ONLY HAPPY WHEN I TRAVEL

Sail. Drink. Tan. Swim. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. 

This became our daily routine and it’s exactly what I had signed up for. We were sailing the beautiful Dalmatian coastline with Busabout, taking 8 days from Split to Dubrovnik and return and the weather was perfect! Croatia is simply beautiful. From the amazing pristine waters to the rich history and food to die for. We enjoyed the freshest seafood cooked beautifully! We were amazed at how cheap everything was that most nights we would order crazy amounts of dishes at restaurants (mainly to compensate for the below average food aboard the sailboat). I can’t say too much about the locals because we didn’t see many. Maybe it was the time of year we visited but Croatia was overrun by partying backpackers mainly from Australia and I guess we were part of them!

We departed Split setting sail for our first port of Hvar. It wasn’t long before we stopped for a swim in the crystal clear and sparkling blue waters that Croatia had to offer. Once arrived, we manoeuvred our way through the many sailboats to reach the dock. We were led on a walking tour of the town before climbing up many stairs to reach the top and marvel at the views below. Our group dinner was held at a hostel but surprisingly the dishes served were amazingly delicious that I wish we could of ate there every night! 

Onto Mljet. We were greeted with incredible views of the Dalmatian coast line. We paid entry to the national park and walked the path past beautiful turquoise waters before catching a boat to the secluded island and monastery of Saint Mary to explore and swim.

Above: Mljet National Park

Dubrovnik was a true highlight of the trip as we arrived at the ‘Pearl of the Adriatic’. After catching a bus, we purchased tickets to walk the Walls of Dubrovnik that provided stunning views over the beautiful seas and swim spots below. We walked around the old town, through winding paths and shops before heading to many bars, some located in the walls of Dubrovnik, including fresh cocktail bar, club revelin and skybar – such a fun night !!!

Marco! Polo! We arrived at the island of Korcula and the birthplace of Marco Polo. We walked around the beautiful island as the sun was setting before finding a local restaurant for dinner and some wines! It was such a great day as Wade and I celebrated our 7 year anniversary!

Above: Korcula

We arrived in the bay of Makarska whilst staring above at the height of the Biokovo mountains towering above the sea. After a swim the boat docked and we were lead on a orientation walk of the town. We enjoyed cocktails along the stretch of shops in front of pebble beaches hosting many water sports before heading to dinner with the group at the local taverna where the food once again did not disappoint. 

Pucisca to Omis to Split. Reaching the bays of Pucisca we lazed in the beautiful waters. Omis greeted us with a hike / rock climb to a fortress that once protected the island and it’s pirate people. The stunning beaches were definitely a reward as we made it back down the path we climbed and dived into the blue waters. We sailed to Split for our final night in the Dalmatian capital. We explored the roman palace of Diocletian and the many shops around the town before finding a restaurant for our last delicious Croatian meal. We walked along the inviting seafront heading back to the Inbox for drinks before caving in to Nutella and strawberry crepes.

Above: Mirabella Fortress, Omis

I think we lucked out with Busabout’s sail Croatia. I’m so glad Terri & Ben were on the same boat as us as we didn’t get the best group onboard but it was great when we reached port and met up with our travel friends from our Rhapsody tour. It wasn’t clearly stated on the Busabout website that depending whether you book above or below deck that your room would be different so Wade and I opted for below deck. We were stuck with the smallest room with not even enough room to fit both of our bags in, let alone open them and the bed bunks almost touched the ceiling. Terri & Ben had booked above deck which had a double bed, a mirror, ample of space and a normal bathroom that you could use!

They don’t take cash onboard so your drinks are added to a bar tab. This was disappointing to some of the guys on our tour who woke up on the last day to a bill over €500! You’re not meant to but we snuck on bottles of alcohol (and water, for that matter) and saved lots of dosh.

My opinion is to opt out of the optional dinners. Most were expensive for the quality of food that was served plus there are so many options of delicious local cuisine to discover in each port you would be silly not to explore!

Croatia is absolutely stunning and we had a really good week sailing the coastline and eating amazing food. It was sad to officially say our goodbyes to Terri & Ben but were happy to know we could catch up once back home in Australia. I really recommend Croatia to everyone and recommend Sail Croatia for a different style of travelling – sailing is the best way to enjoy the coastline! 

Tour: Busabout – Croatia Island Hopper – 8 days – Split to Split
Room Type: Ensuite, Below Desk
Price: $1,349.00