Five Fun & Fearless Females: Croatia Tour 2006

Zdravo/Hello! Welcome to our Croatia Tour 2006 blog. Enjoy! We'll be in Dubrovnik, Brac, Bol, Hvar, Split, and Korcula Aug. 2-18. We'll post pictures and comments to keep you updated about what we're doing and who we're doing it with! And so you know we're safe. Start with May's postings which are under this blurb...the most recent postings appear first. So if you want to start at the beginning, you have to start at the beginning. ;--) Do Vidjenja/goodbye!!

Friday, May 26, 2006

Where we're staying: Split, August 13-15

Split is the last of our Croatian destinations and I imagine we'll have a hard time leaving once we get there. It is the second largest city in Croatia with a population of about 200,000. Like much of the Croatian coast, it was settled way back in the third century and was first inhabited by Romans.

We'll probably spend some time at the Tribu Club partying the night away. I mean if Tara Reid can do it, so can we!!!

Where we're staying: Brac, August 11-13



Photos courtesy of www.bol.hr

Brac is the largest Dalmatian island yet it still only has 20 island towns. Our destination, Bol, is the first and oldest town on the island and is also probably the most popular.

While visiting, we'll be staying in a guest apartment, Apartment Kanun.

Where we're staying: Hvar Island, August 9-10

Hvar Island has a long and storied history and is now known as one of the most popular of the islands in the Adriatic. It is also the longest of the islands, measuring 68 km. The town of Hvar also has its own charm.

While on the island, we'll be staying at the Green Lizard Hostel.

Here are some other fun Web sites that might give you a sneak peek at what Hvar is all about:

http://www.hvar.hr/


http://www.croatia-beaches.com/party/hvar_beach.htm

Picture taken from the Carpe Diem Lounge Web site.

Budapest


Photo courtesy of the Budapest Tourism Office.

So I just booked a room at the Mellow Mood Hostel in Budapest for our trip home. Cari, Jill, and I are staying the night in Budapest before making the trip home to the States. Gabor and the folks at Mellow Mood have been great helping with the reservation and we're all very excited about our time in Hungary. We'll be there the night of August 15. Seems like a cool place.

Check it out: www.mellowmoodhostel.com

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Where we're staying: Korcula, August 8


Image courtesy of Happy House Korcula

Accommodation- Happy House Korcula

Web site- www.happyhousekorcula.com

Mobile phone number – 385 (0) 989 976 353

Landline- 385 (0) 207 16 755

If you have time, check out the hostel's online photo album and you'll see why we're excited to stay here. You'll even notice that some of the travelers are doing a beer funnel. Perhaps we can teach them flip cup!

From a Web site Stef found:

KORCULA is an amazing little town, great to get to sleep off the excesses of fun in dubrovnik. It’s beautiful and the island is quite small, very quiet with lots of families and couples. There is one excellent bar on the edge of the old town where a very talented dj plays funky house and, when he’s at home sleeping, they play nonstop mds of his previous sets. Korcula is a great place to hire bikes or little boats to explore the island.

Fresh is a great place to hang out, with cheap buckets of beer and sangria and wonderful wraps and other food! John and Sanya are superb hosts.. definitely check it out.


Web site of interest:

http://www.korculainfo.com/

Missing Shorty...


Friday, May 12, 2006

What's being said about Croatia?

Don't just take our word for how cool and up-and-coming Croatia is for travelers....

MSN Money (May 2006)

Marie Claire magazine's June issue lists Dubrovnik's beaches as the #3 "Best Beaches" in the world. Bali, Indonesia and Seychelles are rated 1 and 2. What do they know anyway?

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Where we're staying: Dubrovnik, Aug 4-8




Images courtesty of Vila Micika

VILLA MICIKA Guest House

Address: Mata Vodopica 10 - Dubrovnik, Croatia

Telephone no.: 00385 20 437 332

Fax no.: 00385 20 437 323

E-mail: vila-micika@du.htnet.hr

From a Web site Shorty found:


Dubrovnik is, as always, THE place to be!! The best parties in town are:

Daytime: Buza, set in the back wall of the old town... not too hard to find but a little hidden. It directly overhangs the ocean, and is a very simple bar - a few tables, cold beer and wine, palm frond roof and norah jones/sinatra on the stereo - with the sweet young guy working there sneaking on Croatian house when he can! Take your togs because after a drink you can walk down the stairs to the rocks below and jump off into the ocean for a swim.

