For a little history, the Orkney Islands have been inhabited since prehistoric times by Norsemen and Vikings and were historically part of Norway. However, in 1468, Norwegian King Christian I pledged Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands as marriage dowry to wed the daughter of Scotland’s James III. King Christian never paid the money, and both Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands have been part of the Scottish crown ever since. The flag of the Orkney Islands (adopted in 2007), is blue, yellow, and red, and pays homage to the island’s Scottish and Norwegian heritage. You’ll see it in a few photos below.

Day trip to Orkney Islands with John o’Groats Ferries

If you’re pressed for time like I always am, a day trip, courtesy of John o’Groats Ferries, is a great option. The ferry company operates tours during the year only from May/June to August/September.  Otherwise, the North Sea is too choppy and I’d imagine extremely miserable to suffer through.  The 45-minute journey was already bumpy. The North Sea was absolutely raging the day that I went.

John o’Groats Ferries used to offer several day tours, which depart from both Inverness or John o’Groats. I took the Maxi Day Tour, leaving John o’Groats at 8:45 am and returning after 7 pm. For an adult, the tour costs 79 GBP (roughly $110 USD), as of 20 April 2021. It’s a full day group tour, with English-speaking guides.

There is ample room at the harbor for parking, and after checking with the office, they told me to just go straight to the harbor. There was already a line of people queuing up.

Expert tip, you should stand aside and watch for a little bit before queuing up, to take note where the waves crash over the walls and completely drench the area underneath it. Especially if it’s a windy and choppy day on the sea.

The sea drenched several people before they even got on the ferry. The air temperature that day (mind you, it was in June) was around 37 degrees Fahrenheit (less than 3 degrees Celsius). I can only imagine that the water temperature was frigid also.

Boarding was a simple process, and I don’t believe they actually checked my ticket at all. Once I boarded, the ferry ride was mostly uneventful, except that those who got seasick, got really seasick. I mentioned it before, but the water and thus the journey is really choppy. Also, since the ferry does not go at particularly fast speeds, the rocking of the boat was more pronounced. Unfortunately, there were several passengers who fell ill.

Let your Day Trip to Orkney Islands begin!

We arrived in Burwick, a village and the harbor of the island of South Ronaldsay, in the Orkney Islands. Three different charter buses were waiting for us, to take us onto the various tours you signed up for. Mine was the Maxi Tour, which saw the most sights and was the longest in length.

After piling into our respective buses, we were off. From there, we drove from South Ronaldsay island, to Burray, to Glims Holm, to Lamb Holm, onto mainland Orkney. All of these listed are separate islands, connected by the Churchill Barriers. The Churchill Barriers are man-made causeways, originally built during WWII to protect Scapa Flow. It’s now become the main road that connects South Ronaldsay island to the Mainland, where the airport and capital of Kirkhall are.

1. Kirkwall, capital of the Orkney Islands

Our first stop on the Orkney Island tours is Kirkwall, the capital of Orkney. We had over an hour to walk around and see the sights. It’s a nice town, with St. Magnus Church being its main landmark. There is a small, but interesting, Orkney Museum, across the way from St. Magnus. Neither the church nor the museum take too long to wander through, but it’s worth the stroll.

A brief glimpse into the Orkney Museum:

Take two rights after you exit the Orkney Museum, and there is a charming little secret garden.

If it were a nice day, it’d be the perfect place to sit with a cup of coffee and a chat. But alas. Kirkwall was cold and windy and my focus there was keeping warm.

One thing I want to point out is Cafe Lolz. Although our tour guide recommended a different cafe in town (The Reel, located next to the church), I popped in and didn’t see the pastries I wanted. Literally, out the door of the Reel, and onto a small street called The Strynd, you’ll arrive at Cafe Lolz. For pastry and dessert lovers, it is a must!

If you keep going down the Broad Street, to the north, there is a lovely, artisanal grocery shop at the end, called the Brig Larder. You can buy things like gin-flavored Orkney cheese or a little crab salad for later.  The Maxi tour does return to Kirkwall toward the end of the day, but you’ll need to rush in order to get back to this shop before it closes at 5:30 pm.  I suggest that you try.

Once you return to John o’Groats, the only place left open for dinner is the Seaview Hotel.  And if you just ate there the night before, like I did, you may not want it two nights in a row.  That crab salad that I impulse purchased came in really handy for dinner later that evening.

2. Stromness, home of great explorers and seamen

After Kirkwall, we moved on to Stromness, which is also located on Mainland Orkney.  Stromness was home to many great explorers, including John Rae, an Orcadian doctor and surgeon, who discovered the final section of the Northwest Passage. Although Rae completed several, successful arctic expeditions, he was ultimately known for finding the fate of Captain Sir John Franklin’s arctic expedition, which was said to have ended in death and cannibalism.

