British Agents Educational to Croatia, 14th
April -18th April 2000
As the plane took off from Dubrovnik Airport, I
was able to have a final look at the beautiful Dubrovnik Riviera
and a memorable five days spent touring the Dalmatian coastline.
Josip Lozic of the Croatian National Tourist Office and Rupert
Diggins of Holiday Options invited me to join a group of travel
agents on an educational trip to Croatia.
One of the main things that struck me about the educational, aside
from the astounding beauty of the country, was the friendliness
of the locals, hotel and restaurant staff, and tourist office
officials. Nothing was too difficult for them. Our group, representatives
of the British retail travel agents received ho spitality that
was second to none: countless trays of drinks, numerous leaflets
and many welcome speeches showed us how keen everyone was to give
a good impression that we could take home with us and pass on
to others.
Friday, April 14th
Meeting at Gatwick Airport, I was surprised by the large group
of people waiting at the Croatia Airlines check-in desk. There
were 50 of us; 30 students from Eton School going on an archaeological
excursion to Dalmatia; some people travelling to Medjugorje and
a few other s who were taking an early holiday. I expected the
plane to be crowded, but I was surprised how roomy and comfortable
the new Airbus 320 is in comparison with the old 737. [Croatia
Airlines has the most modern fleet, comprising of superb Airbus
319 and 320 planes, and they are getting two more at the end of
June.]
We touched down in the small but modern Split Airport
and we were processed through customs and immigration smoothly.
Our guide for the duration of the trip, Tomislav from Atlas Travel,
introduced himself, and then we were given a welcoming drink,
being able to choose from a variety of local spirits or, for the
not so adventurous, orange juice. The mayor of Kastela, the region
where Split Airport is located, also spoke briefly and handed
out the first of many brochures that we were to receive. The half
an hour coach journey to Split harbour enabled us to see the capital
of Dalmatia briefly (albeit in the dark) before we boarded the
hydrofoil to Supetar on the island of Brac, which was to be our
destination for the night. Arriving quite late at Hotel Kaktus
meant the buffet dinner laid out for us was more than sufficient
before we all retired to our rather chilly rooms, prompting many
of us to hoard as many extra blankets as possible. Of course,
had this been the middle of August, we'd be kicking off the blankets!
Saturday, April 15th
The first of the 8am wake up calls for the trip got us out of
bed...well, at the very least, it woke us up. The early start
was meant so that we could cram as much sight-seeing and hotel
examining as possible, not only today, but for all of the four-day
stay. After another quick buffet, this time for breakfast (a wide
variety), our group set off on a quick tour of the enormous Hotel
Kaktus complex, which included apartments and the Hotel Salvia.
The tour also meant that we walked briefly beside the sea, proving
the proximity of the Adriatic to the accommodation. That morning
also provided us with an opportunity to do a quick sight-seeing
tour of Supetar. Unfortunately, the rather grey and blustery,
but not particularly cold, weather meant a quick stop at the Bureau
de Change sufficed for most people, before we got back on our
Atlas coach to cross the island of Brac. The drive from Supetar
to Bol was not particularly long, but enabled us to view the beautiful
scenery as we drove over the peaks of the island. In Bol, the
tour of the Hotel Bretanide and its sister hotel, the all-inclusive
Hotel Bonaca, preceded our 40 minute hydrofoil (airplane-seating
arrangement, very smooth and comfortable) journey to the pretty
Hvar Town on the island of Hvar. No doubt all our hard work deserved
a hearty lunch, and that is exactly what we got at the Hotel Palace:
indeed, we got the first of many four-course meals that prompted
many of us to say that we did not eat this well at home! The high
occurrence of seafood was also welcomed by many. Lunch consisted
of a starter of squid; chicken soup; the usual meat, chips and
salad main course; and cake for dessert. By this time the gorgeous
sun had decided to shine which meant our brief period of free
time (Tomislav kept us on a very tight schedule!) was well spent
in one of the cafes or sitting beside the harbour. On to a quick
tour of a few of the hotels in Stari Grad (Hotel Arkada and the
sister Trim Bungalows) before reaching our final destination that
day, the Hotel Mina in Jelsa, where we were welcomed with a chance
to try some local herb liqueurs, which were pronounced as being
first class. After another four-course meal for dinner we headed
off to on e of the local bars in town, a short walk from the hotel,
for a drink courtesy of Holiday Options. Cheers!
