The Leeds Road Trippers are off to the Croatian Summer Salsa Festival again this year! I've been there twice already and have loved it enough to go for a third time!! A bunch of us from Leeds were there for the 2013 edition and an bigger group went in 2014! 24 hours in a day weren't enough to make the most of all that's available at CSSF!!
Leeds Road Trippers CSSF Facebook Event
This blog offers some useful tips for those of you planning to go for the first time including dates, accommodation, flights and passes.
CSSF is the best overall Salsa congress/festival I have ever been to! The friendliest people, heavenly weather, gorgeous location, craziest parties, amazing workshops! The only festival I know that caters equally well for everyone - Sun soakers, Dance maniacs, Beach crawlers, newbies and seasoned dancers!!
You can choose to do both festival over 14 days, or just the whole week of CSSF or if you really don't want an amazing holiday, you can just do the weekend.
Check out some pics from last year here - Spotlights.
The Best Dates
The main Salsa Festival - CSSF runs from Monday 22 June to Monday 29 June. But there's also the Summer Sensual Days (SSD) festival for bachata, kizomba and zouk lovers from Wednesday 17 June to Monday 22 June.
Official websites:
I recommend going for atleast a week.
If you're going for the Sensual festival (Bachata, kizomba, zouk), you need to be there by Wednesday 17 June. Workshops and parties on Friday and Saturday, big pool party on Sunday and usual party on Sunday night. Then there's the awesome Boat Party on Monday which you must not miss!!
If you're going only for the Salsa Festival which officially starts on Monday 22 June, try and be there on Sunday 21st June so you can make it for the SSD boat party on Monday and relax for a few days. They do have open air parties every night in the Old Town Square from Monday/Tuesday.
The salsa festival ends with a Pool party on Sunday and a Boat party on Monday. If you have enough time, I recommend staying for those too. But you can do a week long trip from Sunday 21 June to Sunday 28 June, go for the pool party on 21st, boat party on 22nd, leave on Sunday and not feel like you've missed out on much (although the Pool party on 28 June is 10 times bigger and totally off the chain)!! But this allows you to catch the convenient flights from Leeds - Pula - Leeds on Sundays.
Accommodation
- Hotels - Not worth the price. And please don't stay at Amarin Resort, its too far from the main festival.
- Apartments can be rented from local agencies. Usual prices are about 40 euros a night for a one bed, 70-100 euros a night for a 2 bed and 100+ for bigger apartments. Most apartments have decent sofa beds in the living room which can comfortably accommodate 1 and possibly 2 people. Please follow the Leeds Road Trippers CSSF Facebook Event for more info and to post for room/apartment shares.
Flights
- London Stansted - Trieste (2 hour minibus ride to Rovinj)
- Machester/London/Leeds - Pula (30 min cab/bus to Rovinj)
I recommend waiting until end of Feb before booking flights, but please use your own discretion if you think the prices might go up. The airlines keep adding/removing flights or changing times.
The most convenient flights for us from Leeds will be LBA to Pula. The flights are only once a week though, every Sunday with Jet2.
Manchester to Pula flights are also once a week on Sundays with Jet2.
Flights are cheapest from Stansted for those who find it convenient enough and want to fly on a different day. There are quite a few flights throughout the week from Stansted with Ryanair etc.
Passes
This has always been the most confusing thing for people because of the number of options available! Following is a list of passes available.
Both CSSF & SSD Festivals Passes Combined
X-Extreme Pass - The complete program of SSD & CSSF
Paradise Express - CSSF Freak Pass + SSD Full Pass
2-in-1 Pass - CSSF Full pass + SSD Full pass
SSD only passes (Summer Sensual Days)
SSD Freak Pass - The entire program... Wed - Sun
Full Pass - Weekend workshops + Parties
Zouk Full Pass - Zouk only weekend workshops + Parties
Zouk Freak Pass - All Zouk workshops + Parties
Full Party Pass - All parties
CSSF only passes (Croatian Summer Salsa Festival)
Freak Pass - The entire program Wed - Sun
Full Pass - Fri – Sun workshops + Parties
Combo Special Pass - Pre-festival workshops + Parties
2 Day Weekend Pass - 2 days of workshops + 2 selected parties
Full Party Pass - All parties
Where To Buy The Passes From
Last two years the Road Trippers got group rates via Asriel, the London based promoter for CSSF. Everything went really smoothly and he even managed to get us on the PARTY BOAT *after* it was sold out. He knows the organisers well and takes a big group from the UK every year so I'm sticking to buy via him rather than one of us registering as a promoter and going through all the hassle that comes with it. We know quite a few promoters in the congress circuit and have made sure that we are getting the best prices that any other promoters across Europe can offer.
For more info please click here to go to the Leeds Road Trippers CSSF Facebook Event.