Gunning for fun

There has been a lot of hype about Croatia's Dalmatian coast being the new Riviera, a playground where the wealthy can parade their yachts and Lacoste uniforms.

And it's true — which is good news if you happen to have an enormous yacht and a fondness for alligator logos.

Unfortunately, with my budget, I had to look elsewhere.
After the Balkans War, which saw the beautiful city of Dubrovnik in the line of fire, the Croatian government pumped millions into its tourist infrastructure — with great success.

History of war

Among its investments is a peninsula called Prevlaka Park opposite the Serbia-Montenegro border.

Originally a quiet village, Prevlaka was invaded, occupied and turned it into a military base by the Serbs.

When Nato moved in, the Serbs were ousted and the region was handed to the United Nations.

Three years ago, the UN handed it back to the Croats and today, you can go there and shoot your buddies with paintballs, ride an ATV and free climb the walls of the old headquarters.

Paintballing in authentic Croatian army clothes is not for everyone but is a welcome distraction from the expensive pubs and coffee shops that entertain the alligator crowd.

Arriving at the Prevlaka adventure park, it seemed the tourism board had given up on adventure travellers — the place had almost no one.

Later, however, I felt pleased as I sprayed bullets in every direction in a fit of Jackson Pollock-inspired rage.

But however much fun paintballs are, they can bruise, especially when shot at close range.

But the only real “casualty'' of the day was a Belgian tourist who passed out due to the suffocating heat under the thick army togs.

There is something eerily disturbing about crouching in a thorny field with a gun, wearing used army uniforms, in a military base, within view of a former conquering army.

“The Serbs destroyed everything,'' explained our 16-year-old guide, Pero. Then he showed me his customised gas-powered rifle and the conversation veered to the topic of war and destruction.

By the end of the day, I came away with a better understanding of the conflict that has ravaged the region.

Good to go

Next, I joined a kayaking adventure run by Adria Adventures. The Adriatic Sea bordered by the Dalmatian coast is blue and sparkling clean.

Kayaking in and around the islands of Dubrovnik has become a popular activity, with choice ranging from short day trips to five-day camping expeditions.

My chosen destination was Lokrum Island, located just off the Old Town. My guide, a 6-foot-3 water-polo hunk named Matko, explained the island's dubious history to all of us.

But it seemed like we men were the only ones listening — the girls were too busy staring at Matko.

We came across caves as we paddled along and took in the stunning views of the Old Town and the surrounding burnt-out hills.

After we returned a few hours later, the Adria boys, none of whom would look out of place on a ramp in Milan, packed the gear away and had girls taking turns at posing with them, all smiles.

The guys, in the meantime, tried their best not to stare at Ivana, Adria's friendly manager, a former Miss Croatia.

Paintballing, kayaking, ATVs and beautiful people — my faith was suitably redeemed in Croatia's appeal to those with big hearts, small budgets and no love for alligators.

— Robin Esrock is a freelance travel writer and host of Word Travels, a travel series on National Geographic Adventure. Visit www.wordtravels.tv for more information

Information

Website

• II Find out more about Adria Adventures at www.adriatic-sea-kayak.com
  
• Prevlaka Park is about an hour's drive from Dubrovnik and offers paintball, an ATV terrain and walls for free climbing. It's best to make bookings in advance. Visit www.prevlaka.hr for more details.