Island hopping in Croatia is an exquisite and relaxing experience - it provides an eclectic mix of history and modern living. Make sure you don’t forget the anti-seasickness pills in case of freak weather, and it should be smooth sailing.

Our journey to Croatia began with an extraordinarily long ferry trip.

Sleeping on the floor of a bar is not exactly how I had pictured my trip but alas, that is how it began. We boarded our boat in Split harbour, which was to be our home sweet home for 10 days. Our new family consisted of one moody Croatian captain, one wonderful cook (known as Happy), a crazy Croatian deck hand and an Aussie (apparently you cannot escape them) guide, as well as about 20 other guests (most of whom were also Australian). To say we had a spacious boudoir would be an exceedingly far stretch of the truth. All the bedrooms were below deck and they were possibly the size of a Croatian Kuna (coin). Nonetheless, we had arrived and the island hopping expedition was about to begin - nothing could dampen our spirits.

That was until the freak weather hit. Before we carry on I need to inform you that I had not actually processed that we would be living on a boat for 10 days; which is silly considering I get incredibly seasick. The Adriatic seemed to be a safe bet for Seasick Sam, as I had been assured there are no waves. Then the freak weather entered the equation.

Luckily, one of my travelling buddies is a forward thinker and had purchased preventative medication. Although I was a queasy sailor, the meds came to my rescue. Fortunately for me, Seasick Sam didn’t surface again and I was left to enjoy the rest of my Croatian crusade.

Every day was a treat, beginning at 05:30 with the delightful sound and smell of the engine. So regardless of how many glasses of Croatian wine had been consumed the night before, it was a bright and early start. Happy provided us with breakfast and lunch every day and we explored the various islands. The natural beauty we witnessed was indescribable, from coastal cliff faces to natural parks, and not forgetting the mesmerizing ocean.

Croatia has only recently started to experience the boom of tourism. Some of the locals sometimes seemed irate that we were there, which I suppose is a by-product of having tourists wandering around all the time. So when you get there, be warned: you will encounter some grumpy Croatians. It doesn’t apply to everyone, but the grumpy ones will surface. The trick is to ignore them - grumpiness is inevitable in every country.

Their culture is infectious and in no time everyone was the ocean and relaxed. The usual body surfing was replaced with water polo, which explains why Croatia is so fantastic at the sport. There are no waves and after a while you get bored (especially the males) and need something to do in the water. There are floating goals all around and people use them for leisure as well as training purposes.

After a day of sightseeing and bobbing in the ocean, you build up quite an appetite and there is nothing quite like a home-cooked meal. Croatian food provided that for me (Happy had a lot to do with it). A culture’s food makes a statement about their nation. The Croatian cuisine made me feel warm and comforted, and it created an insatiable desire to visit this magical place again.

About the author: Samantha is a dreamer with a love for all things creative. Art, design and literature play a pivotal role in her life and she couldn’t get through the day without them. Another passion of hers is travelling and she is always dreaming of different places with unique food and cultures. Samantha studied Journalism and Media specialising in communication design, which has proved to be really useful, and she enjoys being involved in the creative sphere.

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