Upon arrival to Dubrovnik, Bree and I formed instant friendships with two beautiful Scottish lasses. They immediately told us about their prior travels and plans for Dubrovnik. They had already spent a couple nights in the port town and had signed up for a day long cruise to three islands surrounding Dubrovnik. It didn’t take long to convince Bree and myself that we wanted to join in on the excursion.
There are three companies that run the same tour, but I can only speak on Dubrovnik Boat Excursions. Our hostel attempted to sell us on the same tour with an alternative company in order to gain commission. He bad mouthed the company we had booked with and told us {what turned out to be lies} about the excursion itself. This is common in all of Croatia. Everyone always knows someone who has the best price, offers the best food, or will get you the best discount. Most of it is bullshit. It’s always best to get online and have a peek at the customer reviews. I have become an avid online reviewer after traveling to many different destinations and having a variety of experiences in each one. I believe it to be the most helpful tool for fellow travelers.
The following morning the four of us were picked up by a personal driver who drove us to the port to board the boat. We were the first ones to arrive and therefore received the best seats in the house. Lounge chairs outlined the entire deck upstairs so you could tan in the sunshine and sea breeze. It was such a perfect day.
We visited the islands of Lopud, Šipan, and Koločep. We were gone for most of the afternoon, but still had plenty of time to return back to the hostel to cook dinner. We were served lunch consisting of fresh fish, chicken, or a vegetarian option, and had access to unlimited wine for the entire afternoon. All three islands were very similar, but offered different things.
1. Lopud
Lopud was the first island we visited and the most inhabited. From the marina, we walked a short distance to a group of golf carts that bring tourists to the popular beach on the opposite side of the island. Do not be a hero and walk to the beach. Let me tell you, it’s quite a walk. We were satisfied with our choice to hire a golf cart, even though it was one of the wildest golf cart rides of my life. Croatians are crazy drivers. In golf carts, cars, and even charter buses. I spent multiple journeys on charter buses that would overtake another charter bus on a two lane highway. These people don’t hold back.
It didn’t take long before we were submerged in the ocean after arriving to the beach. It was extremely hot {are we surprised?}, and the water was so refreshing. I realized that I could live next to a beach for the rest of my life and Bree realized she is a fish whisperer.
We had the longest amount of time on this island which deserves some slow claps for the planner on this excursion. We were satisfied with the entire day after leaving Lopud. We could have packed up and gone back to Dubrovnik feeling like we got our values worth, which was about 250 HRK, converting to about $35 USD.
2. Šipan
Šipan was the next location on our three island cruise. Šipan was a much larger island than I had initially expected, but we only had access to a small port and a limited amount of time for exploring. You could have easily hired a kayak for an hour or sipped on a cocktail by the water. We made our way up a small hill looking over the water, and then went back to the boat to lay out and consume more free wine. #budgettravellerlife
3. Koločep
Our final destination was Koločep, also a very small island. By this time, the four of us were exhausted. We took a wander around the port, but made it a quick visit. Koločep does offer a small beach and a few places to eat, however it does not require an entire day trip.
Out of the three islands, I found myself enjoying Lopud the most. I thought this excursion was worth the value and would recommend it to anyone! Bree and I spent a total of three days in Dubrovnik. One day was spent exploring the islands, one day we climbed the city walls, and our final afternoon included a historical walking tour before catching our flights. This seemed to be a great itinerary for us. I did not feel as though I missed out on anything Dubrovnik had to offer.
All of that coming up next!