Island hopping in Croatia
Bright and early we set off from Windisch with two coaches and 100 guests on board for the first EUROBUS Comfort end-of-season tour. Around 900 kilometres and roughly nine hours of pure driving lay ahead of us. Our destination: Croatia, the home country of our coach driver Edib Rohde. The journey passed quickly, as Edib told us a great deal about his homeland and offered the odd schnapps. He didn't pour the schnapps while driving, of course – on the outward journey he took turns at the wheel with our driver Kurt Burgener. In the second coach, the guests were driven to Croatia by Robert Inglin and Daniel Dicke, Head of Package Tours, in person. The entire EUROBUS Comfort team was on board as well.
In the evening we reached our hotel for the next 5 nights: the Hotel Beli Kamik in Njivice on the island of Krk. There we were already awaited by our local agents, Lidija and Marko. They welcomed the whole travel group and handed out the room keys. After checking in, it was time for dinner, where a buffet of Mediterranean dishes awaited us.
The next day we «hopped» to the first two neighbouring islands. Accompanied by our local guides Anita and Jasna, we took the ferry, coach included, to the island of Cres in the Kvarner Gulf. There we strolled through the enchanting harbour and the old town of the island's capital, Cres. At midday we then reached Losinj via a swing bridge. There we had free time. I used it to stroll through the pretty town and enjoy a fine lunch of local specialities in a restaurant close to the water. In the late afternoon we took the ferry back to the hotel.
Today's programme was the excursion to Plitvice Lakes National Park. On a long guided walk we discovered the beauty of the park. The splendid colours of the lakes and waterfalls and the leaves turned golden by autumn will certainly stay in my memory for a long time. On the way we took a boat trip on one of the sixteen lakes, and later small trains brought us back to the entrance, from where we returned to the hotel by coach.
New day, new island. Our guides showed us the island of Rab with its medieval charm. We took the ferry from Stinica to Misnjak and then reached the town of Rab by coach. After a tour with Jasna and Anita, there was still free time for a really good coffee and a stroll.
In the evening the EUROBUS team surprised the guests with an unexpected aperitif and a prize draw in which everyone was a winner. Each guest received a little gift bag with local treats such as cheese, olive oil, lavender pillows and many other delicacies.
On the second-to-last day, an island tour helped us get to know the island of Krk and its history better. A stop in the town of the same name was a must, too. We then continued to Punat, where we reached the monastery island of Kosljun by boat.
Back on the mainland we took the coach to Vrbnik. Through the narrowest lane and the smallest town gate in the world, our guides led us to a local winemaker, where we were treated to delicious wines, cured ham and cheese. On the way back a few cats crossed my path, and as a passionate cat lover I naturally couldn't resist playing with them and taking a photo or two.
In the evening the next highlight was on the programme: a traditional evening in a konoba (small restaurant). Live local music and a children's dance group performing their traditional dances, accompanied by a delicious 3-course menu of Croatian dishes – what more could you want! The mood was high-spirited and the whole group loved it.
Sadly, the trip ended far too quickly, and the next morning we had to say goodbye to a wonderful country with an incredible cultural diversity.
