DAY 1
My journey on Titan's 'Croatia Star of the Adriatic' tour started with the VIP pick-up from home in a rather lovely and comfy minivan. A swift check-in at Heathrow and the flight to Ljubjana was smooth. On arrival, we were greeted by Tatjana our Titan tour guide who welcomed us and showed us to our 1st hotel in Ljubljana the 4-star M Hotel. We ate at Pivnica Union bar for our evening meal, where I sampled some lovely Slovenian grapefruit beer and great food.
DAY 2
After breakfast I opted to have a walk around Ljubljana, we did not have much time so we grabbed a taxi up to the castle, a quick walk around the castle grounds enjoying the spectacular views across the city. We also enjoyed the funicular railway and a stroll to the 3 bridges, these are the main highlights of the city.
Then it was back on the minibus to Opatija in Croatia passing some amazing scenery on the way! I was surprised that the scenery was so good, mountains and flat green fields. On arrival in Opatija we enjoyed a great walking tour along the flat coastal path drinking in the stunning views across the Adriatic. Our hotel for the night was the fabulous 4 star Hotel Adriatic which had a swimming pool and hot tub which I very much enjoyed.
DAY 3
Today was just WOW! After a long drive we arrived at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Plitvice Lakes National Park. Here, we enjoyed a leisurely guided walk around the lower lakes, lunch at a picnic site and then a boat trip on the upper lake. The photos do not do it justice! It was simply stunning, especially with the glorious weather we had that day. Then it was onto Zadar and the Hotel Zolovare.
DAY 4
On day 4 we started with a walking tour of Zadar, a lovely Croatian town on the Adriatic coast. The standout thing for me on the tour was the sea organ situated on the promenade carved into the steps 35 organ pipes catch the sounds of the waves entering and escaping the hollowed-out holes producing a unique soundtrack exclusive to Zadar. I was mesmerised by this and went back to it to listen more once the tour was finished!
Then it was onto Sibenik an hour down the coast where we had an hour walking tour finishing at the stunning cathedral. Our hotel for the next couple of nights was the 5-star hotel President in Solin near Split. It is worth mentioning that as travel agents we did a 10-day tour in 7 days, so our customers would have a full day in each of these towns not 2 in 1 as I did.
DAY 5
We made the short journey into Split the 2nd largest city in Croatia. We had a fab walking tour including the Diocletian’s Palace, built for the Roman emperor Diocletian at the end of the 3rd century, which today forms about half of the old town of Split. After the tour, I again chose to have a walk around the harbour and park area which had fantastic views to the Croatian islands. Then after a lovely lunch, I had some time to re-explore the old town on my own revisiting the parts I found most interesting.
DAY 6
En route to Cavta - pronounced Savtat, we stopped at Ston for lunch, a small, pretty town/village famous for its salt pans and the 5.5km city walls, very much like the Great Wall of China!
Our hotel in Cavtat was the 5-star Hotel Croatia, it was superb! All Titan guests get a lovely sea view room in this big hotel with over 500 rooms, several dining options, spa as well as indoor and outdoor swimming pools.
DAY 7
A really quick transfer for Cavtat to Dubrovnik, we had a private guided tour of the city hearing all about Dubrovnik's past.
After that I took a leisurely wander around the narrow cobbled streets, the coffee - lush! In the afternoon we had some more free time and as you could probably guess by now, I opted to explore Cavtat. Lots of customers ask me about Cavtat and I needed to check it out. It was absolutely beautiful, al fresco dining by the sea, shopping fabulous walks and so, so picturesque. I will most certainly be recommending it as a holiday.
Overall Titan offer this holiday as a 10-day tour with many variations of tours in Croatia. Our tour guide was simply superb so friendly and helpful. The thing I learnt most about touring with Titan is that the porterage at the hotels is included making your trip efficient with no worries about moving your case from coach to your room it is absolutely all done for you! Oh, and of course the home pick up and drop off took away any stress of travelling to and from the airport, it was just wonderful!
Some little Croatian Phrases I picked up:
BOK - hi/bye
HAVALA - thankyou
MOLIM - please/you're welcome
If you would like to know more about my time in Croatia with Titan Travel, or you are interested in experiencing this tour yourself, please get in contact with [email protected] or call into the shop in Taunton.
