Holiday Reviews
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same trip can have different views!
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Sea kayaking holiday in Croatia, independent reviews
 Reviewed 27 Jun 2007 by Tracey Reed |  |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The guide. He was fantastic! I spent the whole week in wonder of the sights while laughing at his stories. The family that run this trip is truly wonderful. They are so welcoming, friendly, and genuinely in love with their local area. The Chilean guide has a fantastic sense of humour, is really concerned about kayakers comfort with the length of each trip and energy expenditure needed to complete it. He is a great, great guy.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Ask for breakfast/dinner vouchers while you are on the island of Sipan.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Absolutely. This is an incredible experience. Kayaking during the day and staying with locals in the evening.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Completely memorable. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I did not want to leave. The scenery, food (especially the ice cream on Lopud), people, walks, weather, and local activities that crop up make this trip truly worth the effort of booking.
| Reviewed 2 Oct 2007 by Alex Lane | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Simply, the setting, it was beautiful.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
It is a group activity holiday, so be prepared to be part of a group and holiday with them. You don't need to be superman but you do need to be willing to give things a go.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes. All board and lodging was taken with local people, who were all very friendly and welcoming. All travel that was not by Kayak was by public transport/bus.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent.
| Reviewed 4 Sep 2005 by Naomi Biggs | |
My friend and I went on holiday with this operator in late August and had a wonderful time. We had planned to do a five day kayaking trek with them, staying in a private guesthouse that they had arranged on the island of Lopud just of the coast of Dubrovnik. The room was very clean and basic as expected and the staff were lovely, we chose to upgrade the room half way through the week at a little extra cost just to have the luxury of air con and a balcony.
We found that the service from the operator was excellent, they picked us up from the airport and took us back, they paid for any boat transfers that we had to take when meeting them for kayaking. They were not only very friendly they were also very flexible with times and dates. The kayaking was great fun with amazing surroundings. The sea as promised was very calm and made for easy paddling, with the chance to stop off for swimming and snorkelling whenever we wanted. They told us how they will be expanding next summer for school groups and will have their own safety boat - I think this will be a real asset to them and their vibrant company.
Croatia as a place is absolutely beautiful and had far more to do than we had expected - lots of day trips to surrounding countries, water sports, sightseeing etc, etc. I would definitely recommend the holiday to my friends and have even offered to help out this operator with their marketing of the holidays at the Adventure Travel Show in London next year.
We found that the service from the operator was excellent, they picked us up from the airport and took us back, they paid for any boat transfers that we had to take when meeting them for kayaking. They were not only very friendly they were also very flexible with times and dates. The kayaking was great fun with amazing surroundings. The sea as promised was very calm and made for easy paddling, with the chance to stop off for swimming and snorkelling whenever we wanted. They told us how they will be expanding next summer for school groups and will have their own safety boat - I think this will be a real asset to them and their vibrant company.
Croatia as a place is absolutely beautiful and had far more to do than we had expected - lots of day trips to surrounding countries, water sports, sightseeing etc, etc. I would definitely recommend the holiday to my friends and have even offered to help out this operator with their marketing of the holidays at the Adventure Travel Show in London next year.
| Reviewed 31 Aug 2009 by Adrian Brown | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
My overwhelming memory of the one week sea kayaking tour is of kayaking around rocky islands in crystal clear water under perfectly sunny skies and in extremely calm water. A dinner at a local farm organised by our tour guide ("not included in price" but extremely good value) was magical - homemade produce including prosciutto, cheese and chicken washed down with homemade liqueurs, all graciously served.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
If you are an early bird, take some books to read between sunrise and breakfast - getting breakfast before 9 am is virtually impossible.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
I certainly did - apart from the aeroplane flight!
