epic odyssey journeys
Sibenik Trips And Tours exquisite ship journeys are named odysseys, after the epic old greek poem for one good reason, more and more explorers are convinced that epic Odysseus’ journey took place right in the Adriatic Sea. Well, first of all, Odyssey was an epic poem, meaning it could be completely work of Homer s imagination, but if you read closer, some details are hard to ignore.
Nomen est Omen - The name is the sign
First of all, in this epic poem, one thing is always very detailed covered, and that is wind directions. If you look at the map of Mediterranean, and there you find Ithaca, Odysseus’ home island, check where extreme south-east wind takes a ship after ten days. The only place it could come is the large bay of the Mediterranean Sea now called the Adriatic Sea.
Also, the whole Mediterranean except the Adriatic was well known to old greek sailors, but Adriatic’s was considered as the territory of the wild and dangerous tribes. Furthermore, the whole Odysseus odyssey took place amongst many, many islands in uncharted, unknown territories. Well, thickest island groups and archipelagos on the whole Mediterranean could be found right in the Adriatic Sea.
Visit Mythical Archipelagos
Besides these facts, there are many more similarities between descriptions of islands in this epic poem and places on the Adriatic Sea. On the other hand, currently, it is believed that Odysseus sailed around Sicily for ten years, but Sicily was inhabited at that time and had many greek colonies with big harbors around the island. Malta is the second Mediterranean island thought was mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey, like an island where Odysseus spent seven years with nymph Calypso, but one detail just doesn’t fit.
In the poem, there is a description of swarms of deadly poisonous snakes, while in Malta there is just one poisonous snake species, but deadly just for small animals. Here we come to the Adriatic island of Mljet, which like Malta derives its name from melis, meaning honey, but unlike Malta is covered with cypress and until the nineteenth century was deadly poisonous snake habitat. In the nineteenth-century sailors brought animals called mongoose from India that eats snakes.
So today there are still snakes, but also large mongoose colonies, which control the snake population very well. Also on the island Mljet, there is a cave called the Odysseus Cave. And if you look on the map, you can easily see that if you were blown with southern winds from Ithaca you would probably have shipwrecked on the southern side of the island Mljet, just near the Odysseus Cave.
Stories aside, Adriatic archipelagos still offer a large diversity and variety of landscapes, culture, and history, easily comparable to ones described in an epic poem about Odysseus’ journeys. Barren rocks and harsh landscapes of the thickest archipelago on the whole Mediterranean could be found in and around Kornati National Park. On the opposite side you can find thick pine and cypress forest that covers islands of Korčula and Mljet, making this play of nature just astonishing.
Sibenik Trips And Tours Odysseys are the best way to explore all those wonders of nature. Navigating through the maze of islands, where time seems to stop a long time ago, will take you in a forgotten dimension of human wellbeing.
The World As it once Was
Each odyssey presents an untold story, which has a theme and an activity, through which the story is told. For 2020 Sibenik Trips And Tours tailored swim and history themes and cycling and wandering as activities to tell you a story about the nature and history of the Adriatic.
Sibenik Trips and Tours odysseys are time-limited, meaning they end after one week, so you won’t be able to encompass the whole story, and for this reason, we created themes and activities, to guide you towards the essence of the story.
Themes of the odysseys are swim and history, where If the odyssey is themed as swim, then we will emphasize the glory of Nature surrounding you, showing its might through everlasting beauty.
The second theme is history, showing you the greatness of human activities throughout the past times. Also, all our odysseys are rich in stunning nature and history, for example, the Swim odysses goes to three towns which are listed as UNESCO World Cultural Heritage, meaning there you are basically walking through the history of mankind. Each theme explores different islands, towns, and territories.
Activities are ways in which you will cover the distance while you roam through your odyssey when you are not on your ship. The activity of cycling is a widely known art of spinning the pedals to go from point A to point B, or just ride aimlessly.
On Cycling Odysseys you will be able to choose from e-bikes, road bikes, or trekking bikes, or if you want you can bring your own bike. Trekking bikes are aluminum framed lightweight bikes, where you are sitting in a very comfortable position, meaning pleasant upright posture.
Trekking bikes are great for those that want to enjoy the landscape, but still, work some muscles while covering the distance. Road bikes are carbon-framed featherweight Trek bikes designed for those who prefer aerodynamics over comfort. The third choice we offer are e-bikes, ultimate exploration devices, complete comfort, and powerful assistance will give you the most relaxing touring sensation. To be technically correct these e-bikes are pedelecs, meaning you have to spin the pedals so the bike could assist you, unlike some e-bikes that have motorbike-like throttle function, so you don’t have to pedal.
Every island is like a small hill, and each day you start from a port. This means that to cross an island you have to climb up, and then go down. If you are not used to doing climbs of five or more kilometers with around 5% incline, we would recommend you to rent an ebike.
