The Eurotrip.
It’s a rite of passage for many young Australians. You know the drill: struggle through the final year of school, work at Brumbies for six months straight and save every penny before jetting off to the other side of the world for the gapyah of a lifetime.
And you probably will have the time of your life. But all those Parisian patisseries, London pale ales and smacky German pingers might catch up to you, making your arrival back home even sadder.
Fret not, mates, cause there now exists an island dedicated purely to wellness just off the coast of Croatia, so you can come home feeling like you aren’t an actual walking souvlaki.
Introducing…
Obonjan!
Obonjan (it’s pronounced O-Bon-Yan) sits in the Adriatic Sea, just off the coast of Croatia, and was purchased back in 2015 by promoters from Unknown Festival. Before that, the island historically lay uninhabited save for being taken over in 1972 by the Scouts.
The recent revamp promises to be totally not lame though, with the island becoming a wellness destination with a “carefully curated creative programme”.
The co-creaters are touting it as a “lifestyle movement”, which is basically a wanky way of saying a trip to Obojan isn’t all debauchery. It runs from July through September, and will feature a host of health and fitness activities. There’ll be kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, morning yoga sessions, as well as a Wellbeing Centre complete with massage, meditation and holistic therapies run by expert practitioners.
You don’t have to completely part ways with your celebratory spirit, though, as the festival will feature music (in the form of DJs and a resident orchestra) pumping from the island’s very own stone amphitheatre.
“But how much will it cost me?!“ we hear you desperately splatter, the remnants of an Italian pepperoni pizza still lining your mouth. Prices start from €74pp a night, including accommodation and entertainment.
Being only a 20-minute speedboat ride away from Sibenik, you may as well tack it onto your trip and come home feeling #blessed and #whole.
Photo: Prvic Luka.
