STEFDOLL.COM: May 2016

Heaven is Hvar

Tuesday 17 May 2016

Heaven is Hvar; a little Dalmatian island an hour's ferry south of Split. It's a maze of cobbled streets and shuttered villas, with every corner being more instagrammable than the next. From the second we arrived we were already planning our trip back - everything about this place is extraordinary. The flight from London to Split was 2 hours. We then took a bus to the port (around £3 per person), but a taxi is also inexpensive if you're with a group. We were early for the first ferry and had time to kill, so we grabbed a wonderful breakfast at Brasserie on 7 in Split.

From there we took the ferry from Split to Hvar, which took just over an hour. Our wonderful hosts Andrew and Dani were waiting for us at the port, and guided us to our home for the next three days - their adorable and extremely affordable Airbnb. Andrew took the time to chat with us, highlighting the best day trips to take, restaurants to eat at, and bars and clubs to hit up at night!

Our backyard for the weekend

View from our room

We wandered the streets before heading out to dinner on our first evening. We ate at a local restaurant picked out by Andrew, which ended up being our favourite food of the entire trip - Dalmatino. The place gets packed so a reservation is really a must! They also serve up a bunch of free shots - before and after dinner.

I had the best squid ink gnocchi with istrian truffles and fresh prawns. Big miss if you haven't had this dish in Hvar - it really is a must! The tuna tartare, zucchini carpaccio and chateaubriand were also delicious.

After dinner, we headed to Nautica Bar for drinks and dancing!

The next morning we rose early to spend the day on a boat touring the nearby islands. Water taxis are readily available at the port and we negotiated a price of around £50 per person to be taken out for the day.

Carpe Diem Beach Club (was closed however should be amazing in high season!)

We stopped at the small bay of Palmizana where we spent the day sunbathing and drinking and eating at magazine-worthy restos.

Bathing Suit: Seafolly (on sale!)

Restaurant Zori (pictured above) was situated here; a true hidden gem with an amazing menu and breathtaking sea view. We grabbed drinks next door at Leganini Lounge, which was also simply captivating, not to mention, who doesn't want to sip cocktails in a tree AND on a hut on the water?

Pulling up to Leganini Lounge

Dinner that night was at Fig, a tiny establishment located in a back alley in Hvar. It had lots of vegan and vegetarian options, and amazing flatbread!

The next day we hiked up to check out the fortress at the top of the city, and then we headed over to Hula Hula Bar (perfect for day parties and sunset) for lunch, drinks and more sunbathing.

And that's it! For a quick links on the trip, check the below:

STAY:

Andrew and Dani's Airbnb in Hvar!

EAT:

Alviz

Brasserie on 7 (Split)

Dalmatino (a MUST!)

Fig

PLAY:

Monday 9 May 2016

5 comments

Working for Etsy gives me allows me to dig deep into the site and provide you guys with my absolute favourite items. Get into the summer spirit with my Top 15 Etsy picks of the moment!

1. Copper planter
2. Weekends are for waffles t-shirt
3. Soy skull candle
4. Transparent tropical leaves phone case
5. Cinque Terre wall art
6. Birch paper straws
7. Spartan ethnic pink leather sandals
8. Gold elephant
9. Mini taco cake toppers and piñatas
10. Handcrafted bread board
11. Turn off your straightener mat
12. Cheers balloons
13. Hexagon ring dish
14. Moroccan pom pom blanket
15. Watermelon juice yoga pants

To see more more of my Etsy favourites, click here.

Wednesday 4 May 2016

1 comment

I am officially hooked on Ibiza. A part of me still simply cannot comprehend that a place like this exists a mere 2.5hr flight away from London. Sometimes I need to pinch myself and realize how lucky I am to be able to experience and explore so many wonderful parts of Europe.

With the season not yet fully in a swing, many big clubs were not open. Don't get me wrong, in the summer months clubs and their epic DJs are all the rage, but for me the Ibiza experience focused on the nascent local food movement, small-scale fashion designers, drinks, drinks and more drinks... and high end beach clubs!

Our long weekend kicked off at the Hotel Village Ibiza, which is situated on the west coast of the island. Upon arrival we were served a welcome drink - yay! The staff were friendly and attentive and the rooms, pool and sundeck were all just gorgeous. Breakfast was included every morning and the overall vibe of the place was just so chill. I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone heading to Ibiza for a trip of rest and relaxation after partying the night away.

Sweater: Boohoo

Bikini: Rip Curl

After spending some time unwinding at the hotel, our next stop was Blue Marlin Beach Club, the most famous beach club on the island. They had our favourite drinks and the food and music were great too. It felt like Miami in a sense where I could people watch all day and never get bored!

Shoes: Aquazzura

Dinner that evening was at Bambuddah which came recommended by a friend and was probably one of the yummiest Asian fusion restaurants I've been to in a while. The decor and atmosphere were incredible.

As convenient as it might be to lounge around Playa d’en Bossa (the clubby-area), Ibiza rewards those who take a drive to far more beautiful shores. We had a wonderful time sipping on drinks and exploring Calla Vadella on our last day. The beach was just a 20-minute walk from our hotel. I also scored the cutest new cover up from a little boutique called Alquimia.

Exploring the old town was also high on our to-do list for uninterrupted views of the harbor and the surrounding castle. Make sure to wear proper shoes when climbing up the steep, narrow cobblestone paths - I learned my lesson the hard way.

Check out Lady Lara in the back!

Drinks were had mid-climb - literally on the steps of S'escalinata.

Another highlight of the trip was watching the sunset at Sunset Ashram, a magical gem on the west coast of the island. It gets packed at sun-down so reserving a table before sunset is a must. The food is a fusion of Mediterranean, sushi and Hindu. Overall delicious food, good music and great vibes. It does clear out after sunset though, so make sure you get there for the main event!