Dubrovnik
This was one we were really looking forward to. We hadn’t even originally planned on coming here, as the costs really climb, especially in high season. However, it was our flight home that ultimately determined our route. When researching flights, we found that the cheapest flight back to Manchester around the date we wanted was from Split. So, in the end, it made sense to visit both Dubrovnik and Split and stretch the budget a little further, especially as we were in our last week.
Herceg Novi is close to the Croatian border, so it wasn’t long before we reached the checkpoint. I was glad we’d taken the advice and caught the early bus, as we still had quite a wait at the border and we were almost at the front of the queue.
We all had to get off the bus at passport control, and once through, we thought that was it. How wrong were we! That was just the Montenegrin side. We then joined another queue, this one much slower, for the checkpoint up ahead on the Croatian side.
It took over an hour before we had to get off the bus again, and with the new regulations, we had to complete the biometric checks before finally being allowed on our way. So, a journey that could possibly have taken an hour and a half ended up taking more like four hours.
The bus ride on the Croatian side was really scenic, passing through lots of beautiful little coastal resorts. It also gave us a lovely approach to Dubrovnik. The road we travelled along was elevated, giving us our first views of the beautiful walled town as it gradually came into sight.
When we finally arrived at the bus station, we ordered an Uber for the short journey to our apartment, which was just a short walk from the Old Town. We were keen to get out and start exploring.
We found a lovely route into the Old Town, following a pedestrianised lane towards the entrance. We’d already had our first glimpse of Dubrovnik from the bus, but now we were seeing it from a completely different angle, with the massive stone walls rising above us as we made our way towards the entrance.
The Old Town is enclosed by these impressive medieval walls, rising dramatically above the Adriatic. They really do give Dubrovnik its unmistakable character.
What I particularly liked about the gate we entered through was the view down into the town. From above, the steep staircase gave us a wonderful vantage point over the rooftops, with the church domes and steeples rising above them. Washing was strung across the narrow streets, while lanterns adorned the old stone walls, creating a wonderfully atmospheric scene as we made our way down into the heart of the Old Town.
Every section of stairs led to another street running across, each one lined with restaurants and small guesthouses. We loved it immediately. We took a few detours along the crossways, not wanting to miss a thing, and around every corner there seemed to be another photo waiting to be taken.
We even came across a basketball court tucked into a corner beneath the high, imposing city walls. With the most incredible views stretching out towards the sea, it must surely be one of the most spectacular places in the world to play a game of basketball. What a place!
You can walk all the way around the city walls, but at €40 we felt it was quite expensive, so we decided to leave that one. I’m sure we weren’t missing out too much!
We spent hours exploring, venturing into what we’d call the main square, with its dome-capped bell tower, museums and historic Venetian-style church. It was busy with visitors, and being much more open, it felt even hotter in the baking sunshine, especially after the welcome shade of the narrow streets.
We were very happy to come across a large water fountain where we could refill our water bottle before setting off to explore some more.
We eventually followed the perimeter of the city walls and discovered an archway leading out to some steps, with a lively bar below. It looked out over the ocean and was clearly popular with people who were jumping off the rocks into the sea. It looked very inviting, but my days of jumping off rocks are definitely over, so we were quite happy to sit and watch for a while.
We then headed back into the town and realised we were close to the now-famous steps that featured in Game of Thrones, where Cersei Lannister made her infamous walk of shame. If you’ve watched the series, you’ll know exactly the scene I mean!
We hadn’t quite explored all of the Old Town yet, but we decided to leave some of it for the following day. As we were only here for two days, we felt confident we’d be able to see most of the sights without rushing around. Sometimes it’s nice to leave a little unexplored so you have something to look forward to the next day.
