Blog

Saturday , 1 May 2021

Europe is ready

It’s been almost exactly 400 days since the World stood still. As I’m writing this we are on the eve of 1st May, the day that is widely celebrated all around the World as the Labour day. In Slovenia where I come from, we used to light bonifires on that day, now for the second year in a row this once again was not be possible.

I shall celebrate the day nevertheless, this time as the day when I really see the end of covid in sight. Globally 1.1 billion vaccines have already been administered, every day 20 million more and the speed is growing as we speak. That alone is bringing the infection rate under control in much of the world – in North America, the UK and Israel first, and now also in the European Union where vaccination has finally started to speed up. As the summer approaches we see the prospects of what even few months ago would have been unthinkable: that quite likely we might have tourism back this summer and what’s even more important, unlike last year this time around it is going to be for good.

Not everywhere is still quite the same sadly. It is heart-breaking to see what is happening in India just now as this is a stark reminder how dreadful this disease can be if it’s left unmanaged. India and Brazil represent not only huge tragedies to their own people but also pose a threat to the rest of the world as they give such a vast breeding ground for various mutations of the virus. Yet we need to trust the science when they say they are ready for it and can adjust the vaccine as per how is needed.

As the countries are opening-up we are also expecting a harmonious synchronisation of the rules and regulations enabling safe travel. The recent approval of European parliament is an important step in this path which will ease the way how we are crossing borders in the times when pandemic is still alive.

And this brings the power of decision making back to us. It is on us to help our clients get on the way, to give them a light yet confident pad on the back – that now it’s safe to travel to Europe once again. We have all been waiting for this time for over a year now and finally we see it coming.

At Happy Tours we are determined to remain at the forefront of recovery and assist our clients to it as well. Europe is still there awaiting to be explored. Yet it is not quite the same as how it was when we left it!

Greek philosopher Heraclithes once said »Pantha Rhei« or »Everything flows« meaning no man ever steps in the same river twice – as the water is always different. In the year passed a lot of water surely has flown under the bridge and not only Europe but also We are different. For one thing I believe we are not taking things for granted anymore, we see how fragile everything is and finally we got aware of yet another and an even bigger disaster looming – Climate emergency!

If there’s something I’m happy about this past 400 days is that I see a fundamental change in our approach to it – it’s no longer left to the »Good-Doers«, but it has been firmly established as humanity’s prime goal which attracts also financial motivation for the commerce. This way we are giving the planet and especially ourselves a bigger chance.

Over the next weeks and months, I invite you on a journey with us, where we will present you how much Europe has changed. Our team of experts will guide you from region to region and share numerous ideas that you can easily offer to your guests when they start knocking on your doors again. And we shall begin there, where our company was born 20 years ago.

Sašo Krumpak | CEO & Founder


Friday , 5 February 2021

Class of 2020

At the time I’m writing this, the number of Covid vaccinations has surpassed the number of (official) infections. This is a milestone moment and yet the world still has a long path towards the resurrection and to put an end to this deadly disease.

With more and more vaccines getting approved it is the logistical task of revamping production to the level that the vaccine can be distributed to everyone in the world as soon as possible. Because remember, until everyone is safe, no one is safe!

With current vaccine production problems in Europe and around the world it is unlikely that this will be achieved immediately and in the interim period we can expect more border closing in order to prevent mutated strains.

We are in a proper race, not amongst the individual countries, but with the virus itself: the virus needs to be stopped worldwide fast enough before it mutates further and thus threatens to escape the current vaccination efforts, because if it does, we would need to restart with the jabs from scratch once again.

But we have to remain optimists, in most of the countries the virus is in retreat and the vaccination efforts are closing its potential rapidly. I think in the UK as most of the rest of Europe we will get out of the lockdown latest by Easter and then once again, like last year form a travel bubble from May onwards. I predict other parts of the world will be doing the same and then only gradually open up one to another. I sincerely hope that the Fall 2021 marks the beginning of the restart of the long-haul travelling however modest it would be initially.

At Happy Tours we are following the situation attentively. 2020 was our jubilee year marking the 20th anniversary of our company and we had high ambitions for it. When news started to pour in about the virus in Wuhan in the beginning of January, I was worried. Then I found myself shocked over the news on the 24th January that China announced the ban on international group travelling. But who would have thought that by mid-March the World will stand still? We did not understand a lot about this new virus, yet nevertheless we tried to ask ourselves until when can this total ban on our businesses last. Is it going to be during Summer or Autumn when things will restart? Little did we know that it’s not going to be for at least another year. That we’ll have to wait at least until the Summer or maybe even Autumn 2021 until the travelling will recommence when once more our jobs will be possible again.

And yet we have to battle through. We have tried to adapt to the situation and despite occurring some 99% drop in our annual turnover last year, still we see some positive traits.

We have renamed and completely repurposed our coach company – Halki became and IT company involved in digitalisation of tourism. We reorganised and moved our IT team to this company and have developed our own reservation system for booking of accommodations and activities and are continuing by offering our internally developed tour operator software. The first sales results are here and Halki is looking to have a great future ahead.

Another project we strongly believe is Self-E-Drive tours. Tours with electrical cars in Slovenia, Croatia, Norway and Iceland and with standard cars in Italy and a number of other places of Europe. We have already established some great partnerships and are inviting all of you to join us with this. Because before the group touring restarts, this is how tourism will bounce back first!

Happy Tours Experiences is a common thread we are pursuing for a while already, but now for the first time we put them together to a dedicated brochure on different types of tours we’re doing.

I’m very proud of my devoted colleagues who are showing enormous perseverance and are ready to venture in the unknown territories and at the same time keeping our spirits high.

I believe one day we will all look at 2020 with a combination of disbelief and pride. Because we have overcome what seemed like an impossible task. I imagine that the next generations will be learning about this past year in school and the Class of 2020 will be given a very special badge of honour. And all of us in tourism we’ll be wearing it with great pride forever.  –

Let us invite you on a journey to reshape the future of tourism together!

Sašo Krumpak | CEO & Founder


Tuesday , 6 February 2020

We pledge to become a sustainable company as we Declare a Climate Emergency!

Happy Tours is an European inbound operator that is handling close to 2000 groups a year (100.000 passengers), mainly from long-haul markets, such as Northern America, Far East Asia and, all throughout our Continent. We therefore feel the real reponsiblity towards turning ourselves and helping our clients – travel agents from around the world to become sustainable companies as well.

We are developing the method of measuring the carbon footprint of our clients during our tours. We will offer and promote the mechanisms to offset it. Same time we will analyze and actively develop more sustainable practises, encouraging both our suppliers as well as our clients to promote them.

For us sustainable travel is the key to safeguard both our planet, as well as to encourage positive practises of human co-operation and responsible development – and we want to play an active part towards this.

While these efforts are a continuous project which we want to engrain into our policies and daily practises, we will use 2020 as a trial year where we will already measure the carbon impact we make, as well as already design first pilot schemes for offsetting.
Then in the period of three years (2021-2023) we want to gradually lessen the carbon imprint and become the first major european DMC to completely erase it in 5 years time (so latest by 2025).

We’ve signed up to Tourism Declares, an initiative that supports tourism businesses, organisations and individuals in declaring a climate emergency and taking purposeful action to reduce their carbon emissions as per the advice from The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to cut global carbon emissions to 55% below 2017 levels by 2030.

Like all signatories, we have committed to the following five actions:

  1. Develop a ‘Climate Emergency Plan’ within the next 12 months, which sets out our intentions to reduce carbon emissions over the next decade.
  2. Share an initial public declaration of our ‘Climate Emergency Plan’, and update on progress each year.
  3. Accept current IPCC advice stating the need to cut global carbon emissions to 55% below 2017 levels by 2030 in order to keep the planet within 1.5 degrees of warming. We’ll ensure our ‘Climate Emergency Plan’ represents actions designed to achieve this as a minimum, through delivering transparent, measurable and increasing reductions in the total carbon emissions per customer arising from our operations and the travel services sold by us.
  4. Encourage our suppliers and partners to make the same declaration; sharing best practice amongst peers; and actively participate in the Tourism Declares community
  5. Advocate for change. We recognise the need for system change across the industry, and call for urgent regulatory action to accelerate the transition towards zero carbon air travel.

We Declare a Climate Emergency


Tuesday , 30 April 2019

London is open for business!

If there’s something that holds true, it is the fact that London isn’t short of world-class cultural sights, entertainment possibilities, incredible venues and top chefs. And Brexit isn’t going to change that. Come and see this for yourself and allow Happy Tours to prepare a memorable incentive proposal. If you have ever wanted to:

Climb the roof of the 02 – London is the place to be
Yes, it’s no joke: you can take a guided expedition over the roof of the 02 and enjoy spectacular views over East London. Be it during the day, at sunset or at twilight, this unique experience will get your blood pumping!
Thamse Cruise
Take a boat ride along the river Thames – London is the place to be
Escape the hustle and bustle by boarding a Bateaux London cruise. Experience a different perspective of London and charm attendees with delicious food, striking views and entertainment on the river Thames.
Shard View
Experience the view from the Shard – London is the place to be.
The Shard has redefined London’s skyline and quickly established its place as a dynamic symbol of London. At a height of up to 800ft or 244m, and at almost twice the height of any other vantage point in London, you will experience unrivalled 360 degree views over the city. Have we mentioned that the Shard features also Europe’s tallest Moët & Chandon bar?
Mini Moriss Tours
Drive vintage minis – London is the place to be.
It doesn’t get more British than this. Explore the city in a fleet of classic mini coopers and discover London’s hidden gems whilst learning about their unique stories. And yes: treasure hunt revolving around anything from Harry Potter to the Beatles is also possible.
London Eye
Take a spin on the iconic London Eye – London is the place to be.
Why not hiring a private capsule for the 30 minute rotation or indulge guests with Dining at 135. For this dining experience the London Eye is exclusively opened for your group and begins with a champagne reception, followed by a luxury three-course gourmet meal with fine wine.

London is all you need to inspire your clients. There are endless options to create an unforgettable trip for your group and make sure that this will be the trip of their life.

Sašo Krumpak


Wednesday , 27 March 2019

Oceanografic of Valencia

One of the biggest aquariums in Europe is located in architectually avantgarde venue named City of Sciences in Valencia (Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències).
It is a true tribute to the seas and oceans of the planet and contains large aquariums which faithfully reproduce the most important marine ecosystems. A whole sea of sensations which can spark our imagination. Guests can travel through the longest underwater tunnel in Europe, below the sharp teeth of sharks, and discover the only family of beluga whales in Europe.

Oceanografic is a heaven for families with children but also an emotional experience for adults. While the first could spend an entire day observing these beautiful sea and land creatures, groups of adult would stay in Oceanographic from 2 to 3 hours. In any case we would recommend it as a must-see in Valencia.

For all fans of nature there is second scientific venue. Hemisferic is an splendid Laserium, Planetarium and IMAX cinema (over a 900 square meters of screen). It belongs to the City of Arts and Sciences complex. The building was designed by Santiago Calatrava. It has the shape of an eye, and is reflected 24.000 square meters lake. The cover of the cinema looks like the eye lips of the eye, and can be closed or opened.


Tuesday , 5 February 2019

Bring it on, 2019, we’re ready!

January is usually the time when the whole Happy Team gets together for an annual company meeting – it was already the 7th edition!

We’ve gathered to discuss plans and check the results of 2018. The first part took part at Plitvice Lakes, at our brand-new Lyra Plitvice 4* hotel – let’s say, we’ve made a soft opening. The second part took place in Ljubljana. As photos speak louder than words, check out our FB page and read a brief recap written by Sašo Krumpak, the owner & founder of Happy Tours.

Once a year, in January, we meet with all of our offices and so we have now also on what has been the 7th edition of our Annual company meeting. This time we’ve met at Plitvice and thus made a soft opening of our new hotel, Lyra Plitvice 4*. We had an intensive teambuilding in Croatia and then continued in Ljubljana with three days of intensive discussions. We have analyzed last year and brought out projections for this, we had a number of roundtables, seminaries and presentations setting out plans for the future. We believe we are now ready to embrace what we think will be the best year in our company history. And we’re determinately following our mission to Make our travelers Happy!

Sašo Krumpak


Wednesday, 18 December 2018

Farewell to 2018 and a toast to 2019!

Sašo Krumpak, the founder of Happy Tours, about why 2018 has been a great year and why 2019 will even be greater (if not the greatest)!

Saso_Krumpak_10_Years_Happy_TOursAs another year is coming to a close, I want to raise a toast to all our clients who support us. From many countries and all of the continents they are coming from. I also want to raise the toast to our suppliers, hoteliers, coach partners and the drivers themselves, restaurants and entrance places and, of course also to our amazing guides, who bring narration to the pretty sights and make history come alive. And lastly, I want to raise the glass to all of our wonderful colleagues, spread around the Globe, who with their hard work and dedication, often sacrificing quality time with their families for the company, are helping to offer memorable journeys to our guests.

We are we and where are we headed?

This year we celebrated 10 years in the business of becoming a leading European DMC. So, it’s only natural to ask ourselves where are we heading to and what we can be looking for in 2019?

Despite the warning shakes and trembles the world economy is still in a good shape and all our major partners are projecting the growth in the coming year. As we are expanding our market share on most of the markets so naturally we aim to grow substantially in 2019, too.

It’s time for Lyra Plitvice, our brand-new hotel!

Our employees are our biggest asset and hence we gather every January in our Company meeting to discuss how to improve ourselves and our performance. This year I’m looking even more so to it because we will assemble in our new, finally finished hotel, Lyra Plitvice in Croatia. The hotel, despite its opening delays, is receiving great acclaims and looks like we will be sold out already in our first, opening season!

Stay hungry, stay foolish

Company meeting is a unique opportunity to improve our communication and build on the synergies that we bring. We employ 15 different nationalities, scattered around 9 offices, 5 in Europe and 4 in Asia, so good communication is of utmost importance.

We are running Happy Tours Academy sessions to educate and train internally and we will be having team buildings to improve our co-operation abilities. Part of the sessions will concentrate on Operational issues, problem solving, partly to the new developments in our own IT system. TOP as we called it, an acronym for Tour Operating Programme, but also for naming the direction where we want to go, has now graduated and is able to cover just about every aspect of our operations and planning, from quotations to hotel booking, coach planning and project operations. We are adding a connection to the accounting so as to complete the circle.

Plans for 2019

We have launched Italy as a product on a whole different level, we see a big growth in Greece, UK and Scandinavia, but most importantly we added the whole of East Europe including Baltics as our strong base. That is not to neglect Balkan, of course, which is where we started 10 years ago and where we are definitely a market leader. For 2019 we already have confirmed the record number of MICE projects, with big numbers of participants in London, Paris, Swiss, Amsterdam and Berlin. And our spin-off brand, Privilegium, aimed at luxury and tailor-made FIT travelling is growing solid as well.

Putting it all together I’m looking forward to another exciting year. So: toast to all of you, my colleagues, friends and Partners who support us. May 2019 be a great year for all of us!

Sašo Krumpak


Wednesday, 28 November 2018

Never have I ever… Experience London this December! 

We reveal HAPPY TOURS list of top 5 unique London Christmas experiences for this year, for which we believe you have never ever experienced, but you definitely should. Enjoy!

Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace
Did you know that the first Christmas tree in England was introduced in the early 19th century? It was in 1841, when the German Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, decorated a large Christmas three at Windsor Castle. This reminded him of his childhood in Germany, where the Christmas tree had been deep-roted and tradition for ages. And now you have a chance travel back in time and peek into the cheerful atmosphere. >>visit<<
Skylight
Skylight
It’s the only rooftop ice rink in Europe. Need we say more? >>visit<<
Great Gatsby style…
Great Gatsby style…
The roaring twenties. Jump into F. Scott Fitzgerald’s most famous and glamourous stories and dance the night away. St. James’ Court, Taj hotel, has partnered up with Hartshorn – Hook Productions, to deliver the UK’s longest running Immersive ‘The Great Gatsby’ theatre show from The Guild of Misrule in a stunning and engaging event for you.>>visit<<
Royal Albert Hall…
Royal Albert Hall
For families with children – what else could you possibly wish for? Join Father Christmas and his elves wrap up Christmas presents. They have enchanted the Royal Albert Hall into their secret London Headquarters.>>visit<<
Michelin-starred restaurant …
Michelin-starred restaurant
London is a foodie heaven. Home to as many as 71 Michelin-starred restaurants in total, ranging from one-star restaurants to two and three-star restaurants, London is heaven for foodies. And Christmas time is just the right time to treat yourself with a superb meal! Check out the list >>visit<<

Monday, 29 October 2018

The task sounded easier than it actually turned out to be. “Make a list of 7 castles to visit in Slovenia and Croatia. We want to show, how rich the history of these two countries is. And don’t go for the obvious ones. Leave out the Game of Thrones in Dubrovnik and their famous wall. We want to go off-the-beaten-track. Be innovative. Make a survey.”

Sure, no problem. Consider it done. Based on the fact that Happy Tours is No.1 tour operator in the Balkan area, actually means that we know each and every hidden spot of the countries. So I asked the Balkan Department for help. And soon realized I made a huge mistake! “What do you mean by 7? For each country?” This was the most common reaction I got. “No, we were more thinking of choosing 7 best from both countries,” I replied.

To cut long story short: I got many lists back. And these included detailed explanations why these castles are the best to visit. So I made a shortlist and it’s my greatest pleasure to present the top 7 castles. P.S. Haven’t visited all of them in person, but after this survey, I am pretty sure that this will happen soon!

Ljubljana Castle
Ljubljana Castle
Ljubljana Castle dominates the skyline of the charming capital of Slovenia and offers splendid panoramic views of the area. HINT: It has its very own escape room and two great restaurants!
Trakošćan Castle
Trakošćan Castle
The turning point in the history of the castle was the 19thcentury, when Drašković family turned it into a Neo-Gothic styled manor, surrounded by breathtaking gardens and a mesmerizing lake. One of the most beautiful castles in Croatia today houses a museum! HINT: Kill two birds with one stone: Trakošćan Castle is less than a 30-minute drive from the oldest Slovenian town of Ptuj, which hides another stunning castle to discover!
Bled Castle
Bled Castle
Located in the foothills of the Julian Alps, Bled Castle dominates the north shore of the picture-perfect lake Bled from the very top of a sheer cliff face. HINT: Guaranteed the most instagrammable location in Slovenia!
Veliki Tabor Castle
Veliki Tabor Castle
Veliki Tabor is known for the legendary and tragically forbidden love story between a peasant girl, Veronika Desinić, and Frederick II, the Count of Celje. Today it houses numerous exhibitions and enchants visitors with a fairy-tale like look. HINT: Make a story out of the legend and visit the town of Celje, where Frederick II lived.
Predjama Castle
Predjama Castle
Simply because it’s the world’s largest cave castle. HINT: Combine the visit to the castle with the visit to Postojna Cave, Europe’s largest cave.
Tvrdalj Castle
Tvrdalj Castle
Tvrdalj Castle is located in the scenic town of Stari Grad on the island of Hvar. It’s not that much of a castle, but looks really stunning. HINT: Combine this with the visit of island Vis – where Mamma Mia 2 was filmed!
Ptuj Castle
Ptuj Castle
Because it’s located in the city, which is the hardest city for British holidaymakers to say – according to the recent survey in Daily Mail: link

Friday, 29 September 2018

Switzerland

Everybody wants to travel to Switzerland, don’t you agree? It is quite amazing that this small country enjoyes such reputation throughout the world. Our team has invested a good amount of time last month to catch up with our Swiss partners and experience best of what Switzerland has to offer.

Hotels in Switzerland have a very high occupancy rate. Lucerne, Interlaken and Swiss Riviera (Montreux and Lausanne) were sold out this summer. Besides a very pleasant summer climate and Alpine freshness, this is the time of the year for GCC travels. Switzerland has everything that this market asks for. Forrests, mountains, lakes and luxury. While above mentioned popular destinations are fully booked, it is not so in the big cities. Summer is a good time to catch best rates in Swiss business capitals Zurich, Bern and Geneva. Another thing to pay attention in Switzerland is air conditioning. Since they do not have many ‘hot’ days their hotels in most cases do not have air conditioning systems. This is a hotel feature that we need to pay attention to.

