I’m spending so much time at the moment encouraging others to visit us this summer in Croatia. Vis Island marketing, advertising and social media postings about why a holiday with WearActive is exactly what everyone needs in their future travel life. Finally I've succumbed to my own marketing, convincing myself that now was the perfect time for a micro Vis holiday and a break from daily routine. I wanted to go camping on Vis!
Even when you live in a beautiful location, there's a tendency to take your immediate environment for granted. The travel buzz word of the year is holistay or staycation. A staycation is a short break from your normal routine. For my holistay I drove 20km from my house in Rukavac to the traditional fishing town of Komiza!
I wanted to wake up on the other side of Vis after an evening of watching the sunset over the island of Bisevo. I also wanted to do it on my own and in a tent. As the plan developed, which was in reality hatched in the morning and then executed in the afternoon, I realised that I should also take my dog. I’ve convinced myself that Zora, our Croatian Island dog, relishes being involved in a mini adventure, but truthfully the real reason for her coming was that I thought she would possibly keep me warm at night?
My tent had not seen the light of day for 12 years. Prior to its long hibernation period, the tent had an active life in Oman, France, Russia and Austria. As far as camping expeditions go, this certainly didn’t need extensive planning and research. A head torch, some snacks, dog food, water, book and camera was all that was required. After spending a good ten minutes packing, most of which was focused on snacks, we were in the Landrover and on the open road.
Twenty minutes later we had reached our destination....! There’s no camping on Vis Island, however In Komiza beyond Kamenice beach, is a tree lined area that has become an unofficial campsite. Not surprisingly, no one else had pitched up a tent. With only a few tourists at the moment, mainly sailing, I’m sure most locals on the island would think I’d lost the plot in leaving my comfortable home, bed and husband to sleep with my dog in a tent in Komiza.
Really excited while setting up my room for the night, already anticipating the evening's sunset and the feeling of being somewhere so different, yet so close. Novo posta is a beach that in all my years of exploring Vis, I’d never before visited. We kayak past it all the time with our guests on our WearActive holiday but we tend to favour beaches that can only be accessed by sea. Once the tent had been set up, I made the short but steep walk down to the bay. I can’t believe I've never set foot on this beach before? I instantly experienced the joy that our guests get when we take them to a bay we have visited countless times, a sense of awe and an overwhelming feeling of thankfulness that I had made the effort to visit.
After a swim and a roll in some seaweed (Zora), we went back to our home for the night to get ready to watch the sunset, tuck into the snacks and for me to finish the book I had started weeks ago, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
Another reason for my solo plus dog mini adventure, is that I wanted to accomplish a sense of independence and remind myself that I’ve the confidence to be resourceful. Granted it was the easiest of almost wild camping trips you could ever imagine, but it triggered a desire within me to think bigger. For this trip I didn’t need bear spray or clarify whether I should stand still for a lion or punch it on the nose? I just had to remember to keep the bug mesh closed on the tent. For those that have met my dog Zora, you would quickly realise she would be useless in a confrontation. If a wild animal approached us (is a hedgehog a wild animal?) I’m confident she would run all the way back to the house without getting lost and without turning back to check I was okay! So for our first joint camp trip together, it probably suited Zora as much as myself.
Loved the opportunity for spontaneity with a staycation, leaving me truly relaxed at the end of it, even though it was just one night. Please believe our social media, Vis is a wonderful place to visit for a holiday. Sometimes, when you go about your daily routine you forget how fortunate you are and it takes a night in a tent to remind you. Even the drive home to my house felt special. Once again I was reminded why we fell in love with this Croatian Island.
If you want to join us this summer and explore this beautiful island on kayak, bike or by foot, email us on info@wearctive.com
#relaxinglyactive #komiza #visitcroatia #campingvisisland