Scandal followed Rae’s claim of cannibalism in the Franklin expedition. Subsequently, Rae was shunned by society. From 2004, Orkney and Shetland MPs began introducing motions into Parliament to recognize his contributions in completing the Northwest Passage. In 2013, a statue was unveiled in Stromness, and finally in 2014, a plaque was installed in Westminster Abbey.

Back at the Maxi Tour, Stromness is the lunch stop. There is ample time to grab a bit of food and to walk around the town.  I thoroughly enjoyed walking around Stromness – every house and garden I came across was just so charming and lovely.  For lunch, the guide recommended  the Ferry Inn, a place for a nice fish soup, i.e. Cullen skink.  And on a windy, rainy day, that and a cuppa tea is really all you need.  There is a section of the restaurant that’s for those visiting on the day tour, and they were really quick with the service, as well.  You’ll definitely run into many people from your own tour or the morning’s ferry.  

I hope you’re enjoying this day trip to te Orkney Islands so far. Because I’ll tell you – I definitely am!

3. Mainland Orkney’s prehistoric sites

After lunch, was Skara Brae – a neolithic settlement, older than Stonehenge!  (and also a UNESCO World Heritage site!) The combined ticket to Skara Brae (and Skaill House) is not included in the Maxi Tour costs, but at 9 GBP in the high season (and 7 GBP in the low season), it was worth it.  Skara Brae is generally considered the best preserved Neolithic settlement. At 5000 years old, it’s older than both Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids! Tickets to Skaill House are included from April to October. It’s a warm and welcome relief from the cold and howling winds of Skara Brae!

From Skara Brae, there were two quick stops to the Ring of Brodgar and the Standing Stones of Stenness. In 1999, UNESCO designated both neolithic monuments as World Heritage sites. For the Ring of Brodgar, you are only allowed around the perimeter of the stones. You can walk among the stones at the Standing Stones. That’s how you can distinguish one from the other in my below photos.

Any Outlander fans out there? No day trip to Orkney Islands is complete without a visit to the standing stones. Unfortunately, these standing stones did not transport me back to the 1700s into the arms of a man named Jamie Fraser.

From there, it was back to to Kirkwall and I hauled over to the Brig Larder to pick up my cheeses and crab salad.  A gentle reminder: buy dinner in Kirkwall before heading back to mainland Scotland!

4. The Italian Chapel on Lambholm

The last stop on your day trip to Orkney Islands is the Italian Chapel on Lambholm, a tiny island connected to the Mainland via the Churchill Barriers. Built in the 1940s by Italian POWs and scrap materials, the Italian Chapel is also a story of unrequited love. The chapel designer’s “heart” is inlaid with the tiles on the floor. Spoiler alert, they do not reunite.

The cost to enter the chapel is 3 GBP for adults (free for those under 12).

From the Italian Chapel, we traverse through the islands of Glimps Holm and Burray to finally reach the port at Burwick on South Ronaldsay, where we started our Orkney Tour.

Parting thoughts on my Day Trip to Orkney Islands

By the time we reached the shores of mainland Britain, and John o’Groats, it was near 7:30 pm. As I mentioned previously, only the Seaview Hotel will be open for dinner, so hopefully you have food back at your lodging or you’ve followed my advice for a little dinner to go from Kirkwall! It was an exhausting day, made doubly more exhausting from an “unseasonably cold” summer season up in the north.

But all in all, I really enjoyed my Orkney Island tour. It was a really great day trip and offers a glimpse into a different kinda Scottish life! If you’re in John o’Groats, you can take a day trip to Orkney Islands just like I did!

Looking for additional resources on a trip to Orkney?

• If you want to spend more time on Orkney with a small-group tour, Rabbie’s comes highly recommended! They offer 5-day Orkney tours from Edinburgh (379£) and 3-day Orkney tours from Inverness (215£)!
• Check out these blogs from my delightful blogging friends:
  • An Orcadian Abroad – tips and tales for Orkney Islands from Clazz, a local Orcadian!
  • AbFab Travels – a motorhome road trip of Orkney with Jane, including a visit to the Highland Park Distillery! It’s not Scotland, without some whisky!

Info for your Orkney Islands Tour

John o’Groats Ferries
From John o’Groats, Daily from 8:45 am
1 May to 30 September 2022
Adults: 79 GBP | $99 USD

From Inverness, (normally) daily from 7:15 am
Currently not offered. Please check with John o’Groats Ferries

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Lannie

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.  She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!  She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

Click on the blue icons below to follow her on social media!

