Travel Review: Split, Croatia

Hello

So, something  little different from me today. Recently I booked a two week jolly for me and Matt for August 2016 and it got me thinking about travel in general. As cliche as it may be I'm one of those people who possesses the feeling of Wanderlust. I personally believe that seeing new things and experiencing new places is crucial to a happy existence and cant think of a better way to spend my money. Last year was when this feeling really kicked in for me, I don't know if it was the new-found adulthood or because it was the first time I had savings of my own but something just clicked and I had the overwhelming urge to go somewhere.

Now as I live in the UK, Europe is very easily accessible which is something I am greatly appreciative of as I LOVE Europe. There is so much to see and lots of very diverse culture all sort of crammed together. So as I've been to a few countries in the wonderful continent I thought it was high time to go somewhere completely different, and this turned out to be Croatia. Not only are the flights ridiculously cheap from Newcastle to Split with EasyJet at certain times of the year (I went in September 2015) it is also only about 2.5 hours away so there in no Jet Lag to contend with.

Croatian Important Information;

Currency: Kuna (about 10 Kn to £1)
Language: Croatian - Most people in split speak English
Safety: There are a lot of unexploded mines from the civil War so don't stray off paths when walking through less populated areas...Just in case!
Travel: Basically they don't use trains much, my advise is to use the public bus. Its cheap as chips and they run like clockwork. Also the ferry can be taken to get to islands and is a really organised system and not too pricey. Plus you don't need to book in advance.


Initially I had planned to go solo on this trip but it just so happened that my Mum could take the same week holiday so it ended up being a great excuse for us to spend some real quality time together. On Arrival in Split we soon realised that the Croatian people have a totally different lifestyle which would have to be adopted. It was 10 PM and the streets were full of people having their dinner in open air restaurants and just generally hanging out, this was such a nice thing to be welcomed by as we really felt immersed in the Croatian way of life. Up at the crack of Sparrows, a short nap in the afternoon, and up all night enjoying time with friends family an fabulous food.

Over the course of the 7 days we were there we swam in the sea at least once a day which is a nice change when you are in the center of a city. My favorite beach was actually on the island of Hvar which we took a ferry for £7 to for the day. Well worth the money in my opinion! The water is as clear as day and you can actually see the fishies swimming around you which is awesome! One thing to mention is that most of the beaches around Split are pebble beaches so bring some shoes to wear in the sea or your feet will pay the price.

As for the food be prepared! its a huge mix of a lot of 'Italian' food and also some more traditional dishes such as slow cooked lamb and more seafood than you could ever imagine. Even the Ice cream places are incredible, serving tonnes of flavours in an huge assortment of lurid colours. In contrast to the UK, food and drinks are incredibly cheap from restaurants in Split and if you are a wine drinker you are in luck as this can be as cheap as 70p per glass in a restaurant! By the end of the week my mum and I had money to spare and we ate out about twice a day.

Without going into too much detail, Croatia is one of the best places I have ever been, so much so that I had to add it on this years itinerary. I absolutely fell in love with Split and all of its history and fabulous culture. Be sure to check out the island of Hvar and the Marjan forest when you are there as you will never see the best view in Split until you have climbed up the Marjan's hill.

If you have never been before I highly recommend it as somewhere to see before you die and I promise you will be back. Let me know if you would like more posts like this as I plan on seeing  lot more of Europe this year and would love to share it with you guys.

Much love,
Megan