Before leaving Adelaide for our photographic assignment on the PONANT cruise from Venice to Athens, and between madly booking flights, accommodation and rental cars, I had a few minutes to research some of the locations we'd be visiting during the cruise.
On this particular cruise, we weren't required to photograph during the planned excursions, so the time at each destination was our own and I headed to Google and started searching Hvar.
On TripAdvisor, at #47 of 90 things to do in Hvar was an abandoned village called Malo Grablje. From the description, it interested me and looked like a great place to shoot some 360˚ panoramas.
After making landfall at the beautiful harbour of Hvar Town, we took off in search of a Tour organiser to see if we could arrange to rent a car or engage a guide to take us to the village.
The first company we visited said arranging a tour at short notice was impossible and renting a car was impossible as the location was quite challenging. Rental companies would not allow their cars to go off-road.
In the same building was another small agency manned by two young women. We told them where we wanted to go, and they said it might be possible and handed us a brochure from a company called IZI Rent, which featured a crazy-looking dune buggy on its cover with a graphic saying, "Have to try it!". There were two options: the dune buggy or the quad bike. I thought the dune buggy and the gear we carried looked more functional. A quick phone call confirmed that we could rent the buggy and that a representative from the company would meet us shortly to take us to the office.
IZI Brochure cover
It wasn't long before a young man turned up, we later found out his name was Antoni, and we started a rather long and winding walk up through the streets of Hvar twisting and turning not quite sure what was going on. After about 15 minutes climbing the hilly part of the city we came across a small yellow doored office on a side street with a dune buggy and quad bike in front of it.
Antoni introduced us to Alanka and she started the process of getting the rental sorted out. She told us that she rarely allows their rentals to go off road, unless part of a group tour, and that the primary reason she was willing to rent to us was because the girls in the agency has told her that we'd be okay because we were "old". Hmm not quite sure how to take that.
We assured Alanka that we would be very careful on the road up to Malo Graglje and that we respect her wishes to maintain a low speed while off road.
On the road in Hvar
Needless to say we had a great time and visited several spots around the island before returning the buggy that afternoon.
Before heading back to the ship we spent time with them talking about what we were doing and the plans that they had to provide more services to visitors to the island. We finished up sharing a glass of Chivas before wending our way back down the hill to the harbour.
The team from IZI Rent [left to right]: Maryan, Alanka, Antoni and Izi
I can't recommend them more highly. For more information visit their Facebook page.
Another spot not to miss is the old Fort. The view of Hvar Town from the battlements is stunning.
Hvar Town and Harbour from the old Fort