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My guide, Aslay, was from Dhaandhoo.  He explained that Dhandhoo was the third largest island in the Maldives, with 2,500 people.  I couldn’t verify that information anywhere online, and I don’t know if he was talking about third largest in terms of population or size.  But, that’s what he said and for the sake of this post, let’s say it’s true.

Even though Dhaandhoo is one of the largest, you can walk across it relatively easily within 20 minutes.  There are motorbikes on the island, but no cars.  The streets are actually crushed coral and sand. Most of the people on the island are fisherman, as that was the only industry available to them.  There are some shops on the island and one guesthouse.  Aslay is probably related to everyone on the island, and we visited his mothers house and his house.  Everywhere we stopped, someone was there to give us something to eat.

You’ll see many lounging chairs made of metal and netting. Aslay explained that mostly, in the afternoon, you’ll find women lounging in these chairs, watching the world go by. I never did see a woman lounging, but I did see a lot of lounge chairs.

The 2004 tsunami destroyed many of the houses in Dhaandhoo. Foreign aid and donors rebuilt most of the houses with aid money, which Aslay calls “tsunami houses”.  

Photo Journal

This is my photo journal of my trip to Dhaandhoo.  What life is like in the Maldives, outside the resorts.  

Share what the Real Maldives is like and pin it!

To see what life is like on the other side, in the resorts, see my post about Park Hyatt Hadahaa.

Lannie

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.  She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!  She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

Click on the blue icons below to follow her on social media!

lanniesfoodandtravel.com/index.php/about-me/

Brno is about a 2 hour bus ride from Vienna.  There were options via FlixBus or RegioJet.  Before I tell you about my transportation options, let’s just say that recently, I have been getting into golden hour, sunrise photography.  I decided that wherever I went this weekend, I was going to go really early for that gorgeous golden hour light.  The 3:20 am FlixBus from Vienna International Bus Center arrives in Brno after 5 am. Please note, this day trip CAN BE DONE during normal hours.  I just choose to be insane, that’s all.

1. Arrival to Brno

When I arrived in Brno, it was dark at 5 am and obviously nothing was open.  McDonald’s opened at 6 am. The immediate goals: stay alive and warm for one hour.  So I wandered around the old town, trying to get my bearings straight.  Many drunken clubgoers were fumbling around the streets.  But for the most part, the streets were empty.

2. Sunrise Golden Hour

Fast forward a few hours, I decided never travel for a day trip to catch the sunrise.  In hindsight, it makes no sense.  So remember that for the future.

After taking some shots, I wandered back to the Produce Market where it was bustling and in full swing.  This is definitely something you have to check out on a Saturday morning there!

Now that it was nearing 8 am, it was breakfast time.  I settled on Cafe Placzek and ordered the hearty, winter breakfast.

3. The Mucha Exhibition

From there, it was a little over a mile from the old town area. It gave me a beautiful glimpse into regular Brno life.  With the leaves changing colors and the painted facades of buildings, it was a charming walk.  (You can also take Tram #1 from old town to the Brno Exhibition Center for 20 CZK).

When you arrive at the Brno Exhibition Center, it is a massive open space.  But relatively empty.  The Mucha Exhibition is in a large pavilion towards the back of the exhibition complex.  Just follow the beautiful signs and you’ll get there eventually.

The exhibit comprises of 2 themes – the Slav Epic and the Mucha Posters.  Alfons Mucha, the father of Art Nouveau, earned his fame by designing a series of Sarah Bernhardt posters for her shows. From there, he gained considerable fame both in Europe and the US, mostly with poster work.  It’s amazing that this massive collection of art nouveau posters would be on display in Brno. I’m so grateful to see it, because I absolutely love art nouveau!

Czech tennis player, Ivan Lendl, owns the most complete collection of Mucha posters.  Lendl has been an avid collector for the last few decades and loans his personal collection for the basis of this exhibit.  Prior to the exhibition, Lendl proudly displayed the posters in his Connecticut home. He custom built his home around the sizes of these massive posters.  The posters are absolutely spectacular and vibrant, with some measuring over 10 feet tall!

A US financier supported Mucha’s Slav Epic project.  The project was a series of large panels that he envisioned as promoting a national Slavic identity and national awareness.  The Slav Epic panels are very moving and show this surreal Slavic awakening, with the aide of supernatural, mythical elements.

There were no photographs allowed inside. Therefore, I purchased the exhibit catalog.  The art is absolutely stunning and a MUST for those who love his work.

3.1 The kindness of strangers

After the exhibit, I tried to get my bearings straight before setting off.  I realized that I needed to take a tram to my next destination. But I didn’t have any koruna in change for the tram!  I went back to the exhibit to ask some questions about the tram. 

• Could I buy a ticket on the train?
• Would they accept euros instead of koruna?