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent. The tour operator is a wonderful small company with an emphasis on personal service. They are very flexible in accommodating particular needs and timetables. Apart from the basic bare bones of the holiday they also made sure we were okay before and after the holiday and booked us a great room in Dubrovnik after the kayaking was over.
| Reviewed 7 Aug 2009 by Richard Morgan | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The Elaphite Islands, utterly beguiling. The village of Sipanska Luca, extraordinary.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Go to Croatia now before everyone catches on.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
A week with no cars using kayaks, bicycles and public transport, just a shame we have to fly there. Sea-kayaking is such an excellent way to see the coast with the only fuel being the huge amounts of lunch required to paddle through the day. Croatia has a rapidly developing and well organised tourist industry. It would be nice to think that the Elaphite Islands will be protected from the more brutal aspects of this while still improving the lives of the folk who live and work there.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Brilliant.
| Reviewed 4 Jun 2009 by Caroline James | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The scenery and marine flora and fauna are pretty fantastic around the Elaphite Islands; we had flat calm sunny weather for the first half of our trip so could enjoy it to the full! Trsteno is a gorgeous place which is well worth a visit.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Take plenty of sun cream and mosquito repellent. Not all the accommodation on the islands have air-conditioning and it gets pretty hot without the windows open but pretty uncomfortable the next day if the mozzies get you!
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Kayaking is a carbon neutral way of getting around, and the islands don't have cars so you have to walk so all in all this holiday is pretty good for the environment. That said the ferries you take to get to the islands are about 60 years old and belch out plenty of diesel fumes - it all balances out though I'd say. The guides were from Dubrovnik and the company is run by local people. The accommodation is all small and family owned, and all the restaurants and cafes are run by the locals too.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
I had a great time but would have preferred slightly choppier seas! Can't do anything about the weather though and I can hardly complain about 30 degrees every day. Great for those who like to get away from it all.
| Reviewed 6 Oct 2008 by Paul Arnold | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Kayaking between the islands.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Book it, you will have a great time. You do need to be reasonably fit.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes, by staying in the local guesthouse, meals in the local hotel and use of local guides.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Great family run holiday company. Very helpful with all arrangements. Definitely recommended.
| Reviewed 20 Sep 2008 by Matthew Downey | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The underwater caves, the food and drink at the farm on Lopud, and the group itself! All were excellent.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Sea kayaking isn't difficult to pick up, but it would be handy to have some experience of it before you go.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Definitely. We only used the kayaks and ferries to get around, stayed with local people and ate (lots) at the local restaurants!
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
It was an excellent holiday, and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to see a beautiful part of the world, and doesn't want to sit on a beach for a week. The people (both paying and the guides) were great too. The manager of the tour company was there at the harbour to see us off on the first day, which was a good personal touch.
| Reviewed 29 Jul 2008 by Johanna Williams | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
I can understand why people would like to live in Croatia, the people were very friendly. The tour operator offered a very personal service, they endeavoured to make my holiday special. I enjoyed spending time in the unique town of Dubrovnik on my first day. Splitting the holiday between 2 island helped to make the holiday and adventure in its self.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
I regret not taking a sun dress for the evenings, as the evenings were very warm. If you are kayaking take a thin cushion to sit on.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
I stayed in local guest houses and eat in the local restaurants, this must have benefited the local community. Using the island ferries.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
The Company offered a personal service. The kayaking daily trip was a real adventure. This is not a conventional holiday, but just right if you enjoy medium distance kayaking, and a casual holiday.
| Reviewed 17 Jul 2008 by Paula Gould | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
In terms of excitement - definitely the waves crashing over my kayak on day one!! Thankfully the winds eased for the remainder of the holiday. Worth remembering that the sea doesn't always appear like those mill-pond brochure pictures. The trip up to the farm on Lopud for dinner was also very memorable for all the right reasons. Such a fantastic location, and a wonderful meal. Virtually everything on the table had been grown or raised on the premises.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Try and get a guarantee regarding the number of people in your group. I was told 8 (to one guide) when we booked. The brochure says max 10. We had 11 for the first three days - including 2 children and a complete novice. Thankfully, our guide was extremely experienced and coped fantastically when he was on his own with us in sub-optimum conditions on day one. He was a complete star. Also, try really hard not to bash your thumbs on the kayak. If you do that on day one (I did) then you'll spend the rest of the week fighting to get waterproof plasters to stick on open wounds. Doesn't work! Finally, take a torch. The trip back from the farm on Lopud to the guest house is a bit tricky otherwise.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
We definitely benefited local people by staying in private rooms and eating in local restaurants. My environmental impact was probably bigger than anticipated, given the amount of bottled water I got through (so lots of plastic waste). Not because local water isn't drinkable (it is) but certainly on Lopud, water at the place we were staying was warm and had a funny taste which didn't make it particularly palatable.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Fantastic. We'll be back...
| Reviewed 19 Sep 2007 by Catherine Atkins | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The beauty of the Elafiti Islands is breathtaking and seeing them by sea kayak is certainly one of the more relaxing ways to approach it. The Adriatic is wonderfully clear and blue and when we were there the weather was fantastic and our group was really friendly which added to the experience.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
This company are excellent. Our plane arrived after the last ferry had left for the day, but they collected us from the airport and arranged a special transfer by speed boat so we could start the kayaking the next day with the rest of the group. At the end of the trip they collected us from the ferry and took us to our hotel for the rest of the week. Definitely go with this operator!