September brought numerous business events back to life and therefore big cities get overwhelmed by corporate travellers. Would you think that the biggest market share belongs to German or even domestic clients? High occupancy encourages new hotel investments especially in the area of Zurich airport. Swiss diplomatic hub Geneva, on the contrary, is already limitting new hotel investments.

Winter in Switzerland is a big thing. World renowned resorts as Zermatt, Mürren, Wengen, St. Moritz, Engelberg, Verbier, Davos and others are flooded by skiiers from all over the world. This is the reason why they simply close doors for groups from November to March. Due to this fact why we tend to plan accommodation differently in winter months.

One thing that we should remember about Switzerland in 2019 is a special summer festival. It is Fête des vignerons 2019, dedicated to raising awareness of the winemaking heritage. This special festival occurs only once in a generation and is therefore expected to bring hundreds of thousands of spectators to Vevey and Swiss Riviera. Fête des vignerons 2019 will influence hotel occupancy in summer months in Montreux and Lausanne and also in Bern and Geneva region.

Switzerland certainly stands out from the crowds due to its natural beauty and successful economy but also due to high prices. What intrigues me most about Switzerland is the merge of German, Italian and French cultures. This also reflects in the architectual and behavioral image of the country. Luzern is visually completely different than Geneva. The same goes to their language. Listening to three Swiss official languages is like a symphony. But it gets confusing when you try to understand them. Despite my good knowledge of German, I could barely understand them. Maybe they were speaking Romansh. Did you know about this language?

 Kristina Jurjevec


Thursday, 30 August 2018

Greetings from Happy Tours India Team 

We @ Happy Tours believe that Effective teamwork is a key to success for any company or organization. When each team member is motivated, when everyone understands the goals and the means to reach these goals, when everyone is focused on the result, the work becomes more efficient and pleasant for those who are involved.

However, effective teamwork does not appear from nowhere. It is almost impossible to find a group of people who will work together without a proper communication for a long time. And it is by far almost impossible to find a group of people who will reach the settled results without communication and cooperation.

Happy Team is proud to announce that we have already crossed 2 million EUROS in less then 9 months since we started operations in India and this is possible ONLY because of support from all our business partners, who trusted us with their business and given us opportunity to work with them towards the ‘Happy’ ness of clients ?

We recently had team a building activity of our Indian office and these picture speak louder than words, how effectively all challenges were accepted and how well the groups have been executed for this season and gladly we can say ‘YET season is NOT over for us’. HAPPY TEAM-India is Looking forward to work towards your happiness ? please write to us on [email protected] for any enquiries on Europe, UK and Scandinavia.

WWW_0003_Indina Office


Wednesday, 22 August 2018

Why you should travel light

This blog was initially not meant to be published. It rather came out simply because I dealt with this problem during my whole summer vacations. And last time, when we went sailing, I thought I packed light. But still found some of the things unworn. Strange, indeed?

Most of the time this happened simply because I had all these “what if” situations in my head. Being a mom of two kids, overthinking is of course something you regularly do. This is why I decided to do a real Google research (with the hope that cookies will bring me to the best possible sites with suggestions how to reduce the amount of the luggage). I was surprised how many people search for this advice. And this is why I decided that this is something we really need to share with our precious clients.

This is what I found:

FACT No. 1 – everyone overpacks.

This sounded like a real relief to me – I’m not alone in this. On the other hand, this grabbed my attention: why is that? If there are so many hits on Google, has nobody found the perfect advice yet? Why is it that so many people come home with many items never used?

FACT No. 2 – many claim that once you discover the joys of packing light, the way of your travel transforms.

They basic thing they say is that you should make yourself aware of one thing: you can’t bring it all. Already going traveling is an adventure, isn’t funny, how we want to control unpredictable situations by packing all kinds of things for “what if” situations, which usually do not happen.

The best advice I found was by Geoffrey Morrison, the Forbes contributor:

Packing for the 80% is brilliant. It means, pack for the situations you’ll be in most of the time. T-shirts, underwear, socks, these are things you’ll probably wear every day. Dinner jacket/fancy dress because at some point maybe, possibly, you might go to a fancy restaurant? Leave it at home. If that situation arises, buy something local. It will be way cooler, and probably cheaper.

FACT No. 3 – I know you do not want to do the laundry while on vacation. But do it. It allows you to travel lighter.

I think that the major problem when packing for a trip is that you take a look at the number of days while you will be away and count the pieces of your clothes that you need to take. This means: if you go for 3 days, you will pack at least three packages of clothes – which you end up bringing home unused, but let’s leave this aside. Wouldn’t be more useful, if you took less and simply find a laundry, if needed? Think about it. And when you do this, make sure you do not pack “complicated” things – pack the clothes you can transform and use in many combinations.

FACT No. 4 – Step out of the box. Dare to be “under-dressed” – after all, it’s vacation time!

I do not think we need to explain this one. But we advise you that you stick with a good tour operator (e.g. HAPPY TOURS) and make sure that other things won’t ruin your vacation – now that you have learned how to travel light!


Monday, 30 June 2018

Mamma mia, what a wine!

I’m sitting here in a sailing boat, moored to the pier in Šibenik, sipping a glass of wine and thinking about how to start this blog. And listening to Oliver Dragojevič, a popular Croatian singer, who unfortunately passed away yesterday.

What should I write? The title of the article came easily: Mamma Mia 2 has just been released and everybody is talking about Vis, where this movie was filmed… and at the same time, it expressed the very feelings I have when tasting the wines: mamma mia, Croatians really have great wines!

I’m no wine expert. Thus, this won’t be a detailed connoisseur report on wines in Croatia. Luckily, my husband, who on the contrary is a wine connoisseur, managed to teach me some bits about wine. And take me to some of the top wineries in the area. Here, I reveal my top three wine producers among the ones I had a chance to visit.

It seems that Croatia goes big in every sense. Not only that they have breath-taking nature and more than thousands of mesmerizing islands (I’m just sailing along the Croatian coast, so please, do believe me, when I say they are insanely beautiful…), their food and drinks are also amazing. And in the recent years, they have made a huge step forward also in terms of wine. The old classification, when wines in Croatia were divided into Continental and Coastal wine production, has been refreshed and upgraded: now, there are four mail wine regions: Dalmatia, Slavonia & Danube, Istria & Kvarner and Uplands. We won’t go into details, but the fact that Croatia is said to have at least 130 native grape types and almost twenty thousand registered wine producers, says it all (and this info tells me I have a whole lot to learn and discover here). In my opinion, Croatia is the next big thing in the Balkans when it comes to wine. It keeps surprising me every time I visit and I am sure this list would be much longer, if I wrote this a week from now – like I said, we’re currently sailing in Croatia, and we’ll also visit some wineries. But below are TOP 3 I had a chance to visit already:

Kozlovic Wine Estate
Kozlović in Istria
Kozlović Winery is located near Buje, a small Istrian town. Set amidst olive groves, which seem like an icing on a cake, this wine cellar produces a really fabulous range of wines. It is no wonder that they are considered one of the biggest and most significant wine producers in Croatia. Among a variety of wines, I had a chance to taste their Malvazija – and feel in love. Malvazija is one of the main white wines of Istria and the northern Dalmatian coast. The wine is refreshing and usually dry. The experts (e.g. my husband) say, I quote: it has lower alcohol content and you can smell fennel, quince, honey, apricot and spice. And I add: it goes well with sparkling water and it’s as refreshing as beer after a long cycling along the Istrian hills. But not Kozlovič’s Malvazija: do not mix it. And drink it slowly. Perhaps you should try it in spring, during wild asparagus season – a perfect match! >>visit<<
Korta Winerw Estate
Korta Katarina Winery
The Korta Katarina (KK) winery is located in the town of Orebic, and was as such the first of its kind in Southern Croatia. The vineyards are perched on the edge of the crystal-clear Adriatic Sea and offer stunning, almost movie-like views. What I liked here was their whole story and paying attention to details… Korta stands for the gardes of Croatia and Katarina is the family name. Their owners felt in love with Croatia and purchased an old hotel and a few parcels of land… And so, their story began. Their wines won a number of awards and based on the fact that the grand opening of the estate was just this year, I think their story of success has only started… We’ll be back for sure: for the sake of views, if not wine! >>visit<<
Grgic Winary Estate
Grgić Winery
Grgić Winery lies on the Pelješac peninsula in Southern Dalmatia. What’s special about this estate is the fact that Grgić family owns a winery also in California. And in 1996, Mike Grgich established a winery also here. They use the same methods and techniques here as in his American winery. You will find his wines on the wine list of the top Croatian restaurants. Their story is also devoted to sustainability: they use no artificial fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides and use solar power. Try their Plavac Mali or Pošip – you won’t regret it. And watch the documentary on the amazing story of the owner, Mike, whose wine beat the very best French wines in 1976 in a famous bling tasting in Paris. >>visit<<


Written by Aleksandra, who’s fond on wines and eager to learn more.


Thursday, 12 July 2018

Cinque Terre and the Surroudings

Coming from Ljubljana, Slovenia I much appreciate our geographical location in the heart of Europe. Living in the half way between Vienna and Venice one can reach most famous European travel spots in the matter of hours. And the Slovenians really like to do it. Either by car, train/bus or by plane. This time, my weekend getaway was directed to Italy. Cinque Terre to be more precise.

Cinque Terre is one of Italian destinations that most of Slovenians visit sooner or later. Many visit it as a part of a school trip or an organised excursion by bus. Many though reach it by car. As me and my friends did. It takes only 6 hours drive plus coffee/lunch stops. We decided to break the distance of 600km into several parts to make the travel more relaxed. In this way we visited also Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, Pisa, Parma and Verona. In four days! Intrigued?

So, myself and three of my friends desided to visit this renowned Italian sights, Cinque Terre. I know it in well of course, since many of our groups visit it, but I never had the chance to visit it before. This would give me a completely different perspective. We dedicated four days in June to this Italian getaway. Our travel means were car and trains.

FRIDAY – Florence (Tuscany)

We dedicated our first day to visiting Florence. I’ve been there before but did not mind visiting it again. It is a town that is bursting with global visitors and has been incredibly popular lately. Did you know that the historic centre of Florence was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982? This is one of the reasons for limited traffic in city center and why I recommend to visit it by train. We left our car in Florence suburbs at Prato train station and reached city center comfortably in 20 min. Train station serves as a perfect starting point for an exciting walking tour. The first time I was there my Google Maps stopped working while I was trying to find my way around this labyrinth. Maybe the strong stony walls and fortifications block the connection … Well, we used the old-school paper map this time 🙂 Still we mostly just allowed ourselves to get lost in the streets of this compact city centre. We found many of most important spots in Florence: Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, Giotto’s Bell Tower, Palazzo Vecchio, Michelangelo’s David in Galleria dell Academia, Ponte Vecchio, Uffizi Gallery and the Palazzo Pitti … Our taste buds were very excited to find Florence food market that became home of Eataly. It is a place were numerous restaurants offer their best bites of local but also foreign origin. You can find Eataly at numerous Italian towns (Eataly is a large format/footprint Italian marketplace (food hall) comprising a variety of restaurants, food and beverage counters, bakery, retail items, and a cooking school).

I would recommend to invest more time in Florence since it offers numerous exqusite experiences. One can learn how the pasta is made by visiting a pasta factory as is Pastificio Fabbri. All wine lovers can enjoy in Chianti wine tasting at one of the numerous Tuscany wineries surrounding Florence. Frescobaldi Wineries for example are globaly know and host celebrities as is George Clooney and others. They are open for public. Here you can find also high quality olive oils and other gastronomical delights.

Our accommodation for the first night was a remote family run agriturismo property in the countryside of Pistoia (Tuscany). Lovely.

SATURDAY – Siena, San Gimignano and Pisa (Tuscany)

Our plan for Saturday was to go to Cinque Terre. Well, some new ideas came up on the way. We decided to drive 1,5 hours to the south to visit Siena and San Gimignano. And as it was on the way we stopped in Pisa to see the ‘Pisa leaning tower’ on the way back north. These towns are so special and worth visiting. They reflect a completely different historical picture than Florence. We only reached our Cinque Terre accommodation in Deiva Marina late in the evening.

Our groups usually enter Cinque Terre in La Spezia, a port in the south of the National Park. We, however, decided to choose an entering point at the northern part (direction Genova). It was a nice idea. Deiva Marina is a small coastal tourist resort where mostly locals reside. We stayed in a really nice private house.

SUNDAY – Cinque Terre: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore

Finally, a day dedicated entirely to Cinque Terre in Liguria. The name indicates five ‘lands’ or villages but in reality there are ten. Five villages are hidding in the mountains while tourist burst into the five costal jewels. The villages in the 18km range are a part of Cinque Terre National Park and are listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. What makes them special are their compact houses with interesting architecture and colourful facades. In addition to unusual locations. They are located on steep slopes and clifs of Ligurian Sea and are not easily accessible. The easiest means of travel between the villages is train or boat.

Groups rarely have enough time to visit all villages and so, they visit only two or three at a time. We, on the other hand, visited all five costal ones. We travelled by train, bus and our feet. Forget about car here. To be able to use all, one needs to buy a special ‘Cinque Terre travel pass’ that currently costs 16 euros per person per day.

We left Deiva Marina in the morning to firstly reach Monterosso al Mare by train. This seemed to be the most crowded village. I am not sure what was the reason. Was it maybe the time of the day (morning) or the fact that it has the biggest beach which surely attracts visitors from April to November. We were not exessively impressed but rather distracted by the masses. After having a typically delicious Italian coffee along the lungomare we decided to proceed to the next village.

Vernazza was more compact and indeed attractive. A small beach could be reached by crossing a tunnel created by nature underneath the cliff. It is theoretically forbidden to cross it, but most of the visitors do it … so, we did it too. Psssssst! I guess this rule applies to the times of high tide. It was not that time during our visit. This was a nice spot to go for a short swim. We also took time to have lunch in one of the roof-top restaurants. The prices were quite reasonable for a tourist place, food nice and the Italian staff lovely. We loved their Italian charm.

From Vernazza we headed towards Corniglia on foot. Yes, it’s the truth! There are several walking trails made in the park (you need to have the ‘Cinque Terre pass’ to be allowed to use them – be careful, there is a check point on the way). Two of them in the coastal part. It took us about one hour to reach ‘mountainous’ Corniglia. This village lays above the sea on a cliff. It is very charming with several boutique local shops, bars and tavernas. It has a lovely view point to the sea. To reach the train station again, we had to take a local bus.

After few minutes on the train we reached Manarola. I really liked this village. Small compact houses and attractive colours give it such romantic feel. Maybe the reason was also late afternoon with lesser visitors. This village has a nice small picturesque fishing port. Guest can also swim in crystal sea easily from piers. We made numerous beautiful photos and rushed to our last stop.

Riomaggiore is probably second biggest village of Cinque Terre after Montersso. Again, really impressive. Lovely architecture. It is quite lively since this is a village where many visitors stay overnight. We took a seat at one of the small bars with few locals along the main walking street. We loved it. Local wine was also nice. Not as nice as Tuscan Chianti, but still nice. The time passed really quickly before we realised that we need to catch the train back to our ‘home’. We bought some local delicacies in a local supermarket (cheese, salami, olives and wine) to taste for dinner and ran to the train station by passing yet another tunnel.

We took one of the last trains to return to Deiva Marina in the direction of Genova. After a 15 minutes ride we noticed that the train is not stopping in villages as it was before. We realised that this was a regional train that will not stop in our village either. Pffffff … Luckily it stopped at Sestri Levante which was only two stops away. We had to change trains again and arrived to our house a bit before midnight. It was another busy day with numerous impressions.

Using a train is not the easiest job in Italy since the train stations lack information for first-timer tourists. It is smart to ask the staff which trains to catch (some are local and some regional) and how to use the tickets (validation process). Some knowledge of Italian language is also useful.

We did not try the boat ride since most depart from La Spezia. This must be nice since it offers a different (sea) perspective of the villages. I can imagine this is especially beautiful in the afternoon sun.

MONDAY – Parma, Verona

Quite tired and full of new memories we could easily drive straight home. But, no! Why not making few more stops on the way? We were thinking of stopping in one of the big outlet shopping centers on the way. But then decided to stop in Parma for coffee and in Verona for lunch instead. In the end we were hungry a bit sooner. We found ourselves tasting Prosciutto di Parma, Parmigiano-Reggiano and local tigielle pastry in the centre of this renowned university city. Parma is also a home of the world famous Barilla pasta factory (among others). This was also the place where we bought all of our souvenirs. By this I mean stopping at a local supermarket and buying loads of local food and wines 🙂 From pasta to cheeses, prosciutto, ham, olives, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Limoncello liquer and Italian wines. Delicious!

Not much time was left for Verona. But luckily enough to make a long walk in the most beautiful city centre. I loved it. I consider it one of the most beautiful cities. There was a magical connection between my heart and this city’s architecture and charm. I cannot explain it. I did not relate to the story of Romeo and Juliet though. Gelato and Aperol Spritz were nice too … We headed back home in the late afternoon with a car packed with Italian groceries and at the end passed by Venice while it was enlightened by a beautiful summer sunset …

It is only fair to conclude our Italian getaway by talking about food. Besides amazing fashion style and incredible design, Italy to us today symbolizes good food. And coffee. Good coffee anywhere you go. I cannot wait to have some more again soon …

Kristina Jurjevec


Thursday, 28 June 2018

2018 FIFA World Cup Russia through the eyes of Happy Tours Team

If you work in an international team, watching world cup is much more fun – actually, the majority of things is much more fun, but let’s speak about this some other time. Our team consists of 70 employees that come from all over the world and during international sports events this becomes even more obvious. Suddenly, the language and the culture are not the most distinguishing factors any more… now, it’s all about who beats who. And you, who do you count on at this year’s 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia?

Balls_1

The idea was simple: let’s write a blog about who’s cheering for whom at this year’s FIFA World Cup. At Happy Tours, we have a big international team and during international sports events, this fact becomes more relevant than ever. So this blog was almost something natural to do. Who’ll write it? Well, I guess this will be me – a working mum of two, who’s definitely not an expert in football (despite the fact that I watch the matches sometimes, as I like the atmosphere). This simple task meant only one thing: research. Who beat who? Who are this year’s favourites (to be honest, please forgive me, I do not watch the matches on a daily basis). So, the first thing I did was that I went to check out the official website of the World Cup and hoped to find something useful to incorporate into the blog. And here I am, an hour later, reading the blog posts and laughing out loud – I didn’t think this task will be so much fun and that sports blogs can be so entertaining. And perhaps it’s now the right time that I start watching sports events more often. Why? Well, because suddenly the saying „some things never change,“ sounds totally different today than it sounded yesterday. Here’s why:

“There are some things that are never supposed to change: the sky is blue, water is wet and Germany are always there or thereabouts in the latter stages of the FIFA World Cup™. On Thursday morning, football fans the world over may be giving the sky a quick check, because for the first time since a group stage was introduced to the tournament, Die Mannschaft have failed to extricate themselves from it.” (the excerpt taken from the official FIFA World Cup Russia website)

From what we have seen yesterday, I think that at least two of our team won’t come to the office today: Sun Woo Cho and Rio Choi from Republic Korea had something to celebrate yesterday. Korea Republic’s historic 2-0 win over Germany in Kazan may not have been enough for them to progress to the Round of 16 from Group F, but it will nevertheless go down as a result for the ages.

19 June was the day, when Yulia Egorova, who originally comes from Russia, had something to celebrate: her team beat Egypt. Walid and Karim, on the contrary, weren’t so enthusiastic about the outcome – their team (Egypt) lost against Yulia’s team, 3 – 1. Luckily, they sit on the other side of the office, so nobody got hurt.

Balls_2
Today, Alicja, who originally comes from Poland, and Tetsuya from Japan will have something to talk about. While Japan is leading in Group H, Poland is currently the last in the group. And they play against each other tonight. But hey, cheer up, Alicja, you know: everything is possible (and this holds even more true after yesterday’s historic match between Germans and Republic of Korea).
And then there’s Croatia: a country of impressive highlands, dreamy deep-blue seascapes set along the Adriatic coast, stunning hinterland scenery, a number of UNESCO heritage sites and this year’s FIFA World Cup leading team in Group D. This is the fact that especially thrills our team from Croatia: Darko, Nikola, Tania, Marina. The one and only employee for whom we can 100% be sure that he isn’t jelaous about this outcome is Fernando from Brasil – his group is leading in Group E. Also
Angela and Rebecca from England do not feel so bad about it, but they still have one match to go before they can celebrate as the winners of Group G. Let’s see what tomorrow brings!

