(Him: Charlie)
"I feel SLOVENIA" is the latest tourism promotion slogan, and that’s exactly what I would say if I had to sum up Slovenia in one sentence! From serene Alps valleys to spectacular natural wonders, from nostalgic castles to charming coastal towns, from laid-back sun-bathing to extreme sports, this tiny little country has everything a tourist could ask for. We love Slovenia so much that we ended up spending disproportionally longer time and higher budget here, but it’s worth it. In fact, I would say every place we went in Slovenia is a highlight!
"Bluer-than-blue" Soca River and majestic Julian Alps
I’ve never seen river water so clean and so clear. Thanks to lime stones on river bed, the turquoise river becomes one of the best scenery we’ve seen this trip. The majestic Julian Alps are a haven for extreme sports that guarantee adrenaline rushes. We chosen to go with rafting on the lovely Soca River, outdoor climbing, and of course, canyoning for the first time!
Fairytale-like castles and dragons
Legend has it that the founder of Ljubljana, Jason, conquered a dragon to found the ancient Ljubljana. Today, dragon is a symbol of Ljubljana, and can be found everywhere, including the Slovenia license plates! Slovenians (and their ancestors) like to build castles atop cliffs, which directly injected the fuel to the booming tourism industry! Job well done!
My favourite castle of the ones I’ve seen is the Predjama Castle, which has a network of natural Karst caves underneath the castle! I've been wanting to visit this castle for a long time. And now... another item crossed on the bucket list!
Picture-perfect Bled Lake
What can I say! This place seems it was created just for photos!
Charming Venetian-style Coastal Town
The coastal Slovenia is a change of scenery for us. Thanks to the Roman Empire and Venetian Republic legacy, the style of the towns here are entirely different than any other countries we've been so far.
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Perfect Life of a Slovenian
During our three days in the charming Soca Valley, we met Matic, the owner of Adrenaline Check Eco-Camp. He's about my age, probably a few years older, but he's got one of the most envious lives.
Born and raised in Slovenia, Matic studied tourism in college, and further advanced his tourism experience in Canada and USA for a couple of years. Since 5 years ago, he co-founded the eco-camp, just in time for the boom of eco-tourism in this region of Slovenia. Not only Matic gets a cool job of leading extreme sports in the valley and greeting international tourists, he also has his whole family by his side almost 24/7. In the summer, his whole family stays at the eco-camp, so Matic can spend time with them as much as they can. Matic's two kids (3-yr-old and 5-yr-old) also get to grow up in the beautiful natural environment and the gigantic eco-camp. When winter comes, they would travel to Sri Lanka and operate their newly established surfing hostel.
Who doesn't like Matic's life? Perfect job with maximum family time! This life may seem a bit too wild for us the city folks, but I really admire his determination for spending time with family and his optimistic view in life. Although he's got lots of ideas for the eco-camp and other touristic business, he did admit he won't be doing this forever. So what will he do then? "Wherever life takes me", he said.
Isn't this what life is about? Seizing every opportunity that life throws at us, but more importantly, stay positive and flexible. As long as we have our family and friends supporting us, what more do we need?
The coastal Slovenia is a change of scenery for us. Thanks to the Roman Empire and Venetian Republic legacy, the style of the towns here are entirely different than any other countries we've been so far.
********************************************
Perfect Life of a Slovenian
During our three days in the charming Soca Valley, we met Matic, the owner of Adrenaline Check Eco-Camp. He's about my age, probably a few years older, but he's got one of the most envious lives.
Born and raised in Slovenia, Matic studied tourism in college, and further advanced his tourism experience in Canada and USA for a couple of years. Since 5 years ago, he co-founded the eco-camp, just in time for the boom of eco-tourism in this region of Slovenia. Not only Matic gets a cool job of leading extreme sports in the valley and greeting international tourists, he also has his whole family by his side almost 24/7. In the summer, his whole family stays at the eco-camp, so Matic can spend time with them as much as they can. Matic's two kids (3-yr-old and 5-yr-old) also get to grow up in the beautiful natural environment and the gigantic eco-camp. When winter comes, they would travel to Sri Lanka and operate their newly established surfing hostel.
Who doesn't like Matic's life? Perfect job with maximum family time! This life may seem a bit too wild for us the city folks, but I really admire his determination for spending time with family and his optimistic view in life. Although he's got lots of ideas for the eco-camp and other touristic business, he did admit he won't be doing this forever. So what will he do then? "Wherever life takes me", he said.
Isn't this what life is about? Seizing every opportunity that life throws at us, but more importantly, stay positive and flexible. As long as we have our family and friends supporting us, what more do we need?
A great summary of a great destination! You should definitely get into more detail - I think every location you mentioned deserves at least a post on their own.
ReplyDeleteHave fun and keep blogging!