Heaven of the World : PALAWAN ISLAND – PHILIPPINES
PALAWAN ISLAND – PHILIPPINES
Palawan Island Philippines is the largest island. The island is half desert, so still undeveloped. You can enjoy the jungle, mountains, and white beaches. Palawan Island has been rated by National Geographic Traveler magazine as best Southeast Asia region in 2007, and the 13th best island in the world! Palawan is an archipelago with 1,780 islands on the western part. Due to amazing landscapes and high bio-diversity, Palawan island is known as “The Last Ecological Frontier of the Philippines”. The northern part is characterized by incredible clear waters, white beaches, and many species of flora and fauna. Here at north there are most visited places like El Nido and Taytay, characterized by limestone cliffs and underwater with many species of tropical fish and coral, also are present five species of endangered sea turtles. Jungle have about 100 different species of birds! So…this is a real amazing tropical destination to relax and enjoy .
Seljalandsfoss
Seljalandsfoss is a waterfall in Iceland.Seljalandsfoss is located in the South Region in Iceland right by Route and the road that leads to porsmork Road 249. The waterfall drops 60 m (197 ft) and is part of the Seljalands River that has its origin in the volcano glacier Eyjafjallajökull. Visitors can walk behind the falls into a small cave.It is a very nice and adventur place.You can go there to entertain yourself.WHAT ARE THOSE LAKES AND WHY SHOULD I EVEN BOTHER GOING THERE?
Plitvice is an ensemble of 16 natural lakes. It is an UNESCO heritage site due to its breathtaking views, its fauna and the unique turquoise waters.
Plitvička jezera is located in the middle of the country and is about 130 km from the capital, Zagreb. It is great, as it makes it easy to visit in a day trip from Zagreb and from Split
HOW MANY DAYS SHOULD I STAY IN PLITVICE LAKES?
HOW MANY DAYS SHOULD I STAY IN PLITVICE LAKES?
It depends from what you are looking for and how tight your schedule is.
For instance, if you want to simply check the place off from your to-do list, or, if you are on a tight schedule, it is totally doable in 1 day. There are plenty of day trips offered from Zagreb or Split.
But if you ask me, 1 day would be a bit rushed in my opinion, you will not be able to enjoy it to the fullest. I stayed overnight in the park, and 2 days seemed just perfect for me!
On the other hand, if you want to do some extra activities (read below) and have a relaxed schedule, why not to stay there for 3 days? You will not get bored, I promise!
PRO TIP: Try to start your park visit in the early morning – you will take amazing pictures and will walk the park without the crowd. It is completely different atmosphere without tourists.
HOW MUCH IS THE ENTRANCE?
HOW MUCH IS THE ENTRANCE?
They have different packages depending on how many days you want to stay, the season and your age. The most expensive ticket for an adult on during the high season for 1 day is 180 HRK (~23 EUR). In order to save on tickets, you can go after August (off season), stay for longer. Don’t forget to take your student ID if you have one!
If you want to discover this UNESCO World Heritage Site with an expert guide, it is about 90$ for a group up to 50 people (good deal!)
Note that all the transportation INSIDE the park is included in your ticket. There are ferries and a small train that will take you from one side of the park to the other.
The food is not included, however, there are plenty of restaurants on station points, where you can get a snack or a full meal.
Alternatively, you can take sandwiches with you and organize a nice picnic with an amazing view to the lakes! Beware of geese and ducks, they will want a part of your lunch! 😉
PRO TIP: to save your time in queuing – there are two entrances. Entrance 1 can get a bit crowded during touristic season. Just head your way to Entrance 2, it is close, and there are way less people there.
WHERE DO I GET THE BESt PICTURE OF PLITVICE LAKES?
If you have already surfed the Internet about the lakes, you probably have seen this amazing postcard-like view.
But the problem with this view is that is not really obvious how to get there, there are no arrows pointing to that view. So, where the hell is this view and how to get there?
No worries, I investigated this problem for you! I just pointed on the ticket (there was a photo of that view too) and asked the staff how to get there. You can do that too, but let give you a small instruction just to make it easier. Make sure to go there, this is the best view to the lakes!
The lookout spot is called Veliki Slap. There are no signs directing you, but the place is stunning!
HOW DO I GET AROUND IN THE NATIONAL PARK?
HOW DO I GET AROUND IN THE NATIONAL PARK?
The territory of Plitvice lakes is huge and you definitely cannot go around the whole park by walking. That is why there is a special transfer service that will take you from point A to point B either by ferry or by train.
Here is the map of the park so that you understand it better:
The transport runs according to the schedule, the frequently depends on how busy is the park.
I waited in line for a maximum of 20 minutes, so do not worry about standing in lines for ages! (Yes, avoiding lines are very important for me, I wrote a great post about how to avoid lines in Paris).
By the way, if you want to visit the park with your dog, it is not a problem, I have seen many people walking in the park with their dogs.
HOW TO GET TO PLITVICE LAKES?
HOW TO GET TO PLITVICE LAKES?
Unfortunately, there are no trains to Plitvice lakes, so I could not use my Eurail pass.
During 30 days I was touring Europe by train and visited 6 countries and countless cities. Read here if it was worth the money!
The best option to go around the whole Croatia is definitely to rent a car. The roads are great and you get to see some truly breathtaking coastal views! In the case of Plitvice lakes, it is also easy, many people arrive with the car, the parking lots are available everywhere! Check the rates and today’s discounts for a car hire here. Or, if you take it for more than 7 days, there’s a 35% discount with this link.
If you don’t want to rent a car, there is a convenient door-to-door service on a private transfer from Plitvice to Zagreb
If you want to get there by public transport, there are many buses that are quite cheap and they run very often. You can see the schedule and buy tickets online here. Keep in mind, however, that you will have to pay a small luggage fee similar to the one you pay to low-cost airlines (from 7 to 10 kunas, ~1 Eur). You can usually save about 5% by booking your ticket online for bus companies like Autotrans. They also have Wi-FI on board by the way!
NOTE: the fee for the parking is 7 kunas/hour (1,3 Euros)
WHEN IS IT BETTER TO GO TO PLITVICE LAKES?
When you can, seriously. I have been there in early October, the weather was still nice and the water was incredibly turquoise. But every season is different in its beauty. I bet it looks gorgeous covered in snow as well!Plitvice Lakes National Park
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