What happens when you take a professional filming crew to make a piece about sea kayaking around island Molat? Take a look.
Some months ago we hosted a crew with a brief: make a story about sea kayaking on island Molat. The team consisted of two adventurers and a TV crew from NTV in Germany. As it happens with filming we had a large wish list of things to do and were short on time. We condensed what would be a 3-day of paddling trip (if weather permits) into a couple of hours of boat hopping filming gig.
Just so you don't get us wrong: we definitely don't support boat hopping trips.
We are firm believers that adventures should take time and help us develop an appreciation of the art of slowing down.
On top of this, we believe nature is here to inspire us to move our limits, get fitter, improve our skills and learn new ways of traveling self sustainably.
So, this was just a little filming project, not a start of a boat hopping practice.
Before I share the video, here is an overview of places we paddled to.
Submarine cave system dates from the Cold War period. At the time Croatia was a part of Yugoslavia, which was one of the countries balancing between communism and capitalism. Therefore, it was in need of defending its territory from both sides. Defending a coastline with 1000 islands meant that there were some strategic military points. Island Molat and surrounding archipelago were one of them. Part of an intricate system of infrastructure and logistics were submarine caves, where we paddled in.
During the Cold War period, Croatia didn’t have the rosiest relationship with Italy (which occupied the islands during WW2). One of the Italian cargo ships supposedly decided to use this to the advantage to claim insurance for a purposely sunken cargo boat. Remains of the boat have been near island Molat for decades, part of it still sticking out of the water.
Most pebblestone and sandy beaches on islands in North Dalmatia are in the south or southeast facing parts of the islands. Same is it with Molat which has the highest number of beaches on its southern coast. An ideal kayak landing spot.
See the final footage with English subtitles here:
It was super fun to spend time with the crew. It was even more interesting to see commentary and impressions for the trip from the two adventurers. Particulary since we only saw their feedback when a video came out. I think some of their answers reveal an interesting insight. Let me walk you through it.
As we elaborated earlier in the art of slowing down: true adventure takes time. There is something epic about a gradual exploration of the coastline – the kind that sea kayak provides. It's a kind of meditation that increases appreciation for every cliff, cave, rock, sandy beach, breeching tuna or a wave. It is something that we have seen kids, teenagers, adults, and mature paddlers feel and appreciate. It's something deeply engraved in our human nature – that is what adventure is.
Do it the other way around – speed-boat hop from one place to another and we strip the environment of its beauty, uniqueness or if you will – magic. As Einstein said: space and time are the same things. If you remove the distance (by going fast as if through a wormhole), you instantly put pressure on time. Under pressure, we see only a fraction of what is in front of us.
There are places where you should just fly through and there are places where it is worthwhile to slow down. To truly appreciate the archipelago, you need to give it time. Dedicate time to paddling and slowing down.
Complement this with an overview of top moments from 2018 and then take a look 6 big reasons to do your adventure trip to Croatia.
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‘Adventure Travel Tips' is a collection of photos to inspire you for an adventure to Croatia and Balkans. Moments and insights from our adventure notes directly for your trip planning pages.'