The following morning, we returned to the Old Town, ready to explore the parts we had left undiscovered the day before. We wandered through more of the narrow alleys, passing little homes, small guesthouses and hotels, all tucked away amongst the old stone buildings. We just kept wandering, turning down one street and then another, until eventually we felt we had pretty much been down every street and alley there was. Somehow, we eventually found ourselves back at Cersei’s famous staircase and the larger squares we had seen the day before.
Feeling happy that we’d now covered pretty much everything, we decided it was time for a cool down. We fancied a swim today, although this time we weren’t quite brave enough for the rocks! Instead, we headed to the small town beach, which was only about a ten-minute walk from the walled town. It was a small cove and, being peak season, it was very busy, but we managed to find a little space near the rocks at the far end. Just enough room for us to put our towels down and dry off after our swim.
The water was lovely and clear and so refreshing. It was exactly what we needed after spending the morning wandering around the Old Town in the heat.
We stayed for an hour or so before heading back to the apartment to chill for a while and wait for sunset. We planned to head back into the Old Town later that evening, as we hadn’t yet experienced it at night. It was our last night here, so we definitely didn’t want to miss seeing what the town was like once the sun had gone down.
The Old Town was just as we’d expected and had a wonderful vibe by night. The narrow alleyways looked completely different once the sun had gone down, with many of the restaurants in the little side streets lit by candles, with fairy lights strung overhead. Most were busy with people enjoying dinner, but rather than feeling too hectic, it had a lovely atmosphere.
People were strolling around, stopping to look at the restaurants, while others wandered through with an ice cream in hand. The old stone walls were all softly lit up, adding to the atmosphere. We just enjoyed wandering around with no real plan, taking it all in and seeing the Old Town at night.
It was still busy, as you’d expect in peak season, but somehow it all added to the atmosphere. We took our time wandering around, enjoying our last evening. It had definitely been worth coming back at night.
Our visit here had only been short and sweet, but we felt we’d had enough time to see and enjoy this beautiful place. I’d say it was definitely up there as one of the most memorable places we’ve visited so far back in Europe. Tomorrow, we’ll be taking the bus to Split, which will be bittersweet as it will also be the last place we visit before we make our way back to the UK.
Split
We took the morning bus from Dubrovnik to Split, a journey of around four hours along the coastal road. Once again, it was a wonderfully scenic drive along the Dalmatian coast, passing through beautiful little villages and taking in some spectacular views along the way.
We passed through the port town of Makarska, known for its Riviera beaches and lovely promenade. It looked like a place we could easily spend a few days exploring, so definitely one to remember for the future. There’s always somewhere else to add to the list!
As we neared Split, we passed through the town of Omiš, which had been ravaged by wildfires just the week before. It was incredibly sad to see the forests and vegetation along the roadside charred and still smouldering, with burnt-out cars stranded along the way. It was quite harrowing to imagine the scenes along this stretch of road only a week earlier, and the devastation the fires had left behind.
We arrived in Split mid-afternoon, and thankfully the apartment I’d booked was only around a 15-minute walk away. It was on the flat, which was a welcome relief after carrying our bags, although the sweltering temperatures certainly made the walk feel like hard work!
When we finally reached the apartment, we were greeted by what seemed to be the steepest staircase ever leading up to our room. By this point, we were hot, tired and more than ready to put our bags down. Needless to say, we were absolutely relieved when we finally dropped them and could take a breather.
Another destination reached, and time to get settled into Split!
You’ll laugh when you hear that our first stop in Split was Lidl! I was absolutely made up when I saw there was one close to the apartment. We needed to stock up on a few essentials anyway, so it was the perfect excuse to pop in.
After all the travelling, it felt lovely to be somewhere with everything so familiar. It really did feel like we were back home, just with much warmer temperatures!
After stocking up on a few bits and dropping them back at the apartment, we were finally able to start the real exploring. By then, it was noticeably cooler than the mid-afternoon heat we’d experienced walking from the bus station, which made wandering around a lot more enjoyable.
