A week ago I had never heard of him, nor he of me, but within five minutes of my second meeting - alone this time - I can confirm that leading Split tour guide Dino Ivancic is the funniest man I have met this year. By a long margin. Rarely do I laugh out loud, but I found myself doing so more than ten times during our time together, and so entertaining was he that - not for the first time - I missed the last ferry back to Hvar.
Dino of course is much better known around town and internationally than he was a week ago, for this was the man the Central Dalmatia Tourist Board chose to take YouTubers Joe Sugg and Oli White on their three-day tour of Split, the Cetina and Hvar.
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Having managed to track down his number on behalf on the 14 year-old German girl who was staying with us, Dino kindly arranged for us to interview the two famous YouTubers, who I had also never heard of 48 hours prior. Dino was instrumental in persuading the guys to implement my suggestion to go swimming with sharks in Gariful's famous underfloor aquarium, one of video highlights of their trip, currently viewed by by just under 700 THOUSAND people.
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My reason for meeting Dino was to interview him about his guiding impressions of the YouTubers, but I totally failed in my mission. I was too buy laughing and enjoying his company, and I completely forgot what was on the record, and what was off, so I thought it best not to write anything at all, except to confirm news that will excite the female teenage population - Joe and Oli had a blast and truly loved Dalmatia, and they are planning to be back on Hvar soon.
Having expected our meeting to be no more than an hour, Total Split Tracey turned up at 19:00 for our scheduled meeting, and she was joined minutes later by another expat who I didn't recognise. Dino was impressed when he found out who she was - none other that the lovely Michelle Rowsell, a fellow Total Split writer.
"You have people writing for you who you have never met? How many people are writing for your website?" asked Dino in wonder.
And as this impromptu Total Split team-building continued in Dino the Dinosaur's jovial company, I looked at my phone and saw it was 20:23. Brasserie on 7 to the ferry in seven minutes. Perhaps in my youth, but I just failed in my mission. Not that I minded, as it meant a return to one of the most entertaining evenings of the year, and Dino finally departed sometime after midnight.
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That was all very well, but I had no bed for the night, as well as a pile of blogging to do, and the owners of Brasserie on 7 were very kind to allow me to share their inner space with the night guard, so that I could blog through the night until the 05:00 ferry back to Hvar.
I salute you, Sir, and thanks for a marvellous evening. If you want to book a tour with Dino, contact him on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Humour aside, Dino's knowledge of history and language would indicate that there is a reason he is the preferred guide of the regional tourist board. Book a tour with this man.