The woman recognized me from earlier and told me that I could buy a tram ticket at a yellow box near the tracks.  The ticket cost only 20 koruna, but they didn’t accept euros.  She asked if I needed one or two trips, and I replied two. 

And then she gave me 50 koruna in change! 

Ok, that’s the equivalent of about 2 euros.  But it was so thoughtful! I tried giving her euros, but she wouldn’t accept it. She said it was fine, as she had change to spare. 

HOW KIND!!!!  and unexpected!!  SO THANK YOU, BARBARA FROM THE BRNO EXHIBITION CENTER!!

3.2 Side note about money and day trips

By the way, sometimes with day trips it’s tough.  The ATMs only let me take money out 1000 koruna at a time, which is about $40 USD.  If a tram costs 20 koruna, do I really need 1000?  No.  Which is why I didn’t get money at the ATM.  But also, it’s kind of inconvenient so I feel really bad about taking money from a kind stranger.

4. Jurkovič House, an Art Nouveau House in Brno

Now, having both money and a plan, I headed toward Tram 1, going away from the old town.  Trams operate on the right side, so for my purposes, I crossed the tracks to the other side.  From there, I exited the tram at Brafova, walked through a grassy path, skirted along a forest park, to the Jurkovič House. 

Designed using all art nouveau elements, Jurkovič House is home of Slovak architect, artist, and designer of several World War I cemeteries – Dušan Jurkovič.  From the beautiful peacock entrance, to the wooden accents upstairs, this home is an art nouveau gem.

The Jurkovich House also hosts the Moravian Gallery, an art gallery showcasing local artists’ connection to the house.

5. Stunning autumn

Afterwards, I took an extended stroll through the autumn yumminess that is Brno.

Parting Thoughts

In the end, that was all I really had time for.  But then again, that’s all I really wanted from the day.  I hopped back on the bus at 2:45 PM and arrived in Vienna in time for dinner.

All in all, I’m glad I went.  It was definitely exhausting, but I learned that it’s only practical to take sunrise photos when you’re staying in a place.  Traveling to a place to photograph in the golden hour is silly.

Maybe in the future I won’t come for the sunrise, but art and architechture are definitely something I would return to Brno for! If you also enjoy traveling for art and architecture, consider these trips for your future travel plans!

• a visit to Monet’s iconic house and gardens, Giverny;
• all the best Van Gogh locations in France and the Netherlands;
• or, for the adventurous art fan, head over to the West Bank and visit Banksy’s Hotel – the Walled Off Hotel.

*For fans of Mies van der Rohe

On a side note, for those who have time and are architecture fans – in Brno, there is also the Villa Tugendhat.  It is a Mies van der Rohe icon of modernism, made between 1928 and 1930 for Fritz Tugendhat and his wife.  There are many Mies van der Rohe buildings in Chicago, where I lived for many years.  If I had the time, and maybe if I liked modernism architecture, I would stop by.  Some people agree with Mies van der Rohe’s motto “less is more.”  Those people have obviously never fallen in love with the frills and colors of an Anthropologie catalog.  And with that quip, I’m off.  Enjoy your fall, y’all!

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Lannie

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.  She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!  She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

Click on the blue icons below to follow her on social media!

lanniesfoodandtravel.com/index.php/about-me/

There are many tours that will take you there or renting a car is certainly an option.  But going from Zagreb to Plitvice by bus for a day trip is completely doable, quite easy to do, and incredibly cost effective! So, if you’re up for an adventure, read on! I’ll give step-by-step instructions on how to go from Zagreb to Plitvice by bus.

1. Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes by Bus

Buying bus tickets from Zagreb to Plitvice is easy enough.  A roundtrip ticket on Arriva, was 112 kuna | < $18 USD  | 15 EUR.  My 5:45 am departure (which arrived shortly after 8 am) meant that I’d have to leave my Airbnb around 5 am, in order to arrive early enough to figure things out…just in case.  My ticket was emailed to me as a PDF and included the platform number (#405), and sure enough, there it was.  Large luggage will cost you 10 kuna to put underneath the bus. My large 50 L backpack was fine as a “carry on.”  And then we were off! From Zagreb to Plitvice by bus!

There are 2-3 ten minute stops along the way, but I never left the bus fearing a) losing my seat, and b) the bus leaving without me.

Along the way, you drive through small villages and if you look closely, you can see sprays of bullet holes covering the village houses.  Rising ethnic tensions between Croatians and Serbs sparked with the death of a Croatian army commander.  The result was the Croatian War for Independence, which began in Plitvice, late March 1991.  Both sides had only 1 death each, during the “Plitvice Incident” or the “Plitvice Bloody Easter”, with over 20 wounded and 400 tourists evacuated.

