Notes from our previous tours
It was April 2017 when we have received an email from Varabioff and Gjervan families, who were looking for a local company that could help to suggest, organize and provide a custom tour for 2 families with kids from 13 to 19 years. They wanted a combination of our classic bike tour with elements of water-based sports as they were planning to visit Croatia in August. They were given our contact by our previous guest who enjoyed our bike and sail tour along the Dalmatian coast.
Snjezana, our sales manager, replied and started to work on the custom tour itinerary from Dubrovnik to Split, which had to include cycling on most of the days, but with snorkeling, swimming, stand up paddling activities and whole day breaks for family gatherings and reunion. The tour was supposed to run in August, which usually is a synonym for really warm temperatures in Croatia.
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During pre-trip planning, there was a lot of discussion about accommodation and eventually, the tour included a lot of different and “special” locations; a combination of hotels and privately owned villas where the family can rest and enjoy some downtime together.
The main “theme” of the tour was cycling of course, and our guides easily managed to cater to different levels or each guest cycling desire. With 2 guides; one in the support van and the other on the bike with the group, the family was enjoying cycling on the Peljesac peninsula, Korcula, and Hvar island.
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The support van was always carrying inflatable paddle boards, snorkel gear, beach towels, a cool box for cold drinks, and a tent for some shade.
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| Tomo and Mijo - guides discussing the future plans :) | Water activities |
This custom tour included private speed boats for transfer between the islands. We have also chartered a private speed boat with a skipper for the day, to show our guests Vis and its amazing archipelago. Secluded beaches not accessible by car, ferry, or bike and the crystal-clear sea was on the day’s agenda.
Most of the dinners and lunches were pre-organized. When you are traveling from one island to another, you need to have a schedule. Timing is everything. Our guides: Tomo and Mijo, our office team: Snjezana, Goran and Ante did a great job of coordinating between restaurant locations, timing, and our guest’s needs. Many times, there are food and dietary restrictions from our guests, and you can imagine what August in Croatia looks like (maybe this is not the best marketing, but it is real); it is full of visitors and restaurants are working full power. It is easy for restaurants to forget details which our office advised weeks before. Luckily our guides are aware of this. To provide a great tour, teamwork between the office and guides is a must.
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| All of our meals were absolutely outstanding, food, wine, and attention to detail. This outdoor rooftop patio is on the island of Korcula, next door to Marco Polos house |
Our final meal with Mijo and Tomo before leaving to board the ferry in Split. |
Dessert after pizza - the best gelato! We ate SO well on this trip! | ||
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| Lunch in Split. Tomo and our daughters ( Gjervan to Tomo’s right, Varabioff to Tomo’ left) | Our second night on Korcula, dinner on our own in the harbor, one of many gorgeous sunsets we enjoyed | One of our meals.. | ||
The rafting trip was added to the last day of the tour followed by lunch and transfer to the ferry port as the guests continued their bike trip in Italy. There were two lost items during the tour, and we managed to find both of them. Again, guides and office staff were on the phone, working on the puzzle (of all possible providers; restaurants, hotels, ferries, skippers of speedboats, our local partners….) till it was solved and missing items were found.
Our guides were making adjustments to the itinerary on the daily basis, as the weather was “dictating” daily activities. This is all possible when you have a small, flexible, and experienced company providing the tour. We will always proudly say Meridien Ten is not a booking engine but a real company providing exceptional and tailor-made services!
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It was a pleasure to organize and provide this custom tour for the Gjervan and Varabioff families and we would be really happy to see them back in Croatia once!
#Pomalo!
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| Enjoying a well earned beverage at our stunning villa on the island of Hvar | While cycling across Hvar ( I could be wrong, it could be Vis) we stopped at a coffee / lavender shop at the top of an enormous hill ( Mijo and Tomo will remember). They also sold cycling kits, both of our sons choose Croatia kits. What better to bring home from a cycling trip in a country we had all fallen in love with? | |
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| Another rest stop on the way to Vela Luka, looking over a gorgeous bay with some stunning holiday homes | All 10 of us enjoying the view at a rest stop on the way to Vela Luka | |
Guest review:
“Our eight day, two family cycling adventure with Meridien Ten was a trip of a lifetime and perfect in every way! We cannot say enough about the care Meridien Ten took in arranging our trip exactly as we requested. They were very attentive and the cycling guides were the very, very best. They were able to accommodate our range of cycling abilities with ease. We started from Dubrovnik and made our way through the amazing Croatian countryside and down the Dalmation coast. We are a well travelled group and we cannot say enough about the fantastic trip Meridien Ten arranged for us, which was worth every penny and terrific value. We would go back to tour with them in a heartbeat.”
The Gjervan family
"Our final meal with Mijo and Tomo before leaving to board the ferry in Split. We all had the time of our lives filled with adventure, excercise, swimming, cycling, lots of laughs,
amazing food. A perfect balance of hard cycling days, easier days and a couple of rest days; we were so well looked after. Absolutely the best family holiday with our teenagers that we could have hoped for. Thank you so much Meridien 10, Mijo and Tomo, for creating such an unforgettable experience for all 10 of us."