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
We stayed in a local guest house and ate in local restaurants. On the final evening we were superbly catered for by a local family who lived near the top of a steep walk in Lopud. Their homemade liqueurs were certainly an interesting experience and the food was wonderfully tasty and fresh. As for sea kayaking, the impact on the environment is minimal which is certainly a plus point in addition to the sheer enjoyment of it.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent, the organising company catered for our every need. The guides were very good and couldn't have looked after us better. What a great job they have!
| Reviewed 12 Sep 2007 by Kate Eastwood | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Relaxing days, not getting up too early, bobbing about on the water, taking some great exercise in totally peaceful surroundings and then relaxing in fantastic restaurants eating delicious seafood....oh, and the ice creams on Lopud are outstanding.....so many choices, so little time to have them all! The guides were both fantastic - great sense of humour and they really worked hard to make sure everyone had a fantastic time. The Chilean guide was outstanding!
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Make sure you take some extra time to see Dubrovnik and other islands in the area. For those focused on lots of paddling the first couple of days were very gentle and I could have done with a bit more paddling but the guides are very relaxed about allowing people to take out the kayaks in the bays outside the guided times, so there is plenty of opportunity for more paddling if you want which was great. The days get progressively longer and by the end of the week it was 4-5 hrs.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes. We stayed with local people rather than in hotels. Rooms were simple and clean, and the owners were wonderfully friendly, sending us off with bunches of grapes picked from their vines.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Brilliant! Highly recommended.
| Reviewed 8 Sep 2007 by Craig Woodhouse | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The kayaking - it was fantastic. Beautiful scenery, crystal waters and clear blue skies. The other people on the trip were great, as were the guides. The Chilean was a particular star.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Be sure to give yourself enough time either side of the kayaking to see Dubrovnik, and other parts of Croatia if possible.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Fantastic.
| Reviewed 19 Jul 2007 by Michael Wigley | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Slipping out of the kayak and swimming into a cave with a submerged entrance.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
The fitter you are the better but you can get away with less if you are in a tandem kayak.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Good use of local facilities, guest houses etc.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
It was fantastic. Shame the Med doesn't have more fish but that isn't the tour's problem.
| Reviewed 9 Jul 2006 by Yvonne Lazarowicz | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The setting was amazing - the Elafiti islands. We loved the kayaking the coasts and sometimes visiting caves. The towns were really great and not at all over-developed. We also had a real sense of achievement as we kayaked almost 100km in a week without it ever seeming like a great effort.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
You don't need to be of Olympic standard but you do need some experience and fitness (the website does state this). Bring plenty of sunscreen and a wide-brimmed hat- it gets pretty hot out on the water. Also, on a more frivolous note, if you like ice-cream you must try it on Lopud!
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Local people, yes - local business, local restaurants, local accommodation. Minimal impacts on the environment - yes, the very nature of the holiday is minimal impact; also, eating locally sourced foods.
4. Any other comments?
Somewhere between 4 and 5 stars. It was an absolutely brilliant holiday and I enjoyed the kayaking much more than I could have imagined. Also, because of the nature of the islands it was a complete and utter escape from the real world. We were really very impressed with this operator. Everything was superbly organised and the kayaking guide was terrific- a really nice guy who knew what he was doing and who managed to make sure that everybody got what they wanted out of the holiday. We also had a really good feedback session with the company at the end where they asked what was good and what they could improve. We really enjoyed dealing with them- we felt they really cared about their customers and they provided us with a great, totally hassle-free experience.
