Elite Traveler Spring 2024

elite traveler SPRING 2024 107

Opposite page, clockwise fromleft Striking architecture in Split; Mali Ston Bay oysters; Villa Antoan in Dubrovnik; the villa’s sauna This page, from top Villa Antoan overlooks the Adriatic; yacht pickup from thevilla

and visit Restoran Dubrovnik for fresh seafood and cocktails. We stroll around the island, calling in at Djordjic-Mayneri Park (botanical gardens) and perusing the small shops. The yacht pulls up to collect us, and we sail to a secluded spot on the Neretva River, where we explore hidden coves by paddleboard. DAY6 With nothing on the itinerary for today, we take the opportunity to laze in the glorious sunshine and take many dips in the bracing sea followed by a visit to the villa’s sauna. As we depart in the evening to the airport, watching the sun set over the spellbinding landscape, I am already plotting another visit. Yet on my return to the UK, when doing my due diligence and fact-checking activities on the itinerary, I fi nd that Google doesn’t quite know what I am asking. Kensington Tours’ little black book of in-the-know locals and non-googleable activities make for an all the more genuine experience — one that is hard to replicate without expert guidance. Price on request. Contact agents@kensingtontours. com, +1 888 903 2001, kensingtontours.com

Villa Antoan’s in fi nitypool

next to the in fi nity pool, both made all the more soothing by the soundtrack of the sea.

DAY5 While the itinerary so far has been fl awless, this is my favorite day. A yacht pulls up to our stretch of rocky beach and the diving board from which I’ve been perfecting my dives into the ocean all week. We sail around the island, pulling into caves and marveling at the Old Town from the sea. We make a stop at Elaphiti Islands where a few other yachts have dropped anchor and make the most of the onboard toys. We sail onwards to Lopud, a small car-free island o ff the coast of Dalmatia famed for its white sand beaches (which are a rarity in Croatia; most beaches are rocky)

Photos LEVEL52, Samantha Coles