THE TRIP:

Cruising with vintage motor-sailing ships along the magnificent Dalmatian coastline & islands.  For this trip all you will need is a few T-shirts and a swimming costume to spend seven unforgettable days sailing on the southern Adriatic Sea from one island to another. Relax and let the captain and his crew (especially the cook) take care of you. During the day you can photograph swim, snorkel, sunbathe, and explore the underworld of the Adriatic Sea. The evenings you have free to find a good restaurant or discover old churches or other historical monuments on the islands.

Departure from Split harbour, we will sail along the Dalmatian coast down to Makarska Riviera. We spend the afternoon swimming at one of the beautiful beaches on the Riviera. From this beach those feeling adventurous can join our white water rafting excursion on the Cetina river and meet up with the ship in Makarska in the evening. Overnight in the port of Makarska, one of the most attractive resorts on the Croatian coast. Strolling along the streets of Makarska, you will come across numerous churches and other architectural and cultural sites.

Early morning departure towards Mljet with the first stop on the Peljesac peninsula for a refreshing swim. The whole afternoon is free to look at the salt lakes in Mljet National Park and enjoy the sun and sea on this peaceful island. In the middle of the large lake, inside the National park, we can visit an old abbey and church, or just use a small boat to roam around the National park. Overnight in port Polaca/Pomena

After breakfast we depart for Dubrovnik, which is the highlight of this cruise. On route will be time just for a short swim. Enjoy the beautiful sights of nature along the way towards "the heaven on earth" -according to the famous writer George Bernard Shaw. Arrive to Dubrovnik in the afternoon when you can explore on your own or first join our guided tour of Dubrovnik with an English speaking guide. Take a walk through Stradun - both a street and a square, a promenade inside the city walls. For those of you with more enthusiasm we recommend a walk on top of the 1,940 m long city walls! Overnight in the port of this magical town. Discover the beauty of history through numerous monuments, little streets, churches... Around noontime we leave this magnificent town and continue our cruise towards the isle Sipan or a little town of Trstenik on the Peljesac peninsula, where we will swim in the afternoon and spend the night.

After breakfast depart for Korcula, the birthplace of Marco Polo. Lunch on the board in front of Lumbarda (part of Korcula). Arrive to Korčula late afternoon where we overnight in port. On this island you can find more legends, tales and monuments than anywhere else. Listen to the story of the stone walls, which were being built over two centuries ago.
Early in the morning departure for the Pakleni Islands for lunch and swimming. Departure for Hvar after lunch. Hvar is the longest island in the Adriatic. Here we can find the Renaissance cathedral with its original tower; also the oldest community theatre in Europe was founded here in 1612. City of Hvar offers abundance entertainment full of restaurants, bars and cafes that are open long into the night.

Our next stop will be the island of Brac. Swimming is planned at one of the most famous beaches in Dalmatia - Zlatni Rat near Bol (the Golden cape - its gravel promontory shifts from side to side as the wind and waves constantly change in shape). Bol is a typical fisherman's town turned into a popular tourist destination. After lunch we will start our journey back to Split where the last overnight is planned. On our way to Split there will be another swim-break in one of the many bays on island of Brac. Arrival to Split in the late afternoon. Enjoy the view of Split Riviera arriving in Split. Possibility to join our guided tour of Split with an English speaking guide. Split is a monumental city under UNESCO protection. Here we find an abundance of Roman architecture - of special interest is the Diocletian palace.

trip highlights:

• Seven unforgettable days of fun, adventure and superlative photography

• Photographic workshops each day on camera handling, architecture, portraits, lighting, seascapes, special techniques

• the port of Makarska, one of the most attractive resorts on the Croatian coast

• Dubrovnik – and evening night photography overlooking the Mediterranean city walls

• white water rafting excursion on the Cetina river – how to get great pics with the Olympus waterproof compacts
  male / female role-play beach modelling (volunteer basis)

• Split - Here we find an abundance of Roman architecture - of special interest is the Diocletian palace.

• Capturing the action techniques – swimming cycling, snorkelling, diving.. showing movement and freezing motion.

• Its affordable! Croatia in not in the EU and hence the cost of eating out and drinking is less than places like Italy and Greece.

