#GraduationTrip - Pearl of the Adriatic

Entry Day 3 and 4 into the tourists visit, we jet setted off to Eastern Europe for a week of what was going to be the most legendary summer to date! 

Our journey from Manchester to Dubrovnik, Croatia wasnt as smooth as we expected. Not only did we get caught up at the desk for our oversized hand luggage, Hana being held up at security because of her hairdryer coming up on the xray as 'dodgy', but we also had to do a half marathon sprint to the departure gate, before finally being the last to board our plane just in time. No wonder by the time the plane had took off, everybody was sound asleep zzzzz LOL! 

We made it to our accommodation in one piece although we did get a little ripped off by the taxi driver who convinced us it would be cheaper to ride with them rather than taking the bus. The villa we were staying at called Villa Kovacec was very nice and it suited us well with the boys in a double room and the girls in a quadruple room. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for a budget stay as the rooms were very clean, fully facilitated (even had a washing machine!) and about a 15minute walk to the Old City. (10 if you were power walking like we had to on the second day to make it for our 9am kayak tour!) 

Pile Gate, one of the entrances to the Old City

We covered pretty much the whole of the Old City on day 1, probably cause it wasnt that big. We also managed to get an awesome panoramic view of the city from the top of a hill via cable car. The Croatian currency is smaller compared to the Pound Sterling and on top of that, everything was relatively cheap when you know where to look. When in Dubrovnik, try eating outside of the Old City cause obviously they'll target tourists and mark up their price. We managed to find a nice restaurant just 2 minutes away from our villa which was not only cheap, but also generous in portion servings! ++ ratings! 

   

The next day, it was an early start for the kayak tour! The girls were up and ready by half 8, but when we checked on the boys apartment, Adli was still in the shower and Wen had literally JUST woken up! Apparently Adli's watch hadn't been set to Croatian time (+1 GMT) which explained why he thought we were an hour early. Lol silly boys! But, all was well and we had a fantastic half day on the waters. There was snorkelling, swimming, basking in the sun and even CLIFFDIVING! Yes, you heard me right. The cliff, and the sea, and a suicidal jump! That wasnt even in my 'to-do-before-30 list'! Nevertheless, it was a once in a lifetime experience that I'll never be able to get out of my head. That horrible feeling of falling, I dont think I could stomach it twice.

 Cliff Diving, achievement unlocked!

That evening, we headed down to the Old City again, Alex our half American-Half Croatian kayak tour guide had suggested that we watch the sunset at a place called Buza Bar, definitely one of the highlights of Dubrovnik! We had to shimmy our way through a little doorway that led to just the outside of the city walls and there were tables and chairs and a small bar where we ordered drinks from, took some pictures and just chilled. Very relaxing to say the least.

That same evening, we also saw the Euro matchup between Croatia and Spain. The Poljana Square, one of the main squares in the Old City was packed with Croats proudly brandishing the national flags and jerseys...including some non-Croats too as a matter of fact! Lol 

 We definitely left Dubrovnik with very fond memories and I would consider coming back! :)

Till the next post 
xx