P.S. And guys, start playing the lottery… it seems that some things in the universe have started changing…

We don’t just take you around the World, we come from around the World.

Aleksandra Jezeršek Matjašič


Wednesday, 27 June 2018

My Norway diary or you can’t be too careful with opening times

Ulani Krumpak, 9 yrs (instagram: Littletravelbug)

The first thing that came to my mind, after reading the travel diary about Norway written by 9-year old Ulani, the daughter of Sašo, the owner and CEO of Happy Tours, was: Maybe it’s in her genes! Not only that this 9-year old has travelled to more countries that anyone ever will in their lives, her writing is as inspiring as the writings of her father. Read through, if you want to see why you must be careful with the opening times in Norway.

Sunday
This morning, we met my cousin who lives in Norway for the past 5 years. Firstly,we took a walk to the stunning Kings palace. There I saw a statue of the Queen of Norway in hiking shoes. In the park next to the palace I saw children sleding.
Did you know that norveigans are big fans of sports?
We walked through the center of Oslo towards the sea. At the end of the wharf in Akerbrygge, me and my cousin threw pebbels in the beautiful sea. My parents wanted to take me to several more musems (they said one about the Polar explorations and another next to it about a famous Norvegian explorer who sailed the oceans on the raft), but I rather played with my cousin for the day. We took the tram to a shop.
Did you know that in Norway they sell popsicles all year round, even in Winter when it’s freezing cold?
After all that fun, I went to bed to see what adventure the next day brings.
Norway looks like fun!

Monday
We left Oslo early in the morning and drove through a beautiful mountain road. It started to snow. In a ski resort town Geilo we stopped at a Turkish restarant which served me delightful food. When we got to Flam, we went to the Mall of Norway. I really recomend stopping there because they have a stunning selection of souvenirs from Norway. Then the sun began to set and it was absolutely amazing.

Tuesday
That sunny morning we went on a fascinating boat cruise with an excellent view of the gorgeous mountains and the sea. Then we took an interesting train ride. I recommend you to stop at the hotel on top, because there is snow everywhere you see around. Treat yourself to some waffles, a typical norvegian treat. Soon we took a short car ride to Bergen ready for tomorrow’s adventures.

Wednesday
That morning we went to see beautiful Bergen. Firstly we went on a funicular, Floibanna, to the top of the mountain. Once we’ve got to top there was a fascinating view of Norvegian’s second biggest city. There is also a playground with lots of fun things to do. We’ve decided to walk down. It took us 45 minutes but it was definitely worthwhile because of the wonderful experience. There is also a Science museum in Bergen – but warning! It is only open until 3 pm! So we’ve missed it. Overall Bergen is a really beautiful city.

Thursday/Friday
We took an extremely interesting drive. I saw the biggest glacier in the continental Europe. Nature was just stunning, white caps of snow were mirrored in the fjords. When we got there, I felt like Heidi in those green grasses. We also slept in a proper norvegian cottage. We came as far north as Trondheim, which was Norway’s original capital.

Saturday
We drove to a mountain plain where we engaged into husky sledges. I also got to bake a special norvegian bread and play in the snow. You have to be 13 or older to be able to drive a husky sled.

Sunday
Everything nice has to end to quickly. On the way to airport we stopped in Lillehammer which hosted Winter Olympics once (before I was born). I tried to climb the skijump, but it’s very steep. Still sliding down with dad was great fun. We tried to visit Olympic museums but it only opens at 11 am (and closes at 4pm already). One thing I learned about Norway is you can’t be too careful with the opening times!
Still I want to come to Norway again!


Wednesday, 30 May 2018

Being responsible is cool. Also in tourism.

Responsible is the new black. The idea about traveling is not anymore just about sightseeing, it’s about discovering and it’s about making the world a better place. 

This includes basic things, such as: making your visit of the foreign country as pleasant for the locals as it is for you, to more extreme ones, like preserving the Earth for the generations yet to come, charity projects, volunteering. It’s true that more you give, the more you get. Have you ever thought of including the latter ones into your itineraries? They are unique and unforgettable.

Having said that, one must not forget that there are also many traps involved. In search for socially responsible traveling, clients are prepared to pay a fortune for this, not realizing that the money paid does not get to the ones that need it the most. Yes, fake is a big problem with socially responsible tourism. So what should you be careful about?

There are several aspects that need to be considered. Here are main questions you should ask your tour operator before booking the tour, if you would like to travel responsibly:

  • What is the level of interaction with the local people?
  • Do you consider locals’ privacy an important element?
  • Do you support community projects?
  • Based on your experience and the feedback you receive from your clients: do they have a feeling that they know more about culture and traditions of the place they visited?

When it comes to money, the main idea behind traveling economically responsible is to know that local communities also benefit from your visit.

Happy Tours devotes special attention to creating tours that include elements of responsible tourism. This especially holds true for tours we organise in Europe for our client from the USA, who operates teenage groups and youth travel. With these tours, we incorporate charity projects into the itinerary. This means that they e.g. help serving food to the homeless, help at the reconstruction of damaged buildings, help cleaning etc.

The idea behind Happy Tours has always been making the world a better place. And with our newest project, Lyra Hotel at Plitvice Lakes, we made a giant step forward in reaching this goal.

The village of Ličko Petrovo Selo was a flashpoint in the Balkan War, and saw its residents ‘ethnically cleansed’ in brutal fashion. On a daily basis, over a period of several years, the village was the base used for shelling the Muslim population in the ‘safe haven’ of Bihać in the valley below. Evidence of those terrible times is still visible in the ruins of some houses and public buildings in the village today. In this environment, the hotel has been a catalyst for change, regenerating the village economy and bringing together all the ethnic communities. The management team has been instrumental in encouraging local farmers and bakers to present their produce so that it can be part of the hotel’s food offering. They have actively sought employees from the different communities, including from across the border in Bosnia, in order to deliver on their responsible tourism ideals. Each employee will have a story to tell and guests will be urged to engage with the staff, in the bar, the restaurant, the fitness, wherever it may be, and maybe learn from their personal experiences.

Happy Tours will use some of the profits from the operation to help restore the village, so every stay will have a huge and very positive impact on the community.


Wednesday, 08 March 2018

Tina and Andreja’s adventure in the land of the happiest people in the world

Join our colleagues Andreja and Tina on their adventure across Lapland. Enjoying husky rides, reindeer sleighs and motor-sledges, sleeping in igloos and snow hotels, swimming in a frozen sea, discovering Santa Claus’ secrets and much more. 2 girls in a car driving along vast plains of snow across north Finland and Norway.

“In the beginning was a white reindeer.
From this white reindeer
arose the world.
his bones were the foundation
and his flesh became the land.”

It all began with a reindeer and so did our trip to Lapland. We started with a visit of a reindeer farm, owned by a Sami family. After a short sledge ride, where we obtained a reindeer driving license, we met the herder and learned about the history and tradition of herding reindeers in Lapland, the region of north Finland, Sweden, Norway and Russia, best known also for huskies, vast subarctic wilderness, the Northern lights and the midnight sun.

After some hot juice and sweet bun, we were ready to take upon another adventure – husky sledge ride across the frozen lake. Upon return the keeper told us all about Alaskan huskies and we took some pictures of their cute puppies that will be ready for sledging next winter.Finland_Husky_Ride

Back in the capital town of Lapland, Rovaniemi is best known as Santa’s hometown where you can meet this old man in his village all year round. Although the most popular time to visit is December, we advise you to stay at home for Christmas to avoid the crowds because Santa will visit you anyway. And for all of you that still wonders how he manages to visit all the children in one night – we know but it’s a secret you will find out when visiting yourself :).

To this point we didn’t see the famous Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis yet so we decided to go on a hunt – snowmobiles sounded like a good option to get us out of the light polluted place. After an hour drive we stopped in the Kota, a traditional hut and gathered around the fire to enjoy hot drinks and snack. On the way back, the green phenomena finally appeared in all its beauty. This night could not be more amazing!

Our next adventure was a trip to Kemi, where we boarded an icebreaker and took off to the frozen open sea. It took all our courage to jump into the ice water and float around huge ice blocks (wearing a neoprene suit looking like famous children cartoon characters – guess which?). The day which started with cold ended in a warm and cosy Seaside Villa in Kemi. Waking up into the sunny morning by the sea is nice but waking up into the sunny morning in the seaside glass villa is something you will never forget.

Before we left Kemi, we visited the snow castle, which offers a true arctic adventure with its beautifully decorated rooms, restaurant and a chapel.

It was time to leave southern Lapland but not before visiting Arktikum science centre and museum. Our enthusiastic guide Frank provided deeper understanding of Arctic, northern nature, culture and history.

On the way up north, we stopped at Amethyst Mine in Luosto. There is now a special gem mine on the top of the hill (in winter you must take a special snow train) that will sustain for the hundreds of years. We tried our luck to dig out biggest amethyst possible – however even if we’d find a big one, we couldn’t keep it – it’s yours to keep only if it fits your fist.Finland_0010_IMG-3591

As you might have guessed we didn’t hit the jackpot so we moved on. First to Saariselkä, where the famous glass igloos origin from. It certainly is a nice place to lay in bed and watch the northern lights or just a million of stars above you.

The indigenous inhabitants of Lapland are Samis. And in a little town of Inari not far north we have visited the national museum of the Sámi. The Sámi Museum stores the spiritual and material culture of the Finnish Sámi and its purpose is to support their identity and the cultural self-esteem.

Further north and already across the border with Norway we came to the last spot of our journey, to Kirkenes. Not so long ago Kirkenes was nothing more than the last stop of famous Norwegian Hurtigruten cruise and the travellers were advised to take the first available flight out of there. But not today…over the hill and by the see in the middle of ‘snow where’ there is a castle. Here you are not only treated as a valuable guest but as a royalty. You certainly feel like one either sleeping in the snow hotel or in one of the enchanting cottages next to it. You will be greeted by the friendliest and most professional staff you’ve ever met. Mili and his crew have so much love for the place and the friendly atmosphere makes you want to stay forever. Everything from greeting with a welcome drink in ice bar, sightseeing of the snow hotel, demonstration of how to get into the sleeping bag and serving of the most delicious meals, is done with so much passion and enthusiasm which is hard to find.

This is the place to experience a king crab safari and taste one, too. We recommend you leave this magical place in proper Nordic style, too – with the husky taxi-ride to the airport.

We experienced Nordic lifestyle at its best and if you ask us why Finland and Norway were recently voted the two happiest countries in the world, our answer is: “It’s all about hygge”.

Throughout our trip we had a privilege to stay in some of the most unique places, drink hot chocolate by the open fire in the middle of the forest, try local delicacies at panoramic restaurant above Rovaniemi and getting to know the locals over a cup of hot juice all the time indulging in all the small things that matter. There is a word for all this: hygge (Nordic way of living and enjoying simple things).

We invite you to come with us and discover this by yourself.


Monday, 29 January 2018

It’ been 10 yearsSaso_Krumpak_10_Years_Happy_TOurs

2018 is the year when we are celebrating our 10th anniversary in tourism. It was in October 2008 that I first visited WTM as I was curious to see what this is all about. And soon after seeing that glimmering exhibition of what best world has to offer, I’ve decided that I want to be a part of that! Indeed, for two years before we had been engaged with tourism, but only as a side to what was our main activity: publishing of the children’s magazine. We were organising school excursions and later on teachers’ associations travelling around our country, Slovenia and the surrounding countries.
But this was nothing like that WTM was promising: engaging with the whole world, bringing them to Europe to see the richness of our history, the varieties of our cultures, the beauty of our landscape!

10 years later, earlier in January this year, we held what has now become our annual company meeting in Ljubljana, where we brought all our offices and most of our staff together on a week-long education and discussion. We finished it with a team building in Belgrade, Serbia, where we celebrated orthodox Christian New Year.

So now that I looked at our team, more than 70 of them, coming from everywhere, working in our network of 7 offices across the globe, I feel proud.

Proud about our accomplishments, which made us become a market leader as a DMC in South-East Europe and an important European wholesaler in only 10 years.
Proud about this multinational and talented team which works with such dedication and strives to be the best team there is.
And responsible at the same time for theirs and our future, for the goals we’ve set to ourselves.

We’re opening a new hotel! We named it Lyra.

2018 will truly mark an exceptional year as we are opening our own hotel in Plitvice lakes, Croatia. Lyra is an unusual name for the hotel, many have said, but then again nothing is usual with our nor the hotel story neither. Being the first modern 4-star hotel in immediate vicinity to one of the most visited sights of Europe, the Plitvice national park the hotel will feature telescopes with which the guests can admire the spectacle of what is the least light polluted part of the continental Europe. And not only that: the hotel is built in a Serbian village, close to the Bosnian border, yet of course very much belongWTM_2017_Happy_Tours_Receptioning to Croatia, and has a unique opportunity to bridge the national and religious divide that haunts this area since the ’90s. Because it was right here, in the area around Plitvice, that the war broke in Croatia and later on spread to Bosnia with all its devastating fate. The village has become a ghost town with all youth moving out. This was also the very sole reason that the local school was shut down, as only 2 kids remained. And ironically enough, this was the school and the grounds, which we purchased, tore down the ruined building and build something fresh and new. The project is already rejuvenating the village with its promises of hope, friendship and opportunities.

We’re proud of a number of new clients

We’re also happy to see many new clients joining Happy Tours from all parts of the world: UK and Scandinavia, North America, India, China, South Korea, South-east Asia, Australia, Middle East. For that reason, we have regrouped and grown our contracting team, solidify our operations and improved our own IT system, which we call TOP, as well as started our own internal training programme Happy Tours Academy.

What’s special about us?

We understand well our clients’ expectations and feel the responsibility to excel even further and even more and deliver on our promises of offering an excellent service with very competitive prices. And we’re doing this in a unique, friendly, inclusive, Happy Tours’ way!

Sašo Krumpak | Founder & CEO


Monday, 29 January 2018

Is Dracula a gypsy?

One of the off-the-beaten-track destinations in Europe is Romania, located north of the Balkan Peninsula on the western shore of the Black Sea. It is home to numerous natural beauties, friendly people, a great number of jaw-dropping castles, including the creepy Bran Castle, home of Dracula. Katarina, our key account manager, explains why this mysterious country is worth visiting. And why Romanians eat (too much) garlic. Plus why you should always keep an eye on your wallet when in Romania.

What’s the thing about Romania?

In the past few year, the interest in Romania has grown tremendously and at Happy Tours we have received a number of requests and inquiries for this mysterious country on a daily basis. Bucharest, Peles castle in Sinaia, Bran castle, Sighisoara and traditional Romanian cuisine are what our groups usually see and experience, but Romania has much more to offer.

Believe it or not…

No matter the nationality or cultural background, our travellers are all interested in the same things. Our guides have encountered a number of questions, with the juiciest being the following:

Q: Why do you eat so much garlic? Is it because too many vampires live in Romania?
A: Romanian are not very sociable people and they want to keep everybody away, especially the vampires.
Q: Where do gypsies come from? Are they from Romania?
A: The Japanese invented a robot to catch thieves. But after using it for a half day in Romania, the robot was stolen. And by the way, history says that gypsies originally came from India.
Q: Is Transylvania a real place or is it just another story?
A: Bram Stoker, a famous writer of Dracula’s story, made Transylvania the most famous part of Romania. Now it seems that the best export products are vampires and Transylvania themed souvenirs

TOP four destinations to include in itineraries:

Chauchesco Palace Bucharest
Bucharest:
the capital which offers unusual and from time to time even uneasy mix of styles which are some sort of combination of 19th century’s architecture and the rigid lines of Stalinist’s architecture. Palace of parliament, also known as People’s Palace is the world’s largest civilian building with administrative function. What is more, it is the second largest building in the world after Pentagon in US. Its interior design can be a matter of debate.
Peles Castle
Peles castle in Sinaia:
was the first completely electrified castle in Europe. The electricity was produced by the castle’s own plant. Castle is located in a scenic location, which impressed Romanian’s King Carol I so much, that he ordered the Peles castle to be built for him.
Sighisoara old town
Sighisoara:
is a medieval town listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the birthplace of Vlad Dracula, the main inspiration for Stoker’s Dracula story. Hill church offers a panoramic view over the area. Sighisoara’s magical atmosphere is created by colorful houses, steep stairways, cobbled streets and several towers. Who knows, perhaps you’ll be inspired too?
Bran Castle
Bran Castle:
is situated in the centre of Romania and many people refer to it as a Dracula’s castle. But the truth is the castle did not belong either to Stoker’s Dracula or to Vlad the Impaler. Experts can only confirm that castle once hosted Vlad the Impaler, but only as a prisoner. Nonetheless, the castle was built between 1377 and 1388 and hides a great number of stories for their visitors.

Some tips when planning a trip for your group in Romania:

  • Calculate enough time for the road. DON’T trust google maps; 100 km on a map doesn’t mean the driver can make it in an hour. Keep in mind that also the weather can be very unpleasant (snow, rain, fog; don’t forget that Bram Stoker got inspired by these for his Dracula story) and some roads can be closed due to construction work.
  • Use local guides, as much as possible; they know the stories, they know hidden tips, they know how to deal with locals and open some doors which might otherwise be closed for public.
    Romania is more than just Transylvania
  • Don’t forget to taste local food; polenta, palinca/tuica (homemade plum brandy), homemade honey; Romanian ingredients and food are tasteful mix of Turkish, Germanic, Slavic and Hungarian influence.
  • Romania is part of the European Union, but it’s not in Schengen!

Are you interested in visiting Romania, but lack of knowledge and ideas? Happy Tours will help you out. Check out further suggestions here and add Romania to your itineraries – not only because Dracula was born here – this country’s distinctive character hides more magic than you have ever imagined.

Katarina Birtič


Wednesday, 20 December 2017

How Santa can help you boost your business if you work in travel industry?

It’s true that Santa will help you launch new products for your clients, but I am not talking about magic. I’m talking about pure facts (but these include magic). Santa Claus, a red-suited elderly man with a long beard, makes raising up kids in the period before Christmas much easier. The lyrics of this song explain why:

Oh, you better watch out, you better not cry
You better not pout, I’m telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
Oh, he’s making a list and checking it twice
He’s gonna find out who’s naughty or nice
Santa Claus is coming to town

Santa helps you sell your tours!

In fact, he makes lots of things easier. Including selling of the tours. No wonder that tourism in Lapland is booming. More than 300,000 people visit Lapland annually. What is more, 2016 was a record-setting year, with a tremendous increase of visitors, especially from Asia and the UK, which boosted tourism in Finland’s far north by more than 10 % last year.Santa_Claus_Finland

Why is that? Well, we can certainly say that it has to do with Christmas spirit and Santa. They say that Christmas is a state of mind, but we know that it’s difficult to reach it if the atmosphere is not favourable. In Lapland, the lyrics “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas” can be sung all year round. So why should we limit the cheerful season only to December? Lapland gives you an opportunity to turn yourself into Santa for your clients and create an unforgettable Christmas experience for them.

Additional reason for visiting Lapland is a variety of unique accommodation possibilities, including the newest ones: Snowman World Glass Resort, Nova Skyland Hotel, Apukka Resort, Santa’s Igloos Arctic Circle and Golden Circle Suites, with the latter opening on 28 January.

But is Lapland the only place which can benefit from this nice old guy? The answer is no.

We all know that connecting places with celebrities or important personalities is one of the best ways to pump up the number of tourist arrivals to a certain place. Luckily, Santa is not limited only to Finland. But if Santa brings on the Christmas spirit of the modern times to the forefront, the story about the original ancestor of Santa will attract history lovers and cultural tourists.Finland_Santa_Claus_office

Santa’s original ancestor was Greek, who lived in the third and fourth centuries. We’re talking here about St. Nicholas, who was a bishop of Myra (now Demre), a small Roman town in modern Turkey. Because he was associated with many miracles, his fame lived long after his death. Around 1200, he became known as a patron of children and magical gift bringer, especially thanks to the tales which described his generosity. In one tale, three young girls were saved from a life of prostitution when young Bishop Nicholas secretly delivered three bags of gold to their indebted father.