It was only a short walk into the Old Town, with the nearest entrance for us being by the tall bell tower and the statue of Gregory of Nin. From here, we could already tell we were in for a fascinating wander, with narrow streets, historic buildings and plenty of little corners just waiting to be discovered.
Having recently been to Dubrovnik, it was hard not to compare the two. Dubrovnik’s Old Town felt very grand and almost a little too perfect in places, with its impressive walls and beautifully polished stone streets.
Split’s Old Town had a very different feel. It was much more relaxed and lived-in, with Roman ruins, old buildings, cafés, bars and shops all mixed together. You could be walking past a centuries-old stone wall one minute and a busy little café the next.
It didn’t feel quite as polished as Dubrovnik, but I actually liked that about it. There was something more casual about wandering through the narrow streets and discovering bits of history around almost every corner.
The sun had gone down by now, so people were milling about, finding somewhere to have dinner. We stumbled upon lots of little squares with very inviting restaurants, and the whole place had a great vibe.
In the square by Diocletian’s Palace, lots of people had gathered, with guys dressed as gladiators wandering around, happy to pose for photos for a few euros. A couple of others were sat on the steps busking, while people chatted and enjoyed the evening. The restaurants and bars were starting to fill up and there was plenty of coming and going. There was a real buzz about the place.
We wandered around a little more, taking in the atmosphere and exploring the narrow streets before finding somewhere to have a couple of drinks. We liked the place straight away, but we were both pretty tired from the journey, so after a couple of drinks we decided to call it a night, knowing we had plenty more to explore the following day.
The next day we headed out, following our footsteps back into the Old Town just as we had done the night before. We’d deliberately not tried to see everything on our first evening, wanting to save some of it for the following day, so we could take our time and explore it properly.
We loved wandering through the narrow alleyways, with history seemingly around every corner. There was something about the old stone buildings and winding streets that made it easy to just wander without any particular plan.
Eventually we made our way out of the Old Town on the waterfront side, where the long boulevard known as the Riva is lined with lovely restaurants and gardens overlooking the port. Boats and cruise ships were docked along the waterfront, giving this side of the city a completely different feel to the old streets we’d just been exploring.
From here we headed away from the walled Old Town, as we wanted to walk up to the Marjan Viewpoint, which gives great views over the city.
This side of the city was lovely as well, a little more residential, with the streets gradually leading up the hillside. We really are gluttons for punishment, as we always seem to end up slogging our way up steep hills. But if you want the photo, it’s got to be done! I’ve lost count of how many heart-rate-raising hills we’ve climbed over the last few weeks.
It was definitely worth it when we reached the viewpoint. The views stretched for miles, across the Old Town and seafront, with the mountains providing a great backdrop. You could walk higher still into Marjan Park, where you can get even better views, but we decided we’d done enough climbing for one day.
So we headed back down, this time taking the stairs, which seemed to be the most popular way of reaching the viewpoint. Our legs were quite happy about that decision!
Back down at the Riva we found somewhere to stop and hydrate, which also turned out to be the perfect spot for a bit of people watching. By now the afternoon temperatures were really starting to soar, so we decided to head to the nearby beach. We’d half planned to do this, so had brought our swimwear and towels with us just in case.
Bačvice Beach was the nearest town beach, just around the corner from the port. It’s a sandy beach, which apparently makes it quite a rarity in Croatia, and the shallow water was ideal for cooling off.
Either side of the beach were paved walkways, although these were also packed with sun loungers and a few beach bars. Plenty of people were happy to just throw a towel down on the ground, and every few metres there were steps leading straight into the sea.
It was perfect for us really. We could get in and out of the water easily and, best of all, we could keep our feet sand-free — always a bonus!
We’d had a good day and felt like we’d seen a few different sides to Split. After all the walking, hills and a swim, we were more than happy to wander back to the apartment and just cook in that evening. Sometimes it’s nice to give the restaurants a miss and have a quiet night in.
