Feb 8th, 2009
by pocks05.
Jadrolinija Ferry - Courtesy of Dragisa
Ferry travel to Dubrovnik can be very confusing and stressful, especially if you are doing it on the fly. I’ve summarized the services of two major carriers in hopes of simplifying the process for you fellow travelers.
When to comes to ferry services to Dubrovnik there are really only two, the international ferry from Bari, Italy and the Jardolinija coastal ferry.
There are two main ferry companies that service Dubrovnik, they are Jadrolinija and Azzurra Line. Before booking a trip remember to check to see if your carrier offers discounts for senior citizens, students, group travel, or kids under a certain age.
Ferries From Bari, Italy to Dubrovnik
- Carrier - Jadrolinija
- Length of Voyage - 9-10 hours (Overnight)
- Costs - start around 40 Euros
- The voyage is direct and does not make additional stops
- Check this link for Jadrolinija’s the most up-to-date info - Bari - Dubrovnik Ferry Schedule
Continue reading →
Posted in: Dalmatia, Dubrovnik, Hvar, Split, Tips and Tricks, Transportation - Croatia.
Tagged: Croatia · Dubrovnik
Feb 2nd, 2009
by pocks05.
Sipan Island, Croatia - Courtesy of munksynz
Pronounced “Shee-Pan”
Sipan Island is the furthest from Dubrovnik of the three major Elaphiti Islands, which is a good thing and a bad thing. Good if you are looking for smaller crowds, bad if you don’t enjoy hour long boat rides. It is also the largest of the Elaphiti Islands in terms of mass, weighing in at about 17 sq. km. with just under 500 residents.
In the 15th century, Sipan is where the wealthy families of Dubrovnik came to play and take a break from the stress of having a lot of money and rubbing elbows with the city’s other elite citizens. With a steady stream of money pouring into the island brought on the construction of many exquisite palaces and estates. Many of those palaces are still standing and serve as residences for local inhabitants as well as shops and private accommodations. Continue reading →
Posted in: Croatia Travel Articles, Croatian Islands, Dalmatia, Dubrovnik, Ecotourism - Croatia, Outdoors - Croatia.
Tagged: Croatia · Dalmatia · Dubrovnik · Elaphiti Islands · Sipan Island
Feb 1st, 2009
by pocks05.
Speaking only in terms of quantity of tourists, Lokrum is the most popular day trip destination from Dubrovnik. It could actually be classified as more of a half day trip seeing as it’s only about a 10 minute boat ride from the port in the old town. Getting up early to hop on a boat to the island and getting back to Dubrovnik by mid afternoon is very do-able.
Documented history of Lokrum dates back to the 1th century with the construction of a Benedictine monastery. So a few monks formally founded the island, big deal right? Ok, something more juicy then…. Continue reading →
Posted in: Croatia Travel Articles, Croatian Islands, Dalmatia, Dubrovnik, Ecotourism - Croatia.
Tagged: Croatia · Dubrovnik · Lokrum Island
Feb 1st, 2009
by pocks05.
Kolocep Island - Photo by Anismah
Alright, so you think you’ve seen everything you want to explore in Dubrovnik and you are looking for another corner of Southern Dalmatia to investigate. You don’t feel like fighting the crowds at Lokrum and the two hour, round trip ferry ride is too much for your to handle. Well, you’re options are down to Kolocep and Cavtat - not wanting to be accused of being a land lover, you opt for Kolocep.
Kolocep, or the island of knowledge, is one of the three islands that make up the Elaphiti chain in southern Dalmatia. Of the three islands in the Elaphiti chain, Kolocep is closest in proximity to Dubrovnik making it an ideal day trip for those looking for something a little different. Kolocelp is a relatively small island with about Continue reading →
Posted in: Croatia Travel Articles, Croatian Islands, Dalmatia, Dubrovnik, Ecotourism - Croatia, Outdoors - Croatia.
Tagged: Croatia · Dalmatia · Dubrovnik · Kolocep
Jan 28th, 2009
by pocks05.
So you’ve decided to rent a boat to explore Mljet Island. After spending so much time trying to find the right sea vessel for your expedition your totally forgot about lining up accommodations. Well you’re in luck, the bay outside of the village of Polace is the perfect spot for you drop anchor and spend the night. Continue reading →
Posted in: Croatian Islands, Dalmatia, Outdoors - Croatia.
Tagged: Mljet Island · Mljet Island National Park · Polace
Jan 27th, 2009
by pocks05.
Positioned in a quiet little cove on Mljet Island’s northern shore, Sobra is the main hub for this beautiful island. For what this fishing village lacks in main tourism attractions and beaches, it more than makes up for it with the beautiful natural surroundings and warm hearted inhabitants. Continue reading →
Posted in: Croatia Travel Articles, Croatian Islands, Dalmatia.
