There was a short lineup to board the Ferry and people were friendly and talkative. This was a passenger Ferry without any cars. Once we were on Board there were many options for seating and we quickly found comfortable reclining seats. We soon were talking with an Australian couple and briefly with a Toronto Physiotherapist (small world). After about an hour the Australians and we changed to seating on the upper level with better views of the Adriatic. Overall a very civilized experience.
When we arrived on Miljet (by the way the "J" is not pronounced) we were greeted by a taxi driver that was pre-arranged by our hotel hosts. The Ferry port and the hotel were on opposite sides of the island so we had a 40 minute drive, which was actually a great way to get a sense of the beauty of Miljet. It is basically one big national park. Our taxi driver was also a fire truck driver and lived on the island year round. He explained that there were very few "residents' and that there was only occasionally one police officer during the busy season. Probably best not to get sick while visiting because there was only one or two doctors.
When we arrived at the hotel we received a warm welcome. Our son and his partner had stayed at this hotel in the Spring - which is why we were staying here. They had loved it and we did too! The owners consist of a young couple (Gordana and Srdjan ) and the Srdja's parents. They remembered our family and seemed to have genuinely enjoyed meeting them.
There are only 8 rooms and a great little restaurant. The hotel is right on the ocean and the pool/lounge area has great views. If you are brave, like Monica, you can also walk down to the ocean and swim. She reported it was a bit cold this time of year. Our room was nicely decorated and relatively spacious with a separate sitting area.
We ate all our meals at the hotel. The food was marvelous. There are lots of fresh fish options which are grilled on a wood fire. One day Srdjan overheard us talking about having fish for lunch. He quickly came over and told us he had just come back from fishing and was grilling a fresh grouper for his lunch. He told we could have it and encouraged us to come over and check it out on the grill. We asked what he would have for lunch if we took the fish. He said a sandwich and smiled. Of course the fish was worth more on our plates, but his enthusiasm was genuine.
When we checked in we discussed having "half board" which provides breakfast and dinner at a set price. We opted for the "set" breakfast and Ala Carte dinners since some of their "Island Specialities" that we ordered were not included in the half board. This was slightly more expensive, but it is useful to be aware when you are ordering. The speciality that we tried was a local goat dish, under bell, which took 3 hours to prepare.
A short walk from the hotel led us to beautiful beaches, a convenience store and a few other restaurants. There is also lots of hiking opportunities. On our second day we took a 2 kilometre trail straight uphill. Unfortunately just before the top Joe fell and seriously bruised and cut his leg. He survived but it limited hiking for the rest of our trip.
On our last day the same taxi driver brought us back to the Ferry dock. We had about an hour to hang out and we were entertained by inebriated Americans who were dancing up a storm.
The Ferry ride to Korcula was quick and comfortable.
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