CROATIA A SAILING ADVENTURE - Villa Esperanza Services · 2018-10-01 · CROATIA A SAILING ADVENTURE JUNE 28TH TO JULY 6TH, ... traditional dining experience allows us to eat our

AFRICAN JOURNEYS, VACATIONS AND ADVENTURES

CROATIA

A SAILING ADVENTURE JUNE 28TH TO JULY 6TH, 2019

“Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast is Eastern Europe’s Riviera” Rick Steves

The Dalmatian Coast is made up of more than a thousand islands, a stunning natural habitat with beautiful coves and bays in a sea so pristine it will take your breath away. A variety of archeological and cultural monuments await to be explored on each island along with dazzling beaches where you can slip into a

beautiful reverie. Imagine island hopping where every day is an anchorage in a lovely aqua blue bay. Taste local wines in selected private wine cellars, then savor dinner in one of the many top rated restaurants where food is prepared to satisfy any culinary critic. This is an active tour both physically and socially, for the fit and the curious. There will be museum and walking tours during the day, with time to relax onboard with a good

book and time to be social with new made friends onboard. The evenings are an occasion for delicious meals and lively conversations over dinner. This is a trip for the active and curious traveler.

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25 S Oak Knoll Ave Ste 401 ⋅ Pasadena ⋅ CA 91101 ⋅ Tel: +1 626 482 2036 ⋅ www.safaribiz.com SafariBiz is a DBA of Travel Indigo, Inc. California Seller of Travel Number 2104334


ITINERARY SUMMARY

ITINERARY ACCOMMODATION2019 June 28 Arrive in Split Your own hotel June 29 Split, Pucisca & Bol Onboard June 30 Zlatni Rat Beach & Hvar Onboard July 1 Hvar Fort and Winery Tour Onboard July 2 Vis Island Onboard July 3 Korcula Onboard July 4 Mljet & The Ston Walls Onboard July 5 Dubrovnik Onboard July 6 Disembark - Boat Cruise ends in Dubrovnik


ITINERARY

Friday, June 28th - Welcome to Split, Croatia! Set your flights to arrive in Split today and spend the day exploring Diocletian’s Ancient Palace. If you’re having trouble figuring out how to get into town from the airport, there are cabs lined up outside the airport or ask us to book a transfer for you. We will all meet at 8pm this evening at a restaurant (tbd) for introductions, drinks, and delicious Croatian food. Our cruise starts tomorrow so this evening you will make your own hotel arrangements in Split. Some suggestions are Hotel Park, Hotel Cornaro, Marmont and Hotel Vestibul Palace or AIRBNB. Split

Saturday, June 29th - Dalmatian Cruising The second-largest city in Croatia, Split (Spalato in Italian) is a great place to see Dalmatian life as it’s really lived. Always buzzing, this exuberant city has just the right balance of tradition and modernity. Step inside Diocletian’s Palace (a Unesco World Heritage site and one of the world’s most impressive Roman monuments) and you’ll see dozens of bars, restaurants and shops thriving amid the atmospheric old walls where Split life has been going on for thousands of years. To top it off, Split has a unique setting. Its dramatic coastal mountains act as the perfect backdrop to the turquoise waters of the Adriatic.

We have arranged an early morning tour of Split as this town has significant Roman ruins. At 12:15pm we will board our beautiful ship the MS Admiral and be welcomed by our Captain, Crew, and a few cocktails on the Upper deck. After lunch and a quick orientation on board, we set sail to our first location: Brac Island. Brač is famous for two things: its radiant white stone, from which Diocletian’s Palace


and the White House in Washington, DC are made, and Zlatni Rat beach, the long pebbly beach at Bol that sticks out lasciviously into the Adriatic and demands a visit and swim. It’s the largest island in central Dalmatia, with two towns, several sleepy villages, and a dramatic Mediterranean landscape of steep cliffs, inky waters and pine forests. The interior of the island is full of piles of rocks – the result of the back-breaking labour of women who, over hundreds of years, gathered the rocks in order to prepare the land for the cultivation of vineyards and olive, fig, almond and sour-cherry orchards. We start our tour of Brac Island at Pucisca, which displays this tiny island’s rich history of stonemasonry. From there, we visit an Olive Oil Mill run by a very special family whose livelihood has been producing Olive Oil for centuries. This evening you will have free time to shop and enjoy the night life in Bol. Dinner onboard. Bol (B,L,D)

