Having lived in Croatia for 18 years, and having been privileged enough to have visited every corner of the country, I am constantly blown away by the number of incredible experiences one finds here off the beaten track. I could list a hundred, but for the sake of time, how about attending a foreign veteran reunion barbecue in an authentic English pub in a field literally in the middle of nowhere in eastern Croatia. Read more in After Vukovar, Foreign Veterans Gather in English Pub Near Vinkovci.
Many incredible experiences that even many locals do not know about, and I am very grateful to those who have shown me this hidden part of Croatia.
I have been an expat in 10 countries in my life, and I know very well how hard it is to break out of the comfort zone of the city in which I resided, and how daunting it could be to find ways to get off the beaten track and discover the soul and essence of a country. If only there was some kind of travel club where I could plug into the local experiences and perhaps meet some cool people along the way.
It was only when I came back from yet one more sensational discovery with the lovely Iva Perokovic from Swanky Travel that I realised we had a cool solution. Imagine this (and I had never heard of it) – a military airbase built into a mountain which could house 80 MiG fighters, as well as withstand a nuclear attack, which you could actually walk through to get from Croatia to Bosnia. Nuts.
But that is just the kind of nuts that Iva offers with every experience. You can learn about the Zeljava airbase tour here.
What if Swanky Travel could start some kind of expat travel club, offering sensational experiences – initially from Zagreb, but soon from other cities if successful – a few times a month to cool places for small groups of expats, digital nomads and remote workers (with locals more than welcome)?
I have to tell you about Swanky first. The award-winning Swanky Mint Hostel on Ilica is literally one of the coolest places to stay in Central Zagreb – how many other places have their own outdoor pool by the bar, for example?
And what a bar it is, as you can see above.
And with young Iva networking, hosting, pleasing, and organising, thiings run very smoothly indeed, and the vibe is fab. The fact that this happens to be a 3-minute walk from my front door is accidental. And did I mention the food? SOI Fusion on the ground floor is arguably the best Asian in the Croatian capital.
You can see Iva in action during last year’s Zagreb Digital Nomad Jolly Wrap Up (her idea) – one of the very best things that happened in Croatia in 2021.
So Iva – what do you think, I asked over a cold one at Canopy by Hilton recently.
This is what she came up with…
Dear digital nomads, expats and remote workers, we know community is number one on the list of priorities when it comes to your kind of lifestyle… We also know that Croatia has so many wonderful things to offer. So, by combining these two facts we present:
Swanky Expats Travel Club
Every month we have prepared activities and tours that will give you an opportunity to discover Croatia, meet new friends and get an insight from locals. There are 3 “categories” so we hope there is something for everyone:
-
OUTDOOR CROATIA
-
TASTY CROATIA
-
FANTASTIC CROATIA
For now, we have planned February so stay tuned for more because we have prepared Wine & Food tours, Rafting on Mrežnica river, Urbex tours to explore the abandoned sites, Cooking classes, Quad safari, Hiking tours, Cocktail workshops, River cruises and much more…
Since the spots are limited – make sure you book yours at [email protected]
***************************************************************
SCHEDULE FOR FEBRUARY 2022
GINCREDIBLE DAY
- NAME: GINcredible day
- DATE: 12th of February 2022
- PRICE: 35,00€ / per person
*Max 10 pax
INCLUDED:
- private gin workshop
- tasting & finger food
ABOUT:
Only 25 min away from Zagreb a popular distillery will host a Gin workshop for us. They are famous for the first Croatian craft gin called Flying Cat and, on this tour, we will learn, taste and have fun…
CASTLES OF THE NORTH
Trakošćan
-
NAME: Castles of the North
-
DATE: 19th of February 2022
-
PRICE: 50,00€ – 75,00€ / per person
*Depends on the group size (5 – 19 pax)
Veliki Tabor
INCLUDED:
- private2-way transfer
- private tour guide
- tickets for Veliki Tabor & Trakošćan
- lunch in a local restaurant
Varaždin
ABOUT:
Let us take you back to the Middle Ages – we are visiting 3 wonderful locations with picturesque castles of Croatia – Veliki Tabor, Trakošćan and Varaždin. Of course, we will end the tour in a local restaurant where a traditional lunch awaits.
Varaždin
WINTER MEDVEDNICA HIKE
- NAME: Winter Medvednica Hike
- DATE: 26th of February 2022
- PRICE: 20,00€ / per person
*Max 10 pax
(Medvednica – J. Duval)
INCLUDED:
- private tourguide
- morning hike(2h up /2h down)
- lunch in one of the mountain houses on top
(Sljeme – J.Duval)
ABOUT:
Medvednica – the lungs of Zagreb – beautiful mountain watching over the city for centuries. Today it is a great escape to nature, so do what locals do
- put on your hiking shoes and backpack and join our outdoor guide on a hike to the top where you will treat yourself with some delicious traditional lunch.
(Sljeme – J.Duval)
Of course, this is just the beginning, and if Swanky Expats Travel Club proves to be a success, we will expand operations to other cities. We already plan to organise a visit to the Mali Ston Oyster Festival from Split in March, for example.
And then, of course, there is the magical east of Croatia which many locals are unaware of. Have a taster here in Time to Tell the Truth about Slavonia Full of Life.
And fabulous festivals such as HeadOnEast in Osijek, less than 3 hours from Zagreb. Iva can show you the magic…
So who fancies any (or all) of the first 3 tours of the Swanky Expats Travel Club? You could be making history.
Since the spots are limited – make sure you book yours at [email protected]