When he died, his bones remained in Myra. This attracted flocks of pilgrims, which was also the reason why thieves stole his bones in the 11th century and took them to the Italian port city of Bari. The city instantly became a must-visit pilgrimage destination. Even more interesting is the fact that Venice claims to have some parts of Nicholas, which they stole from Myra way back during the First Crusade. Additional reason to visit Italy, right?


Wednesday, 01 November 2017

Meet Sheetal!

An interview with the Sales and Marketing Director for India

Sheetal Kamble-Shinde is the new member of our big HAPPY TOURS family. She will be based in Pune, 200 km from Mumbai and take care of Indian clients. Read what she has to say about her joining the HAPPY TOURS team and about the Indian market.

P.S. Her name means “cool”. And we like “cool” people.

What is your motivation for working in tourism?

My biggest motivation is innovation! I believe if you don’t accept and adapt to changes, then you become complacent and stagnate. Investing time in research and analyse suitable itineraries and options for clients makes me happy. Passion plays equally important role in keeping myself motivated all the time.

Where did you gain experience?

I have over 15 years of experience. I worked 10 years in India and 5 years in London. I’m proud to tell that I was part of the team which handled biggest group consisted of as many as 2,200 people. I have travelled with my clients in Europe, Scandinavia and UK and to India for sales and marketing.

What do you think is important for Indian customers?

Competitive prices, quality service with 24/7 hour support (with a motto of we are always beside you as a partners to make sure that group is 100% satisfied and well looked after). These are the most important requirements for Indians. It is essential that all services, starting with coaches and drivers and continuing with hotels, tasty indian meals and guides are of TOP quality. We are flexible to tailor the tours as per clients needs and requirements.

What are you plans at Happy Tours?

Working as a Director for Sales and Marketing for India, I look forward to further explore Indian market with the same commitment to the top-quality service. This is what I am known for, since the very beginning. I want to ensure that my clients get the quality and service which we promised at the time of booking the tour with us. Since I know, we have the services and the team which can provide and achieve this, I look forward to seeing how Happy Tours will grow in the Indian market in the next years.

Tell us more about what you like doing in your free time?

I love to travel, explore unknown places and things, I like watching food and travel channels, learn about new cuisines. I also like watching movies and spending quality time with my daughter, family and friends. Collecting beautiful memories is my hobby, I try to spend my free time with people I love. I love my job and my profession, which is an essential part of my life. I occasionally work as a guest lecturer in MSIHMCT college in Pune.


Wednesday, 27 September 2017

Christmas is here!

Working in tourism is similar to being a fashion designer. You have to be one step ahead of your clients, tailor your tours and search for ideas how to attract them in the upcoming season. You have to know the trends and the novelties, you have to know what are the dos and don’ts. We already wrote about Christmas markets earlier this summer, but to remind you of this important feature of all major European towns, here it is, once again. A refreshed list of the must-see Christmas markets that you can visit with Happy Tours. Read it through and then contact us. The sooner the better. Remember: with us, the sky is the limit. You only have to tell us roughly what you want and then will do the rest. And you can relax and enjoy Christmas atmosphere – we don’t mind if you start in October.

Can you image being in a place where Christmas spirit can be felt on every step?
Every year, the magic of traditional Christmas Markets casts more and more visitors under its spell. No wonder: the enchanting festive season atmosphere evokes special feelings and everybody seems to be cheerful and happy – it’s the most positive season of the year, no wonder everybody wants to experience at least a piece of it. Hamilton Wright Mabi once said that “the season, which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love is blessed” – an the growing trend of traveling during this season definitely confirms this.

With so many Christmas markets all over Europe, where to go?
Numerous Christmas markets are held in cities, towns and villages throughout Europe and it seems that destinations have entered into competition, whose Christmas market will be better – this means that the offer of destinations worth visiting every year is getting bigger and bigger and the quality of the offer is increasing.
This might seem great, but with so many destinations, the choice where to travel during the festive season, seems difficult. The best solution is to sample at least two Christmas markets, preferably one in a city for some serious shopping and one in a smaller town or village – thanks to its size, these markets seem even a bit more romantic.
Most Christmas markets start in the last week of November and run through to Christmas Eve or a day or two before, although now many are prolonged until the New Year’s Eve. They are usually open every day from 10am to about 8 or 9 pm, but it is still best to check for each market individually.

Consider the cultural variety
The Christmas markets sell a variety of products, which reflect the culture of the region. You can buy all kinds of Christmas merchandise and gifts, especially traditional things such as crib figurines, toys, wood carvings, marionettes, candles and lambskin shoes to place underneath your Christmas three.
The ambience of a typical Christmas market is further enhanced by the aromas of mulled wine, hot chestnuts, grilled sausages and other tasty snacks like gingerbread biscuits known as Lebkuchen or marzipan figures.

Germany’s Christmas markets
Although Christmas markets can nowadays be found all over Europe, Germany is the place where they originated and thus many claim that this is the place where they still do them best. Based on this, it is difficult to outline, which one to visit and we would therefore suggest to visit at least two or three of them. The traditional Christmas markets date back to the Middle Ages, long before Germany became a nation state, so some of them have ended up just outside its modern borders, in Austria, Switzerland and Alsace. But they all look much alike – a set of wooden huts lit up with fairy lights, selling traditional decorations and warming tasty food and drink. A brief Google survey revealed the top cities for Christmas Market break in Germany, i.e. Christmas Market of Munich at Marienplatz, the one in Dresden, Nuremberg, Berlin, which is home to 60 different Christmas markets, Cologne and last but not least Rothenburg ob der Tauber, which is home to the Christmas Museum.
Hint: Contact us for a perfect itinerary, which includes the best cities of Germany to visit during the Christmas season. Plan your visit of Christmas markets wisely and note that the Remembrance Day is celebrated on the fifth Sunday before Christmas, so you can expect many of the markets to be closed as this is a public holiday

Scandinavia’s Christmas Markets
Scandinavia’s a real fairy-tale land all year round. But when the Christmas lights turn on and the Christmas atmosphere steps in and embraces the area, the landscape becomes even more magical. Similar to the rest of Europe, also Christmas markets in Scandinavia generally take place from late November until Christmas.
While the biggest Christmas market in Sweden takes place in Gothenburg, Stockholm boasts to have many, in different locations. The historic Christmas market takes place in the Skansen Open Air Museum. It is the oldest and dates from 1903. Then there’s another at Rosendal Palace and at Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s Old Town. They even have one in the Kungstradgården town park. But if you travel with children, Grona Lund amusement park should be your No.1 choice.
In Norway, the Christmas Market in Oslo is the most notable one. In one word: it is huge. Located at the harbour in front of the Oslo City Hall, it boasts a number of Christmas booths and magnificent decorations. Apart from this, a number of open-air concerts and other performances takes place there.

Check out our list of Central, Eastern and Northern European Christmas Markets

At Happy Tours, we have made a little investigation and checked which markets in the Central part and Eastern part of Europe rank among the best. Here is a short overview, which will help you decide which Christmas market to visit this year. Make sure to read our hints for the perfect Christmas spirit experience.

Vienna: November 17 – December 26
According to the Austrian Tourist Board, Vienna is the place to be if you want to experience a real traditional Christmas atmosphere. The forerunners of the present-day events date back to the Middle Ages when in 1298 Albrecht I granted Vienna’s citizens the privilege of holding a December Market or “Krippenmarkt”. Since then, the character and prevalence of these markets has changed considerably. Nowadays, there are over 20 official advent markets, selling a vast array of seasonal gifts and mouth-watering treats. The biggest is the one in front of Rathaus (city hall), where more than 150 stalls fill the area.Hint: Vienna is less than an hour drive from Bratislava, which also holds a Christmas market. Why not combining these two cities? Contact us and we will prepare a perfect itinerary, which will reveal the traditions of celebrating Christmas at these two countries, which are so close, yet so different.
Prague: November 20 2017 – January 6 2018
The most popular Christmas markets in Prague are the one in the Old Town Square (Staromestske namesti) and the one in the neighbouring Wenceslas Square. While the one in the Old Town Square boasts a stage-set nativity scene and a huge tree, which make a perfect backdrop for numerous daily performances by folk bands and choirs, while the one in Wenceslas Square is worth visiting for numerous stalls selling carved wooden toys, Bohemian crystal, garnet jewellery and traditional straw and maize decorations. There are also some smaller ones at Republic Square, at Havel’s Market and this year for the first time at Prague Castle, more precisely in the courtyard of St. George’s Basilica, which is worth visiting also for an evening concert, which are traditionally held there during the festive season.Hint: Prague is less than a two hour drive from Dresden, which has the largest number of Christmas markets in the Eastern part of Germany. Apart from this, Dresden’s Christmas Market traditionally known as Striezelmarkt (29 Nov – 24 Dec 2017) and dating from 1434, is the oldest in Germany. With the backdrop of the River Elbe, Dresden is annually turned into a Winter Wonderland with thousands of twinkling lights: romantic, festive and charming
Hungary_Budapest_Christmas_Market
Budapest: November 10 2017 – January 2 2018
The traditional Christmas atmosphere of Budapest will best be experienced, if you visit the Christmas markets in Vorosmarty and St. Stephen’s Square. Although the latter is smaller, the combination of both will give you an insight into the traditions of Christmas celebration in Budapest. Do not forget to taste their traditional cake (kurtoskalacs) and toki pompos, a Hungarian-style pizza topped with bacon, onion and cream.Hint: Also Budapest can be combined with the visit of Bratislava, which is good two hour drive away. You can even combine three different destinations and visit Vienna as well. The sky is the limit, just let us know, how much time you have!
Rothenburg’s Reiterlesmarkt: December 1 – 23 2017
It is held every year within the walls of the centuries-old small German city of Rothenburg, where the town gates separates it from the hustle and bustle of cosmopolitan cities like Berlin, and brings you to a fairytale land, covered with twinkling lights, aromas of roast chestnuts and mulled wine. Exploring the city alone is an adventure on its own, a place where culture and arts are hidden in every corner and history in its impressive medieval architecture. It is also where you can find the Käthe Wohlfahrt’s Christmas Village with the largest selection of German Christmas decoration in the world, open all-year-round.
The market is one tradition that hasn’t changed much since they started celebrating the Advent Festivities in the 15th century, and this year, it will be held from 25th of November to 23rd of December. During the same period, the city also hosts many cultural events and Christmas treats, like the original Rothenburg Snowball. Visitors can also enjoy the wonderful view from the Town Hall Tower on Fridays and Sundays and take beautiful Christmas-cards-like pictures.
Ljubljana: December 1 2017 – 7 January 2018
Although Ljubljana might seems a pretty unknown Christmas Market destination, numerous articles praising the festive atmosphere will prove you wrong. Jamie Gibbs, a blogger at HostelBookers, claims that Ljubljana ranks among the 5 best Christmas markets in Central and Eastern Europe and that the extravagant Christmas lighting, which adorn every nook and cranny of the Old Town, is the thing that makes it so unique. Another article published on Nationalpost.com describes it as “an explosion of light and life”. We agree with both of them and thus we have included Ljubljana to our list of the cities, which are a must-visit during the festive season.
The heart of the market is in Prešeren Square where you can pick up the usual Christmas trappings from handmade clothes to mulled wine and ginger biscuits. This year, the traditional Christmas lighting turn on will be on 27 November, which will also mark the start of the festive season. Numerous events and concerts will take place and you will be amazed by the lively happening and the cheerful atmosphere filling up the streets and the squares of the Old Town.Hint: Combine the visit of Ljubljana with the visit of the Christmas market in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, which is less than two-hour drive away. The Christmas market in Zagreb is held in Ban Jelačić Square. Contact us for further details.
We saved the best for last! Visit Lapland during Christmas holidays
The homeland of Santa Claus, Lapland is a wonderful destination to go to in the most festive time of the year – actually, this is the place to be, if you want to experience the Christmas spirit anytime in the year. The Christmas market there is called the Santa Claus Village. Santa Claus will greet you here all year round. He will be delighted to show you around and offer you some ginger bread biscuits baked by his wife, Mrs. Claus. And if you’re lucky enough, you might meet Rudolph the Reindeer too! If you decide to write him a letter, make sure to write the address clearly and the chances of getting his reply are pretty high. So far, they have responded to over thousands of letters from 198 different countries in the world – what is your wish for the upcoming Christmas? A visit to Lapland perhaps?

Wednesday, 30 August 2017

My Venice GuideBook – by Sašo Krumpak

La Serenissima, The Splendid one. Venice is arguably the world’s most unique of cities and what a history it had. Founded by refugees from Attila the Hun and his warriors who descended to the many islands of the lagoon to save themselves from the fierce asian warriors. There they gradually developped this unsual city by linking it’s 117 little islands, divided by channals and linked together by 409 bridges linking channals. Venice grew so as to become the richest city of the world at one time. The port which dominated the Mediterranean, founded the voyages of Marko Polo and thus made the rediscovery of China by the Europeans.
No wonder and quite rightously it attracts modern pilgrims, the tourists from world over. They are coming from giant cruise ships, from nearby italy third busiest airport conveniently named Marco Polo or by land on the tours across Italy and Europe.
While the local population shrank considerably from it’s heyday around year 1600 when it counted 200.000 until today’s 60.000, the number of tourists grows almost exponentially.
I was fortunate enough to have lived all my live only two hours away from this splendid city, albeit in a different country, first called Yugoslavia and since 1991 Slovenia. So Venice was a natural place of both school excursion and family daily outings, as a student I was guiding groups through the city and because of my work went to meet hoteliers and other vendors numerous times, too. But lately I cherish it as a romantic escape with my wife and family mainly.
Lately often friends and clients asked me what to recommend them in the city, a kind of the out of the way spots and not so obvious suggestions. To them and you, our dear readers, I give my own address to this splendid city.

Italy_Venice_SanMarcoPiazza_Sunset

There is another reason for this. While I am truly amazed by the city and was certain that everybody who came here should aswell, I was first puzzled and confused to see my many friends and even our clients not sharing the same enthusiasm with me. It made me think about it. And I think I know why. I have seen dozens, even hundreds of itineraries and I know where most of the tourist groups do it wrong.
They come for half a day and thus join the procession walk from the train station or Tronchetto terminal or even from Basilea cruise port through one of the main veigns to the city, Lista de Spagna towards Rialto bridge and on to St. Mark’s Square. Here they align in the long queue of other victims of mass tourism to pay a visit to the Basillica of St. Mark or it’s dettached Bell tower, then they pass the Doge’s palace so as to see the Bridge of Sighs where Casanova was taken to the prison. And then usually they have some free time for shopping in the most expensive and touristy part of the city or maybe even test a coffee at Florian on St. Mark’s square, an iconic coffee place even if pricy and caught amongst the rest of big part of thousands of tourists that do the same. And then it’s time to return and join the procession, depending on the budget using vaporetto, the city local boat service, or private boats and taxis, if lucky via the Canal grande, the word’s most luxurious boulevard, if on a budget maybe only thru a more remote Guidecca channel or even by foot back to the original coach departure point.
These tours don’t really do justice to the city. Venice is at its best in the mornings, before the hordes of daily tourists arrive, when it’s still fresh and pretty, and later in the evening when they leave and the locals return to streets and it all calms down (until the next day at least). To really get at least a little bit closer to the city one needs to sleep in the Island, and not on the mainland, in Mestre, Marghera or even further away. Two (or more) nights are better then one, but even one makes the whole of the difference. Of course the hotels with over 90% average occupancy are more expensive and their is this luggage logistics to think of, but hey, you only live once and Venice is not like any other places you have or will ever come across.
I remember talking to Lodovico, my venetian friend and colleague who owns one of the best Vetteria, glass blowing manufactures on Murano island, how he doesn’t imagine living any other place then here, because all the other cities are so similar, while Venice is unique. His grandmother has never ever in her life seen a car, just imagine that!
So when you or your group have gained some more time to enjoy Venice, what else there is to do – apart from the obvious highlights that I mentioned above?
For artists and museum buffs answer is obvious: they have Galleria dell’ Accademia with venetians classics and Peggy Guggenheim museum featuring one of the best modern art collections, then there are many palaces showing regular works and fascinating exhibitions, then you have Scuola San Rocco with Tintoretto’s reply to Michelangelo’s paintings in the Sistine chappel of Rome and then there are dozens, not dozens, hundreds of churches, many of those feauturing prominent artists, like Tizian, Tiepolo, Carravaggio and even foreign ones, Van Dyck, Rubens and more and more. In it’s heights Venice aristocrats were comissioning pictures from all the best european painters and so the city is a vidid gallery where their works are on display. And not to forget is Venice Biennale, which brings countries from all the world to make powerful contemporary displays every second year (as the name suggests) in the greenest part of the city, the Giardini and throughout the city.Italy_Venice_Burano_Colorful Houses
For those who prefer shopping there is an abundance of oportunities, from souvenir hunts where murano glass and traditional carnival masks are the most precious local souvenirs, to regular clothes and jewellery shoppings where Venice has all the brands you can imagine, from the most prestigious nestled one next to another in the ….. street to more affordable shops along the walk from the train station towards Rialto. And not to forget maybe the most precious of them all, the numerous boutiques and local artisans displays scattered throughout the city.
From my point of view however the best way to discover Venice is to roam around seemingly without a plan, see where the path leads you, through the squares, called Campos or Piazzas and across numerous canals. You will come to many dead ends and will have to return but this is the fun of it.
However I understand well that in our daily life and with our tourists we can’t behave like that. So here let me try to give some ideas about how to make the most unique tour around Venice in a day.

AN ALTERNATIVE ROUTE OF VENICE

I will leave out the other islands, the most famous one of them because of it’s glass, Murano, or Torcello where Venice actually started or the most beautiful one, Burano, where every house is painted in a different colour as they say so that the local fishermen coming home drunk from several days on the sea could have located their own one. I will skip Lido, the mondene kind of a resort island famous for hosting the annual Film Festival, and even the less known ones – the Eremiti, where the Armenian monastery to which Lord Byron once rowed and where in co-operation with the monks he prepaired the first armenian-english dictionary or San Michele, the island that serves as the cemetery where many famous artists are burried or any other of over 100 islands of the lagoon. Because we simply do not have time. Because remember, so far at best I have convinced you to devote one night to the island only.
So here is a couple of my suggestions, which would distract you from the usual walks and hopefully instill some:

  • Jewish Ghetto – the original Ghetto (and where the word comes from), secluded from the rest of the city as Jewish were forced to be, you can see a very interesting Jewish museum that takes you through 5 synagogues that still exist until now, including the famous Portuguese one.Venice_Italy_Jewish Ghetto
  • Aqua alta library – defying the tide of high waters, the owner has decided to protect his books by storing them in boats and gondolas making one of the most unique bookshops you can imagine.
  • Bivolo palace – the palace that has a jewel in it’s staircase. Very near the pathway yet same time remote and a bit hard to find, too.
  • Gondolas – I know it’s cheesy, but gondola experience is a must. With set prices it is also an affordable experience. Try some less touristy routes so you avoid ride in the procession with others.
  • Squero San Trovaso (gondola manufacture) – there are 5 manufactures of gondolla still active in the city, but this one is the most easily found, see how gondolas are made.
  • San Zacharia church – this church not far from St. Mark’s square has a wealth of paintings by most famous artists, but it’s real attraction is it’s flooded crypt.
  • Tedesco shopping – a new attraction of the city, opened not even a year ago, is an old palace converted to a high end shopping mall. Make a reservation to go to the roof-top from where you can see the whole of the city.
  • Rialto market – just out of the southern part of the famous bridge lies a colourful food market and numerous less expensive restaurants and coffee shops.Venice_Italy_Gondola Ride
  • Ca’ Macana – if you’re running after the typical venetian masks, Ca’ Macana is the one workshop which made it to the Hollywood. They organise workshops there aswell.

Venice you need to discover on your own, away from tourists, away from the walked paths. But when we work for our groups we are limited with both finances and time and we have to show the best we can. Hopefully my ideas will serve to those who want to stand out and move away from the mediocricity of the general visits.
Venice is unique, but not a very easy city to work in. The hotels are almost completely sold out throughout the year, the standard touristic places are well, touristic to say the best. But there are many many outstanding local restaurants still reasonable in price, there are some of the best local guides with amazing knowledge and who still work with passion you could see almost vanished. There are venuees you can hire to make a special effect on your incentive project and yes there are activities with which you can fill the time in Venice, even a week if needed.
At Happy Tours we regard Venice as our home turf, we work with it since very beginning of our agency 17 years ago. I’ll be personally happy to show what we can do and suggest. For any enquiries you may address them to either [email protected] or my personal email [email protected].