Sunday, June 30th - Bol, Beaches, & Hvar Nightlife We begin our second morning together with an early morning optional hike to the jaw-dropping Pustinja Blaca, an ancient monastery built into the cliffs down a long path and foray into the countryside of Brac. After returning from the hike, we head to the illustrious beach Zlatani Rat. This is one of the most beautiful beaches on the Croatian coastline and offers a full panorama of Bol. We’ll drop anchor off the beach and swim ashore to relax on the pebbly sand, play in the Adriatic waves, and potentially spot some wrinkly, naked Croatians. The beach bars with comfy couches and extremely strong cocktails offers a great people watching opportunity. After this, we set sail for Hvar Island, stopping for a swim or two at remote islands and beaches. Once we land at the island’s capital Hvar Town, we take water taxi’s into this quaint, upscale town and explore its vibrant atmosphere and world renowned restaurants. Known as the“Croatian Riviera”, this tidy, little Dalmatian fishing village has recently turned into one of the most popular (and most expensive) destinations in Croatia. While the infrastructure lags a bit behind, the steady string of über-wealthy yuppies dressed up for a night on the town don’t seem to notice (or care). The setting is gorgeous, and the island provides a cosmopolitan contrast to the neighboring islands.

Hvar (B,L)

Monday, July 1st - Wine & Lavender Hvar is famed for its Plavat Mali wine and lilac lavender fields that dot its interior, as well as for other aromatic plants such as rosemary and heather. We start our tour of Hvar with an walk through a botanical garden to Hvar Fortress. Looming high above the town and lit with a golden glow at night, this medieval castle occupies the site of an ancient Illyrian settlement dating from before 500 BC. The views looking down over Hvar and the Pakleni Islands are magnificent, and well worth the trudge up through the old-town streets. After exploring the town to the fullest, and breaking for cappuccino and people watching time, we head to HORA Winery for an authentic wine tasting and lunch. This is an extremely special experience: Hora may be the only location in Croatia that provides 100% of the food prepared for our lunch. This authentic and traditional dining experience allows us to eat our meal in the middle of a field, first cultivated by ancient Greeks 2400 years ago. But don’t worry, the wine isn’t that old. After this, we return to Hvar for more free time (shopping!) and dinner onboard our ship. We may be anchored just off the harbor this evening.


Tuesday, July 2nd - Vis and Tito’s Hideaway Of all the Croatian islands, Vis is the most mysterious – even to locals. The furthest of the main central Dalmatian islands from the coast, Vis spent much of its recent history serving as a military base for the Yugoslav National Army, cut off from foreign visitors from the 1950s right up until 1989. The isolation preserved the island from development and drove much of the population to move elsewhere in search of work, leaving it underpopulated for many years.Vis produces some of Croatia’s best-known wines – Vugava (white) in particular – and you’ll see miles of vineyards across the island. You’ll also taste some of the freshest seafood here, thanks to a still-thriving fishing tradition. In Vis, We’ll explore Tito’s cave hidden deep in the hills of Vis, stand at the highest point of the Island with views as far a Italy, and learn about how important Vis was to the allies during WW2. We’ll explore the two main towns of the island - the most picturesque in all of Croatia (don’t let Hvar know). We’ll end our outing walking to dinner at Pojoda in a leafy courtyard off a tiny cobbled street. The recipes are secrets which only the restaurant staff know and are allowed to serve. We walk back through the quiet village streets to our beautiful ship and comfy beds. Vis (B,L,D

