Recently, Margaret (Manager of our Wells branch) visited Croatia with Kirker. She checked out the best hotels, day trips and restaurants enabling us to give you the low-down on the best places to visit and stay.
Day One.
Flying into Dubrovnik with BA was an easy short flight from Gatwick. I was met at the airport & transferred to Split. On route, I stopped in Ston for a lovely lunch at the waterside kapetano restaurant. With oysters being a specialty here, Ston makes a perfect either half way stop or overnight stop en route as Split is 3 hours plus from Dubrovnik.
In the late afternoon we checked in a the boutique Judita Palace hotel. It's located in the old town situated in a lovely square minutes from the harbour. With only 10 rooms, it's quirky style and historic features are ideal for travellers who wish to experience all the old town can offer, musicians in the bars and squares by night, great local fish restaurants, some even within the old Roman palace itself. Although not ideal for less able travellers, the hotel has character and style all it's own, every room is different but all have spacious modern bathrooms and are beautifully furnished. My recommendation is room 4 for its geranium filled terrace overlooking part of the square in front of the hotel.
Your Kirker guide or concierge can recommend nearby restaurants, we dined on sea bass at the Paradigma, just up from the harbour, very modern and minimalist but the waiters and chef can create imaginative and flavourful menus to rival many London bistros. Up early tomorrow for the catamaran over to the island of Hvar - my personal favourite spot on the Croatian coastline...
Day Two.
After a walking tour of the ancient city if Split and the incredible palace of the roman emperor Diocletian, we spent a sunny hour in one of many pavement cafés at the harbour to await our catamaran trip to Hvar island. We visited 2 other Kirker holidays boutique hotels, both centrally located in the historic heart of the city - the Vestibul, just off the sunken square if the Peristyl and the Marmont .
Dark clouds were approaching and we found that the 1 hour fast sea trip by catamaran, was cancelled as the had wind picked up. We were quickly transferred to the traditional ferry service taking 2 hours to Stari Grad on Hvar island , around 20 mins drive to picturesque Hvar town and our hotel, the 4 star Adriana, ideally situated right on the harbour front . With its millennia old squares, cobbled streets and alleyways, Hvar is a romantic compact little town, ideal for a few nights before continuing to Dubrovnik. Our guide explained how the island is now a playground for the rich and famous, docking their yachts just offshore to ensure their privacy & visiting the paparazzi - free little bars in Hvar town.
Our evening meal was arranged in a wonderful family run restaurant on a working olive farm in the centre of the island around 20 minutes away, well worth the drive for the fresh fish or meat, grilled or barbecued to perfection, definitely one to be recommended - call me for the name as it's a little gem. Hopefully our early morning fast catamaran back to Split for our onward journey will be able to travel today, as we continue our journey back down to Dubrovnik , via the famous bridge at Mostar.
Day Three.
As the weather had settled we were able to take the early morning catamaran from the harbour outside the hotel and within an hour we were back at Split. Our journey to Mostar was scheduled to take just over 2 hours but with a bit of déjà yay the border with Bosnia Herzegovina we were delayed around an hour. However ,it's well worth the detour as the town of Mostar has both modern and ancient history well worth a visit.
Our guide explained the modern conflict of the 1990's ad it has affected them, how the famous ancient bridge Mostar means bridge in the local language) - had been blown apart and painstakingly rebuilt and how the Main Street had been a dividing lies between the opposing sides. With such a recent conflict in most living memories, it was hard not to be moved by the bullet holes and badly damaged houses still To be seen today . The quaint cobbled streets (flat shoes recommended) , bordered by market stalls selling traditional souvenirs, they lead you down to the famous bridge - where for 25 euros an athletic young man will offer to jump off the bridge for you . It's hard not to notice the Turkish influence in this part of the country, with metalwork traditional items and the blue glass evil eye souvenirs everywhere.
Day Four.
We awoke to brilliant sunshine and 22 degrees at our home in Dubrovnik for the next 2 nights, the 5* Bellevue hotel . Only 10 minutes walk from the old town of Dubrovnik , it's on its own little cove with a sandy and pebble beach, of which the balcony of my executive suite had a great view . We enjoyed a walking tour of the old town, alleyways, markets squares and churches, lots of character , with the scars of its recent history still evident, but sympathetically restored by UNESCO.
Dubrovnik is a popular port for cruise visitors, so with this in mind, you can avoid the crowds in high season by walking the old town walls before10am after after 3 pm. In the evening access to the city walls is closed off & the old town is traffic free so pedestrians can still enjoy a pleasant evening among the bars & restaurants and with superb views of the backlit city walls. Our stay included visits to the Hilton grand imperial - another historic property with a terrific restaurant and many facilities, especially good for business travellers. We lunched at the hotel Grand villa Argentina, located on the other side if the old town, with pretty gardens, & super sea views. The hotel is made of three sections , the newer Grand Argentina, the historic building of the villa Argentina and the more exclusive and private villa Orsula. Highly recommend the food here - eat al fresco on the terrace and soak up the iconic views of the old town Dubrovnik. Fishing, Kayaking, snorkelling, diving & jet ski tours are some of water based activities available here, or if you want to be active and explore, try the Konavle biking & wine tasting tours which will take you through orchards & vineyards through lovely countryside . There's also a lovely day cruise around the Elaphite Islands for a more relaxing excursion.
Dubrovnik has much to offer and with the recent addition of regional flights it's an ideal destination whether you want a week away or a short city break for 4 nights.
Day Five.
Today we visited the tiny city of Kotor in Montenegro, around 2 hours from Dubrovnik, going out via the scenic coastal drive and returning part of the way by ferry.
The setting in a lovely bay was rather like the Norwegian fjords, and is becoming a popular visit for smaller cruise ships. The walled city is built on the lower mountain slopes that sweep down to the sea and like many cities in this part of Europe, had been fought over by many different nations so has Venetian, Austrian, Turkish and even Russian influences visible in its architecture and it's cafe lined squares. For lunch we discovered a picturesque location only 10 mins from the airport at Dubrovnik with a lovely working water mill , tables on the terrace beside the river, and speciality in serving the local simple food like slow roasted beef and lamb, delicious local breads and olives and of course the locally produced red wine.
Farewell to Croatia - will try not to leave it so long before my next visit ...
