sha

Thanks to all of you we had a fabulous trip to Croatia.

I'll just highlight the special things we enjoyed and those that we didn't.

Our trip began in DBV during an extreme heat wave which may have tempered our attitudes to some of the venues. Also, we've been to Europe 12 times and some things aren't as special when you've experienced similar towns, etc.

We loved DBV and the Villa Argentina. The Ploce Gate side of the city is much nicer than the Pile Gate side which is very commercial and hectic. The walk to town was about 10 minutes,,,no problem.

We spent 4 nights there and think this was a perfect amount. One day we took the boat to Cavtat and really enjoyed that. Lunch along the waterfront was delightful as was the walk around the town promenade.

Upon returning to DBV we went straight to the Buza Bar to watch the sunset,,,,never saw it. Wrong location in the summer. Still it was fun enjoying the view.

One day we rented a car and drove to Montenegro and around the Bay of Kotor. The drive was easy and beautiful. We had a nice lunch in Perast right on the seacoast and then stopped in Kotor. While many extol this town we thought it was just OK...not very different from many others. To be fair, it was also close to 100 degrees and therefore quite uncomfortable.

The rest of the time we enjoyed just being around DBV and spent 1/2 a day at the pool at the hotel after walking the city walls and exploring old town.

We had several nice meals in DBV but our favorite was at the Pizzeria Castro which had the best pizza that I've had in years.

On day 5 we rented a car for the rest of our trip and headed north up the Adriatic Coast Hwy for an easy and beautiful ride to Mali Ston for a quick stop and then across the Pelijesac Peninsula to Orebic where we parked our car and took the ferry to Korcula Town. We would've enjoyed a lot more time here,,,wished that we had planned an overnight here.

Too soon we had to return to Orebic, retrieve our car and move onto Trpanj where we took another ferry to Ploce and then went north to Makarska Riviera. We stayed at the Hotel Meteor which was a large, utilitarian hotel with no charm or personality. Makarska was fine for a quick overnight stop but otherwise lacked any charm...bit tacky.

The next day we drove up to Split and took the ferry to Hvar Town. We left our car in Split for the 2 nights we were in Hvar. Too bad that we didn't have more time here too. We enjoyed staying at the Hotel PodStine, a 25 minute walk to town or a 10 minute shuttle ride (4 kunas per person) each way. The walk was lovely and easy skirting the coastline.

Hvar Town is special. Despite the heat we truly enjoyed this town.
One night we had dinner at the hotel which was quite expensive, and the next night we really enjoyed the Palladini in Hvar Town for dinner.

Too soon we had to return to Split where we stayed at the Peristil Hotel inside Diocletian's Palace. Great location for a simple hotel with excellent customer service.

Diocletian's Palace was a wonderful experience. We went to Trogir where many people recommended staying rather than Split and were very happy that we stayed in Split. It's much more convenient to the ferries and the main road and so much more exciting at night along the Riva. Also, seeing the palace lit up at night was very special. We were very happy that we arranged for a private guided tour of the palace one evening before dinner. It made the experience much more meaningful.

We spent most a day at Salona visiting the Roman ruins and then went to Trogir. The ruins were nice but quite spread out. It was very hot ( mid 90s) and there wasn't any shade as we walked from one location to the other. It would've been much more enjoyable in cooler weather.

Trogir was our next stop. It's very pretty, a UNESCO site
with a lovely harbor, but again, not very unusual.

After dinner we really enjoyed walking around the Riva which was very lively and seeing the palace all lit up and not as crowded.

Our next stop was the gorgeous, very unusual Plitvice Lakes national park. We stayed in the Hotel Jezero which was much nicer than I had anticipated. The only problem, which I knew in advance was that there wasn't any air conditioning or fans.

There are 2 walks, the lower and the upper falls. Each is about 1 and 1/2 miles. They're absolutely spectacular with the clear turqoise lakes and numerous waterfalls.

That night we had a wonderful dinner at the Licka Kuca restaurant near the park. They have entertainment there and it was lots of fun.