This brought us to our last day in Split and also our last day of our travels, with a flight back to the UK the following day. It still didn’t quite feel real that after another year away from home, we’d actually be heading back.
We didn’t really have any plans for the day. We decided to just wander around and make sure we hadn’t missed any hidden gems in the Old Town. It’s hard to tire of these streets, with their little shops and restaurants, and I loved the café culture. People taking their time, sitting in the shade, enjoying lunch or a coffee and generally just watching the world go by.
There were plenty of ice cream shops too, which were hard to resist, as was the tiramisu shop selling all sorts of versions of the Italian classic. We wandered around until late afternoon, when the lure of a cute little café bar and its padded bench seat outside became too much. Well, it would have been rude not to stop, especially on our last day!
So we took a seat, ordered some wine and watched the world go by, taking some time to reflect on the incredible journey we’d been on.
This wasn’t just the end of another year of travel. It was the end of our second “tour”, as we’d come to call them, with only three months back home between the two. Looking back to where it had all begun in Sri Lanka, it was amazing to think just how far we’d come and how much we’d experienced since those first tentative steps into a life of long-term travel.
Sri Lanka had also introduced us to something that would become a bit of a theme throughout our travels — monkeys. At first, we were wary of them, never quite sure what they might get up to, but before long we’d completely fallen for them. As the years went on, we found ourselves seeking out different species wherever we went, getting more excited with every new sighting.
And then, as we began this second tour, came Sumatra and those two days of hard jungle trekking that nearly saw us off before we’d even got started. But the reward was seeing orangutans in the wild, along with so much other amazing wildlife. Making it through that only pushed us on, although I think we can safely say we won’t be doing another jungle trek anytime soon. We can tick that one off!
We’d visited more Indonesian islands, seen some incredible temples, seen Komodo dragons on Komodo Island, one of the few places in the world where these amazing creatures still survive in the wild. We’d driven through the night to visit Mount Bromo at sunrise, an active volcano in Java, swum with manta rays, seen enough forts in India to last us a lifetime, although we’ll never forget the magnificent Taj Mahal, and walked on the Great Wall of China, something Shane had wanted to do for years.
I could go on and on, there have been that many highlights. It’s actually mind-blowing when we stop and think about it all.
When people hear our story, they always ask, “What’s your favourite place?” It’s an impossible question really. Each and every place has been special in its own way and there’s no clear favourite. I can honestly say we’ve loved it all. There have been some places we’ve been happy to move on from, but only because we’d explored them and felt ready for the next adventure.
Tomorrow though, it would all be coming to an end.
That felt strange to say. For so long, our lives had revolved around where we were going next, what we were going to see and who we were going to meet. We’d got used to never really knowing what the next day would bring. Now there was a flight booked, a date in the diary and a home waiting for us.
It was going to be very bittersweet leaving behind this incredible chapter of our lives and all the amazing people we’d met along the way. There would undoubtedly be a few tears as we said goodbye to a way of life that had become so familiar.
But waiting for us at the other end were our friends and, more importantly, our family, who we had missed so much.
We’d been lucky enough to keep in touch almost every day thanks to the wonders of modern technology, but a message or video call just isn’t the same as being there. There’s nothing quite like seeing someone you love, giving them a hug and actually being together. And tomorrow, after all this time, we’d finally get to do that.
So this is where we’ll tie things up for now. Two tours, countless memories, an unbelievable number of photographs and stories we’ll probably bore everyone with for years to come!
I’m sure it won’t be the last of our travels. The excitement to see what’s around the next corner is still there, and there is so much more of this big old world we’d love to explore. But for now, the world can wait.
Tomorrow we’re going home.
Home to the people we’ve missed, the familiar faces, the hugs we’ve been waiting so long for, and the people who have been there cheering us on from thousands of miles away.
And after all the adventures, all the places, all the miles and all the memories, I think we’re more than ready for that.
