Gulet Cruise Journal – Day 4 – Island Hopping!

Read how a holiday (and the local wine that helps to set the mood) can help to answer the deepest life questions and make the way to happiness more visible.

And why the rich culture and beautiful nature make the most amazing scenery for self-discovery.

One the first day of our Croatia Blue Cruise we made the check in and sailed away from masses!

On the second day of Blue Cruise, we had a great party on board!

On the third day, we visited one of the most amazing bays in the World – and checked one of the TOP 10 most stunning islands in the World!

When we though we have seen EVERYTHING – DAY 4 ARRIVED!

Day 4: Gulet Cruises at its best!

We slept well and the sun was already high on the horizon when we came out of the cabins. Our gulet was already moving away from the harbor and slowly approaching Pakleni islands, a group of islands whose name derives from “paklina”, an archaic word, that means tar, and in this case, refers to the pine resin once used to coat ships.

We were enjoying breakfast while sunbathing. The heat was toned down by the pleasant sea winds we were exposed to while cruising toward new swimming experiences …

Sea Sickness Anybody?

The cruise on a gulet is very comfortable and Adriatic is known to be calm and tame. One of us was afraid of sea sickness when he was first presented with a gulet cruise as a holiday option. Our cruise lasted for seven days and there was not a single instance of anyone being sick. The weather was always sunny and the calming effect of the sea breeze made even the highest temperatures tolerable.

When we anchored we went to try the water. It is something special to stop when you please and where you decide and jump into the sea.

This kind of freedom is only available on a gulet. Imagine the advantages a gulet has compared to, let’s say, ocean liners with thousands of people on board? Not only is it more individualized and free of the masses, it is more comfortable and authentic.

The cabins have all the luxury mass cruises provide and on top of that, you are treated as a person, not as a number.

The crew is always ready to adjust. They can be discrete or they can take on more informal approach. It all depends on a desire clients may have.

Going to Island Vis

After a quick swim, we took off to island Vis. It is the farthest settled island in Croatia. Once known for its thriving fishing industry, the main present day economy is represented in agriculture and tourism. Although being small and scarcely populated it has so much to offer and we decided we want to see as much as possible.

We had lunch while cruising towards the island. I have to take this opportunity and thank our chef who made everything he could to prepare our food as tasty as it could be. It felt like being in the best restaurant and all that in the middle of the sea. He also used all his creativity to make it look great.

Food tastes different if it’s prepared by someone who loves to cook and takes culinary art seriously. Normally, being on the sea, we ate fish, a traditional diet in this places since antiquity.

There are so many different ways of preparing fish dishes and our chef certainly knew how to do his job.

Many activities are available on a gulet even when you’re not close to the mainland. One can, for example, engage in water sports.

Our gulet had a substantial supply of water sports equipment and there were nine of us so we had a lot of material to talk about or simply having fun playing cards and board games, which were, of course, part of the package and ready for our entertainment.

In the evening we reached town Vis. The captain anchored the gulet before the town, and in order to reach the mainland, we had to use dinghy, a small boat which is carried by a bigger one, a gulet in our case.

Croatia has so many charming romantic towns….

We drove the small distance to reach the mainland and decided to have dinner there. Even though the town has less than 2.000 inhabitants it had so much to offer and we were determined to explore its romantic streets, lush vegetation that was all over the town …

We even got a chance to see some plants that are typical of the tropics and rarely grow elsewhere. Maybe it has something to do with the fabulous climate of this small, yet wonderful Island.

It was late evening. The laid back atmosphere that is an integral part of Dalmatian way of life started to affect our understanding of life.

Is it really good to live your life at such hectic pace? Is it good to let everyday worries control your life and not think about things that are really important; like activities you like, people you love, your inner self?

Is striving for career success really that important to forget about little joys of life? And last but not least … Is searching for happiness high enough on your priority list?

The energy and the vibes were right to put us in this contemplative mood. There’s no denying that Dalmatian wine we were drinking in a cute restaurant by the sea contributed to this. As did a great dinner made of fresh local foods we were eating. The town and its lovely little squares were packed with smiling people and it seemed the streets were almost living a life of its own.

Maybe the strangest thing is, that even though there were lots of people and the traditional local music was playing on every corner, we still retained the feeling of escaping the crowds and masses.

The best thing about Blue Cruises – Each day different destination!

After all, we had our own gulet and all the advantages you get with it. And maybe the MOST IMPORTANT luxury one could possibly own: we weren’t confined to a campsite or a hotel and could easily escape the over-crowded places.

It seemed like a great end to a wonderful day. We anchored several hundred meters away from the town and fell into a very relaxed state of mind. Sleep was nearing fast.

What hotel, whatever the price range, could ever offer the luxury of sleeping under a canopy of stars and at the same time an opportunity to adore distant lights that lit up an ancient town like Vis? Absolutely no hotel or cruise liner whatsoever.

We could not believe it that our Blue Cruise Holidays were already half way over!!!

After discovering the fun that gulet cruising can be and after exploring the history and local culinary arts and on top of that finding the true meaning of happiness, we eagerly anticipated what future days will bring.

Could it get even better? Could better become THE BEST?

P.S.: How our Blue Cruise ended! It was EPIC!