Yes, you heard right! After spending months and months browsing for cheap tickets online, I finally bit the bullet and decided to make this trip official, and there’s no turning back now! I bought my plane ticket! On the 17th July I will be landing in the city of Dubrovnik in Croatia.
I knew I wanted to start my trip in Eastern Europe, and I have agonised for months over the starting city to choose. Croatia is somewhere that has appealed to me for a long time. It has beautiful Mediterranean beaches, historical Roman architecture, and over 1185 islands! I knew that I wanted to take a route through Europe that would lead me to Moscow so that I could have a Trans-Siberian adventure, and after deciding the main countries I would like to visit are Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary and Ukraine, then it made perfect sense to have Croatia first on the list.
I plan on spending around 2 to 3 weeks, but nothing will be finalised so I will be free to stay for much longer if I wish. I plan on getting around the country by bus, and occasionally train. By starting in the coastal city of Dubrovnik, I plan on slowly making my way up the coastline towards Split, where I will stay and relax for a few days.
One of the must-see destinations on my itinerary is the Plitvice Lakes – probably the place I am most looking forward to visiting in Croatia.
No visit to Croatia would be complete without a stop in the town of Pula, famed for having the sixth largest surviving Roman amphitheatre, and I’ve discovered that the annual Pula Film Festival will be held in this amphitheatre when I plan on visiting!
In Pula, there is also the Brijuni National Park, a group of fourteen islands, where I definitely plan on spending some time. On the islands, you can visit a safari park, and over 200 dinosaur footprints have been spotted too!
The final stop on my Croatian adventure will be the capital of Croatia, Zagreb. Here, you are able to visit mountains, valleys, lakes, rivers, museums and botanical gardens, as well as the famous old town.
Wow, there is so much I am excited about seeing and doing, and this is only the first stop on my Round The World trip! From Croatia I will be moving onto Slovenia, and having even more adventures!
I can’t wait!!
Posted by .
In July 2011 I left England for what was supposed to be a one year trip around the world. Within a few months of leaving I knew that a year would never be enough. I now work online and travel permanently, seeking misadventures in unique, beautiful and fascinating places. Read more.
I'm here to show you how not to travel. Since I've been on the road I've been "poked" during a massage in Bangkok, punched a scammer in Shanghai, been attacked by monkeys in Bali, sat next to a dead woman on a boat in Laos and so much more. I call these The Incidents and you can see a full list of them here.
Bring me back some dinosaur bones!
I don’t think they have any bones… :)
Croatia is a beautiful place. I had the best week there a few years ago. One of the great parts of the boat trip was swimming straight from the boat in warm salty(so floating is easy) clear to the sand water.
Looking forward to the stories, especially those about the Trans-Siberian.
Andrew recently posted..London Expat Experience
Hi Andrew! Thanks for commenting!
And wow, that sounds like an amazing experience! :)
I knew nothing more of Croatia then just where it was (kind of) on a map! Wow – those pictures are breathtaking…going to have to add that to the list.
Congrats on the big purchase! That is a huge step!
Dalene – Hecktic Travels recently posted..Dear Uncle Calvin – With Love- Dyanne
I’m glad the pictures helped to inspire you, it looks like a beautiful country! :)
So excited for you! I have been twice and both times have missed out on Plitvice, please enjoy it for me! Also, I can’t recommend Hvar enough for a few days in the sun. Actually hoping to spend a nice chunk of the summer of 2012 there.
Scott recently posted..A Tale From Off the Menu at La Boqueria in Barcelona
Awesome, I will check out Hvar, thanks for the recommendation!
Awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome! Buying that first ticket is a big step and brings such a great feeling.. you’ll have a great time in Croatia! :)
Kieron recently posted..AwardWallet Review Giveaway
I know!! I thought I would be terrified, but I’m actually more excited than ever, I can’t WAIT!
Congratulations on making it official! I must say, Croatia never featured on my travel plans, but looking at those pictures I think that should change! So excited for your part :)
Sunee recently posted..A Grey Morning in Granada
Thank you Sunee! I think it should change too, it’s a beautiful country! Glad I helped to inspire you to visit at some point :)
Lauren recently posted..I Just Booked a One-Way Ticket Out of England…
Nothing like a one-way ticket you make you feel like you’re really throwing caution to the wind! Well done on diving in, I look forward to reading about your adventures :)
Sarah recently posted..30 Days to go- Status Check
It’s definitely made everything feel a lot more real now! Scared and excited :D
The place looks totally gorgeous! Well done booking the ticket :)
Anthony recently posted..Choose to be Greedy
Thanks Anthony! Now to just remain calm for the 100 or so days left to go! :)
Congratulations on taking the plunge. It’s very exciting. Your departure date is almost identical to our. Who knows, it may be identical to ours in the end. I think it’s time I start looking for some tickets.
Mike Lenzen recently posted..Traveled Earth Business Cards
Oh, that’s awesome! I’m sure we can share tips as we both get nearer and nearer to our departure dates! Where’s first on your list? :)
We are still putting the itinerary together, currently looks like Ecuador via New York, Miami, and Columbia.
Mike Lenzen recently posted..Traveled Earth Business Cards
Wow, fantastic! It broke my heart to have to decide not to do South America on this trip, but I’ll have to live vicariously through you instead! Sounds like you’ll have an amazing time :)
Croatia and Slovenia only ? the whole Yugoslavia amazing every country is breathtaking ! since you are visiting Croatia take a little trip to SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO
Serbia is the most beautiful country I have ever seenm Its amazing really and the sea in montenegro is amazing! dont miss Serbia (Belgarde, tara national park,Budva and lots more) I visited the whole yugoslavia last year and I am visiting it again this year its just to much to see there :)
I’m so excited for you! We’ve been hoping to travel through Eastern Europe for ages, and I think we’ll make it over there towards the end of this year. I’m looking forward to reading all about your adventures and getting some ideas. :)
Christy @ Technosyncratic recently posted..Photo Essay- White Sands National Monument
Thanks Christy! It’s often overlooked but I can’t wait to experience it. Hopefully you’ll pick up some good tips! :)
Congratulations on booking the ticket. I’ve only got a one-way ticket too.
Wow, you’ve done your research on Croatia. I wouldn’t mind being that organised for a change.
It’s the only country I’ve actually researched thoroughly!! As it’s the first destination I want to be pretty prepared, so there’s less chance of a freak-out and everything going wrong! After that, who knows where I’m going and what I’m doing! :D
Croatia is a beautiful place! You will LOVE Plitvice (I have plenty of photos if you want a preview!). However, I would encourage you to get away from the coast and beaches and go inland as well. See some of the devastation from the war – it still exists!
Jeremy Branham recently posted..Where in the world am I
I’ve never thought of Croatia as a place that I had to visit. This post just completely changed my mind. Fantastic photos, thank you for enlightening me and inspiring at the same time!
Ad-lib Traveller recently posted..Dim Sum House, Golders Green, London