Hvar, Hula Hula and Happiness

It has been quite silent here, my thoughts have been lost between the summer activities and alcohol. On top of that, my 4 year relationship has ended and I just needed space and some me time.

My motto is that if you ever feel lost, a little blue or just shit, book a flight somewhere. The funny (it was not that funny then) thing was I had flights booked to Croatia for our anniversary trip. So the flights were there, the companion was missing.

Then my best friend came to the rescue, my romantic getaway would turn into a single ladies escape.

If you can take one piece of advice away from me, love your friends and travel with them. Boys come and go but your best friends always stick around and I can’t wait for our talks in 20 years about the crazy adventures we had.

So there we were, we paid the £90 fee and swapped my ex’s name for hers on the booking. We decided to spend 5 days in Hvar and a night in Split, just because we wanted to be as close to the islands and party haven. Hvar is the creme de la creme of Croatia, and while the prices are still cheaper than what you would spend in London, it is expensive if you are use to the dirt cheap prices elsewhere in the country.

We flew into split and got the ferry straight to Hvar. All you need is to get the shuttle bus outside the airport which drops you off to the port by the town center in 40 minutes for 30KN. Then you can catch the Jadrolinija ferry which will get you to Hvar town port in an hour for 55-90Kn (depending on the time).

We had  5 days in Hvar, it is a fabulous island, offering the more lavish lifestyle within Croatia.

I would advice an airbnb for Hvar, just because the hotels are overpriced and you can find so many Airbnb’s located centrally. We stayed at Apartment Lusic, which was such a steal! It is literally a 7 minute walk away from Hvar town port (just up a steep set of stairs but hey, you have to work that food off somehow) and with the prettiest view from the balcony.

The other plus point? Its an 8 minute walk to the beaches and what became our local, Hula Hula beach bar. Every evening was spent watching the breathtaking sunset here, while I unwillingly listened to house music and willing drank the free shots we got from our new found friends, the Hula Hula staff.

 

Head to Hula at 4:30, that’s when it starts to get pumping and you do not want to be stuck without a seat. The season in Croatia runs from June – early September so it was slightly quieter when we went last week, but still enough to get the party started.

Another lesson, you only get free drinks when you’re with girls. Who would have thought? Holidays with your boyfriend just don’t guarantee free alcohol unless he pays

So back to Hvar, the reason you are reading this(sorry for my side rants), don’t travel here and expect any sandy, beautiful beaches. Infact, while the water is a stunning clear turquoise, the beaches are made up of uncomfortable rocky edges. So if you want to catch a tan, you can a) find a flat, sharp spot on the coastal cliffs or b)pay 50 KN for a sun bed to lay on all day. Or you could catch a water taxi to the island of Palmizana (about 25minutes away and 60KN return). Palmizana is a much smaller, vacant island but is a popular spot for many yacht travellers mainly because of the pretty beach (they say its sandy but it is in fact made up of tiny pebbles) and the picturesque beach bar, Laganini.

There are many day trips you can take from Split or Hvar, we took a boat trip out to see the green cave, the famous blue cave, the fishing town of Komiza and a few other bay stops. You’ll find many drivers offering a day tour ranging in prices from 400KN, and some include the 50KN entrance fee to the blue cave, while others don’t.

The blue cave stop lasts about 5-8 minutes but it is an impeccable sight… the entrance through the small hole is almost more exhilarating.

Now lets get down and dirty and talk about the other main attraction of Hvar, the nightlife. Of course there is the notorious Carpe Diem beach, which is an attraction in itself and requires a water taxi and a cheeky 150KN to enter. The club, on its own island, doesn’t get busy until 2am, which was really hard since that’s my usual bed time. But we fought through the age and made it out.

Carpe Diem mini is another bar on Hvar island, with a pretty setting, classy vibes (until everyone is wasted) and serves as the perfect pre-party to the rest of the night, wherever it leads you.

For a slightly less classy, more messy night you have the likes of Kiva bar ( I don’t have any pictures that do not consist of drunk faces for this). Its nothing special but the music is great, dancing is a must along with the helmet shot – im not going to give the fun away with what the shot entails, just promise you’ll do it.

Croatia is beautiful and I really want to go back to see more like the national Plitvice lakes, Dubrovnik and a few more islands. I watched in envy at all the yachts stopping around maybe I’ll even take part in yacht week one day. Either way, Croatia will always have a special place in my heart as it taught me that everything will be OK. Whether I’m on my own or with someone, life works out just fine, even if it isn’t the way you expected it too.