Tuesday, July 3rd - Marco Polo’s Korcula The island town of Korčula boasts an atmospheric Old Town, a smattering of engaging museums, and a dramatic, fjord-like mountain backdrop. Simpler and humbler than its glitzy big sister Hvar, Korčula — while certainly on the tourist trail — is sleepier and has an appealing charm. At its heart, Korčula is a traditional, blue-collar, salt-of-the-earth shipbuilding and fishing town with a slim patina of tourism. In the evening visit

Massimo - a youthful-feeling cocktail bar that fills a city-wall tower at the very tip of Korčula's Old Town peninsula. Take a walk to the top of the Church spiral, and see some of the best examples of stonework in the


world on the front of the Town’s Cathedral. We will have a guided tour including visiting the oldest traditional cake or “Cukarin” bakery in town. The shopping here is fantastic so we will have time to hang out, shop, have dinner along the main street in the restaurants looking out over the ocean, and enjoy this beautiful town. Korcula (B,L)

Wednesday, July 4th - Mljet National Park & Oysters Mljet is one of the most seductive of all the Adriatic islands. Much of the island is covered by forests and the rest is dotted with fields, vineyards and small villages. The northwestern half contains Mljet National Park, where the lush vegetation, pine forests and spectacular saltwater lakes are exceptionally scenic. It’s an unspoiled oasis of tranquillity that, according to legend, captivated Odysseus for seven years. Also my son loves this island, and pleasing him is almost impossible. Bikes are available for rent to ride around the lakes and stop for a relaxed swim and nap in this pristine setting.

We return for lunch onboard as we head out to Ston across the water back on mainland Croatia. We are headed to a unique Oyster Tasting experience. There is nothing quite as memorable when traveling than pulling your own 4year old oyster out of the ocean and eating it on the spot with a dash of lemon and glass of local Croatian wine. We’ll learn all about this home grown industry set in the most exquisite lagoon. We head back to our yacht for a swim and sail to our stop for the night. This evening we have the Captain’s Dinner, where we will be wined and dined with our crew and our Captain, hearing all about their perilous adventures and all the problems with the Croatian Government. Sipan (B,L,D)


Friday, July 5th - Dubrovnik, Pearl of the Adriatic The best known Dalmatian destination of them all is Dubrovnik - a living fairy tale with an epic history, breezy Mediterranean culture, and one of Eastern Europe’s most iconic old towns - Dubrovnik is like Venice without the canals. The highlight of any day in Dubrovnik is strolling the scenic mile around the Old Town’s city walls. As you meander along this lofty perch with a sea of orange roofs on one side and the actual sea on the other - you’ll get your bearings and take pictures like mad of the ever-changing views. There’s plenty here to keep everyone busy. Within the Old Town walls are surprisingly interesting sights: a pharmacy that’s been open for business since the Middle Ages, a pair of tranquil convents surrounded by painting galleries. Fresh, delicious seafood is another Dubrovnik highlight. Around every corner is a family-run eatery with sun-bathed outdoor seating. For a memorable finale to your Dubrovnik day, make your way to the cocktail bar perched on a cliff above the sea, clinging like a barnacle to the outside of the city walls. To avoid the crowds and heat we will spend the morning and lunch onboard sailing and swimming and spend the latter part of the afternoon and evening in Dubrovnik and plan to walk the Walls at the end of our tour. You may want to stay an extra day after the cruise to experience more of the city. After our tour you will be free to go have dinner and explore more of the city. There will be a bus leaving back to the ship at 11:30pm but cabs are a great option if you prefer to head back later to our ship which is docked in Dubrovnik Harbor. Dubrovnik (B,L)

Saturday, July 6th - Heading home After breakfast we say goodbye to the crew and disembark at 9am. We will be moored in Gruz Harbor Friday night so you can take the earliest flight out of Dubrovnik Airport should you decide to leave early today.


