Page 18 - Cape-Camera-Nov-Dec-2024

November/December 2024 Cape Camera Cape Camera November/December 2024

Croatia trip continued from p17 Croatia Travel tips

quiet bay, with crystal clear sea water. • Visiting Croatia before mid-June is ideal, as thereaf-
"As you travel along, there are many opportunities to go ter the major tourist season starts. The best time
for a swim in the clear Mediterranean Sea," says Dieter. to visit is from May to October when the weather is
warm, all the tourist facilities are open, the festival
They travelled north via coastal towns like Sibenik, Tis- season is in full swing and boats are sailing through
no, and Zadar, the oldest settlement in Croatia, dating the Dalmatian coast.
from the 9th century. From there they took a ferry to the • Croatia's climate varies from continental to Medi-
island Rab, which attracts tourists with its rich icultural terranean - you can expect snow in December and
heritage and many monuments. They criss-crossed the January - and there’s plenty to do throughout the
islands of Krk and stayed in Vrbnik, a village on the east year.
coast of the island known for the oldest Croatian lan- • As of 1 January 2023, the currency used in Croatia is
guage scripts found in the limestone outcroppings. the euro (EUR), which is the only official means of
Travelling north payment in Croatia.
• English is widely spoken in Croatia, especially in
To travel the northern part of the East Coast, it is con- popular tourist destinations. People who work in
venient to make use of the many ferries, onto which a hospitality and most younger Croatians usually have
car can be loaded. "In general, the province of Istria is a good grasp of English.
a scenic area, with many camping sites – the more we
drove north, the more campervans were rolling south to
spend the summer vacations." Italy. It boasts high mountain vistas, clear lakes and we
Pula is a beautiful town, influenced by the Romans, with stayed in Ponte nelle Alpi, where a kilogram of big, black
many old buildings, markets and a huge, well-preserved cherries became our supper – super delicious!"
Colosseum. Their next short stop was at Lake Alleghe, then past the
Travelling further north they passed through Slovenia, Marmolada Mountain area, to Sellajoch and the winter
stopped in Potoroz, an upmarket holiday enclave with ski resort Cadazei, where they stayed over. They stopped
a Kempinski Hotel, which is probably frequented by the long enough at Karer Lake to hike around it, enjoying
super-rich and politicians and boasting luxury villas. the scenic high mountains. Finally they drove over the
"Since we do not belong to any of these visitor catego- Reschenpass to return to Bludenz in Austria.
ries, we hurriedly proceeded," recounts Dieter. They had
no hassle with SA passport for smooth transits.
"Soon we crossed into Southern Tyrol, which is part of

Above: Zadar at sunset and the church and signs of early
settlers in Zadar.
Left top: Trogir has many historical monuments, but also a
beautiful bay.
Left: Inside the Colosseum in Pula, a town that still displays
many sites reflecting the Roman heritage. Below it is the
exterior of the well-preserved amphitheatre.

18 Cape Town Photographic Society