2. Arriving at Plitvice Lakes

After a little over two sleepy hours on the bus, we finally made it from Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes. So excited!

Plitvice Lakes has been a national park since after WWII, and became a UNESCO world heritage site in 1979.  After the Croatian War for Independence, the parks were swept for mines and all of the remaining mines were removed.  Over 1 million people visit the park annually.

When I went to Plitvice in June, the cost of admission for adults was 150 kuna | < $24 USD | 20 EUR.  In July and August (the country’s high season), that jumps to 250 kuna | $40 USD | 34 EUR if you enter before 16:00.

2.1 Entrances to Plitvice

There are two entrances to Plitvice, smartly named Entrance 1 and Entrance 2.  The bus driver will call out the entrances to the passengers.  Depending on what you want to see in the park, different entrances lead to different attractions. The side of the road where you exit the bus is the same side of the road as the entrance to the NP. 

And remember, that means at the end of the day, when you’re waiting to catch the bus back to Zagreb, the bus stop is on the opposite of the road.

2.2 Hiking Plitvice Lakes – Choose your walking program!

You can go hiking in Plitvice Lakes either for a leisurely walk, or an immense (almost) 20 km hike! The national park has 8 different “lake tour programmes”, with the “K” programme being the longest at 18.3 km, with an estimated completion time of 6-8 hours.  I was able to finish in about 5 hours, with breaks in between.

EXPERT TIP: MAKE SANDWICHES AND BRING YOUR OWN FOOD AND WATER.  
There are long stretches with no food or water.

3. The Long Hike – “K programme”

It’s always strange going on a long hike on your own.  Granted, there were other people around, because most of the various lake programmes criss-cross each other and overlap.  But I guess not many people wanted an ambitious “Hiking Plitvice Lakes Day.” There were very few people on the “full K programme.” Most of the trail was on wooden planks along or over the water, and when the K goes off into the green wooded area, there are easy to follow paths.

From P3 (around the middle of the map), I had to take off my shoes and cross over a small section in the water.

And from there towards where it continues well into the green, I met one person and one dog on the K trail.  (The dog did not belong to the person). 

4. Not alone at Plitvice anymore!

At some point, hours later, I met C and K, who were two travelers from Canada and they graciously agreed to let me walk with them.  They were also doing the K programme, but started at Entrance 2. Hiking Plitvice Lakes alone – mmm, ok on the fun level. Hiking Plitvice Lakes with fun people – even better!

5. Thoughts on Hiking Plitvice Lakes

The hike ended with a short 5 minute ferry across the water (gushing towards the finish line!) Ok, maybe not such an exciting finish. But, I will say hiking Plitvice Lakes was an amazing way to see so many of the waterfalls. Plus, being off the beaten path was a great way to avoid the mass of tourists. 

Small warning, though… every time you are about to come across a waterfall, the crowds increase and the pace slows, as everyone tries to pose for a picture.  It can get mildly overwhelming.

I finished the hike around 13:30, and was able to catch an earlier bus back to Zagreb.  In the morning, the bus from Zagreb to Plitvice dropped me off next to the entrance. The bus going back is on the opposite side of the road.

Luckily, I had some time to buy an ice cream before the bus arrived. The bus left around 14:45, and I was able to make it back in Zagreb for a shower and amazing dinner.

So in the end, if you love to walk, enjoy waterfalls and crystal clear waters, PLITVICE IS THE PLACE FOR YOU.  Especially if you’re alread in Zagreb, the bus to Plitvice is easy and a completely manageable day trip!

Add it to the bucket list!

6. Resources on going from Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes by Bus

Bus tickets and schedules
Sample Zagreb to Plitvice bus departure/arrival times (weekend schedules differ):

• 5:45 am – 8:08 am
• 6:30 am – 8:40 am
• 7:30 am – 9:45 am
• 8:30 am – 11:07 am
• 9:15 am – 11:30 am

Sample Plitvice back to Zagreb bus departure/arrival times (weekend schedules differ):

• 2:45 pm – 5:05 pm
• 3:45 pm – 5:55 pm
• 5:18 pm – 7:50 pm

Information on Hiking Plitvice Lakes National Park and entrance fees:

• Lake walking programme description and maps
• Price list

REMEMBER BRING YOUR OWN FOOD AND WATER

Recap on my Zagreb to Plitvice Day

5:45 am Bus leaves from Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes
8:10 am: Arrival at Plitvice, Entrance 1
<< walk walk walk walk walk walk walk >>
1:30 pm: Make it back to Entrance 1
2:45 pm: Bus to Zagreb
3 pm: Rain, and feeling thankful to be on a bus and on the way home.  The man I encountered on the K trail, with the dog that was not his, went back to Zagreb on the same bus.
5:15 pm: Arrive in Zagreb
6:30 pm: Finish shower and eat amazing food at Pri Zvoncu
8:30 pm: Sleep.