Our final destination was Rovinj in Istria. Loved Rovinj where we stayed in the Hotel Adriatic. The hotel is perfectly located and has a wonderful staff. Our room was very large and faced right out at the sea. Rovinj is special. The harbor is great and there are some wonderful restaurants. We enjoyed Sidro so much that we went back a second time,,,,very unusual for us but we loved the location and the food. The Portaluna is also very special. We had the best fish dinner that I've ever had...sea bass. Finally, we got to see the gorgeous sunset.

Rovinj also has a picturesque promenade around the old town which we enjoyed after dinner.

Valentinos is also a fun bar to enjoy at night. You sit on the rocks overlooking the beautifully lit up sea. It's touristy but special.

We did the hilltown tour and thought they were just OK. Graznijan (SP?) was pretty and artsy but Livade was good just for going to the Zigante restaurant and there wasn't much to Motovun.

I hated leaving Rovinj. It's special.

We took the ferry from Rovinj to Venice. It was very nice. We upgraded to the VIP section and it was very comfortable for the 4 and 1/2 hr. trip.

We've visited Venice twice previously and liked it but it lost a lot of it's lustre after Croatia which was so clean and pristine. Croatia is a real winner. Enjoy!

newfie49

What was the time period you traveled. Nice report.

poss

Thanks much for your report. We'll be on a cruise stop in Kotor and I'm trying to decide whether to do the excursion that includes Budva or the one that includes Perast. Opinion?

Thanks!

sha

We were in Croatia from June 21 to July 4. We just returned last Sunday from Venice.

Sorry, I can't help with the Perast vs. Budva decision. We wanted to go to Budva but it was so hot that we decided to just return to DBV. Perast is very small but charming. For us it was on the way to Kotor and we decided to stop for lunch and to browse around. There's not a lot to see. Hope you enjoy your trip. We did.

worldly

Kotor - I agree with you that the town is overrated; however, what was incredible were the walls running up the mountain which surround the town. We also stopped at Perast which was worth seeing. The Bay of Kotor is spectacular and must be even more special approaching it by ship.

tower

sha:

You wrote...
>>>I'll just highlight the special things we enjoyed and those that we didn't.<<<


The one thing above all, I appreciated in your concise report is the obvious honesty...you saw some of the warts along with the beauty, and reported thusly. Thank you for that. I wish more posters would do the same.

I'm an old Yugoslavian fan..dating back to Iron Curtain Days and Tito-time. Since the split (pardon the weak pun) I've made several renewal visits to Bosnia, Macedonia, Serbia,Montenegro (even Kosovo before the troubles),Slovenia, and most of all Croatia (which also was my favorite region of the old Yugoslavia).

All in all, I'm happy you had a meaningful visit. Like the rest of us Croatia lovers, you'll be back again...and again.

Thank you, Sha.

stu t.

yorkshire

Poss, re Perast versus Budva.

Does the Perast stop not include Kotor? It is truly the highlight in the region.
Perast is very small, but I imagine the stop includes boat trips to the small church on an island.
Budva is pretty but touristy. The highlight for me was the library of Balkan books.
I would choose Perast, but definitely visit Kotor if at all possible.

poss

I appreciate the continued responses.

The ship docks in Kotor. Then one can take an excursion EITHER to Budva OR to Perast (along with touring Kotor).

julia1

Thanks for posting about Croatia - great information. I'm planning a trip there for next year, so this will be very helpful. Sounds like you had a wonderful time!

yorkshire

OH--that makes sense.
I still think Perast. You may get a more indepth tour there and the Bay setting is so scenic. I just didn't see too much of interest in Budva. It is more of a resort kind of place, that just happens to have a restored town in the middle.

tcreath

I agree with yorkshire. To be honest I was less than impressed with Budva. It's a pretty city but definitely has more of a result feel to it. Perast is tiny but lovely, perched right across from the Bay. It's very quiet and serene.

sha, I enjoyed reading your thoughts on Croatia....thanks for posting!