Wednesday, 26 July 2017

Summer night’s fever

The first thing that comes to your mind when you think of summer is probably the sea and the sun, but the second one is definitely summer nights, when you hang out with friends, attend a concert or a festival at an open-air venue and simply seize the moment. If you’re travelling around Europe and you like festivals, this blog is a must-read. We have prepared the HAPPY selection of 5 festivals – though many took place in July, the blog will be useful for making the plans for 2018. Nevertheless, the tickets get sold out pretty soon and the dates for 2018 are already set. Plan your next visit to Europe according to our selection of the festivals and feel the European summer night’s fever.

Colours of Ostrava, Czech Republic
Colours of Ostrava, Czech Republic
Colours of Ostrava, considered one of the ten best music events in Europe in 2016 by the Guardian, is an international, multi-genre music festival that takes place in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Only 15 km from the border of Poland in the north-east of Czech Republic, a 4-day festival taking place in the mid-July attracts crowds of people. The venue of the festival are the entrancing surroundings of Dolní Vítkovice ironworks. This year, it was the 15th in the row and it featured over 350 different performances on 20 open-air and covered stages: concerts, discussions, theatre performances, films, workshops as well as other art activities.Save the date for 2018: 18 – 21 July
Exit Festival Novi Sad Serbia
Exit Festival, Serbia
Exit Festival in Novi Sad, Serbia, has almost become a synonym for summer festivals throughout Europe and across the globe. It is considered one of the world’s best festivals and includes diverse and eclectic lineups. Every year, it welcomes world-known rock, pop, hip-hop and dance stars. The stunning Petrovaradin Fortress on the banks of Danube, adds to the atmosphere. On more than 10 different stages, the music runs all through the night and you’ll definitely find something to suit your taste. This years edition marked the 50th anniversary of the famous Summer of Love in 1967, when the hippie movement began.Save the date for 2018: 12 – 15 July
Ultra Europe, Split Croatia
Ultra Europe, Croatia
If you’re eager to party, a visit to Ultra Europe is a must. One of, if not the biggest, EDM and house music festival in the world takes place in the Croatian town of Split. Recent editions have featured the likes of David Guetta, deadmau5 and The Chemical Brothers, who brought a pilgrimage of dance music fans from around the world to Split. The main venue is the historical Stadion Poljud, but that’s not all: the festival-goers can also attend boat parties and dock on some of the country’s most beautiful islands for a set of heavenly beach parties.Save the date for 2018: July, details TBA
Obojan Island Festival Croatia
Obonjan
If you missed this year’s edition of Ultra and you’re currently in Croatia, there’s another festival worth visiting. It takes place on Obonjan, an island which is located just off the coast of Šibenik. The festivals expands over ten weeks and includes a set of inspiring, creative and restorative experiences. With this festival, it’s not only about music, but also about wellbeing, astronomy, comedy, cinema, food, talks and workshops. You simply book your stay here and start your experience on this unique island. Obonjan offers a perfect blend of experiences in one of Europe’s most blissful and picturesque settings.23 June – 3 September
Summers Tale Festival Germany
A Summer’s Tale, Germany
An inspiring multi-genre festival takes place in Luhmühlen, in the leafy north German countryside, not far from Hamburg. The third edition of the festival incorporates art, theatre, workshops, crafts and readings, as well as workshops from acro yoha to Japanese tea tasting, knitting and didgeridoo. Similar to Obonjan, the festival is set up to create a big chill-out get-together in a creative setting of tranquil town. Artists that performed Sigur Rós, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, The Parov Stelar Band, José González, Patti Smith, Damien Rice, ZAZ, Calexico and many more.Save the date for 2017: 2 – 5 August

Tuesday, 27 June 2017

And the winner is… Zagreb!

Lonely Planet makes it clear – Zagreb is a must-visit in 2017!

Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, is located in the northwest of the country, close to the border with Slovenia. An astonishing cosmopolitan city abounds with chic cafés and metropolitan restaurants, high-end boutiques and fascinating museums and galleries. Thanks to the compact size of the Old Town, most cultural jewels can be reached on foot. This year, Lonely Planet ranked it No. 1 among the best destinations to visit in Europe in 2017. Here’s their explanation why (and we totaly agree!):

“Travellers to Croatia tend to make a beeline for the Adriatic delights of the country’s extensive coastline, but its flourishing inland capital shouldn’t be overlooked. Zagreb is at once cosmopolitan and edgy, with its heady mix of Brutalist architecture and sun-splashed Austro-Hungarian squares brimming with coffee drinkers.

Urban regeneration is making the city over. Street art, particularly the striking works of local artist Lonac, adorn Zagreb’s outdoor canvasses and new galleries and creative spaces, including a recently reopened WWII bomb shelter under the Upper Town, are opening at an ambitious pace. To top it all off, the city is home to a blossoming food and craft beer scene, and with the opening of Zagreb’s long-awaited airport terminal, along with a host of new flight routes, it’s never been easier or cheaper to reach the Croatian capital.”

Lonely Planet

Croatia_Zagreb_Panorama

Zagreb is the industry hub of the region. For this very reason, the city has been dubbed the new ‘Silicon Valley’. In addition to new technology and telecoms, many of the lar

A year-round destination, perfect for city break!

During the winter months, the ski resort of Sljeme on mountain Medvednica is just a twenty-minute drive away and is a great alternative to the busy Alpine slopes.

What do Emirates have to do with Zagreb?

Emirates have further expanded its European network with the introduction of daily flights from Dubai to Zagreb, starting on June 1 2017. The new destination is served by an Emirates Boeing 777-300 aircraft, the only wide-body service operating to/from Zagreb. Business travellers into Zagreb will appreciate the convenient early afternoon landing into Franjo Tuđman (Pleso) International Airport from Dubai.

Business in Zagreb? Why not!

gest Croatian and Central European companies have their headquarters or regional offices here.

Less than four hours of transit time!

From this flight connection in broader sense benefits the whole southeast Europe region. It will now become more accessible to businesses in the Middle East and beyond. Onward travel to Shanghai, Beijing, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, or Sydney, Melbourne, Maldives, Seychelles and Sri Lanka can all be reached with less than four hours’ transit time.Croatia_Zagreb

Travelling from Far Eastern destinations? Yes, please!

Croatia has become a popular destination for business and leisure travel from around the world, in particular with tourists from Far Eastern destinations like South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Singapore and Australia. The favourable flight times offered on Emirates’ new service will make travelling to Zagreb from these markets and many more, a more seamless and enjoyable experience.

IMPORTANT: Scheduled flight times for EK129 (departing Dubai at 08:15 hours and arriving in Zagreb at 12:20 hours local time) and the return flight EK130 (departing Zagreb at 15:35hours and arriving in Dubai at 23:05hours).

 Croatia – the place to be in 2017

Among the top six once-dangerous countries is also our neighboring country, Croatia. Set along the Adriatic coast, it boasts stunning hinterland scenery and a number of UNESCO heritage sites. It’s a country of a thousand islands, glittering waters, secluded beaches and secret little hideaways. It’s a country of historical monuments, such as the Emperor Diocletian’s PalacCroatia_Zagreb_FoodMarkete, and breathtaking outdoors such as the waterfalls and lakes in Plitvice National Park. It’s a country of tradition and a lively cotemporary cultural scene, including several electronic and alternative music festivals. It’s a country, which well deserves your visit. So, what are you waiting for? June is perfect for making plans for the upcoming autumn season. Why not visit Croatia? Check out our tours that are all guaranteed to go and explore this Mediterranean jewel now.

Museum of Broken Relationships – it’s about you and me, about the ways we love and lose…

Museum of Broken Relationships is a physical and virtual public space created with the sole purpose of treasuring and sharing your heartbreak stories and symbolic possessions. The museum is actually an ever-growing collection of items, each a memento of a relationship past, accompanied by a personal, yet anonymous story of its contributor. Unlike ‘destructive’ self-help instructions for recovery from grief and loss, the Museum offers the chance to overcome an emotional collapse through creativity – by contributing to its universal collection.
Museum of Broken Relationships is an original creative art project conceived by Olinka Vištica and Dražen Grubišić in 2006. Since then, it has taken thousands of people on an empathetic journey around the world, challenging our ideas about heritage. Its original permanent location was founded in Zagreb. In 2010 it won the EMYA Kenneth Hudson Award as the most innovative and daring museum project in Europe.


Monday, 22 May 2017

Be our (wedding) guest!

If you’re planning to say “I do” anytime soon, you should read this blog.

Getting married is one of the milestones in our life.

It is the moment when you say “I do” to your (dream) partner and turn the new page of your life. Most women dream about their wedding day from their early days. It’s a fairy-tale coming true a day in life, whenWeddings__General everything needs to be picture-perfect.

Where should I get married?

Some prefer to get married close to their homes, some rather travel far away. Some tend to have large wedding feasts, some prefer to invite just a few. The sky is the limit with numerous options of how you can get married, how many guests you can invite and what kind of food you will choose for your guest. But what all the brides and grooms have in common is the wish to get married on a nice location, on the location that has a wow effect and will stay in their hearts forever. As if the perfectly chosen venue of the wedding will ensure them to live happily ever after… But this is yet another story.

Why choose HAPPY TOURS?

As already the name Happy Tours implies, with us it’s all about making you happy. It is thus no wonder that we are constantly searching for new products, new ideas of how to help you make your life a bit HAPPIER. Among numerous products we offer, the most recent is the weddings. On the top locations – why do we say that? Because we have personally tried it.

What are the pros for a destination wedding

Why do people decide for a destination wedding and why has planning a wedding away from home become so attractive? The main reason for unconventional weddings is usually the fact that you’re searching for something more special and that you’re not into traditional weddings. A good reason may also be that your families and friends are from all around the world and you are trying to find a spot that suits everyone. The fact that they need to travel anyway, is a good enough reason that you choose a destination that will also be interesting for them to travel to. You might also want to make the planning easier – we all know that weddings can be a real logistical nightmare. If you choose an agency or a tour operator to take care of the details, you will for sure be given an on-site wedding coordinator that will do all the legwork for you and the result is that your wedding will be much less stressful to plan. Since destination weddings are a bit less conventional, it is also a great opportunity to make your wedding truly special. We have all been to weddings that were much alike, except from the bride and groom being different. And this can also be a trigger for your friends and families – they will for sure spend some of their precious vacation days, but it will make it worth a while since the location will be marvellous. And last but not least – you will have an overview of your costs. Although no one can claim that such weddings cost less money, we guarantee you that you also won’t spend a fortune. It is often also much easier to keep costs in check, already because you tend to have a smaller guest list and really choose only people that are most important in your life and you will also not go that much into details and spend money on unnecessary costs, since already the destination will make such a wow effect that you practically do not need anything else.

Happy Tours has shortlisted the top wedding destinations

Santorini, Greece 

Weeding_BledIf you’re more into seaside locations, Santorini is a good choice for you. The homeland of myths and legends of the Olympic gods is just a perfect place. Just imagine your day among the gentle waves under the bright sun, the white facades and one of the most spectacular views on the earth, the Caldera view. The ceremony and the reception can be organised anywhere on the island, depending on your interests. You can opt for the Caldera View chapel or for one of the hotels located on the cliff, which offer an breath-taking view. A winery is also an option or even an old-style sailing boat. And when is the best time for getting married on Santorini? High season is from the beginning of April to the end of October. The island is marvellous in April, when everything blooms and even the black volcanic rock blaze of different colours. In May, September and October, the weather is comfortable, sun isn’t too strong and you can walk for hours. The hottest weddings take place from mid-June to mid-August and September, when the picking of grapes start. The choice is yours and honestly, Santorini will do good in any time of the year.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Another seaside location is Dubrovnik, the Pearl of Adriatic. One of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea is also a celebrity magnet and a filming location with high-rising cliffs and a stunning ancient city wall overlooking the Adriatic sea. Kings and queens, Hollywood A-liners, world leaders, sports heroes and top of the chart singers have all graced the Stradun. The ‘Pearl of the Adriatic’, situated on the Dalmatian coast, became an important sea power in the 13th century. Although severely damaged by an earthquake in 1667, Dubrovnik managed to preserve its beautiful Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque churches, monasteries, palaces and fountains. Damaged again in the 1990s by armed conflict, it is now the focus of a major restoration programme co-ordinated by UNESCO. Named one of the most romantic cities in the world, Dubrovnik is a place which will make your wedding unique.

Bled Lake, SLOVEnia

Slovenia carries love already in its name… Lake Bled is the most popular spot for getting married, especially among the guests from the UK. Thanks to the incredible natural beauty, it falls into the category of the most delightful alpine resorts, renowned for its mild curative climate and the thermal water. The beauty of the mountains reflects in the clear lake, the sun, fresh air and silence give a pleasant feeling to guests at any time of the year and provide a great vacation. Most couples choose the period between May and September, mainly due to the pleasant temperatures and sunny weather. That said, the winter naturally also has its charms: less crowds, slightly lower rates and, if you’re lucky, a fairy-tale snow-covered landscape. The two top locations are the mighty Castle of Bled that stands on an imposing rock above the lake. This romantic castle, the oldest in Slovenia, features several historical rooms, such as the printing works, wine cellar and forge, which can all be incorporated into your wedding day. After being greeted by the Lord and Lady of the Castle, your wedding guests are taken to the upper castle terrace for the ceremony. A performance of medieval dances ensues while bottles of sparkling wine for the toast are opened with the help of a sword. Your wedding dinner can be held on the terrace or within the stone walls of the castle restaurant, which is run by Slovenia’s premier caterer Jezeršek. Another location is Vila Bled, a former presidential residence, located in a lush park on the shore of Lake Bled. After the civil service, guests may take a boat from the villa’s private pier to the island amidst the lake. Depending on the date of your wedding and the size of the wedding party, you may also hold your wedding dinner on the lakeside terrace.

Lake Garda, Italy

Weddings__Lake_GardaLast but not least, our choice is Italy, the traditional destination for honeymooners from all around the globe. Why not start with a picture-perfect wedding and continue with honeymoon. Our choice is Lake Garda, the place where a fortress towns and villages coexist with cozy sandy beaches merging into a single chain of beauty, whose reflection we still find in the works of Dickens, Wilde, Kafka. We can organize the wedding on several locations, such as the wedding hall of the castle of Malcesine, in the castle of Sirmione or Gardone Riviera Hall. Apart from amazing nature, the location also has a great history, its castles dominate the East side of the Lake such as Castello di Malcesine, Torri del Benaco and Castello di Lonato. They can all host outdoor legal ceremonies overlooking great panoramas. Also the west side villas and ancient mansions could be perfect wedding reception venues. The best time to get married on Lake Garda depends a lot on what you are looking for. The temperature does vary a bit with the north of the lake being windier and slightly colder. But the venue can be prepared in a way that will make you feel comfortable all year round.

Weddings

Wednesday, 05 April 2017

Make today ridiculously amazing and go all the way!

An interview with Rožle Verhovc, the always-smiling founder and the owner of Clutch Harley Tours, the first professional Harley Davidson motorcycle touring company in South Eastern Europe. By the way: Rožle is Happy Tours partner and one of the top tour guides of the company. That is why we’re even more curious. What, when, how come, etc. We want to know everything. About the idea that lies behind, the most amazing experiences he has had on the tours so far and much more. Enjoy the reading as much as we enjoyed talking with him.

Hi, Rožle. Why Clutch Harley Tours? What’s the idea behind? Explain a bit more, please.

Clutch Harley Tours is a brand name for motorcycle touring company specialised in motorcycle tours and rentals with Harley Davidson Motorcycles. Until March 2014, there was no motorcycle touring company in South Eastern Europe offering tours with Harleys. If a Harley rider wanted to join fully supported guided motorcycle tour, other companies offered him a BMW or other motorcycles but not a Harley. I wanted to change that and offer to Harley riders what they deserve – Harley Davidson motorcycles for rent and tours. And Clutch Harley Tours became the first professional Harley Davidson motorcycle touring company in South Eastern Europe.

Clutch Harley Tours – the first professional Harley Davidson motorcycle touring company in South Eastern Europe

When did you start the business and how come? In the world of tourism, you’re known as one of the best tour guides in Europe – what made you start your own business?

After 15 years of touring around the world with tourists on different tours, I wanted to start my own business, combination of pleasure and market niche, something that will create my future. I wanted to settle down and spend more time in the home area. In 2008, I started to work as a tour guide on a motorcycle, 5 seasons I was freelancing for other tour companies, before I started my own business in 2012. First I started tours with BMW motorcycles and later added tours on Harleys.

What are your most popular tours? Which are the highlights of your tours?

My most popular tour is 8 day Venice to Dubrovnik Tour. This tour is connecting 2 highlights of the Adriatic area, Venice and Dubrovnik. Both are among the most beautiful cities in the world, often called “the pearls of the Adriatic”. The coastal road between them is one of the most beautiful roads to ride in Europe. The Royal Capitals of Central Europe is a classic tour connecting most beautiful cities of Central Europe – Budapest, Vienna, Salzburg, Prague, Krakow, Bratislava. Very nice and diverse is also Adriatic to Alps Tour, a tour combining a coastal area in Croatia with green countryside of Slovenia and high mountain passes of Dolomites, Italian alpine area.

8 Day Venice to Dubrovnik Tour is the most popular tour. Followed by the Royal Capitals of Central Europe and Adriatic to Alps Tour.Rozle_Cole

Where do most of the clients come from? Which is the most important market for you?

Most of my clients come from the USA, Australia and Arabic countries. Arab area is our fastest growing market.

How many people attend the tour? Can you describe a regular day of the tour?

The group is small, maximum 8 motorcycles in a group. We believe that small groups bring more enjoyable rides. A normal riding day on our tours looks something like this:

06:30 – 08:00 Breakfast
08:15 – 08:30 Morning briefing with details how our riding day will look like
08:30 Departure
09:45 – 10:15 First morning coffee/tea break
10:15 – 12:30 Riding with some sightseeing on the way
12:30 – 14:00 Lunch
14:00 – 15:30 Riding /sightseeing on the way
15:30 – 16:00 Afternoon coffee/tea stop (on some shorter days already arrival to the hotel)
16:00 – 17:00 Riding (usually we arrive to the hotel by 17:00, on some longer days or some slower groups arrival can be postponed for an hour)
17:00 – 19:00 Free for leisure activities
19:00 – Short walk or sometimes taxi to a good local restaurant, usually we do a short informative guided sightseeing tour about the town we are in before we reach the restaurant
19:30 – 21:00 A la carte dinner in best local restaurant
After 21:00 Free time

We believe that small groups bring more enjoyable rides.

What makes Clutch Harley Tours so special? What are the main advantages of your company?

We offer highly professional service based on ATTENTION to DETAILS, KNOWLEDGE & STYLE. We speak the language, we know the locals and we know the way! Besides having maximum 8 motorcycle in the groups, our clients stay in the best hotels, eat in the best restaurants and they can choose a la carte meals. We designed all-inclusive packages where we included all possible experiences and services, including gas.

We speak the language, we know the locals and we know the way!

Which tour would you recommend to your first-time client?

To my first-time client, I would recommend Venice to Dubrovnik Tour, 8 days, 3 countries, 1200 km of great roads combined with the stories from the present and past.

Are there any limitations for participating in the tour?

The only limitation is ability to ride a motorcycle and have a motorcycle driving licence.

Can you describe one of the most remarkable moments you have had while on your tours?

There are many stories, but this one is truly unforgettable. We started a tour from Slovenia and after 210 km ended the first riding day in Plitvice National Park in Croatia, one of the most picturesque places on Earth. It was Sunday, 3PM, all governmental offices closed. Soon after we parked the motorcycles in front of the hotel, one of the riders came to me saying that he lost the motorcycle registration. The following day, there was a ride to Bosnia and Herzegovina planned and it’s impossible to enter the country without registration and a green card. I made a few phone calls, sat on a motorcycle, rode 200 km to my home town back to Slovenia, where the boss of the local administrative governmental office and her employee were waiting for me with the computer turned on, on Sunday 6PM. They issued a new registration for me with Monday’s date on and I returned to Croatia. It was 10 PM when I returned to the hotel, I rode 621 km that day and when I passed the new registration to the rider, he didn’t even say thank you.

Do you have anything else to say to the HAPPY TOURS blog readers? (It can also be life-inspiring).