Tagged: Mljet Island · Sobra
Jan 27th, 2009
by pocks05.
Let’s cut right to the chase, this is probably the most comprehensive list of travel essentials under $20 that the world has ever seen. In the 10 items below, you won’t find a wish list of high tech crap you can’t afford. This is all practical stuff that wont take up a lot of room in your luggage and is guaranteed to serve some sort of useful purpose.
1 - Pelican 1020 Micro-Case 
- This mighty little case is perfect for protecting precious cargo such as your cell phone, digital camera, memory cards, and flash drives. Talk about tough, this thing is water proof, crush proof, and even has an automatic pressure purge valve. So what does that mean to you? When the airport ground crew is taking urns jumping on your luggage you can rest easy knowing that their 240lb frames are no match for your Pelican 1020 Micro-Case.
2 - Polycarbonate Wine Glasses Set of 6
- So you’ve rented that little villa on a secluded island 
somewhere off the coast of Dalmatia. You dirty dog, not only have you lined up a great vacation getaway you also managed to smuggle that bottle of wine her uncle gave you two for your anniversary. While gazing into her eyes you pop the cork and then……..damn it! Oh, that’s right you forgot how uncool drinking fine wine right from the bottle is. All that money, all that planning down the drain. Too bad I didn’t write this article 6 months ago, you could have invested the $17 on a 6pk of these unbreakable wine glasses. Not only would you have been prepared, you’d have enough glasses to where you wouldn’t have to do dishes for three days.
3 - Pedco UltraPod Digital - Lightweight Camera Tripod
- $18 make you holla. With this ultra light, ultra cool tripod you can say goodbye to your often blurry amateur looking photographs. Now you can realize the true potential of that 12 megapixel camera you picked up before your trip. Continue reading →
Posted in: Tips and Tricks, Top Ten Lists.
Tagged: Travel Gadgets
Jan 25th, 2009
by pocks05.
There is nothing worse than saving money up to go on a big vacation and falling victim to theft or a scam. Everyone understands (or should understand) that tourists are an easy target as they are new to their surroundings, often tired, and carrying large sums of cash. There is only so much that being aware of your surroundings can do to fend off any potential thieves or scam artists.
Let’s also keep in mind that you can lose money by not getting the best rates on hotels, tours, and airfare. Below is a list of things to consider before leaving on your vacation and during your travels.
- Do Your Homework - Research everything about accommodations, car rentals, train/ferry tickets, tour guides, and airfare. Doing a simple search on sites like Travelocity or Expedia can help you quickly research the lowest fairs on air, hotels, and car rentals. For guided services, check Isango.com. Cost is only one factor, the other is user reviews. Search the internet for the name of the hotel, guide service, etc and pick through the search results. You should run across a forum or on-line review related to the item you are searching for.
- Don’t Drink Alone - One of two things usually happens: 1) Additional drinks will be charged to your tab 2) You’ll get mugged on your way home from the bar.
- Purchase a Travel Book - There are specialized travel books for every single region of the planet you care to visit. These are written by experts who have spent a lot of time and money finding the best that particular region has to offer. Almost always they will include a section on “must see” attractions as well as potential risks and scams. I recommend Italy - Eyewitness Travel Guide
for travel to Italy and The Rough Guide to Croatia 
for travel to Croatia. Continue reading →
Posted in: Tips and Tricks, Top Ten Lists.
Tagged: Tips and Tricks · Top Ten
Jan 23rd, 2009
by pocks05.
Located on the southeast tip of Mljet Island, Saplunara is easily accessible off of the island’s main road. The town is very tiny, having under 50 inhabitants. and the local economy relies primarily on tourism and fishing. There are a couple of small restaurants in the town as well as a private accommodations. Continue reading →
Posted in: Beaches - Croatia, Croatia Travel Articles, Croatian Islands, Dalmatia, Ecotourism - Croatia, Outdoors - Croatia.
Tagged: Croatia · Dalmatia · Mljet Island · Saplunara
Jan 23rd, 2009
by pocks05.
About the Park
- A popular vacation spot for historical figures such as St. John and Ulyesses.
- The park covers the Western half of the island and recieved National Park protection in 1960.
- The park has two inland salt water lakes - Great Lake (Veliko Jezero) and the Small Lake (Malo Jezero) Continue reading →
Posted in: Croatian Islands, Croatian National Parks, Dalmatia, Ecotourism - Croatia, Outdoors - Croatia, Uncategorized.
Tagged: Dalmatia · Mljet Island National Park