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Lannie

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.  She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!  She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

Click on the blue icons below to follow her on social media!

lanniesfoodandtravel.com/index.php/about-me/

1. How to get to Lake Bohinj from Bled

The buses leave from the Bled bus station at 20 minutes past the hour.  We took the 9:20 bus, on another charter bus, over to the lake which took about 45 min.  The price of the bus depends on where you get dropped off. Our stop was Ukanc (pronounced, I think, like oo-CONCH), which cost us 4,10 EUR | $4.75 USD. Normally during high season, July and August, the bus runs once an hour and drops you off near most of the main sights.  It being not high season, meant that there was more walking involved.  Way more walking. 

There is an extremely complicated, yet accurate bus schedule here, from Bled to Bohinj.  There legend is extremely detailed, so make sure you are looking at the right column, for the right season, and the right day of the week.

2. Ukanc and uphill to Savica Waterfall

We stopped off at Ukanc, which was the closest stop to the Savica Waterfall, in low season.  And by closest stop, it was still a 50-minute uphill trek, along the side of the only road going up there.  If you’re lucky enough to go in high season and take the bus to the closer stop, obviously it would not take this long.  So off we went. 

I’m so thankful that J was a good sport and trekked everywhere, without any real complaining.  I say real complaining, because part of the amusement during our walk was semi-complaining. Semi-complaining that people who passed us by in their cars never offered to give two random women a ride. Even considering we were obviously going in the same direction, to the same place.  But never mind.

After about an hour (considering breaks to catch our breath and stops for photos), we finally arrived at a parking lot, two restaurants, and a sign that said the waterfall was another 20-minute walk.  More uphill, but this time, with stairs. 

3. Savica Waterfalls

Along the way, there is a little hut to pay the entrance fee (shown below), which was 3 EUR for adults.  All things considering, not a bad price, and definitely worth it.

When we finally reached the falls, there was only 5-10 people up there.  I guess since it was still the low season, it was to be expected.  Near the top, there are also viewpoints out across Lake Bohinj, where you can obviously see the valley formed by ancient glaciers.

Quick facts about the Savica Waterfall (from its brochure that I picked up):

• Height above sea level, at base: 894 m | 2,934 ft
• Two-part waterfall in the form of the letter A
• Height of the large waterfall: 78 m | 256 ft
• Height of the small waterfall: 25 m | 82 ft

4. Lunch stop at Koča Pri Savici

After the falls, we stopped by one of the nearby restaurants for some lunch.  Traditional Slovenian sausage and fries, served with the biggest ketchup and mustard containers known to mankind.

The sausages were delicious and the server was so friendly and talkative.

He asked if we had walked up here via the road or the back path. We came by the road. He encouraged us to take the back path on our way back down, which was shorter.  In reality, it may have been shorter, by mere minutes, but we took more photo breaks and of course, this was downhill. J was smart enough to ask the question, “Will we get lost?”  He laughed a little and said

“Not a chance.  Keep following the sound of the river.” 

And it’s true, we definitely did not get lost. But the sound of the river dissipated after time.  But there was really only one way to go, and after another hour, we had arrived back near Ukanc and the banks of the lake.

4.1 Pause and marvel at Lake Bohinj

5. The long meander to Mostnica Gorge

The next destination was the Mostnica Gorge.  Again, we could have taken the bus. However, it only runs once an hour. So we decided to walk, since it would take about an hour get there. 

From the very west bank of Lake Bohinj (where Ukanc is), to the very east bank of the lake, we walked.  We made some stops along the lake, at a beach and then a pier where we sat for a few moments to rest and enjoy the scenery.  We finally arrived at Stara Fuzina, a small village, which is more or less the gateway to the Mostnica Gorge.

5.1 Stara Fuzina

5.2 Onward to Mostnica Gorge

There were some confusing signs at times. If you followed them, I’m not sure where you would have ended up.  Very likely, you would have ended up at the gorge.  However, we decided to follow Google Maps, which had not led me astray thus far.  We were not entirely sure what we were looking fo. The word gorge really only tells me it’s a very big hole in the ground.  We finally arrived at a booth. The entrance fee was 3 EUR, but the booth was unmanned.  So free entrance it was!  At the booth, there was a fork in the road.

After much indecision, we decided to fork right. There were some other travelers following us and they forked left.  Let me tell you, forking right was the right decision.  Because of this, we accessed large rocks and took some amazing photographs, while they painstakingly looked for a way to cross to our side.  They did not do in the end. I would not have recommended anyway, for safety reasons.  Views below, when you fork right.