Make today ridiculously amazing and go all the way!

If this interview made you want to ride a Harley, we feel you. If it made you feel like turning off the computer and join one of the tours, then all we can say is: make sure to have your motorcycle driving license with you. The rest is covered.

Show Motorcycle Tours

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Tuesday, 14 March 2017

Why is river cruising an excellent alternative or an add-on to the traditional tours of Europe?

Europe has more navigable rivers than any other region in the world.

Europe, the old continent, the cradle of civilisation, the homeland of great inventors, artists and philosophers, the melting pot of different cultures, languages, nations… there are numerous things that come to your mind when you think of the reasons why Europe is worth visiting. When you think of the mode of travel between destinations – which is a must, especially for non-European travellers who want to see as much as possible – one of the best advantages that is not so commonly promoted is that Europe has more navigable rivers than any other region in the world. Combined with the fact that major cities lie on the riverbanks of the major European rivers, river cruises are definitely one of the options to consider when you opt for discovering Europe. And this

River_Cruise_Seine

A Rosa Ship on Seine River.

is the reason why Happy Tours this year decided to launch a new series of products for you – river cruises on board of the A-Rosa.

A river cruise – an affordable luxurious way of travelling

Although cruising as a mode of travel is mostly linked to the senior travellers, a river cruise is definitely an option to consider no matter your age, if you are discovering Europe for the first time. The greatest advantage is that you can relax on the top deck of the ship and observe diverse European landscape dotted with castles, charming villages and dazzling cities instead of sitting on the bus. You do not need to pack the whole time or check out of the hotel early in the morning to reach your next destination. It gives you a certain personal freedom and a comfort that no traveller would resist. When you decide for a river cruise, you actually opt for a floating hotel that travels from one destination to another. The modern A-Rosa premium ships offer a range of facilities and activities, which are attractive also for families with children, including a great spa offer and fitness equipment on board and cycling tours of the destinations visited during the cruise. What is more, all children below the age of fifteen stay on board of A-Rosa free of charge, if they share a cabin with at least one adult. An affordable luxurious way of travelling, what else
could you wish for?

Panoramic view of river cruise through Passau, Germany.

Panoramic view of river cruise through Passau, Germany.

Experience Europe on board of A-Rosa premium ships

So which are the European rivers that you can cruise on with the modern A-Rosa premium ships? Let us start with the heart and the soul of Europe – the Danube, Europe’s second-longest river, which flows along the legendary historical destinations, including Vienna, Budapest, Bratislava, Linz etc. In the past, numerous cultures and civilizations used the river as the main trade route, its boundaries marked the edge of the Roman Empire, and its bridges have linked nations. The second option for you is the Old Father Rhine. This waterway begins as a stream in the Swiss Alps and continues its journey through six countries on its way to the North Sea. If you opt for Rhône, you will get a chance to discover the South of France and experience the “savoir vivre”. Last but not least, there also the most recent of the A-Rosa routes, the cruise on the romantic Seine, launched in 2017 and starts in the city of love – Paris. Check out the top cruises on board of A-Rosa ships here and discover Europe in style. For more information, contact us and we will help you choose the river cruise, which will best suit your desires.

Show River Cruises

Key words: river cruising, a rosa, travelling, ship, Europe

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Friday, 5 February 2016

Winter in Dubrovnik is a breath of fresh air

Many people are not interested in visiting Dubrovnik low season, but after reading this blog, we are pretty sure you will change your minds…

The low season offers a unique opportunity to discover the cities hidden gems, without the crowds. Furthermore, there is one additional crucial thing, which needs to be mentioned:

Accommodation and activities have lower prices.

Despite the fact that in winter months, you are not able to swim in one of the most beautiful seas in the world – Adriatic sea – you are still able to find some other activities to have great time in this area. But also swimming is discussable: temperatures in January and February are quite low, but in March you can actually already swim in Dubrovnik… 

And believe it or not, low season will brings a different shade of life to the many cultural and natural attractions.

New Years celebration in Dubrbovnik

New Years celebration in Dubrbovnik

Having fun in winter months is very important, so that’s the reason why Dubrovnik’s New Year’s Eve is one of the most popular celebrations in the whole Croatia. More and more people not just from Ex-Yugoslavia, but also from other parts of Europe are coming to party in Stradun, one of the most beautiful streets in the world. Usually performers from Croatia entertain people, but if you don’t know the song or the words, don’t worry, you will enjoy it any way. Although it might be chilly attending open-air celebrations in Dubrovnik, a number of stands have “local liquid medicines”, like mulled wine and different sorts of brandy and liquors.

There are other local festivals in the area, such as St. Blaise Day (Patron Saint of Dubrovnik), celebrated on 3 February officially, but locals celebrate this holiday for 2 days (on 2 and 3 February). This celebration is considered as one of the biggest Roman Catholic celebrations in Croatia. Then, there is Dubrovnik Carnival, a blowout that culminates in a Masked Ball; and the Oyster Festival in March that ushers in the milder weather and the beginning of the new tourist season. Apart from this, Dubrovnik prides itself on a lively artistic and musical tradition. There are enough classical music lovers to support an orchestra, the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra with a full season of concerts and recitals during the winter months.

St. Blaise Day in Dubrovnik

St. Blaise Day in Dubrovnik

I know I said no crowds, but you will see crowds of people on these photos!!!! Do not worry, this lasts only 5 or 6 days during whole winter, the rest of the days are very peaceful.

Winter is the perfect time to explore the museums in the city. Learn about the rich history of the Republic. Visit one of the many galleries. Enjoy some traditional Dubrovnik cuisine in one of the many restaurants in the old city. Observe the sunset from the city walls, the view from Fort Lovrijenac and the hidden park located east of the fort itself where Game of Thrones’ infamous Purple Wedding was filmed.


Friday, 22 January 2016

Carnival Behind The Masks

Peter, our IT manager, reveals the origins of the carnival. Indeed, a very, very interesting reading, which will leave you open-mouthed, Especially in some parts… Apart from the topic discussed, the blog also reveals his brilliant knowledge about the sociology in general. Which again leaves you open-mouthed. You’re all in one, Peter!

The season of carnivals is about to start

Untitled-1_0000_carnival-278306_960_720

Wooden masks from Central Europe

Carnival is knocking on the door! From the smallest German cities to Venice and Cologne, the regime of mockery and foolishness is about to start. If you decide to visit Europe in this special time, you will find a special atmosphere worth experiencing. And believe it or not, it is much more than just wearing a mask. In fact, carnival is a unique manifestation of the European culture that has spread around the world and these days, flavoured with local and exotic specialties, exists in many countries around the globe. So what is the cultural mechanism that makes carnival so special? Where do the origins of the festival lie?

The origins of the carnival…

For one, it is the fact that for the time of the carnival, people wear masks and thus hide their identity and take over different roles. It is the time when the world turns upside down, where the king becomes a peasant, male turn into female, the rich are poor and vice versa. It is the time of mockery, parody and joking.

Goodbye to meat…

The etymology of the word originates from the Latin.  Carne meaning meat and vale goodbye which literally means goodbye to meat. Originally, the carnival period marked the goodbye of the rich foods that the Christian festive season offered. After the carnival, the time of fasting that lasted until Easter came. Largely, this was because of the food shortage that struck people in the end of winter, so fasting was a necessity, and it just might be that the carnival offered a different kind of food, food for the soul, much needed before the long days of shortage. Going back even further to the pagan ages, people celebrated the returning daylight and days of plenty that were about to come with the arrival of spring. Before the new birth of spring (around March 20) the old man Winter had to leave and people masked themselves to chase him away.  If the rituals were successful, winter was scared and spring came bringing much needed food. This is the story of many masks, their purpose is to be scary and make winter go away. Until today, the wooden masks from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovenia have carried this common element. Carnival costumes have a long tradition of craftsmanship that can be seen in the cities and towns around Europe.

Carnival turns the world upside down…

Bergaigne Carnevale

Bergaigne Carnevale

Eventually, as time passed, the masking itself brought another element to the pagan origins of carnival.  The Middle Ages and later on the Renaissance gave birth to a new mechanism of carnival. As Mikhail Bakhtin (in: Cultural Theory and Popular Culture) puts it: “The world standing on its head” the world upside down. The carnival for Bakhtin is an event in which all rules, inhibitions, restrictions and regulations which determine the course of everyday life are suspended, and especially all forms of hierarchy in the society. The power of masking and role playing allowed the mixing of the strict hierarchical structures of Europe bringing to life a period of chaos under the rule of the Carnival. Up to the present days, in many central European cities Carnival is personified as a prince, leading the procession, which represents the entry to the days of craziness. Of course, one cannot stay like this forever, which is why the Carnival is buried or burned at the end his Carnivalesque reign. Wearing a mask allowed commoners to interact with people that where higher situated. Mocking nobility hiding beneath a descriptive disguise was common and allowed critique without a fear of retribution. Carnival belonged and still belongs to all people, it takes place in public places and allows people to leave of steam while breaking the established social boundaries allowing them to be someone else for a while. We mentioned free interaction of people, but there is much more: eccentric behavior that was otherwise unacceptable and reveled the dark sides of the human soul.

This is where it gets dirty…

The debauchery of carnival was of course a problem for the moral authorities of the Church, but again the morals of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance were far from what we would have excepted them to be from today’s point of view. This is a large topic, but let’s say there was plenty of sex going on in the described period, especially during the carnival.

The dark side of the Venetian carnival…

Pietro Longhi - The Ridotto in Venice

Pietro Longhi -The Ridotto in Venice

Let’s take a look at Venice. Venice, because it had an atmosphere of a multicultural city from the late Middle Ages and because historical reports are rich from this area.  It may be an example that is extreme, but historians imagine that similar practices where common throughout Europe. The moral fabric of the Serenissima was not the strongest, but in time of the carnival the darkest sides of the Venetians came to light. Carnival festivities were often punctuated by lost of virtue, theft, gambling, even murder, but especially sex. Ladies from higher society that normally left the house with servants changed role. Dressed as servants or vice versa, meeting their lovers or having sex with commoners. The Servants would find themselves enjoying the splendours of the Venetian high society with noble man asking for intimacy. Of course, this practice was well known and presented an opportunity for Venetian men to dress up as servants… On some other occasion, men would have hidden beneath a woman’s mask and enter convents where they had their pick of frustrated young ladies segregated to monastical life against their will. And gambling? A mask is perfect to escape creditors. Foreign envoys to Venice have described the landscape of carnival in Venice as extreme or even violent. Jet the foundations of the political and social life where anchored deep and the festival was a highly expected event of the year.

Carnival is a travel…

Carnival in Europe has lost its wild side for most of its parts, but the elements of masks, roleplaying, burlesque and the critique of society have remained. Let’s put it simple. Carnival allows us to be someone, who we normally are not. In this sense, carnival is a travel – a travel to the buried parts of one’s soul and nevertheless a well worth trip to Europe.

Key Words: Carnival, Europe, Venice


Friday, 18 December 2015

I’m Youngha Rio Choi and I am travelling around the world by bicycle…

If these introductory lines surprised you as much as us, continue reading this blog, which is actually more of an interview. Rio is a young gentleman from South Korea, who decided to cycle back from Europe to his home country. How come he decided to do that? Read the blog and we are sure you will find some ideas for your New Year’s promises…

The good news is that he will be in Slovenia during the winter season and if you want to have a chat with him, you can always stop by at our office.

Hi, Rio, can you briefly introduce yourself?

On the crosswords

On the crosswords

Hello everyone! I’m Youngha Rio Choi and I am travelling around the world by bicycle. I worked as a sales person in South Korea for 3 years –

I liked my work, but it was pretty demanding. I had to work more than 14 hours per day. So in May, I quit my job and decided to go to Europe to make a new start and make something interesting with my life.

So you decided to cycle around the globe?

No, at first I was just a backpacker. I traveled around UK, Spain, Italy and France.  But then, I decided to go back to South Korea by bicycle. I started my epic journey on 10th August in Bordeaux, France.

Which places have you visited so far?

I cycled through Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Munich, Salzburg, Mallnitz and Villach. 

Who sponsors your trip?

I’m a first Korean to cycle across Eurasia without any sponsors; so Korean media pay some attention to me as well.

What is the best thing when traveling across the continents by bicycle?

The greatest thing is meeting new people. They support me and cheer me up in different ways.

When did you reach Slovenia?

I arrived to the lovely Ljubljana in early November.

OK, we understand why you visited Slovenia – because it’s such an amazing country, right? But what is your connection with HAPPY TOURS? Apart from the fact that really HAPPY people work here?

Holland

Holland

Jayden, the head of Korean market in Happy Tours offered me help with staying in Slovenia for the winter. You know, the weather is the most important to me. Usually I stay in my tent. And because it was so cold, I woke up more than 5 times a night, now in colder season, so I am really grateful for this help. Honestly, I didn’t expect this much cold in Europe.

How do you keep your body in shape during the winter?

Everyday I cycle to the Happy Tours office in the morning and back in the afternoon. One way is around 5 km.

And I sometimes cycle around Domžale and Ljubljana, not only because of the physical condition, but also because I want to feel local in Slovenia.

Is Slovenia a good cycling destination?

Slovenia is actually an outstanding cycling destination and it would definitely deserve to be put onto the map of the top cycling destinations in the world. It has a beautiful nature and also the cycling infrastructure is good. I have a plan to send a request to Google to ask them if they could build up a function of showing cycling roads around Slovenia. They have the function in Germany and Austria, so I am pretty sure that they can do it also for Slovenia.

What are your plans for the upcoming Christmas holidays?

I will go to Piran by bicycle for Christmas holiday! If anyone wants to join, please… I do not have any companions at the moment.

What do you like about Happy Tours?

I’m so happy to meet all the wonderful Slovenians and especially the people at Happy Tours. I wish that all people around the world would be as happy as the people at Happy Tours!!

Key Words: Cycling, Slovenia, South Korea, Young, Amazing


Friday, 11 December 2015

Fear, danger and tourism

Aleksandra Jezeršek Matjašič about why you should never ever let fear stop you from travelling. And why Croatia should be your next destination to visit.

¹danger

noun dan·ger \ˈdān-jər\

: the possibility that you will be hurt or killed

: the possibility that something unpleasant or bad will happen

: a person or thing that is likely to cause injury, pain, harm, or loss

Europe has suddenly become a dangerous place to visit…

Panorama of Pula with the famous amphitheater

No matter which definition seems most suitable to you, one thing is for sure: recent savage attacks, which initiated so many discussions on the dangers of the world we live in, seem to have grievously harmed the tourism industry and successfully started to implement the “perpetrators’ aim in slaughtering innocent people”. Europe has suddenly become a dangerous destination. What else could terrorist wished? The cradle of democracy, the old continent, the place that millions of visitors from other continents came to visit, as it symbolized stability and represented a safe haven and a place where everybody wanted to live, has now become the cradle of fear…

The insanity of the terrorism attacks in Paris

I have to be honest: the news about terrorism attacks in Paris stroke me. I woke up on that November Saturday morning and found out about this, funny enough, on Facebook. Two girls I know from Paris were marked safe – can you imagine, in a few hours after the attacks, Facebook put out the application which enabled the citizens of Paris to let know their friends they are alive… pretty amazing, huh – and as their friend, I got a notification on my Facebook profile, not knowing what actually happened… So I googled it and of course could not get back to sleep. It seemed insane to me. And far too close to Slovenia.

Alfred Adler once said that the chief danger in life is that you may take too many precautions. So I always try not to do this. But with Paris attacks on my mind this seemed even more difficult.

In light of the recent events, Simon Calder, Independent’s travel correspondent, published an article entitled “Six once-dangerous countries that are now safe holiday destinations”, where he discusses the vulnerability of tourist destinations to terrorism and as crazy it might seem to you, claims that some of the destinations, which have before been considered dangerous, are now regarded as havens of peace and have thus, according to him, even benefited from the terrors that Western Europe is facing.

Safety is relative

The fact is that also our company has sensed the fear and the danger that has managed to shake the foundations of the European Union. When I came to the office after “the Black Weekend” following November 13, I received an e-mail from my client saying that they are cancelling their trip to Nice and Monte Carlo and replacing it with a visit to the Eastern Europe, as France is not safe anymore and if I could come up with an interesting itinerary for this part of Europe. Although the cancellation of trips to France hasn’t surprised me, as Sašo, our CEO, has already warned us about the possible consequences, something else has caught me by surprise. When I was calculating where was the best to hire the bus, I came across an interesting piece of information: the location where they wanted to start their trip in the Eastern part of Europe was closer to Paris than Nice and Monte Carlo! Which means that the danger was closer than before… But because the destination was in another country, they considered it safer… Funny, huh?

Safety comes first

Plitvice Lakes

Plitvice Lakes

Independent claims that the risks faced by the average British traveller abroad are lower than they have ever been. But still, because of the recent events, a search for destinations perceived as safe has become even more thorough than ever before… Who would have wanted to test luck and deliberately choose dangerous destinations? Let’s leave out the adventurous souls at this point… I am talking about the people, who prefer to have their travel organized, so about the type of travelers that bring us, the travel agents, money. For such a type of traveler, safety comes first. So you can imagine what these events can do to the top European destinations and consequently to the tourism sector.

The change of traveling trends…

As black as the future of tourism in general might seem at first glance, a closer look reveals that it is far from being alarming. Luckily (at least from the travel agent’s perspective), travel is one of the last things people will be willing to give up. But they will surely search for new destinations. And as surprising it might seem to you, these destinations will include locations that, in recent times, have been battlegrounds in vicious wars, but are now regarded as havens of peace, as terrorists seem not to be interested in them – attacks in such unknown destinations do not reach the same effect as in the leading European countries, which 100% hit the headlines.

Croatia…

Among the top six once-dangerous countries is also our neighboring country, Croatia. Set along the Adriatic coast, it boasts stunning hinterland scenery and a number of UNESCO heritage sites. It’s a country of a thousand islands, glittering waters, secluded beaches and secret little hideaways. It’s a country of historical monuments, such as the Emperor Diocletian’s Palace, and breathtaking outdoors such as the waterfalls and lakes in Plitvice National Park. It’s a country of tradition and a lively cotemporary cultural scene, including a number of electronic and alternative music festivals. It’s a country, which well deserves your visit. So what are you waiting for? December is the perfect timing to make plans for the upcoming season. Why not visit Croatia? Check out our tours that are all guaranteed to go and explore this Mediterranean jewel now.

Dare to travel

And to conclude this blog, remember something: Never stop traveling. Not for the sake of fear – as fear is only temporary. It’s regrets that last.

Key Words: Safety, Travel, Safe Destinations,


Friday, 4 December 2015

It’s the most delicious time of the year – a delicious study of traditional Christmas foods by Tina The Quiet 

Our dearest Tina nicknamed Tina The Quiet – do come to our office and you will see why – is a member of Balkan Department Team and takes care of our Japanese groups (yes, she speaks Japanese). She is a kind of person who you simply have to love. And from the editor’s perspective “hate” a bit, as her style of writing is so good that it gives you no chance to “pig out” (Tina’s words later in the blog) with editing the text. No, with Tina’s blog, you can just simply sit back and relax and almost taste all the delicious dishes described… In this blog entry, she takes a look at different traditional foods eaten for Christmas and the New Year’s Eve all around the globe. Which brings me to my final words in this introduction: do grab a snack (at least) or rather have a proper meal before reading this…

Christmas shopping galore with Aleksandra and outdoor winter wonderland with Rok make this blog really difficult to follow. So when in doubt, always go with something you love. And I love food.

The role of food in the Christmas season

The prospect of having a chance to taste, smell and just simply enjoy delicious food makes up a big part of the fact that I love travel so much. Also I cannot think of another part of the year where abundance of delicious food to be shared with loved ones has such an important role as it does at this time of the year.

Throw in a couple of quirky national customs or rituals and it is a simple recipe for wonderfully fun times!

I was lucky enough to experience some unforgettable Christmas and New Year’s celebrations around the world and really hope there will be many more.

Mince pies, figgy pudding and funny paper hats – it’s how they do it in Devon!

BLOG_0000_Retro pujsi 1

New Year’s card from Slovenia

Believe it or not, the very first picture perfect Christmas dinner I had was in Devon, England. It was a perfect turkey roast dinner by the fire place with heaps of mince pies, figgy pudding and all other sorts of delicious sweets and chocolate. Although to this day, I honestly have to say that I still do not know, how the funny paper hats we had to wear came into all of this.