Types of cycling are guided group cycling, which is the default setting of cycling odyssey tours and free roam option, which gives you endless possibilities for exploration. Free roam option is always time-framed by the cycling tour length, and there is more risk to count on when taking this option.
If you are for a slower pace of roaming around, then wandering is a perfect activity for you. Board on agile Premium Lazer Boutique Ship and explore deserted islands, national and nature parks, and protected historical areas. On wandering activities, you will walk around, meaning sometimes you will hike, sometimes climbing stairs, but one thing is for sure, you will walk.
Board on the Boutique Ship
We offer accommodation in two categories of Boutique Ships, Premium Luxury, and Premium Lazer. Premium Luxury Boutique ships are longer than Premium Lazer Boutique ships by around ten meters and have around a one-meter larger draft. This means that Premium Luxury ships are heavier compared to Premium Lazer ships, and up to three knots slower.
Premium Luxury ships are mainly used on our cycling tours, while Premium Lazer ships are used on our wander hiking tours because of a smaller draft which enables them to enter very shallow ports and docks. All Boutique Ships start their Odyssey Journeys from the port of Trogir, which is the closest port to the Split Airport, only five kilometers away.
You will be accommodated on a Boutique Ship, with up to 29 other travelers. All cabins are for two persons, equipped with air-conditioning, toilets, and a shower. The ship has a spacious sun deck, decorated dining saloon, bar with terrace, and swimming platform prepared for you to enjoy the world as it once was.
Cabins are located under deck and on deck. Usually, cabins on the deck are up to 10 % more expensive, but there is no difference in quality. Also, each cabin has a hairdryer, big and small towels, clean bedsheets, night lamp, and power sockets, everything is similar to hotel service, but on the ship.
Ships are Captained by local captains, which are responsible for the safety of all travelers and crew.
Our captains are descents of thousands of generations seamen living on the islands and shore of the Adriatic Sea. For thousands and thousands of years their ancestors ruled the Adriatic Sea, and because of that old Greeks never managed to establish total dominance on the Adriatic. Our Captain’s forefathers were among the first so-called pirates, overseeing important amber trade routes from northern Europe to Greece and Egypt, later Roman Empire gold carriers from Asia and Africa. After the fall of the Roman empire, the first Croatian Dukes forced Venetians to pay customs tax for traveling by the East coast of the Adriatic Sea. Real men of the sea still navigate through the narrow passages and shallow waters of the Adriatic sea. Even the Adriatic Sea is small and relatively shallow compared to the other seas and oceans, weather conditions can change quickly and drastically.
Two winds rule the Adriatic Sea, first one is the dry North-Eastern wind called Bura or Bora blowing from land to the sea, clearing the sky and making the sea several degrees cooler. This wind blows in waves, with almost no wind in between strikes. The fastest Bura hit or wind strike measured in Croatia was 305 km/h. Bura is especially dangerous during sail because it can rip the sails and throw the boat very quickly to the rocks. The other one is blowing from South to South-East bringing dark skies, extreme rain, and over six meters big waves. The wind is called Jugo or Scirroco and can blow up to 100 km/h.
When there is no wind around, the Adriatic Sea can look like a pond, but sudden storms known as neveras quickly can bring severe weather and strong winds, so if you are on the sea without one experienced captain you could quickly become a target of Search and Rescue Service.
The Storytellers
Ladies and gentlemen that will guide you in a fabulous fashion throughout mystical archipelagos, remote islands, fortified medieval towns, forgotten paths, and much more unforgettable adventures are your world-class guides. These ancient and justified the Epic Tale protectors will guide you on this marvelous adventure. All odyssey journeys will have at least two guides, trained experts with years of experience as odyssey journey guides, ready to show you the world as it once was and bring you closer to the sublime state of fjaka.
The Virus
Last time Sibenik was struck by big epidemics, it was the seventeenth century, and the disease was the plague, from 10.000 people only 1.500 survived. Nowadays we encounter another disease on the loose, the infamous COVID-19 caused by a notorious coronavirus. As some of you may know, our day trips are canceled until August 15th, and we have written the detailed instructions for all travelers that want to experience our day tours, where to go, what to see and who to call.
Regarding Sibenik Trips And Tours Odyssey Journeys starting date for 2020 is July 18th. And on July 18th we will resume only our Swim themed Odysseys, so Cycle and Swim and Wander And Swim Odysseys will start on 18th July 2020 from the port of Trogir, only five kilometers away from the Split Airport. History themed tours are postponed till further notice. The main reason to continue only with Swim Themed Odysseys is that the area these odysseys will encompass is less inhabited and advertised than other parts of the Adriatic coast, mainly because of poorly developed tourist infrastructure, meaning big hotels and big cruise ship ports. Still, two national parks, three UNESCO World Heritage-listed towns, nature park, and sail through the thickest archipelagos on the Mediterranean are good reasons to board on this fabulous adventure.
