CROATIA
PEREGRINE TOURS

CROATIA - TRAVEL LOG
Saturday June 12	On arriving at Split airport, I met my transfer and joined the Peregrine tour group for dinner at a restaurant in Split.
Sunday June 13	After breakfast I had time to explore before gathering at 9am for our guided tour of the old town. This tour was quite interesting seeing the Dalmatian palace and some of the locations used in the filming of the Game of thrones. After some more free time for lunch, exploring and shopping, we gathered again for an excursion to a kastel (cashtell) museum visit and a visit to the picturesque medieval town of Trogir. I ate a selection of gelatos (lemon and ginger, rum and raison, rum, apple and vanilla) and purchased a cream pie for later (which didn't last so well in my backpack). Trogir had also been used in the filming of GOT and you could see why. On returning to Split we climbed a hill to a former Jewish cemetery where we had a view looking over the old town and harbour.
Monday June 14	Early departure from Split via a ferry for a 2 hour sailing to the island of Hvar, where we visited Jelsa and Vrboska, two picturesque little harbour villages before continuing on to our resort hotel in the main town of Hvar. We had some free time to explore so I visited the town and climbed up to the fort overlooking the town and harbour.
Tuesday June 15	Leaving the town of Hvar we crossed the island to catch a ferry from Sucuraj. We drove down the coast through the Bosnian town of Neun and back into Croatia to the town of Ston. It was too hot to climb the walls to Mili Ston (a 1hr round trip) so I stayed in the town for lunch and eating gelatos. We carried on for a visit to a local winery for some wine tasting before catching another ferry to the island of Mljet where we were to stay.
Wednesday June 16	This day was in the national park and started with an 11km bike ride around the salt lake. We caught a ferry to an island on the lake where we had lunch and toured the island meeting some of the local donkeys.
Thursday June 17	We departed Mljet at around 10:30 with the idea of having lunch in Dubrovnik at 2pm and having a guided tour of the old town at 3pm. Lunch was in a restaurant (Gusta me) just outside the ploce gate (ploch-ay). The guide took us to the Rectors Palace and the first pharmacy run from a Monastery. We were given multipass tickets for the city walls and museums which was handy for our free time. We ended our time near the Pile gate (pea-lay).
Friday June 18	After breakfast we had some free time, where I walked the walls and visited Fort Lovrijenac, before departing for Lokrum island. I walked up Fort Royal, Lazareth, the botanical gardens and bars before I had my photo taken on the Game of Thrones throne before returning to the mainland for more time in the old town. That evening we had our final dinner at a traditional Croatian family run farm where they made all their own foods and even showed us the regional dance. The wine was very easy to drink!
Saturday 19 & Sunday 20 June	After breakfast the tour members dispersed. I had an extra night in another hotel across town near the ploce gates. After reaching my new hotel I visited the maritime museum and the walls again before having a bolognase pizza for lunch at Mea Culpa. I wasn't sure if the airport transfer knew where to pick me up from given they didn't know where to drop me on the hotel transfer so at 4:15am the following morning I picked up a taxi to the airport for the same price (200kn). The flight home was 2hrs Dubrovnik to Zurich on Croatia air, then 12hrs Zurich to Singapore 13hrs airport then 9hrs Singapore to Christchurch.

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