It was in 1988… the year of the suckling pig…

In my family, we did not really celebrate Christmas, so where my parents really pigged out (pun intended) was New Year’s dinner. On New Year’s Eve in 1988, my parents really went all out and roasted a whole suckling pig! I remember it was a particularly cold winter and the little porker was roasted outside in the furnace type thing my father built in the summer. I remember it took forever and still seems a bit excessive to me today. After all, it was just the three of us and I was only 8.

What do pigs and the great future that lies ahead have in common?

In the past, pork was traditionally eaten on New Year’s Eve in Slovenia as well as in neighbouring countries like for example Austria. In times when meat was not daily on the menu eating pork was not just a treat, but it represented prosperity and good luck for the coming year. I have just recently learnt that this is also because pigs use their snouts  to move forward in the mud, meaning that we should forget the past and follow our noses towards the great future that lies ahead.

Auspicious hallucinations due to hunger? It was one of the hungriest days of my life…

BLOG_0003_Ceski medenjakiIt is actually  not a surprise that cute images of pink pigs (little did they know) were also a very popular motive on the New Year’s greeting cards. Which brings me to another wonderful Christmas I spent in Czech Republic. They don’t eat pork on Christmas, but if you are lucky you might just see one by the time of Christmas dinner. Traditionally, in some parts of Czech Republic not much food was eaten during the day before the Christmas dinner. As my friend explained to me, the goal was that you got so hungry that by the dinner time you would have seen a golden pig – a sure sign that good fortune will follow you all year round. Auspicious hallucinations due to hunger? It was one of the hungriest days of my life, but then also followed by one of the most delicious dinners. The star of the dinner was fried carp and potato salad. Oh, and who could forget the most delicious ginger bread cookies. My mouth starts watering, if I just try thinking about it!

Sweet black soy beans, colorful fish cakes, baby turnips cut in a shape of chrysantehemum and herring roe… It’s the way they do it in Japan!

Japan is another country that takes their New Year’s traditions and foods to be eaten around that time very seriously. It is also where I had the possibility to try the most unusual and elaborated food for the New Year’s. Sweet black soy beans, colorful fish cakes, baby turnips cut in a shape of chrysantehemum and herring roe are just a few of the delicacies of Osechi ryori (おせち料理). Each type of food is beautifully prepared and each has its own auspicious meaning. The term Osechi ryori refers to a large variety of delicacies served in colorful tier boxes made before the New Year’s Day and meant to last for seven days without refrigeration. Traditionally, it was considered bad luck to make fire so early in the New Year, as it might upset the god of fire and cause natural disasters. In later years, this non-cooking period has changed to give housewives a rest during the New Year’s holidays since they worked so hard until New Year’s Eve . And as a woman, how could I disagree?

The Christmas period is the best season to travel!

Osechi ryori (おせち料理)

Osechi ryori (おせち料理)

Forget about the so called low season for travel. I believe it is absolutely delicious to travel in this time of the year, no matter where you choose to go. Everybody is also in such good spirits, even the bad weather cannot spoil the atmosphere. For those of us who really cannot get enough of the celebrations, there is also always the Lunar Calendar New Year and a great excuse to extend the celebration period well in to the beginning of February!

Key Words: Winter, Christmas, Food


Friday, 27 November 2015

Sh(n)ow time!!!!

Rok Bulc is the head of sales of the Happiest tour operator in the world. He has been with the company since its very beginning and together with Sašo Krumpak, the CEO&founder, they have represented the company at fairs and workshops around the world, thus earning the title of the company’s mascots – HAPPY TOURS = Rok + Sašo, that was obvious to all of us, who at that time didn’t work there. Apart from being an essential part of HAPPY TOURS team, Rok is a journalist by profession, a former professional handball player on the top European level and a total sport addict, who tries to keep the spirit in the office high, making it a really HAPPY office.

Just two weeks ago my collegue Aleksandra wrote a great blog Please, Christmas, don’t be late. I couldn’t agree with her more – it’s time for winter, cold and mulled wine! As a matter of fact, exactly after I had packed my backpack for a guys-out weekend in Barcelona and I started to write these lines, somebody up there noticed it that it’s snowing like hell in front of my window. Yeah, bring it on, man, make this country white and covered with snow – let the winter fun begin!

Women vs. Men’s Perspective of the Festive (Winter) Season

Couldn’t care lees for Christmas shopping mania (sorry, Aleksandra!), my thoughts are all with the nature and amazing possibilities for winter outdoor sports that our beautiful Slovenia has to offer.

Editor’s note: these lines were almost deleted because of the author’s openly negative attitude towards the women’s perspective of Christmas and were taken as a highly offensive – especially because of the fact that the blog was written a day before Black Friday, which is like the Holly DAY for shopaholics… However or let’s say that due to the freedom of speech, we leave it in.

The Planica Nordic Centre and the Steepest Zipline in Europe

Ski_Bolgaria_SMALLNext week the most modern nordic centre in Europe will open in Planica and I can tell you, this place will rock! Not only the second biggest ski-jumping hill of the world where lunatics fly over 250 metres on the skis, this will also be the perfect spot for sport preparation camps for athlets of all kinds. Plus a completely new cross-country ski centre has been built – who would have wished for more? Families and active people will appreciate the new recreational areas, while adrenaline addicts won’t miss the chance of experiencing the feeling of the ski flying on the steepest zipline in Europe, located right over the ski hill. Do you dare to read further?

Kranjska Gora or the Slovenian St. Moritz

Just a short walk away is Kranjska Gora, the Slovenian St. Moritz, where you can try your skiing skills on the Ski World Cup slopes in the morning, take a husky dog ride in the afternoon and get another shot of adrenaline at the night sledding with torches lightning your way in the valley. I can’t decide whether I like better all this fun on the snow or delicious mulled wine I drink with my friends in the magical atmosphere of the Alpine village with snow crunching under my boots. Well, I will to both anyway and avoid any dilemma …

Krvavec – the Ski Resort which is the Closest to London

My god, it’s still snowing outside. And I am going to Barcelona; this is all wrong! My dear snow, I promise I will make it all up to you right after landing at the Ljubljana airport, which is just a 10 minute drive away from one of the best ski resorts in Slovenia – Krvavec, making it the closest ski resort for many countries that don’t have their own mountains. Londoners, for example, fly to Ljubljana in 2 hours and in 3 hours they have their full ski equipment rented and are ready to hit the Krvavec slopes – this makes the ski resort almost the closest (if not the closest) to London. I love this place, no wonder I organize a ski opening for my best friends on the first weekend of December exactly there, in the highest lying hotel in the country. Can’t wait for it.

The Fairy-Tale Bled

Ever heard for the Alpine lake with a small island in the middle and a little cute church on it? I bet you have, as it’s the tourist attraction number one in our country. Well, with the new Ski Slovenia skipass you can wake up surrounded with a magical view on the lake in a hotel of the category you choose and then reach any of the best 3 ski resorts this new skipass covers: Krvavec, Kranjska Gora and Vogel in only 30 minutes. The later one is definitely the nicest high-mountain ski resort, placed in the heart of Triglav national park and overlooking the beautiful Bohinj lake and saluting the highest Slovenian mountain Triglav. Can you believe that the prices of such 7-day ski package start at 299 EUR (less than 210 GBP) on? And if I tell that you have the option to visit a real igloo village on the Pokljuka height, where you can spend a night same as Eskimos and shoot some bullets into the targets of the Biathlon World Cup Centre, I am pretty sure you will start packing your suitcases with warm gloves and wool hat, right?

Ljubljana Christmas Market Still Rocks!

See you all in the powder on the mountain, in the icy igloo bar or at the Ljubljana Christmas market (ok, I admit Aleksandra, mulled wine there is definitely worth a visit). December is the Happiest month of the year and it’t still snowing outside. So let the sn(h)ow begin!!!




Sunday, 22 November 2015

From Comedy to Drama and Life in-between!

Another brilliant blog entry by our CEO, Saso Krumpak. This time, about the current affairs in Paris and the fear that we are all facing. And about the HAPPY girls-out weekend.

Black Friday in Paris – from laughter to terror

Last Friday I went to watch a famous british stand-up comedian Jimmy Carr. And as we were leaving the hall the news of the Paris attachs striked thru. All the fun and laughter from the show was immediately forgotten and shed by the terrible events that unfolded. Throughout the week I was reading news, following the media and observing people on the streets, trying to understand the reasons and predict the consequences of this. London hotels are having massive cancellations at the moment, I can’t even imagine the situation in Paris.

Mass psychosis overinflated by the media

Even amongst the 12 of our colleagues from Happy Tours that were supposed to arrive to London yesterday for a girl-out weekend, a fear stopped most of them (yet still congratulations to Aleksandra, Andreja, Blazka and Senada who didn’t fall into the trap of the mass psychosis overinflated by the media).

“All of us, the Free People of the World, will need to explain and reveal the manipulative tactics of their advocates”
images

On Tuesday England played a football match against France at Wembley and it was a very emotional event when the whole stadium was singing La Marseillaise, the French national anthem. It showed how two big rivals that used to fight numerous wars throughout the history, can come together. Later during the week I was delighted to see the protests of many muslim groups around the World against the terror of ISIS, who is as much (or even more so) their enemy as well. To defeat this utmost evil the physical war is not going to be enough, all of us, the Free people of the world will need to explain and reveal the manipulative tactics of their advocates. And Muslim of the World have a particulary important role in this, as the organisation claims to interpret precisely their religion.

I met the Prime Minister of Slovenia

Two days ago I’ve met with the Prime minister of Slovenia, Miro Cerar on his visit to UK. He briefly presented the talks he had with David Cameron and the British view of the needs of the reforms the EU should take. Next year UK will vote about their continuing membership in EU and we all believe they will opt to stay in, as this is definitely a better choice for both the UK and the European Union aswell. However there are certain issues that they will need to bridge, too. Such as the immigrant situation for one thing.

Immigrants… an unstoppable issue that Europe needs to face

1410891664544_wps_8_Undated_handout_photo_proThe flow of immigrants seems to be unstoppable. Germany needs new workorce if it is to sustain its economic growth and researches show that those arriving are better skilled and have higher education that an average German. Yet Germans are a very self-confident national and probably this is the reason why it is the only country that has showed a really great example of welcoming (to me racism and xenophobia are the expressions of the lazy, of those who are not self-assured or not ready to adapt, not willing to educate or who don’t want to work a bit harder and I have no excuse for them).

It is sad, how short one’s memory is…

I wish others would follow the suite and show more compassion and acceptance, too. It is not true that the foreigners are taking our jobs, it is the contrary, because of them our economies become more creative and competitive and hence more jobs are created! This has been the case throughout the history and that is why the most succesful economies in the world have been welcoming to the foreigners. It is very sad how short is one’s memory and how soon those who were fleeing their own countries and were welcomed in a foreign land, seem to forget that. Yet to me they both have a task to do: the West in being more welcoming and more inclusive, and the Immigrants in being more ready to assimilate and adapt.

I am an immigrant myself

Now I’m an immigrant myself. And I will never forget what my daughter told me after only a month or so of leaving in the UK, that she will support English Rugby team as this is her new country and this is where her schoolmates and teachers come from (I cheered for Wales, though as I’m fond of underdogs).

Today I’m taking her to the British Museum to teach her a thing or two about the things of the past. As the history is always repeating itself, first as tragedy, second as a farce.


Friday, 13 November 2015

Please, Christmas, don’t be late!

Aleksandra Jezeršek Matjašič, the mind & soul of the West Europe department, a fashion & shopping expert, also the copywriter of Happy Tours who has a quote ready for every life situation you can think of. In need of a Christmas gift? Please continue reading, Aleksandra prepared all you need to know about where to buy them and much more about Christmas markets in Europe.

Christmas, Christmas time is near
time for toys and time for cheer
We’ve been good, but we can’t last
Hurry Christmas, hurry fast

Have you already started counting the days until Christmas? Are you one of those, who can’t wait to see the cities put on their festive outfit?

Can you image being in a place where Christmas spirit can be felt on every step?

Every year, the magic of traditional Christmas Markets casts more and more visitors under its spell. No wonder: the enchanting festive season atmosphere evokes special feelings and everybody seems to be cheerful and happy – it’s the most positive season of the year, no wonder everybody wants to experience at least a piece of it. Hamilton Wright Mabi once said that “the season, which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love is blessed” – an the growing trend of traveling during this season definitely confirms this.

With so many Christmas markets all over Europe, where to go?

generic2Numerous Christmas markets are held in cities, towns and villages throughout Europe and it seems that destinations have entered into competition, whose Christmas market will be better – this means that the offer of destinations worth visiting every year is getting bigger and bigger and the quality of the offer is increasing.

This might seem great, but with so many destinations, the choice where to travel during the festive season, seems difficult. The best solution is to sample at least two Christmas markets, preferably one in a city for some serious shopping and one in a smaller town or village – thanks to its size, these markets seem even a bit more romantic.

Most Christmas markets start in the last week of November and run through to Christmas Eve or a day or two before, although now many are prolonged until the New Year’s Eve. They are usually open every day from 10am to about 8 or 9 pm, but it is still best to check for each market individually.

Consider the cultural variety

The Christmas markets sell a variety of products, which reflect the culture of the region. You can buy all kinds of Christmas merchandise and gifts, especially traditional things such as crib figurines, toys, wood carvings, marionettes, candles and lambskin shoes to place underneath your Christmas three.

The ambience of a typical Christmas market is further enhanced by the aromas of mulled wine, hot chestnuts, grilled sausages and other tasty snacks like gingerbread biscuits known as Lebkuchen or marzipan figures.

Check out our list of Central and Eastern European Christmas Markets

At Happy Tours, we have made a little investigation and checked which markets in the Central part and Eastern part of Europe rank among the best. Here is a short overview, which will help you decide which Christmas market to visit this year. Make sure to read our hints for the perfect Christmas spirit experience.

Vienna: November 14 – December 24

viannaAccording to the Austrian Tourist Board, Vienna is the place to be, if you want to experience a real traditional Christmas atmosphere. The forerunners of the present-day events date back to the Middle Ages when in 1298 Albrecht I granted Vienna’s citizens the privilege of holding a December Market or “Krippenmarkt”. Since then, the character and prevalence of these markets has changed considerably. Nowadays, there are over 20 official advent markets, selling a vast array of seasonal gifts and mouth-watering treats. The biggest is the one in front of Rathaus (city hall), where more than 150 stalls fill the area.

Hint: Vienna is less than an hour drive from Bratislava, which also holds a Christmas market. Why not combining these two cities? Contact us and we will prepare a perfect itinerary, which will reveal the traditions of celebrating Christmas at these two countries, which are so close, yet so different.

Prague: November 28 – January 6

The most popular Christmas markets in Prague are the one in the Old Town Square (Staromestske namesti) and the one in the neighnouring Wenceslas Square. While the one in the Old Town Square boasts a stage-set nativity scene and a huge tree, which make a perfect backdrop for numerous daily performances by folk bands and choirs, while the one in Wenceslas Square is worth visiting for numerous stalls selling carved wooden toys, Bohemian crystal, garnet jewellery and tragenericditional straw and maize decorations. There are also some smaller ones at Republic Square, at Havel’s Market and this year for the first time at Prague Castle, more precisely in the courtyard of St. George’s Basilica, which is worth visiting also for an evening concert, which are traditionally held there during the festive season.

Hint: Prague is less than a two hour drive from Dresden, which has the largest number of Christmas markets in the Eastern part of Germany. Apart from this, Dresden’s Christmas Market traditionally known as Striezelmarkt (30 Nov – 24 Dec) and dating from 1434, is the oldest in Germany. With the backdrop of the River Elbe, Dresden is annually turned into a Winter Wonderland with thousands of twinkling lights: romantic, festive and charming.

Budapest: November 13 – January 6
The traditional Christmas atmosphere of Budapest will best be experienced, if you visit the Christmas markets in Vorosmarty and St. Stephen’s Square. Although the latter is smaller, the combination of both will give you an insight into the traditions of Christmas celebration in Budapest. Do not forget to taste their traditional cake (kurtoskalacs) and toki pompos, a Hungarian-style pizza topped with bacon, onion and cream.

Hint: Also Budapest can be combined with the visit of Bratislava, which is good two hour drive away. You can even combine three different destinations and visit Vienna as well. The sky is the limit, just let us know, how much time you have!

Germany’s Christmas markets

germanyAlthough Christmas markets can nowadays be found all over Europe, Germany is the place where they originated and thus many claim that this is the place where they still do them best. Based on this, it is difficult to outline, which one to visit and we would therefore suggest to visit at least two or three of them. The traditional Christmas markets date back to the Middle Ages, long before Germany became a nation state, so some of them have ended up just outside its modern borders, in Austria, Switzerland and Alsace. But they all look much alike – a set of wooden huts lit up with fairy lights, selling traditional decorations and warming tasty food and drink. A brief Google survey revealed the top cities for Christmas Market break in Germany, i.e. Christmas Market of Munich at Marienplatz, the one in Dresden, Nuremberg, Berlin, which is home to 60 different Christmas markets, Cologne and last but not least Rothenburg ob der Tauber, which is home to the Christmas Museum.

Hint: Contact us for a perfect itinerary, which includes the best cities of Germany to visit during the Christmas season. Plan your visit of Christmas markets wisely and note that the Remembrance Day is celebrated on the fifth Sunday before Christmas, so you can expect many of the markets to be closed as this is a public holiday.

Ljubljana: November 27 – 3 January

Although Ljubljana might seems a pretty unknown Christmas Market destination, numerous articles praising the festive atmosphere will prove you wrong. Jamie Gibbs, a blogger at HostelBookers, claims that Ljubljana ranks among the 5 best Christmas markets in Central and Eastern Europe and that the extravagant Christmas lighting, which adorn every nook and cranny of the Old Town, is the thing that makes it so unique. Another article published on Nationalpost.com describes it as “an explosion of light and life”. We agree with both of them and thus we have included Ljubljana to our list of the cities, which are a must-visit during the festive season.

The heart of the market is in Prešeren Square where you can pick up the usual Christmas trappings from handmade clothes to mulled wine and ginger biscuits. This year, the traditional Christmas lighting turn on will be on 27 November, which will also mark the start of the festive season. Numerous events and concerts will take place and you will be amazed by the lively happening and the cheerful atmosphere filling up the streets and the squares of the Old Town.

Hint: Combine the visit of Ljubljana with the visit of the Christmas market in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, which is less than two-hour drive away. The Christmas market in Zagreb is held in Ban Jelačić Square. Contact us for further details.

Key Words: Winter, Winter Tours, Christmas Markets


Friday, 6 November 2015

Winter Europe is All About Magic

Klemen Zavodnik, our sales representative for Thailand, Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines, who manages the HAPPY TOURS office in Bangkok, on winter season in Europe. Check out the list of HAPPY TOURS suggestions for those who enjoy the winter cold, as well for the ones who prefer warmer destinations also in winter.

Less than two months to Christmas…

Winter_Salzburg_Austria_BIGWe are in the middle of October and winter is slowly approaching. In a short while, the peaks of Alps will all be covered in white. And there is less than two months to Christmas…

Winter might not be the peak travelling season to Europe, but it has its charms. At Happy Tours we have a range of winter products available and we do our best to add new enchanting tours every year.

Christmas spirit is all around you…

December is the month of Christmas markets. Although temperatures in Central and Eastern Europe can be pretty low, festive atmosphere will warm up your hearts. Just imagine, magically decorated streets, colourful wooden stalls, a scent of Gluhwein and sounds of Christmas songs…

Choose from a variety of several shorter and longer tours, such as the tour of German Christmas markets, a combination of Swiss and French Christmas markets and East European Christmas markets.

In January in February is time for our Malta and Southern Italy Tours!

January and February are the coldest months in Europe and thus a perfect opportunity for our new Malta and South Italy combination. Fly in to Malta with EK or TK and continue to Sicily and South of Italy, where you will visit upcoming destinations such as Alberobello and Matera, and fly out from Naples or Rome. These products are perfect for Italy repeaters as, they include destinations, which are not visited on the classical tour – the classical tours usually include only the attractions north of Naples. Winters in southern regions are pleasant, with daily temperatures around 20°C. And the best part is that we have great bargain deals with several hotels in this region for the winter season. Another benefit for guests who are keen on shopping: winter sales start in mid January and go on until end of February!