ITINERARY:

• DAY 1   Split-Makarska

• DAY 2   Makarska-Mljet

• DAY 3   Mljet-Dubrovnik

• DAY 4   Dubrovnik- Sipan/Trstenik

• DAY 5   Sipan/Trstenik-Korcula

• DAY 6    Korcula-Hvar 

• DAY 7    Hvar-Split

• DAY 8    Tour concludes

not included:

• Personal expenses such as phone calls, beverage, laundry, etc

• International Airfares

• Any other services have not been mentioned in our offer

• Travel insurance

tour style:

Visiting regions of the world inaccessible from the land and where life is relatively unspoilt by motorized transport. A boat allows us to pull into those hidden coves and cays. We sleep onboard to the gentle sounds of lapping waves, we totally relax without the stresses of packing up, every day. All Focus 10 sailing safaris are in areas where the seas are not known to be rough and where there is little rolling swell to induce seasickness. All our sailing safaris are in areas famed for their culture, antiquities, history, art, architecture and in areas of outstanding natural beauty.

Croatia is a ‘sailing photography tour’ in the truest sense of the word . We control the agenda, the pace, the itinerary - so we can take the best photographs, seek out the hidden gems, or catch the perfect light. These tours are not just for expert photographers. In fact, we attract an eclectic mix of people who blend other interests with photography - the lovers of holidays on the water, swimmers, cyclists, the birder, the naturalist, the antiquities buff, the painter, the wine and food lover - the normal traveller looking to expand their horizons. During the tour, beginners learn technique and camera handling, composition, lighting and much more. Serious amateurs will revel in the fantastic photographic situations throughout. There is literally something for everyone on this tour....people, seascapes, landscapes, architecture, cities, food and wine, lifestyle photography.

instructor(s):

Andrew Thomasson- the Director of Focus 10 will be your instructor throughout. You will be picking up invaluable tips and technique from a master trainer and a professional travel and commercial photographer.  Andrew has led many photographic tours to all corners of the world including photographic sailing / boating safaris in the Whitsundays, The Yasawas, Lake Kariba and on the Yangtse River.  Andrew is a fun loving trainer who can assess and sniff out great photographic opportunities anywhere, anytime and create the dynamics and control the shoot so you get those brilliant photographs.

departure date:

Departs 21 Aug 2010 (ex Split)
Real travel can organise any flights from Australia. We generally use Ethiad and Emirates and can add extended stop- over stays or connections with other tours.

tour cost:

For land arrangements, based on a minimum of 8 persons (max. 16 person)
Cost:  $1790 (ex Split) per person sharing twin/double

This is for an ‘A’ cabin above the deck. Below deck cabins are cheaper.
Airfares from Sydney/ Melb return are approx. $2000 to $2500 extra
Single Room supplement (by request and subject to availability)

TOUR OPERATOR:

Focus 10 actively researches and seeks out those operators who have the experience, great knowledge of the region, are passionate and are the ‘on the ground’ local operators (not just travel agents or 3rd party wholesalers) We also select companies who have a passion for photography and understand that photography tours have a be custom tailored to meet our special requirements. This quite simply means a strong commitment to our clients, the little extras and input which makes the tour special, knowledgeable pre- departure expertise (such as detailed trip notes) from our operators and overall a better deal and more exclusive experience.

We use Real Travel for our Croatia sailing photography tour (http://www.realtravel.com.au/)

WHAT THEY SAY...:

What Real travel has to say for itself

‘Our escorted tours are especially intended for people who want good accommodation, a cultural understanding of the country or countries visited, fun, and reliable services while on holiday. To provide this we research each country and tour before writing the itinerary. We often even inspect the kitchens of hotels and restaurants used to ensure hygienic conditions. Then we include more leisure days, so that our clients have time to make their own discoveries in the exotic places visited. All of the above, the additional care we take, and the comprehensive pre-tour information we provide, makes REAL TRAVEL special’

What Focus 10 and Andrew Thomasson says:
I have know and dealt with Real Travel for over 20 years now. This company has an excellent reputation and will go that extra mile to make our tour special. I am a personal friend of the Director Riche DuPlessis. Riche leads several tours each year. He has travelled widely on all continents and has developed many of the programs offered by Real Travel and in the Study-Abroad Program offered by Warnborough University. He is a keen photographer and a published author. Riche and I have run many specialized photographic workshops in Australia together notably on the NSW South coast.

MORE INFO:

For further information, please contact FOCUS 10 on info@focus10.com.au or call +61 407 278 809

TO BOOK:

Please email Riche at
REAL TRAVEL travel@realtravel.com.au/