Who Should Go
Butterfield & Robinson's "Dalmatian Coast" trip is for those who want to take advantage of both B&R's sporting know-how and its expertise with hard-to-negotiate destinations. Think of it as offering island sightseeing through physical activity--the best of the Croatian coast if you don't mind sweating a little.
How fit should you be? Fairly fit. The activity level is graded "easygoing to moderate," but some walks and rides may be more taxing--partly because the heat can be so extreme.
What to Bring
For biking, take the full regalia: pants, shoes, socks, gloves, cap and a shirt or two. (B&R provides the helmets and, of course, the bikes, twenty-seven-gear hybrids that are easy to handle.) You can make do with just biking pants plus some regular sportswear, but you'll be more comfortable if you're better prepared. For hiking, nothing out of the ordinary is needed; just make sure you have a hat and handkerchiefs or scarves for your neck, to protect against the sun. For swimming, bring a bathing suit or two you feel at ease in; whenever you're on the boat during the day, chances are that's what you'll be wearing.
Other Advice
Make the trip from south to north, if you can. That way, Venice, with a night at the Gritti Palace, will be your last stop and a great ending rather than a glorious beginning that makes Croatia pale in comparison. If you do start in Dubrovnik, go a day early, and try to stay at the Pucic Palace hotel, in the heart of the old town. (If your itinerary ends with Dubrovnik, your B&R booking will already include one night there.) Double rooms from $330 to $703, suites from $622 to $1,181. 011-385-20-326-222; thepucicpalace.com.
Don't skip the fruit at the market in front of the hotel--figs so delicious you'll long remember them. One last thing: pack as many essentials in your carry-on as you can. Various airlines lost the luggage of almost half our group on the way to Dubrovnik and didn't return it until day four of the trip, if at all.
By the Book
If you want to learn more about traveling to and in Croatia, the Bradt Travel guide Croatia (Globe Pequot Press, 2003) is a great place to start. Author Piers Letcher has extensive knowledge of the country, both past and present. For historical perspective, Butterfield & Robinson gives clients copies of Robert D. Kaplan's Balkan Ghosts (Vintage, 1994). Although not exclusively about Croatia, the book provides a solid background for understanding the Balkans' ethnic clashes and wars. The Key to My Neighbor's House: Seeking Justice in Bosnia and Rwanda (Picador, 2001), by the late political reporter Elizabeth Neuffer, offers another look at the area. Neuffer's account of the Bosnian conflict includes a compelling analysis of the situation in neighboring Croatia (and other parts of the Balkans) before, during and after the breakup of Yugoslavia.
To reach further back in the region's history, read Rebecca West's Black Lamb and Grey Falcon (Penguin, 1994). It may be dated, but West's thousand-page account of her travels in 1936 and 1937 is still a classic and comprehensive look at Croatia and other republics of the former Yugoslavia. Edith Wharton also spent time in the Balkans, on her first Mediterranean cruise, in 1888. The Cruise of the Vanadis (Rizzoli, 2004), a collection of her extensive travel journals that was published for the first time in the United States this spring, includes a chapter on the Dalmatian coast.
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