Want to Play Tennis in Championship Country?

Croatia won the Davis Cup with a victory over Slovakia, becoming tennis world champions for the first time in history. The victory was even more noteworthy as it was achieved without former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic playing a single point (Ivanisevic did provide the team with advice and support). So all you tennis fans out there can rest assured that your vacation will leave nothing to be desired if you're an avid tennis player. Croatia is just your kind of destination! Of course, if you've never played tennis and want to learn during your visit to Croatia, you won't be disappointed either. Here's a listing of the many tennis clubs in Croatia, along with phone numbers to call. Enjoy!

Ethical Traveler Report Names Croatia a Winner

"Ethical Traveler compared environmental and social development indicators of various countries to make the ratings. The group studied things such as carbon dioxide emissions, percentage of land set aside for parks, infant mortality rates and human rights records," according to the Lexington Herald-Leader. "And the winners are: Argentina, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Costa Rica, Croatia, Ecuador, Kenya, Peru, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Uruguay." Read the original report.

Picture of the Week

Here's a photo I took on the island of Dugi Otok ("Long Island") last spring. Dugi Otok, located off the coast of Zadar in central Dalmatia, is a narrow island that stretches for some 50 miles. The photo was taken in the ecologically protected area of Telascica, which adjoins the famous Kornati national park and archipelago.

Want to show off one of your shots as our Picture of the Week? Email us for consideration. (Please understand that by emailing us your photos, you give us a license to use them.)

UK Visitors to Increase 20% to 300,000 in 2006

TravelDailyNews.com has a great article on the booming number of UK residents visiting Croatia. "Over the past 10 years Croatia has been rebuilding its infrastructure on very healthy foundations and image along the lines of destination’s slogan 'Croatia-Mediterranean as it once was', quality rather than volume, eco clean environment, preserved balance of local slow pace of life and volume of tourists, non-commercialised and not overbuilt coast and islands, charming old towns and villages, history, culture all blended in perfect harmony." Read more.

Tips on Avoiding the Crowds

According to the Washington Post, "Croatia is quickly climbing the ranks. The Croatian National Tourist Office said this year 9 to 10 million people will have visited the former Yugoslavian state, more than twice as many as its population. In addition, the cruise port town of Dubrovnik is the top place to visit among travelers in Croatia. 'Ninety percent of people visiting Croatia go to Dubrovnik,' said Nena Komarica, general manager of the tourism office's North American branch. 'It's very touristy.'" Read more.