I’ve wanted to go to Croatia for the last several years. I heard wonderful things about the country and how beautiful (and relatively affordable) it was compared to the rest of Europe. It’s located in Eastern Europe and is just a few hours from Italy.
Last year, my friends and I organized a group trip to visit Rovinj, a small coastal town on the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia. It’s a gorgeous town full of romance. Everything is stunning there, from the streets to the houses. The food is also excellent.
We went for a kizomba dance festival. Later in the trip report series, I will introduce you to kizomba and describe what an incredible dance it is! The dance festival was amazing and Croatia is definitely a place I want to return and spend more time exploring! The trip’s retail cost was ~$17,000 but I paid ~$900.
Captivating Croatia Trip Report Index:
- Part 1 – Introduction and Planning
- Part 2 – Admirals Club Lounge, New York (JFK)
- Part 3 – Air Berlin Flight to Croatia
- Part 4 – Getting to Venice
- Part 5 – A Night in Venice – Gritti Palace Hotel Overview
- Part 6 – A Night in Venice – Gritti Palace Hotel Room
- Part 7 – Apartment in Rovinj, Croatia
- Part 8 – Activities in Rovinj, Croatia – Discovering the Old Town
- Part 9 – Activities in Rovinj, Croatia – Exploring the Old Church
- Part 10 – Activities in Rovinj, Croatia – Day Trip to Plitvice Lakes
- Part 11 – Activities in Rovinj, Croatia – Dance Festival Review
- Part 12 – Eating in Rovinj, Croatia
- Part 13 – Shopping in Rovinj, Croatia
- Part 14 – Return Flight on Lufthansa
- Part 15 – Conclusion & Reader Giveaway
Our Love Affair with Kizomba
My friends and I are in love with kizomba, a dance originally from Africa and now extremely popular in Europe. The dance can put us into a meditative trance that cannot rival any other partner dance I’ve done.
I like this dance because of the music, which ranges from instrumental, to R&B, to electronic. And feeling the music with my dance partners can put me on cloud nine.
Kizomba is a relatively new dance in the US, and only some US cities have opportunities to learn it.
Here are some videos!
Enah and Carolina:
Tony & Sophie:
Kaem:
Summer Sensual and Salsa Festivals in Rovinj
Every year, Rovinj hosts 2 dance festivals, the Summer Sensual Days and the Summer Salsa Festival. We are all very passionate about dancing and danced on average ~10 hours per day! For many of us, it was the best vacation we’ve ever had! Dancing had a lot to do with this.
On our 1st evening in Rovinj, we got dressed up and went to a friend’s house party. The streets of the town were so pretty at night with the soft warm glow of the lights and the smooth stone streets.
After the house party, we went to the main dance hall. There was salsa, bachata, and kizomba. Many of the best dancers from Europe came out to this festival, so there was no shortage of good dancing!
Every day, there was a beach or pool party at 1 of the nearby resorts. The next day, we piled into a bus and rode to 1 of the resorts.
There were beaches and lots of space to lay out and relax.
A beach, pool, and dancing?! This was paradise for us!
There were hundreds, maybe even thousands of people who came out to dance. Luckily, it was a huge resort so it did not feel crowded.
We had so much fun every day!
Every night, we’d have fun getting ready for a full night of dancing.
There were even dance parties in the main square…
During the day, we would take dance workshops from some of the best dance instructors in the world.
Every day, there was a new pool or beach party.
The music was some of the best kizomba music I’ve ever heard!
The parties were a great way to meet new friends.
In my opinion, DJ Ozy Shyne provided the best music during the festival. He always kept the crowd moving!!
Many couples danced in the pool together!
Sliding down the waterslides was a must.
Life doesn’t get better than this!
In the evenings, we were ready to go again!
I really loved meeting dance enthusiasts and making new pals.
Bottom Line
The Summer Sensual Days in Rovinj were unforgettable. It was the best kizomba festival I’ve ever been to, and there was plenty of salsa and bachata. We stayed for the Summer Salsa Festival which is held directly after the Sensual festival.
This really maximized our dancing and we still had some down time to explore the town and nearby sites.