Tracy

poss

The tour with Perast includes Gospa od Skrpjela (?) and both it and Perast seem to include much viewing of churches and scared monuments, neither of which has much interest for us. I love interesting architecture and interesting old villages-- but religious buildings and paintings and such are of much less interest than other kinds of buildings and lovely scenery.

Still the Perast excursion rather than the Budva?

I do very much appreciate the good input. Thanks so much.

worldly

Perast, and the view from their is great!

poss

With your indulgence, I have yet another question. I know, of course, that finally one makes up one's own mind, but it is truly helpful to have this input.

I see now (should have looked more closely before) that there isn't all that much time in the port of Kotor. First excursion leaves at 8:00 A. M. and ship leaves for next port (Katakolon) at 3:00.

What I'm wondering is whether there's enough of interest in Kotor itself to spend, say, 4-5 hours there. We could have a leisurely breakfast aboard ship and just head into the town and explore on our own. Perhaps have a pleasant stop at a cafe (we're not shoppers) for lunch, or just come back to the ship in time for a late lunch and to disembark.

If we decide just to do Kotor on our own, it'd be a nice saving-- but would it be a mistake to miss Perast? Is it "better" than Kotor? (I think that if we do the excursion, there's not much time in Kotor itself.)

Thanks!

sha

Hi: I think a lot depends upon your familiarity with European villages. Perast is tiny and other than a lovely lunch with beautiful views and a nice walk there isn't much else. Kotor is larger. If you don't have much experience with
European villages you may love it. We've seen many in several countries and Kotor wasn't very unique. To be fair though, it was close to 100 degrees.

Good luck with your choice.

uaz04

Perast is only 12 kilometers from Kotor, and in the direction where there is much less tourist traffic. So, if you decide to spend the day in Kotor, you could still take a taxi ride to Perast [and also a short boat ride to the 'islands'] and come back to walk around Kotor until 3.
Perast is peaceful and lovely, even if there is little to do or see. Budva is touristic and busy. And Kotor falls somewhere in between.
On many weekend trips to the 'Boka", I stayed in Perast or Kotor, and avoided Budva, because I prefer the beauty of the old towns and villages, and only there can one get a sense of what life was like centuries before. Even better, catch a ride up to Njegus on the winding 24km road above Kotor and the Boka - it is one of the most picturesque drives on the planet [if a little scary for some]. I have done this by bike many times - and every time it takes my breathe away [hey, that's a joke!].

Enjoy the food - Njegus is well known for its two types of prshut, and of course the seafood in Kotor or Perast is great.

Of course, these are my preferences - many of my own friends like to stay in Budva because there is more to do and lots of action...

lanejohann

great trip report which brought back many sweet memories
glad you enjoyed the pizza at castro pizzeria in dubrovnik
we actually stayed with that family and ivanka is the salt of the earth type of girl - trusting generous and hospitable

tcreath

I would just stay in Kotor given your time options, or perhaps go with the suggestion above of taking a cab to Perast if you decide that there isn't enough to do in Kotor to keep your interest.

I personally loved Kotor, although I was there in November so the weather was nice and the crowds were at a minimum. It's a small town but had lots of charm.

Tracy

hollyhilly

Thanks for your interesting and helpful report! My sister and I are flying in DBR at the end of August and need to take a ferry to Venice from Rvinj on September 8. What was the name of the ferry company you used? Was there more than one company? We only found one so far and they say they don't make the trip on the day we need to make it! Also, would you please tell us who you rented your car from? We're having problems making a decision on that because we aren't sure where we can turn one in. Thank you.

LittleVicky

Hollyhilly,

for a one way car rental go for www.auto-europe.com or www.economycarrentals.com,
these are usually the most competitive and reliable.
Your only ferry option may be early morning from Rabac and if you choose to go with this, your best car drop off option would be in Pula the evening before. You may find it easier to drop the car off in Pula, Porec, Opatija or Rijeka and take the bus/train option to Venice.