OUR BOAT M/S ADMIRAL


OUR BOAT M/S ADMIRAL

Brand new addition to Katarina Line fleet is a stunning 43 meters long and almost 9 meters wide Deluxe vessel. Built in 2015 with latest state-of-the-art equipment and amenities Admiral offers a maximum capacity of 39 passengers in 19 twin or double cabins and 1 single cabin, hot tub and a salon on the upper deck, guaranteeing an intimate setting for all guests.

LENGTH 43 mWIDTH 8.65 mBUILT IN 2015ENGINE 2X450 HPSPEED 8-9 NMDIESEL TANK 13 tWATER TANK 70 m3

WARM WATER YesSUNDECK 200 m2

CabinsTOTAL NO. OF CABINS 20ON DECK 11 double/twin cabins + 1 single cabinBELOW DECK 8 double/twin cabinsONE ADDITIONAL CABIN

extra single cabin available for tour manager

HOT TUB Yes


CABIN PLAN


TERMS & CONDITIONS MAIN DECK CABIN: $3,395 PER PERSON LOWER DECK CABIN:$2,795 PER PERSON To Hold Your Cabin and spot on the trip: Non-refundable deposit: $1,200 PER PERSON Balance Due:120 days before sailing FEB 28th, 2019. We recommend you take out Travel Guard Trip insurance to cover your deposit and final payment. Credit cards ok with 3.5% service charge. Mail checks to: SafariBiz, 25 S Oak Knoll Ave, Sutie 401, Pasadena, CA 91101

INCLUDED: • 8 days/7 nights charter with Captain & crew • Accommodation for a total of 39 passengers including the tour leader in queen and/or two bedded

cabins with en suite facilities and A/C • 17 meals - indicated on the itinerary as (B - breakfast; L - lunch; D - dinner) • Buffet breakfasts & 3 course lunch and dinners are served onboard • Captain’s dinner • Excellent quality Croatian Wine • Welcome aboard cocktail • Afternoon tea or coffee • Drinking Water • Beach towel • Time to relax and chill • Daily cabin servicing, fresh bed linen, and towels mid-week • Sailing each day to coves, between Islands. Mooring in harbor each night. • Fun and interesting tours with excellent tour guides • Biking or hiking in a National Park • Free wireless internet access • Lounging sundeck with deck-beds for all passengers • Jacuzzi on top deck • Rear access platform and ladder for easy access to the amazing Adriatic sea for swimming • Bus touring transport and all touring described in the Itinerary • Tour Guides with in depth knowledge and a sense of humor • Entrance fees for activities on this itinerary • Visitors’ tax & port fees • Tour Director • Hairdryers • Soaps and shampoos

NOT INCLUDED: • International airfare:Arrive Split no later than Jun 28th and depart Dubrovnik no earlier than Jul 6th, 2019

(UNITED AIRLINES/LUFTHANSA THROUGH FRANKFURT for example). • Any arrangements prior to boarding ship at midday June 29th and after 9am July 6th • ACCOMMODATION IN SPLIT FOR THE NIGHT OF JUN 28TH. We can recommend these hotels:

• HOTEL PARK; HOTEL CORNARO; HOTEL LUXE: HOTEL SLAVIJA (3 STAR). • Wine and alcohol at all meals off the boat • Onboard: Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks at meals - other than the wine at meals onboard. A bar tab

will be set up by the bartender which you will need to pay to the Captain with cash or CC at the end of the cruise.

• Personal expenses such as souvenirs and telephone/fax charges • Excess baggage fees • Travel cancellation insurance and inoculation fees. • Gratuities of $130 per person paid to Tour Leader in Advance will be handled by the Tour Leader and given

to the crew at the end of the tour, and other services during the tour

Documents

CROATIA A SAILING ADVENTURE - Villa Esperanza Services · 2018-10-01 · CROATIA A SAILING ADVENTURE JUNE 28TH TO JULY 6TH, ... traditional dining experience allows us to eat our