundress and some sandals and you're good to go.

I brought two pairs of high heels and never wore them once. You see, the boats dock side by side which means you will sometimes be walking through other boats and across the gaps in between them to get to port. Heels are not suited for this type of activity. Cute, flat sandals will be easy to walk in and fit in perfect with the laid-back vibe.

Food-wise, expect seafood, fish and Italian-inspired dishes. For dessert, treats like gelato and tiramisu are everywhere.

If you have sensitive eyes and want to spend a lot of time in the water swimming, goggles might be a good thing to throw in your bag.

A waterproof camera, like those single-use ones, are perfect for this type of trip. There will be lots of jumping off the boat and snapping a picture from the water level can be fun.

http://www.diwyy.com/new-blog/trip-review-contiki%E2%80%99s-croatian-island-cruising/