We kept walking, trying to figure out where this gorge was. When we arrived according to Google Maps, there was nothing.  We walked on another 20 minutes, but then we realized that the path we were on was no longer marked by a yellow circle and was now a red square.  At that point, we decided enough was enough, and we turned around.  In the end, we realized that the gorge was right inside of the unmanned booth, on the bridge when we forked right.  Suffice it to say, the scenery along the way was absolutely gorgeous and well worth the additional trek.

6. The bus back to Bled

The bus that goes back to Bled leaves at the :47 after every hour, except for at 5:47 pm. Obviously, this is right around the time when we arrived at the bus stop.  I think most people were surprised that there was no 5:47 bus. But not me, thanks to the trusty yet confusing bus schedule.  After some relaxing and a well deserved Magnum ice cream, we hitched the 6:47 pm bus (for 3,40 EUR | $4 USD) and was back in Bled by 7:30 pm. 

According to my Apple Watch, I walked 33,000 steps that day… a personal best.  That amounted to about 16 miles or 25 km.  Exhausting, doable, and extremely worth it.  This beautiful day trip to Lake Bohinj is a must for those wanting to reconnect with nature and those who love exploring foreign national parks like I do!

Resources for Lake Bohinj, Slovenia

If you’d like to visit Lake Bohinj from Lake Bled, check out the bus schedule

Other things to see, in the Bohinj region, which we didn’t have time for:

• Cable car up to Vogel
• Hike up to Pec (about 45 min)

Approximate Schedule for the Lake Bohinj Day

• 8:20 am: Bus from Bled to Ukanc
• 10:10 am: Arrive at Ukanc bus stop, begin walking
• 11:30 am: Savica Waterfall
• << walking >>
• 1 pm: Lunch at Koča Pri Savici
• <<more walking>>
• 4:30 pm: near Mostnica Gorge
• 6:47 pm: bus back to Bled
• 7:30 pm: arrive back to Bled
• 8 pm: I’m asleep.

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Lannie

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.  She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!  She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

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Lannie

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.  She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!  She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

Click on the blue icons below to follow her on social media!

lanniesfoodandtravel.com/index.php/about-me/

Oaxaca is easily one of my favorite places in Mexico. But don’t get me wrong. It’s also great to get out of the city and see the surrounding areas. On my trip to Oaxaca in 2018, my friend and I decided to do a day trip to Mitla in order to see the sites and eat some more great food. And it actually turned out to be the best Oaxaca day trip we took!

We arranged to do a full day tour with our Airbnb host. Hiring private drivers to do this trip is relatively easy in Oaxaca. You can find someone in Centro to take you. Alternatively, the host at your hotel or lodging should be able to make arrangements for you.  We paid 250 Pesos per hour, exclusive of entrance fees.

Our tour included the following:

• Arbol del Tule – the oldest and widest tree in the world!
• Mitla – home of the Zapotec civilization,
• Hierve el Agua – a calcified “waterfall” in the mountains,
• and Mercado de Tlacolula – a market, known for its famous barbacoa, BBQ goat/sheep, markets on Sundays!

And let me just tell you – it was one of our best Oaxaca day trips of our time there!! But first, before we start the day trip to Mitla, we need to make sure our bellies are nice and full!

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1. Breakfast

Of course, we had to start off our day with a hearty meal. We left our Airbnb at 8:30 and arrived at Restaurant La Palapa de Raúl at 9 am, right when they opened for breakfast.

It’s on the way, so you might as well time it perfectly like our host did!

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2. Arbol del Tule (“the tree of Tule”)

And then we were off!  The first stop was the Arbol del Tule, which is arguably the oldest and widest tree in the world.  Some call it the “tree of life.” 

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Rumor has it, the tree is at least 1500 years old.  The diameter of Arbol del Tule is 14.05 meters (46.1 feet).  It sits in a closed off courtyard, along with the town’s church. Walk around the tree and you see animals spring to life. A lion and a crocodile are easily visible in the massive tree trunk.  Sadly, the tree is slowly dying. Pollution, water shortages, and the weight of the nearby road on its roots are the main detriments to the tree’s health.

Entry to the courtyard costs 10 Pesos.  Although you can see the tree without entering the courtyard, it’s worth it to pay if you really want to see the true beauty and nuances of the old tree.

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3. Hierve el Agua (“the water boils”)

From there, we headed into the mountains to Hierve el Agua. This is the view, as you ascend the mountains.

As you pass through small villages on your way, you pay two entrance fees –

• one at an earlier village for 10 Pesos per person,
• and one right outside of Hierve el Agua for 25 Pesos per person. 