Look at the pictures above: how could you NOT want to visit Croatia??

Nighttime:
Hemingway bar, the bar with wicker couch-style seats out the front, with massive cushions. Girls,this place is staffed entirely by cute Croatian boys! one of our Croatian friends described this place as "a cocktail bar for the sophisticated set" (no, still not sure why we were allowed in!) they play funky Latino house, and its a great place to sit and watch the world pass by... and the MOHITOs are out of this world, the best I’ve had – they’ll give you a great buzz to start the night. Expect to pay a little more for drinks.

Capitano club: a tiny bar located just outside the main gates. The Croatian owner/dj spins very chilled, funky house and they often have jazz bands. The crowd is often all Croatian.

Fuegos: located just outside the main gates - for those who are very drunk! expect cheesy disco pop, lots of tourists getting it on and possibly some girl crying over a guy in the corner - its that kind of place. Voted #1 club in Dubrovnik

Irish bar- Pub Karaka

There is another excellent little tiny bar in the old town, on one of the alleys leading left away from the main thoroughfare near the belltower. it plays house/pop and has a great vibe and cheapish drinks - lots of Croatians and Italians hang out here. after a certain hour everyone spills out onto the street to enjoy the vibe.

There is an area called bourbon street away from the main old town with a heap of bars and little clubs, but I prefer the individual bars within the old town. Much more vibey and fun. There are often beach parties, especially down at the BEAUTIFUL beach cocktail bar on the beach to the left of the old town... its all open, with white couches and billowey white curtains. Definitely worth a visit. There is a beach party with derrick may playing in early aug.

So why Croatia of all places?

Image taken from the CIA's Web site.

The five of us decided to spend an extended summer break in Croatia for a few reasons. The first is that Croatia and its beaches are fast becoming known as 'the new Riviera.' Matt Lauer and The Today Show even spent some time there last year and it is HOT, HOT, HOT!

Another reason Melissa decided to go is because she's part Croatian, but much to the chagrin of her Mom, they likely won't visit where their ancestors are from while visiting the country. Her grandmother though is very excited about her visit as she's the first in the family to go to Croatia.

We're also going because the places we plan to visit, including Brac, Hvar, and Split are all really popular beach destinations so we'll be doing a bit of party island hopping! Not to mention that Dubrovnik has some of the best partying in Europe.

Here are some other sites you might find interesting if you want to read up on Croatia:

http://www.hr/english

http://www.visit-croatia.co.uk/

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/europe/croatia





Croatia Itinerary as of May 10




These images are of beaches off Dubrovnik and Brac.
Courtesy of Croatiabeaches.com



August 3

Cari, Melissa and Jill arrive in Dubrovnik by way of Budapest

August 4
Stef and Katie arrive in Dubrovnik by way of Philly

August 7
Depart Dubrovnik for Korcula- depart 8:30 am and arrive 12:40 pm

Tuesday Aug 8
Depart Korcula for Hvar (Starigrad)- depart 2:00 pm and arrive 5:10 pm.

Wednesday, Aug. 9- Thursday, Aug. 10
Spend time in Hvar

Friday, Aug 11
depart Hvar to Brac (Bol is our destination)

Saturday, Aug 12
Brac here we come

Sunday Aug 13
Brac (Supetar) to Split- leave 10:30 and arrive 11:20 am or depart 11:45 and arrive 12:35

Monday Aug 14
Spending a few days in Split

Tuesday Aug 15
Cari, Melissa, and Jill take bus back to Dubrovnik for flight back to Budapest for overnight stay

Wednesday Aug 16
Stef and Katie bus back to Dubrovnik. Cari, Melissa and Jill leave Budapest for DC

Friday Aug 18
Stef and Katie leave Croatia for Philly

Welcome to Croatia Tour 2006











First, let me introduce you to the Five Fabulous & Fearless Females going on the trip:
Cari (the married vixen)
Jill (the ageless goddess)
Katie (the sexy Italian)
Melissa (the runway model)
Stef (the six-pack shorty)
*These descriptions were created by Shorty Fresh!!!

We have been planning this trip since December 2005 and the wait is almost over. What we hope to do with this blog is give you a taste of our excitement as the time ticks down to our trip as well as a feel for what we're doing and who we're doing it with while we're in Croatia.

Let the games begin!!