| Reviewed 21 May 2006 by Helena Mackenzie | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The most memorable part was kayaking into the small harbour in Sipan island after a day's lovely sea kayaking and being greeted with great enthusiasm by local children. We gave them a football we had been found floating in the sea (only bit of pollution we saw all week!) and they were ecstatic, immediately running off and organising an impromptu match for their friends. We received a warm welcome wherever we went, but this was definitely a highlight for me.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
We did the more demanding week's kayaking (up to 20km on one day), so get fit before hand! The pace was gentle, but you do need some endurance, especially if you're there in high summer. Worth investing in some waterproof kayaking shorts and always wear some kind of footwear when swimming, as sea urchins seem particularly attracted to foreign feet! Plenty of sunscreen is recommended too, as the sun can be quite fierce, even in May.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Definitely. We stayed in small, family run accommodation and the owners (despite not much English) were always on hand to help and advise. We used local boats to transfer across to other islands and local buses on the island of Sipan. This gave us a real insight into daily life in Croatia.
| Reviewed 27 Aug 2006 by Mark Ryall | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The Elaphite Islands are very scenic, and although close to Dubrovnik, relatively undeveloped. The seas are clear and perfect for swimming and snorkelling. On Sipan island we stayed in a guest house with a balcony overlooking a lovely little fishing village with very few tourists around. Lopud Island had more tourists, but is still a very nice place to spend some time. Highlight of the week was a paddle at dusk from Lopud to Sipan for an evening meal (not a guided part of the trip), paddling back in the dark under the stars on a glassy calm black sea. A quite surreal experience.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Ask some very pointed questions about who will be guiding you. Our guide for the week was a young local Crotian, a nice lad, but it was the opinion of all seven people in my group that he was frankly not very good as a guide. He was highly disorganized, told us little about the history or culture of the area, and I thought his skills and qualifications to be a sea kayak guide at all were somewhat questionable. He apparently did not know how to do an Eskimo roll - in the UK this would be regarded as an absolutely essential self rescue skill for someone looking after the safety of other potentially inexperienced sea kayakers. On one day the guide did not even turn up till nearly midday having returned to Dubrovnik the evening before without bothering to tell most people in the group. Half the group was so annoyed about this they went kayaking on their own unguided for the day. Such casual disregard for the interests of paying clients is unacceptable on a trip costing over 600 Euros.
In fairness I should point out that another group we met who were doing a four day trip with this operator were apparently very happy with their Canadian guide, so an element of pot luck does seem to be involved.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes. Zero environmental impact, and we stayed in locally owned guest houses and ate at local restaurants.
4. Any other comments?
3 stars. Very enjoyable, but in spite of rather than because of the guiding from the operator.
Read the operator's response here:
The guide who was guiding the tour from August 13 - 20 worked as a guide for another sea kayaking company for two years and he joined us at the beginning of August 2006. Due to complains that we received in two weeks of his guiding, he does not work for us any more. We are sorry that unsatisfied group did not contact us before (they had our phone numbers and they could contact us from the guesthouse). The guide would be replaced immediately.We pay great attention to safety. In general, the Adriatic sea is calm sea but in case the sea is rough we send our life boat as a support boat for the group.
| Reviewed 31 Jul 2005 by David Rutherford | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Warm water kayaking is cool, especially when you roll.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Foreign guides may do things differently, so check before you arrive exactly what you can expect.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Staying with ordinary local people in simple accommodation is a great way of exchanging experiences. I learned more about local life and it made me feel like I was making a real contribution to local peoples incomes.
| Reviewed 12 Jul 2007 by Rhona | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The short time spent kayaking was excellent. Great to have the opportunity to be on the water and able to experience Croatia/ Dalmatia from the sea. Having been to the islands and see the marine charts, the planned kayaking had the potential to be fantastic with several islands kayaked round and viewed at sea level as well as time ashore.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Be prepared for no kayaking if the sea state or winds so dictate. On a five day tour (three days of paddling) we only really had half a day on the water.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes, definitely. Company owned by very dedicated Croatian people who live locally and are keen to ensure you have a great holiday and see the best the country and region has to offer before/ afterwards. The guide was very knowledgeable about the local area and half Croatian. Local accommodation was used and local foods and restaurants.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Potentially an excellent holiday with superb staff, company, equipment, accommodation and food. It is unfair to rate it by the star system as the weather/ sea prevented most of the kayaking. Without doubt it would be 5 stars if there was kayaking.