There is a reason for the two entrance fees. There is only one road to Hierve el Agua, with two villages in succession before the entrance. The first village wanted to reap the benefits of increased tourism, since buses and vans pass through their village and degrading their roads, etc.  Hence, the double entrance fee was born and frankly, for a combined total of 35 Pesos | under $2 USD, it’s definitely worth it.

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Once you get in, there are two parts to this attraction.

1. A petrified, calcified formation (similar to stalactites or stalagmites) that looks like a cliffside waterfall,
2. Pools formed by mountain spring waters. 

There are two pools, one on an upper terrace, which is natural, and one on a lower terrace, which has spring water directed there. 

Bring your swimsuits, because you can swim or soak in these two pools. 

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To my confusion, these are not thermal baths. Although the water is pure and probably great for your skin, it is a gentle, cool bath.  There are changing rooms and relatively clean bathrooms avaialble for a few pesos.  At the baths, you’ll get a view of the petrified waterfall.  It’s a short hike uphill to get to the actual “waterfall”.  I didn’t go, but my friend did. She said there was another pool at the top.

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4. Roadside Mezcaleria

Leaving Hierve el Agua, we stopped by an artisan mezcaleria run by a small family.  This is the Mexico’s mezcal region, with large swaths of agave plants growing along the roads, up into the mountains. 

Mezcal is made with the core, or the “pineapple” or the agave plant.  The leaves are all cut off and the core is thrown into a fire pit to roast.  After roasting, the cores are flattened with its juices squeezed out by a patient donkey and attached to a stone wheel.  The donkey spends the whole day walking around in a circle, pausing, while the caretaker uses his pitchfork and adjusts the agave cores which are now turning into a pulp.  It’s then fermented and twice distilled, and then it’s ready for drinking! 

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After a little tasting, I bought a walnut-infused mezcal, for 70 Pesos | ~$4 USD.

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5.  Mitla – home of the Zapotecs

Then we headed to Mitla, one of the most important archaeological site for Zapotecs, operating as their main religious center and sacred burial site.  Tickets are around 70 Pesos, same as my mezcal purchase. 

There are three complex groupings that are currently open for visitation – the church group, the column group, and the arroyo group (I think). The three sites are within walking distance of each other, with a small market on the grounds as well. The buildings in Mitla are known for the intricate, interconnected stone work. 

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The name Mitla is a Hispanicized word meaning “place of rest” or “place of the dead.” While I don’t want to diminish the importance of Mitla as a religious center, the reason why Mitla is famous is because of the intricate and decorative mosiac fretwork that you see above. That type of design covers tombs, panels, and entire walls! None of the other Mesoamerican sites in Mexico have that kind of geometric designs! Not only that, but it is extremely well-preserved, considering it may have been inhabited as early as 900 BC!

Gorgeous, right? Now you know why the day trip to Mitla was a must!

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6. Tlacolula Market – Sunday barbacoa eats!

After Mitla, we had worked up an appetite. Since we hadn’t eaten anything since our breakfast hours earlier, it was time to hit the Tlacolula Market!

The Tlacolula Market is famous for it’s Sunday barbacoa.  Local families and restaurants will come out to this market on Sundays to buy barbacoa for their families or their restaurants.  Barbacoa is goat or sheep barbecue, served in a taco or in a soup.  DELICIOUS!  and worth timing out for the Sunday market.

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Parting Thoughts on the Day Trip to Mitla

All in all, this was an amazing and diverse day trip.  It is well worth taking the time to make arrangements.  The itinerary took us from 8:30 am to about 5:30 pm, and was a full day trip.  Granted, we took our time eating and walking around the markets and things.  I’d definitely consider it the best Oaxaca day trip you can take!

The cost we paid to our Airbnb host was about 2,250 Pesos (or a little over $100 USD), which was split between the two of us. Entrance fees for Arbor del Tule, Hierve el Agua, and Mitla added to 115 Pesos (approximately $6 USD), per person. Great for the budget conscious traveller!

For an added bonus, consider combining Teotitlan del Valle with this day trip. It is a small village known for its artisans and weavers. It is conveniently located along the way, and is included on the Google Map below. 

If you’re looking to join a tour instead, it will cost about $45 USD per person, on average. Either via tour or on your own, it’s definitely worth it, and like I said – the day trip to Mitla was one of the best Oaxaca day trips we took!

Please note that some products or referrals in this post are affiliate links (in green) and if you go through them to make a purchase or booking, I will earn a commission. I share these product and booking links because they are related to the post and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours whether to click through and make a purchase through these links.

 

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Considering a Day Trip to Mitla?

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Lannie

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.  She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!  She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

Click on the blue icons below to follow her on social media!

lanniesfoodandtravel.com/index.php/about-me/