Badija is the largest of a small group of islands near Korcula. Whilst the most dominant feature is the 14th Century Franciscan Monastery, the island is perhaps better known for its tame deer, which roam freely throughout the island. We enjoyed our visit, both for the walking (we followed the coastal path around the entire island), and for the chance to be up-close with the lovely deer!

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Dubrovnik is another beautiful old town, officially a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. We enjoyed our stay, walking around the old town, but also walking along the coast. Croatia really is a fantastic country, but surprisingly more expensive than expected. Of course, this may be as we were in the most touristy parts of the country. I would certainly come back though. There are good offers from the UK.

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Hvar is the fourth most populated of the Croatian islands, with a large fertile coastal plain, fresh-water springs, and hillsides covered in pine forest, olive groves, and lavender fields. For us, it was the walks into the hills, and the old town that kept us busy, as well as a full day of sailing (you can find in the family blog!).

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Korcula was a relatively quiet spot compared to Split and Dubrovnik, but very similar in the fact it has the old town with the narrow streets, and nice hills to walk on. Interestingly, there is considerable local feeling that Marco Polo may have been from this town - he was certainly imprisoned here.

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Today was a full day tour of Krka National Park, a beautiful park with winding paths through the hillsides, all leading down to the Tufa Waterfalls, and the lower river delta. I'll let the pics do the talking.

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Lokrum is a small island, close to Dubrovnik with a monastery and botanical garden, as well as an old castle. It is just a small ferry ride away, and well worth a visit - some lovely walks around and across the island. Local folklore says the island is cursed - and so nothing can be taken from the island.

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Our main summer holiday was to be Croatia - and we arrived on a cheap flight from Birmingham at Split.
Split feels like a city that time has forgotten. The ancient centre is like nothing you’ll have seen before, with a whole district taken up by a sprawling Roman palace, going strong after 1700 years. Over the centuries this architecture has been kept intact and then incorporated into newer buildings, like St. Duje’s Cathedral, the heart of which is a 4th-century mausoleum. A great place to start our trip - and who knew we'd arrive in a heatwave!

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For an adventure - we hopped on a local bus into the next town, and found ourselves in Trogir, another UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to a pretty waterside town, and some amazing historic buildings such as the Cathedral of St. Lawrence.

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Our final day in Croatia was actually spent across the border in Montenegro - a full day tour to see the beautiful baroque town of Perast. The first time in a long time that teddy got a new stamp in his passport! It is a really lovely place to visit, but, in some ways, very much the same as the places we had already seen in Croatia, so, perhaps we were not as stunned as we might have been coming directly from the UK or Singapore.

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Today was a lovely day, sailing among the Pakleni islands. A full day tour from Korcula, we enjoyed a few hours under the full wind sails, and some stops in secluded bays and coves for some swimming. Shanhong even found some sea urchins, although, they are protected in this area!

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