We have not forgotten about the snow-lovers…

For those who are not afraid of cold, our Fairy-tale Winter Tour, a collection of the most magical places in winter and at the same time the best way to experience the snow-covered Europe, is the perfect choice. Some other highlights are also half-day winter activities, overnight in a ski resort and a dinner in an igloo.

Life is a carnival…

Venice_Italy_BIGIn February, at almost the same time as the Chinese New Year, carnivals all over Europe take place. The most famous ones are in Venice and Nice, but there is also a big carnival in the northern Croatia, in Ptuj in Slovenia and in many other places. So why not decide for a Carnival Tour, which includes the visits to the most famous carnivals?

No winter lasts forever…

In March, temperatures start to rise again and spring comes to the area. For our Malta and South Italy tours, temperatures will already be close to 25°C during daytime so make sure to pack some short-sleeve T-shirts!

The saying goes that “no winter lasts forever” so make it worth a while and turn it into a magical time of adventures with HAPPY TOURS!

Key Words: Winter, Carnival, Italy, Winter Tours


Friday, 30 October 2015

Will Travel Agents Really Become Redundant? 2nd part. 

Peter Kardoš, Head of IT, a designer, who studied cultural and literature studies, about the future of tourism.

Editor’s note: above Peter’s description of himself: I would add: a multi-tasking person fluent in Hungarian, Turkish, English, German, Croatian and of course Slovenian (sorry, if I missed a language or two, Peter), who helps in the company’s systemization and takes care of the HAPPY TOURS image and brand in the virtual world. 

I would like to continue Sašo’s thoughts on the redundancy of travel agents and the driving force that is changing the landscape of tourism and for this matter all other industries.

Data Driven Society

What I call “the Data Driven Society” is a process, a new renaissance if you prefer, that is constructing our presence and will significantly influence our future. Let me give you an example: extensive data collection of air movement, i.e. wind, in the past 10 years made wind turbines 30% more efficient. The technology itself didn’t change, but the locations where we are farming the wind did, as well as the exact position and orientation of the turbine, which made all the difference. Now imagine the medical data that is being collected throw your mobile phones, movement, daily activity, nutrition, to name but few. All this collections will greatly improve diagnostics and perhaps produce cures for diseases, but most importantly they will help provide intelligence for the understanding of diseases and perhaps preventing them before they accrue. You may see this change in society as good or bad. I personally see it as a new renaissance, something that is changing the fabric of society in comparison to a revolution that is only changing its cover. Ironically, the process of data collection and organization started in the Renaissance and has grown significantly since then.

How About Tourism?

keep-calm-and-call-your-travel-agent-29It is easier than ever to find out what travellers want. They are leaving behind their impressions as they pass through the landscape and add some more when they return back home. We know a great deal about their behaviour, where do people fly and for long they stay there, what they search for once they are there. This environment is creating direct relations between providers and costumers, which leads to the assumption that travel agents will become the thing of the past. To be perfectly honest, the landscape will change a bit more and allow individual travellers to be even more efficient in booking their arrangements by themselves as they travel or upfront. But ultimately the agency will stay.

The Future Role of the Travel Agency

Definitely a portion of travellers, I assume not a small one, will prefer to book with an agency online or in a shop. One of the mayor benefits of an agency is quality control; an agency takes care of the supplier chain and filters out the good ones from the bad ones. The problem with community driven sites or marketplaces is that they depend mainly on costumer reviews which can be misleading. I’m not saying they are irrelevant but from my experience a place can be rated excellent and does not deliver or it can be rated average and is excellent. We have to agree much of the travel experience is dependent on the weather – as funny as this might seem. A travel agency, on the other hand, similar to a good newspaper, filters, edits and rearranges the chain of suppliers to find the perfect solution for its clients. Please do remember that technology is predicting the demise of the newspaper as well!

The second thing is emergency situations where the agency becomes important. And I’m talking about real emergency situations here: lost passports, medical issues of travellers, extreme weather conditions. At Happy Tours we take great care of such situations. Our staff or contractors help people in hospitals when they need it. We recover passports and help with paper work. We recover forgotten items if we can and help where we can. We are available 24/7 in emergency situation and provide services for people in need. We pay great attention to these services since we believe that this is what makes the difference and this is the reason why people opt for an agency rather than planning their trip by themselves.

247Let me give you few examples which happened to us: a blizzard prevented a group to travel to a certain part of a country – what we did was that we rearranged the itinerary in a way that ensured the positive travel experience to the clients, despite force majeure. A guest who was left behind in Montenegro because she lost her passport: we organised her stay, helped with the paper work and organized her flight back. In another scenario, we welcomed a group with snacks and water after they where stuck on an icy road for 12 hours.

To Cut Things Short…

This kind of scenarios make all the difference, they give the guests the security that they wish for when they book a trip – a security they can’t get when they travel or book alone. Another point that I will not dive in at this moment is the importance of personal relations when you decide to travel. People still prefer a person behind the tour, not just a big system of automatized services. We search for somebody who knows how to use all the beautiful technology and data and spices it up with personal experiences and a guarantee that there will be somebody to call in case anything goes wrong. Have you ever noticed the rising number of live chats on the web? Have you ever wondered why they are so popular? But let’s leave something for the next time…

Key words: Agency, Tourism, Future, Travel Technology


Friday, 23 October 2015

Will Travel Agents Really Become Redundant?

Sašo Krumpak, HAPPY TOURS CEO, on WTM, current affairs in tourism and why he thinks we do not need to worry about the future of our business. And about how his uncle cuts his hair alone.

WTM in London – less than 10 days to go!

In less then 10 days World Travel Marketplace (WTM), probably the most important travel event of the season, will take place in London and much of our industry will come to discuss what’s happening in tourism. Political crises affects tourism environment significantly

WTM_LONDON_LOGO_BLACK_2015And so, what is happening in tourism? I have been attending ABTA conference in Greece two weeks ago (ABTA stands for Association of British travel agents) and this was a discussion there as well. We live in a challenging environment where international crises arise quite frequently and can affect the tourism environment significantly – just take a look at Tunisia and the damage that terrorist attack did to its tourism this summer or what the instable political situation did to tourism of Egypt, or Greece because of the uncertainty during the summer, Turkey because of the problems in the neighbouring states and more importantly the inner conflict with Kurds – yet despite that, tourism shows particular resilience. There always have been and unfortunately probably always will be crises of one sort or another, but it is our response to them that counts. This was also the message of the conference.

Travel agents – a thing of the past?

Just a couple of weeks ago Ryanair’s boss made a bold statement that travel agents will become redundant and thing of the past. It is true that technology allows things that were previously unimaginable. Now even clients somewhere in the backwaters can book in real-time almost all kinds of transportation and accommodation there is and combine them to all sorts of exciting itineraries without the need of an intermediate – a travel agent. There will always be a certain percentage of those independent travellers who don’t need us – it’s much alike like some who don’t go to a hairdresser because they have someone who does this at home or even they are able to do it by themselves (like my uncle for example). But there is a larger and ever growing population of those who do want to consult an agent to make their bookings, being that they want to join an escorted tour or to make a private, tailor-made arrangement. These are the people for which we exist. And I do not worry that our role will become obsolete. Because in the era where everything is bookable almost immediately it is becoming even more important to understand the clients’ needs and to know the product that would suit them best. So I would say we have a role to play in this, now even more than ever before.

WTM – a place where 1.1 million meetings are conducted in 4 days

But the WTM is first and foremost also a place to meet with old friends, partners, clients and suppliers, to enhance existing and forge new relationships. The organisers claim there will be 1.1 million meetings conducted during the 4-days event of the fair (next year the fair is going to be cut to three-days but with prolonged opening hours), which means maybe we won’t even need to talk faster and cut discussions shorter and still be able to conduct this 1.1 million discussions.

Happy Tours at two stands @WTM: E700 and GV400 

And so will we at Happy Tours take the opportunity. This year we will break a certain record: 11 of us are going to be at the fair, where we will have 2 stands: one traditionally with Slovenia (E700), the other now for the first time at ETOA (GV400). And you are all warmly welcome to visit us in one or another. And then we can continue the discussions on the future of our industry and our role in it in person.

Key words: WTM2015, Agency, CEO, Tourism, Future


Friday, 16 October 2015

Dubrovnik is a must!

Darko, the head of Dubrovnik office, explains why Dubrovnik is The pearl of the Adriatic Sea, including numerous intriguing facts that will make you want to pack your suitcases and travel to Dubrovnik immediately.

Dubrovnik Happy Tours office = Iva, Marina and Darko

Happy Tours Dubrovnik Team is actually 3 persons in total: Iva, Marina and myself, Darko. We will not publish any photos of us, simply because we want you feel more anxious to meet us in person. Our motto is: “Your wish is our command”.

Dubrovnik – the UNESCO protected pearl of the Adriatic Sea

Dubrovnik_Croatia_SMALLWe are blessed to live in one of the nicest areas of this part of the world. Let me introduce the city and the area where we live. Dubrovnik or Ragusa or The pearl of the Adriatic Sea, is the city, which has always been very interesting and important. Going back to the 15th and 16th century this was one of the richest areas in the world – trading and salt production brought huge wealth to its citizens. Some people will say that diplomacy was born here as well; negotiating skills were always extremely respected here. Have a good relationship with everyone was always the policy here. Nowadays, when salt does not value that much as gold anymore, we are mostly tourism oriented and we do not regret that.

Game of Thrones, buggy safari, snorkelling and much more…

Located at very south of Croatia, the ancient city of Dubrovnik is worth a visit at any time of year. The UNESCO world heritage site boasting stunning city walls, which have been shown also in the famous Game of Thrones, has many things to offer.

If you are into active holidays, we can organize jeep and buggy safari, horse back riding, biking, hiking, sailing, canoeing, snorkelling, fishing and much more.

If you are more into history, geology, gastronomy, nature or wine routes, Dubrovnik will definitely not disappoint you. Tour the walls, stroll along the magnificent narrow street of the Old Town, visit great museums, take a cable car to the top of the Srđ hill enjoy in the view of 3 different countries from one single spot (Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro), take a boat panorama around the old town or visit the closest island of Lokrum where you will be able to see the remains of the old Benedictine monastery or old fort built by Napoleon troops.

A great starting point for tours around the area

thronesThanks to its location, Dubrovnik is a great starting point for visiting the surrounding area. You can for example explore the beauties of the nearby Pelješac peninsula, known for great wines. The best-known grape is Plavac Mali. We all agree that great wine needs to be combined with great food. Do not worry, you have come to the right place. Taste oysters, mussels, octopus or some of the great Adriatic fish, or you are more meat person, don not worry, as we have very good option for you – meat baked under the iron bell, it is so called “peka” style, which is what will follow after you taste our prosciutto and cheese preserved in olive oil.

Next to Pelješac Peninsula, the island of Korčula is located, famous for the fact that Marco Polo was born here – back then, Korčula was part of the great Venetian Republic.

Daily tours from Dubrovnik are also very nice. If you prefer sailing, let us take you to Elaphiti islands (Koločep, Lopud and Šipan), which were in the past known as summer holiday resorts for wealthy. Mljet island is today a National Park of Croatia, where you can explore the wild nature or simply run away from everyone and enjoy in sound of the wind and the sea. You can also leave Croatia for a day and make a day trip to Mostar in Bosnia & Herzegovina or to Montenegro’s cities of Kotor and Budva.

If you are interested in geology, visit the breath-taking Vjetrenica Cave, which less than an hour of driving from Dubrovnik.

Nightlife, weddings and MICE

Let’s talk about the nightlife. In the peak season, numerous events for different tastes take place here. There is Dubrovnik Summer Festival (10 July – 25 August) boasting top concerts, plays and folklore shows in the old town. If you are more into the modern music, we do have many DJ’s visiting Dubrovnik from all around the world.

Either a romantic getaway, a honeymoon or a wedding ceremony, you will definitely enjoy it here in Dubrovnik.

And last but not least, let’s talk business. Dubrovnik is a perfect venue for seminars, conferences, kick-off meetings or incentives. Numerous hotels can accommodate all your wishes and needs.

In Dubrovnik, the sky is the limit. The only thing you have to do is pack your suitcases and come to visit us.

We send you a lot of happy smiles from Dubrovnik.

YOUR DUBROVNIK TEAM: Iva, Marina and Darko

Editor’s comment: Happy Tours Headquarters Office has some photos of Darko and the team. If you want them, bribe us with 15 kg of chocolate. Or, perhaps it really will be easier, if you just visit Dubrovnik instead – with well-established flight connections, this might seem like an easier option.

Key words: Croatia, Dubrovnik, Game of Thrones


Friday, 2 October 2015

Greetings Form Croatia

Nikola Mladinic, the managing director of Happy Tours Adria, about him joining the HAPPY TOURS team, Croatia and truffle hunting.

ADRIA HAPPY TOURS opens its doors

The saying goes that when a door closes a window opens and this definitely holds true for me. About a year ago, when I was on a career crossroads, after returning from China and Asia, where I lived for years, I had a feeling of not being in the right place… I was determined to turn a new page in my life and open my heart to new challenges … Luckily, Sašo came along and after common brainstorming, we agreed to open ADRIA HAPPY TOURS, to help with the challenges and find new business possibilities on the Balkans and Croatian market….

Globby team

MotovunI feel proud to be part of the HAPPY TOURS team, which consists of a variety of different individuals with various cultural backgrounds and work experiences, but with the same goal: creating the best tours possible and enable our clients to see our natural beauties the way they deserve to be seen. What I admire most with our team is the positive attitude, which is probably the result of Sašo being the way he is. Therefore I a look forward to new and even more exciting business opportunities with such a great team!

Truffle-hunting it is…

Croatia is a country of impressive highlands, dreamy deep-blue seascapes set along the Adriatic coast, stunning hinterland scenery and a number of UNESCO heritage sites. No wonder that this country is among the top destinations in the Balkans. For me, it is my homeland and the country which I am proud of and whose beauties I make living from. Although I was born and raised in Croatia, I hadn’t been aware of its beauties, before I didn’t see them through the eyes of the Asians.

One of the highlights, which is perhaps too often pushed aside, as glittering waters and secluded beaches take all the glory, is truffle hunting in Istria. There are 70 sorts of truffles in the world, of which 34 come from Europe. Although the traditional truffle-producing countries are Italy, France and Spain, Istrian forests boast as many as three sorts of black truffles as well as the big white truffle, which is considered one of the most prized in the world.

TrufflesProbably you are all familiar with this expensive subterranean fungus, but have you ever experienced truffle hunting? If not, Istria in autumn is the place to visit. The truffle-hunting season starts in October and continues for three months, during which time at least 3000 people and 9000-12,000 dogs wander around the damp Motovun forests. Be among them and experience the authentic truffle hunting with experienced guides. Search for this black gold together with us! If you prefer just to taste truffles, you can always visit one of the numerous restaurants, which have them in the offer, among them are many which are located in the Istria’s hinterland, but be sure that truffles taste even better, if they are found by yourself!

Nikola Mladinić

Key words: Truffle, Istra, Croatia


Friday, 25 September 2015

HAPPY FAMILY does it exist or not? 

Senada, Head of HAPPY TOURS Balkan Area Department, or Swami, the Nutrition Nagger, the Ice Queen, as she is often nicknamed (for explanation, you’ll need to read the whole blog) on her colleagues at work. A light-hearted reading on HAPPY TOURS team, the behind-the-scenes insight into our company, perhaps the most throughout explanation about the things that make HAPPY TOURS so special and nevertheless so successful.

A bunch of Happy People

When I was asked to write a blog for our new webpage and when my dear colleague Kardy said that I can choose whatever topic (connected with tourism, of course), I knew right away that it will be about the best colleagues and the best team I have ever had in my life. So nothing about my theories on responsible tourism and responsible travelling (for now), just about a bunch of Happy People, who happen to be my colleagues and who are part of this amazing story of success.

A unique combination of different kind of personalities, nations, languages and cultures

How would I describe our team? Well, we’re young, crazy, strange, weird, sort of special, but ‘in a good way’, smart, beautiful, scary, capable, supportive, funny… To cut long story short: we are unique combination of different kinds of personalities, nations, languages and cultures … all blended into a perfect Happy Family.

An old saying goes that “fish rots from the head down”…

I will start by mentioning just a few of our team members (basically, the ones I can think of something funny to say). The rest of you, don’t feel like you’ve been left out. If I didn’t mention you, it probably means you’re almost normal!

Our fish head would be Saso Krumpak, a man with a special energy, which on the one hand allows him to work 24/7, and one the other helps him keep this very special relaxed atmosphere at the office that makes our company so special and nevertheless also so successful. He is so in love with what he does that good things simply seem to happen to him. And this is also the energy, with which he managed to bring together so many different characters that now form this Happy Family.

From the perfect white smile of our Brazilian to the Coach Dream Team with “che sera sera” life philosophy…

Our Brazilian, Nando, with a perfect white smile and constant problems with dividing seasons for the quotations, hard-core Bulc doing push-ups and squads in the middle of the office ‘just for fun’, the beautiful Aleksandra making us all jealous and feeling … well, not as beautiful as she is, and then the drama queen Eva, who we simply love. Oh, yes, then there are Biljana and Blazenka, who are best friends, but at the same time so different that it is hilarious. Tina The Quiet, who is probably somewhere looking for her lost telephone for the third time today, then the other Tina, who is proven to be from another planet, our Sun, who sings songs when she’s stressed out, Dejan, who was chosen the best looking guy in the office during our Happy Girls Go To Valencia Trip, and our Bernarda, or the so called Phoebe (if you ever watched sitcom Friends you’ll know what I’m talking about), my favourite and all mighty Kardy, or maybe Janez B. with his (mostly bad) jokes, Grega promoting some strange Chinese fertilizers for our plants (he is biologist by profession), or Bostjan and Damjan, our Coach Dream Team with ‘che sera sera’ life philosophy (this is the song played when their emergency phone rings… how ironical, isn’t it?) and nevertheless our one and only Tjasa from accounting department, who hates all on the last 3 days of every month when she needs to submit financial report…

You can read only this paragraph and you will find out everything you need to know about Senada

SEnada_yogaAs you can see, I could go on and on … hopefully nobody will get offended by my words, it was just to make you smile. But if I’m making fun of you, it would be fare enough to say something about me too, right? But what to say? Maybe just mentioning my nicknames will do: Swami, the Nutrition Nagger, the Ice Queen. Swami because I teach our in-house Yoga Classes, Nutrition Nagger because I don’t let them eat McDonalds, and Ice Queen because they say I’m strict. And they are all soooo not true! 😉 I’m so far from being a true yogi – as I’m writing this I’ve almost eaten half of box of cookies.

Epilogue

So now, when you have met most of us, I can finally answer the question from the headline: Yes, Happy Family really does exist. It is a perfect blend of individuals, who have joined together to provide best possible services and give extra support to our partners in order to have satisfied and happy clients, who travel with us.

Love you, guys!

Senada

Key words: Joga, Happy Team, Happy People


Monday, 14 September 2015

HAPPY TOURS goes global  

The story of Happy Tours through the eyes of Sašo Krumpak, the CEO of HAPPY TOURS

Pepa_Pig(Saso14-9-2015)

I was on the verge of giving up almost every second day…

When I started with this business 15 years ago, I didn’t imagine that bringing tourists to Europe would become my job, my life and my biggest passion. This seemed unimaginable, especially after very challenging beginnings (I guess beginnings tend to be like that), when I was on the verge of giving up almost every second day. Today, when I see 48 amazing colleagues from 12 different countries, speaking 17 world languages and working in our 8 offices all around the globe, I look at my company with great pride.

Greenwich – what a symbolic place to live in…

Neither did I ever think that the work will lead me out of my beautiful homeland Slovenia to London, where I have moved with my family recently. Greenwich, where we now live, and also the place where we have opened Happy Tours office, is to us not only one of the most beautiful villages in Europe so close to downtown London, but also a very special place where the Zero meridian divides the Earth to its Eastern and Western Hemispheres. And our work is surpassing them and bringing the East to meet the West and the other way around. We couldn’t have found a more symbolic place!

Today, we visited Peppa Pig World, the amusement park near Southampton in south England. This was a thank you to our daughter, who is now forced to adapt to the new living situation, and is doing it so well.

Sašo Krumpak