Stage 3: Slovenia & Croatia
Croatia: poster boy for the Western Balkans, the new Ibiza,
beautiful coastline and quaint villages abound.
Slovenia, where's that? This tiny country is oft overshadowed by its southern neighbour however to ignore it is to miss out on what many of the 2010 ralliers considered to be some of the best couple of days on the rally.
We start in the Far North of the country (only two ours drive from the far South). Slovenia is right on the South Eastern tip of the alps so the scenery is breathtaking. Spend the afternoon setting up camp on the shores of Lake Bled's lesser known but more peaceful sister, Lake Bohinj. Campfires, marshmallows and other traditional camping shit is on the menu, aside from feeling the effects of a beer hall crawl the night before you will need your sleep for the following day when the organisers will be taking you on a tour of the local area. Expect plenty of outdoor activities and swimming. This is where you can get photos to satisfy parents that you have done more than just sunbathe and drink all summer.
That evening you make the 1-hour long drive to Ljubljana, Slovenia's phonetically challenging capital city. You will be placed under the control of Andrej Jakos, a maverick, a yes man, a lunatic, and an excellent guide for the evening's pub crawl. He knows Ljubljana better than anyone and can be relied upon to show you everything that is weird and wonderful about the city. This is NOT your Stag weekend tour, this is about partying at the best places where only a local would know to go.
The following day we hit Croatia and go straight to Pag island which is what I imagine Ibiza is like though I'm yet to go. House music, Babes, Swimming Pools, Bunjy jumping, Foam, Speedos, Chest hair, and hopefully; beautiful weather. Check out this extract from the feature length 2010 Balkan Rally film if you don't believe me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDYHvl_9g3c
Pag island is very very fun.
After two days of insane partying you need to relax which is why we go to Zadar, only 45 minutes from Pag. The Garden is the open air club owned by ex-UB40 drummer James Brown and sits on top of the fortress walls in the old city from where you can look out across the marina one way and over the terracotta roofs of the town in the other. The garden is a garden as the name suggests and has loads of beds in which you can totally relax, it is the prefect antidote to the craziness of Pag. The city of Zadar itself can easily entertain for a few hours, explore the back-streets and immerse yourself.
Your next destination will be Bosnia, where you can really appreciate the whole region's fraught recent history. Stage 4 is Bosnia to Albania
Slovenia, where's that? This tiny country is oft overshadowed by its southern neighbour however to ignore it is to miss out on what many of the 2010 ralliers considered to be some of the best couple of days on the rally.
We start in the Far North of the country (only two ours drive from the far South). Slovenia is right on the South Eastern tip of the alps so the scenery is breathtaking. Spend the afternoon setting up camp on the shores of Lake Bled's lesser known but more peaceful sister, Lake Bohinj. Campfires, marshmallows and other traditional camping shit is on the menu, aside from feeling the effects of a beer hall crawl the night before you will need your sleep for the following day when the organisers will be taking you on a tour of the local area. Expect plenty of outdoor activities and swimming. This is where you can get photos to satisfy parents that you have done more than just sunbathe and drink all summer.
That evening you make the 1-hour long drive to Ljubljana, Slovenia's phonetically challenging capital city. You will be placed under the control of Andrej Jakos, a maverick, a yes man, a lunatic, and an excellent guide for the evening's pub crawl. He knows Ljubljana better than anyone and can be relied upon to show you everything that is weird and wonderful about the city. This is NOT your Stag weekend tour, this is about partying at the best places where only a local would know to go.
The following day we hit Croatia and go straight to Pag island which is what I imagine Ibiza is like though I'm yet to go. House music, Babes, Swimming Pools, Bunjy jumping, Foam, Speedos, Chest hair, and hopefully; beautiful weather. Check out this extract from the feature length 2010 Balkan Rally film if you don't believe me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDYHvl_9g3c
Pag island is very very fun.
After two days of insane partying you need to relax which is why we go to Zadar, only 45 minutes from Pag. The Garden is the open air club owned by ex-UB40 drummer James Brown and sits on top of the fortress walls in the old city from where you can look out across the marina one way and over the terracotta roofs of the town in the other. The garden is a garden as the name suggests and has loads of beds in which you can totally relax, it is the prefect antidote to the craziness of Pag. The city of Zadar itself can easily entertain for a few hours, explore the back-streets and immerse yourself.
Your next destination will be Bosnia, where you can really appreciate the whole region's fraught recent history. Stage 4 is Bosnia to Albania
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