And so, my last stop of my Summer adventure. I was so glad I saved Dubrovnik until last on my trip, I was so excited to get there and there was so much that I wanted to do whilst I was there. But first, the bus journey to get from Split to Dubrovnik. It was meant to be around 5 hours, manageable, not too bad. It turned into 8 hours. We had to travel through Bosnia which meant having to go through passport control both upon entry and exit. This took what felt like forever, I was also getting concerned at one point because it just wouldn’t recognise my passport on exit (even though it worked about an hour before!) so I was starting to panic. We eventually got there though and nothing beat the sunset as we was driving through the final sea cliff roads into the main bus terminal, it made more realise the journey was worth it. Picture below is me, extremely relieved to finally be in Dubrovnik, and finding a can of Red Bull (my second true love after coffee) to guzzle before the next part of my journey, finding my hostel.

Day one was a recovery day. It really needed to be. I was exhausted from yesterday’s journey and just really wanted a day to relax. I was super fortunate that my hostel I was staying in in Dubrovnik had a pool that guests could use for free so I spent a day sunbathing and relaxing by the pool, sipping cider and reading my book. It was bliss. I met some really nice girls at my hostel too who were staying in the same room so in the evening we went to grab some dinner and drinks together, which turned into a bit of a karaoke party night, but having the best time!

Day two was when the real adventure started. I got the bus into the Old Town and explored all around here. Pictured below, the most expensive coffee (but also one of the nicest) I have ever bought in my life. I think this cost me about the equivalent of £12. I couldn’t believe it, but also, it was iced coffee, with ice cream, and cream, it was definitely a calorie fest, but also incredible smooth and tasty. I also had to remember I was buying coffee just outside the walls of the Old Town so it was definitely going to be a bit pricier. I went to the Love Stories Museum, which was honestly one of the cutest places I have ever been too, it filled me with lots of smiles for some time, and I actually was so interested in reading all of the fascinating stories that were behind the pieces of artwork and artefacts that were there. It was a really fun day of exploring and seeing all the cool places that were apparently (never seen it) used to film Game of Thrones. There were loads of tourists shops selling spin off gifts and plenty of tours specifically for that but I was happy wandering on my own. I also found a super cool ruin bar that I went and hung out in for a while, and when you climbed down a little (carefully) there were steps where you could get into the sea so I took full advantage of that and went for a dip.

My next day involved kayaking over to Peacock Island. I had to get some water sports in somewhere, so I set out on the tour through the sea and over to the island and again, incredible, everything about this trip has been incredible. The island in inhabited so all visitors have to leave the island at night but it provided some incredible photo opportunities as well as another cool place to explore which was super cool. After kayaking, I headed into the Old Town for some lunch and then back to my hostel late afternoon to spend the rest of the day chilling by the pool. Dubrovnik, though very exciting, was quite compact so I had a fair amount of flexibility over my time here to slow it down a little and really take some time to breathe and unwind.

My last full day was by far one of my favourite. I decided to walk the walls of the Old Town. I also chose to do this on one of the hottest days there, where there is absolutely no shade at all (unless in a restaurant on the walls). It was such an incredible experience. I made my way up the stairs to begin walking the walls and it definitely took some time. From start to finish it probably took me around three hours, it probably could have been done in less time, but I stopped to take photos (of course) and also for a minute to grab a freshly squeezed orange juice and have some time in the shade which was very much needed. I genuinely couldn’t believe how stunning all of Dubrovnik looked from above. It was a sea of orange roofs and white buildings, with the island I visited previously in the background, the rocky cliffs and beaches and just incredible architecture surrounding me at all times. The walk is something I would recommend to anyone and everyone visiting Dubrovnik, as although you have to pay to do it, it is a memory that will stick in my brain forever.

And there we have it! My final day. I couldn’t believe that two weeks was over just like that. My final day was lovely as my flight wasn’t until the evening, so I had time to chill out. I also had full use of the hostel amenities for my final day even after checkout, so I dumped my bag and headed back to the pool for the day to get some final rays before having a quick shower and getting the bus back to the bus station, to get another bus to the airport (lots of buses here). I got to the airport at around 5pm so grabbed some dinner before heading to wait for my flight. My flight ended up being super delayed (hence my writing), but it hasn’t dampened the trip. I’ve had a whirlwind of a time and I’m looking forward to my final adventure of the year.. stay tuned. But for now, smile and see ya later. Mads xxx