Natural wonders in Plitvicka - next time you visit Croatia be sure to see this place

We spent a second day out at Plitvicka since it is such an incredible place. Worth a second look, I think; the one day adult ticket to the park is Kn180 (about £18) and a two day ticket is Kn280. Parking a motorcycle is free, but cars and vans pay quite a price. There is a shuttle bus from the campsite Buje 15km south of the entrance, which is useful, except that the site staff told us it returns at 6pm (It does in fact leave the park at 5.30pm, so we missed it, but caught a lift from a couple who come from Seattle - thanks Kevin and Amy!)

The waterfalls are numerous and varied. Some are wide,. some small, some long, in fact all sizes.

This one is long and gently sloping.

We parked this time, in entrance 2 near the hotels and then took the road train from station 2 to station 3, which is at the top of Lake Veliko. You can take a rowing boat out here. The water is so still that rowing is probably quite pleasant.

There are about nine large lakes which do in fact cascade into each other, spread over about 10-15 km. The waterfalls vary from a metre to about 30 metres, and many are quite wide.

The areas around the lakes are forests of beech trees and some pine, with the areas which are impossible to walk built on with wooden walkways over the water or waterfalls, or passable by boat or road train.

Once in the park, the boat and the road train are free. The road train is pulled by a 4x4 Mercedes unimog along a winding and narrow road built into the side of the hill along one side of the lakes.

Even with fit hikers, the road train and the electric boats are essential to complete a round tour of the lakes, as there are areas you just can't walk around - too steep. All the lakes are very clear, and there are numerous fish to be seen just about everywhere.

The walk takes several hours. Our first day we walked for about 4-6 hours, and the second day was much the same, but a different walk. The hiking is very easy going unless you want to climb up for the view at the top of waterfalls. A good tip is to do the lower lakes from entrance one on day one and then the upper lakes from entrance two starting with the road train on day two.

The climate is perfect for forest growth, with a humid and warm atmosphere, and plentiful rain. The wooden walkways wind through the forest and over the water. A waterproof jacket or poncho is a really good idea, and good walking shoes or boots.

What is extra-ordinary is the way the water appears to tumble straight out of thick vegetation, with grasses and moss and ferns growing right down the waterfall courses. And the fish that swim in the strong currents right next to rapids, with water so clear you can see down about 20 foot into the depths.

We dodged several rain showers, taking shelter first in one of the restaurants, where we had some coffee and a plate of chips each, served as fast as a MacDonalds. The second time there was a sudden shower we were outside by the lake but took shelter beneath the trees, which worked ok.

Finding your way around the lakes is a bit tricky since the signs are pretty basic and don't tell you if the train or boat is 15 minutes walk or an hour. I never quite figured what K with half orange half green meant either....If you take an iphone or similar gadget it helps you know where you are along with the map, and how far to get to the next toilet or restaurant.

The forests are pretty stunning, even if the maps are impossible. Although there may be a thousand people in the park, most of the forest walks are not crowded.

If I ever have a sloping garden large enough, I want a water feature just like this...

Coming home at about 1840 we rode straight into the storm, and of course we had not thought to bring our rain gear. We got soaked to the skin. This isn't my image of course, but it must have looked this way. We do have rain gear, but of course we thought we knew better.