All travelers that have booked before March 2020 are fully refunded and their bookings are canceled, because Lento Pedale, the operator of Sibenik Trips And Tours introduced a new booking procedure for COVID times.
Sibenik Trips And Tours have carefully approached this sensitive matter, so we have consulted with many experts, and read instructions from around the world for suppressing the Coronavirus spread, and created a special action plan. The capacity of our Boutique Ships is reduced by 20%, so there will be up to 30 travelers on Odyssey Journeys. This is important for meals you will have together with your travel companions in the ship’s dining saloon, where more distance would be created. Buffet breakfast will be also changed to compile with COVID-19 suppression instructions.
Creating more distance and perpetual disinfection of the common spaces will be the foundation for combating Coronavirus. Avoiding larger tourist ports when possible, to avoid contact with other travelers will be achieved by activating only Swim Themed Odysseys, where you will have a much lower risk of busy ports. Reduced contact with the guides is something we have reluctantly introduced, but can significantly decrease the risk of coronavirus infection, so your guides will be separated for all meals.
Guides, Captain and his crew would be tested each and every Friday, so we can lower possible risk for COVID-19 infection. If you suspect that you could be infected with coronavirus please stay at home, and you will be fully refunded, and receive a 19% discount for future purchase of the Sibenik Trips and Tours services. Constant physical activity can weaken your immune system, so when you arrive you would be handed out Vitamin D3 drops bottles and quality prolonged-release multivitamin pills for reducing fatigue and excel energy creation. Both items are produced by Croatian pharmaceutical company Pliva, which is part of the multinational pharmaceutical company TEVA.
We won’t measure your body temperature when you check in because, during July, August, and September air temperature in Trogir can easily go above 36C, so you could be heated from the sun, and then we would just create a state of latent panic. With all these procedures, the risk of getting COVID-19 still exists, not just in Croatia, but worldwide, so if you have chronic respiratory problems or other chronic medical conditions, we strongly advise you to stay at home.
COVID - 19 Discounts
As we have canceled all our tours in March, fully refunded our loyal travelers, and changed booking procedure for 2020, then we offered for free all our day trips and tours and we will guide only Odyssey journeys in 2020 with discounts up to 60% on the regular price.
First, on all bookings for Odysseys starting until September 15th there is a 30% discount, then if you pay via bank transfer, or bank transfer app like Revolute or Transferwise you will get another 5% discount. For all Odysseys with a starting date in 2020, we have prepared a promotion called Bring three go for free, or in numbers, when you book for four or more you will receive an extra 25% discount on the total price.
If you book an odyssey for four or more, which starts in the period from July 18th until August 15th (possible we prolong this promotion) and pay via bank transfer you will get a 60% discount on the regular price, sounds like a good deal.
A typical day on one odyssey
Day earlier you will be told a complete detailed schedule for the next day and all-important events will be written on the timetable in the dining saloon. In the morning breakfast will be served, while half an hour before breakfast coffee will be prepared, so you could grab a cup.
Breakfast, like all meals, starts at an agreed time. Not to be confused with hotel restaurants where you can have your meals in a certain time span, on the odyssey journeys, all meals will be served on precise time. After breakfast, you will start your activity, we tend to finish activities in the morning when it is less hot, and afternoons to be reserved for sailing and swimming.
Lunches and dinners will be served accordingly to the odyssey program. After navigation and swimming, while anchored, you will find your port where you will stay overnight. If the port you are entering is UNESCO World Heritage Listed town, you will go on a sightseeing tour with a local guide. And pleasant overnight stay with excitement for the next day.
Booking Procedure for 2020.
1. Fill out and submit the booking form
Each Tour Page has a booking form. On this Booking form write your name, email and booking related information, such as the number of people on behalf you are booking.
2. tour feasibility status
When your booking form is submitted our office team will check everything about the tour feasibility. This means primarily that we have to take in consideration COVID-19 situation, and comply with the Croatian Institue of Public Health directives, which are submitted on a daily basis to all travel agencies. After such check is conducted you will be informed about the next step.
3. Booking Confirmation and payment
If Croatian Institue of Public Health directives are favourable and the tour can be performed, you will receive the booking confirmation email, and choose the payment method. When your payment is confirmed you are ready to go on the tour.
epic odyssey journeys
cycle and swim odyssey
Cycle And Swim Odyssey was lazer tailored to show you the world as it once was. This odyssey will take you on six islands while you will pass by hundreds of islands, islets, and reefs. Three UNESCO World Heritage-listed towns you will visit, experience two national parks, and even sleep in one beautiful nature park, free from stress.
wander and swim odyssey
This odyssey is designed for the wanderers who are in love with nature, history, and tradition. Learn about traditional Mediterranean cuisine, walk through magnificent landscapes from rainforests of the Krka National Park to barren rocks of the Kornati National Park.