Dear diary… I’ve got some fun things to tell you !

Hi there, I’m Bella.

As I’m writing this I’ll be 16 next month. I’d like to share some of my memories of the week I spent in Split.

We arrived via Easy JET and greeted at the airport by two of Green World Holidays reps. The flight was short, less than 2.5 hours from England and uneventful (exactly what you want from a flight!).

The transfer from airport to our hotel was also very quick, approximately 40 minutes, which was a very nice surprise. A great way to start the family active holiday in Omis. For some reason I thought we were going to be driving for an hour or two. So a huge bonus, that within an hour – we’re already checked into the 4 star **** Hotel Plaza Omis and jumping into the crystal clear waters of the Adriatic Sea!

Hotel Plaza Omis was ideally located; right in the heart of this amazing coastal old town and on the beach. Set between the Adriatic Sea and dramatic cliffs at the mouth of the Cetina River, Omis is picture perfect. It also has lots of character! From a summer fun fair roller coaster rides by the waters edge, an old town with a maze of streets and a huge sandy beach.

Omis is literally like something from a fairy tale. Cobble streets & a fortress perched onto of the hilltop and mountain side.

Red rooftops and bright coloured buildings, really give a cool vibe to a historical town! And that is saying something, as we normally hate sightseeing! I lie. My Mum loves all the history and facts that come with it.

After the orientation of Omis our guides took us for a welcome meal at a lovely restaurant in the old town. This was really nice and it was the first chance to really meet the other families. Everyone we met was really nice. 

From the get-go it was a social group. With boys and girls our same age. This I realise now, is so important when booking a Family Adventure Holiday in Europe.

Straight away my brother and I were chatting to the other teenagers. I really appreciated the fact that there were actually families of similar ages. I thought my mum had just to drag us to some place we had never heard of.

I sat next to 2 sisters from Kent and we hit it off straight away. My mum was getting to know the other families as well. She also failed to mention in her Single Parent Blog article, that two single Dad’s were on the trip and were hanging off her every word. 

Yes mum, we all noticed!

Our guides at dinner, told the group what we would be doing for the next day and what to expect; and that’s when it really sunk in. We were on a truly authentic trip, perfect for families wanting an adventure week in Omis or the Dalmatia region.

The upcoming week’s planned activities were: Sea and river kayaking, White Water Rafting, Zip lining, River Tubing and Canyoning! All were amazing by the way! But River Tubing and Canyoning are unmissable.

I didn’t know which one I was looking forward to the most! I just knew  I was very excited, maybe a little nervous. And I couldn’t wait to splash the hell out of my little brother (annoyingly he’s taller & bigger than me).

The first morning, Mum forgot to set the alarm. So it was a hurried start and a very hurried breakfast. We met everyone in the hotel lobby, feeling the shame of being the last one’s ready. After a short drive, we arrived at the river kayaking start point. Soon after the safety briefing we were on our way, cruising down the river. Watchout for the exciting waterfall drops. We loved everyone of them. Even better, my brother got soaked. Mum was having the time of her life. So all in all. A great start.

After an epic activity we stopped for a late lunch and got to know the guides a bit more. All of them, were easy going and helped bind our group even tighter together. They taught us how to slack line. Gave us time to chill. We played cards, did mini jenga and just generally messed. 

Mum said – it was a proper Huckleberry Finn moment.
I said – “Who’s that?”

Back at the hotel we changed, so we could explore the nearby beaches and that night all the families got together again for dinner. There was lots going on in the old town. Every night we were spoilt for choice on what to do. In summer they have an arts festival running so lots of music, crafts, food markets and even a fun park, with pretty good roller coaster rides!

The 3^rd day was definitely my favourite of the activity holiday. We absolutely loved River Tubing! Promise yourself, if you come to Dalmatia – do this activity!!!

I have to acknowledge my brave mum here. She isn’t a huge fan of the water, and still booked this holiday for us. She was loving the rapids and tubing experience! Simon and I were really proud of her. Go mum!

The next few days flew by. It involved white-water rafting, Zip lines, visiting Krka National Park and played numerous times on the awesome water park on our hotels beach. Very good value, especially for parents that just watched from the cocktail bar opposite!

White-water rafting was really good fun.  Again our guides were brilliant. The boys boat tried their bests to be Alpha, but they know the girls basically soaked them all.  We did have to work as a team. We had to paddle and steer the 8-man raft downstream through the rapids. It went a lot faster than I expected it to go, but thanks to the team leaders who explained what to do, we managed to navigate the raft really well down the rapids. I have to admit I was a little bit nervous before we started, but once the team leaders gave instructions, and once I had the helmet and life jacket on, I felt very safe. My mum, brother and I agreed we’d try and do this in Wales when we get back home.

The last family activity day was spent canyoning in the Cetina Canyon. This is one of my favourite water sports activities. Easier than I imagined. The canyon rapids were epic! Offering the perfect answer to the sun’s heat.

After canyoning our tour guides organised a really nice BBQ for us. While waiting for food, we played some basketball, football, swam in the sea and chilled in the shade. 

It was kinda refreshing not to be near my phone. Ssssh don’t mention I said that to my mum pls!

After the BBQ we played parents vs. teenagers. Of course we skooled them! The sun was low in the sky by the time we left. I remember eveyone being so happy as we waked along the river back to the hotel.

I really enjoyed our time in Omis. Croatia is super safe, green and clean. It’s truly a beautiful country. I really do have to say; ‘Thank you Mum and Green World Holidays’. 

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