Croatia, or should I say Sibenik, does truly offer  the unsuspecting visitor a beauty greater than what the travel guides could ever describe.

On my very first time travelling to these parts of the world I did not suspect what really awaited me. The first impression was not so great. As we struggled to find the accommodation, which had been booked via Airbnb, we were mortified to come across a half finished building site with old boat out front, plus an uncared for lawn that gave the place a sense of abandonment. Luckily we had the wrong place as the GPS appeared to have been lost. Upon calling our hosts they gave us directions to the correct place – a nice cosy family home fully done up!

The place were we stayed in was very closed to the Krka National Park, and that is why we chose it as the park was our must see attraction in Croatia. We had read so many good things about it and from the photographs online it seemed like a dream place. Nothing could have described the true beauty of this place in real justice. We travelled to the park by car and it was a short drive away from our Airbnb. On arrival we were taken by coach down a mountain hill towards the main tourist attraction – the waterfalls. The coach stopped halfway down the mountain and from there on we continue on foot through the National Park.

It was a hot summer day but the heat did not bother us much, in fact it was welcomed, not too much not too little. As we walked down the mountain we stepped on man made walkways over water springs flowing along the mountain, down towards the mesmerising waterfall right down at the bottom. The walk down was very pleasant with plenty of trees and shade, lots of places to stop, rest and take pictures. As we got closer and closer to the bottom the roaring force of the waterfall grew louder and the anxiety to reach the bottom grew stronger.

When we reached the bottom we got sight of the huge waterfall and its pool full of swimmers. The anxiety grows even stronger as all we wanted to do by now was to get in the water and waddle towards the fall. So much excitement helps to get past the initial shock of the very cold water and the surprisingly rocky waterbed. Looking around everyone was smiling for selfies and waving for videos, but all the while taking care, and many failing, not to slip in the rocks that sit underwater.

This was a very unique experience, because not only does the sight of the waterfall takes your breath away when you first catch sight of it it from far away, but you also get this amazing sensation paddling in this water, knee deep looking on to this powerful natural force cascading down the mountain.

After the cold bath in the waterfall it was time to walk up the hill again to catch the coach halfway up the park and get immersed back in the hot summer heat once again.

There is so much to see and do in the National Park but unfortunately our plans only included the main attraction which for us was the waterfalls.