The Artisan Blog

When people talk about Croatia it is highly likely that the next sentence is probably going to contain the word ‘Dubrovnik’. Now don’t get me wrong, that isn’t a bad thing. I love Dubrovnik, it is a simply stunning town and it is definitely somewhere that I would highly recommend to anyone visiting Croatia for the first time.

However, one place that doesn’t seem to get the same appreciation is Croatia’s second largest city – Split. Split might be the largest city in the region of Dalmatia but don’t think that it is anyway just an industrial-hub not worthy of your time in comparison to all the pretty little seaside towns and islands scattered along the Adriatic Coast.

If you are heading on holiday to Croatia this year the chances are that you have started to compile a list of places that you would love to visit once you are there. My guess would be that there are certain places that are bound to make the list. For example, you have probably included Dubrovnik, the Plitvice Lakes National Park and maybe even the Elaphiti Islands. However, there is one place that I would guess probably doesn’t feature on your list and that’s the Pelješac peninsula or more specifically the town of Ston.

Unless you have been living under a rock, the chances are that you have either heard of or seen a picture of Dubrovnik. If you are currently thinking that you aren’t aware of Croatia’s most famous destination then think again!

I love Croatia. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been there. The most recent was last summer, the next time is in a couple of weeks, and the first time was my honeymoon.

The honeymoon was way back in 1999 and I’m happy to say that Kate and I are still going strong and still heading for Croatia. This year, we are heading for a stunning island called Korcula - “Cor-chew-lar” - and the staying in the hotel where we spent the first night of our honeymoon.

Although relatively unknown to a lot of us, the Azores archipelago is an ideal travel destination for adventurers the world over for a number of reasons. If, like most people, this is the first time you have ever heard of it and want a few ideas of what can be experienced, take a look at our top picks of things to do in the Azores this summer.

As part of our commitment to responsible tourism, we are always trying to make sure that all our holidays are as good for the environment and the local people as they are for you our clients!

We were therefore absolutely delighted (but not really surprised) to hear that one of our favourite destinations, the island of Gozo has won a prize for being the most sustainable destination in the Mediterranean!

We recently caught up with Laura from our marketing team to find out about her experience of the Blue Lagoon in Iceland. Here’s what she had to say:

Despite being a fairly seasoned traveller to Finland myself, my parents had never experienced the delights of the Arctic North. However, in January they got to experience a holiday to Torassieppi in Finnish Lapland for themselves. Read on to find out how they got on! 

Day One:

Flying into Finland, we could see the vast spread of snow, frozen lakes and trees reaching out across the horizon and only as the plane touched down did we see just how deep the snow was on each side of the runway. An early flight meant that we landed in Kittilä around lunchtime, but it was on the drive to Torassieppi that we began to grasp the immensity of the wilderness in this fabulous country.

When winter comes around and the weather becomes more bitter, all I crave is cosiness and comfort in order to get me through the short grey days. This is why, when I read about ‘hygge’, my mindset on how to spend these potentially dreary months changed completely.

In case you haven’t heard of this revelation which is taking the likes of Pinterest and Instagram by storm, ‘hygge’, pronounced ‘hooga’, is a Danish word which has no direct translation in English.  It does not describe anything tangible, but rather that warm, fuzzy feeling that comes with truly enjoying life’s simple pleasures, particularly during the colder months.

I caught up with Laura from our Marketing Team to chat about her experience of Madeira. Here is what she had to say:

So, what I imagine when I think of visiting ‘gardens’ is long afternoons spent wandering round protected stately homes, battered flowers and mowed lawns, but you can think again when it comes to the gardens of Madeira;  they’re something entirely different!