Krka National Park

We were incredibly fortunate to visit the stunning Krka National Park in Croatia. I could spend weeks exploring this breath-taking place, teeming with all kinds of flora and fauna. It is based around the Krka River.

There are 18 species of fish in the park, including these spotted trout.

The most famous feature of the area is the largest travertine cascades in all of Europe.

Travertine up close

 The travertine cascades are formed by limestone deposits from thermal springs. In this case the hot water is depositing on living organisms, so the cascades are growing and living.

There are 222 kinds of birds in the park, including these beautiful swans and signets.

 The whole area near the largest cascade pool named Sravinski Buk in filled with travertine cascades.

Here is a gorgeous view of part of the park.

Kourouta Beach, Peloponesse

On our final cruise Sam and I took a transfer to Kourouta Beach, Greece. It has a "blue flag" from the European Union for its purity and excellence.

The beach chairs were actually FREE which was amazing, and we nabbed two chairs with an umbrella. After a swim we found a beautiful little local eatery on the water and ate some delicious Mousaka.

Adaland Aqua Park- Kuśadasi, Turkey

We visited the Turkish port of Kuśadasi around 6 times during our time on the ship. This city is very seasonal, swelling to more than double its size in the tourist season, and its popularity is due to it being the port of access to the ancient city of Ephesus. We had heard a lot about the epic water park nearby (largest in Europe), and figured that it was a great way to spend our last day in "Kuce the duce".

There was a mixture of slides and raft rides, and we had a great day running around like kids.

Action shot

Our favourite ride was a slide which began at the top of a huge tower. You stood inside a capsule with a mat wrapped around you, then the floor was released and you free-fell for a few seconds before doing a huge loop-the-loop.