I am planning a trip to Croatia and getting a lot of strange reactions regarding my choice of travel destination...
 

I am consistently surprised by the comments I have been getting from people regarding the planning of our next trip. My husband and I just got back from a wonderful trip to Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Czech Republic. I am kind of known at work for all the traveling I do, so I’ve already been asked a few times about where my next trip is going to be since they all know I am already planning it. When I tell them that DH and I would like to go to Croatia next year, I get strange looks, quick judgments and then weird responses such as “why in the world would you want to go there” or “aren’t you scared because of all the problems they have had” or “what the heck is in Croatia that you would want to visit”? Of course I feel like I should defend myself, even though I know it isn’t necessary, and give them a little educational lesson on the beauty and history of Croatia. While I really don’t mind the comments, it’s kind of annoying after awhile. People make such generalized comments based solely on what they remember from the news years ago and having absolutely no real knowledge of Croatia otherwise. Now granted most of these comments come from those who think that visiting Jamaica is as exotic as they come, (and that is perfectly fine and I would never criticize them for that…to each their own), but I am still surprised by the lack of open-mindedness of some people.

I just got another comment a few minutes ago, which prompted me to write this message. Anyways, since we all obviously love to travel and many have traveled to various “unconventional” vacation destinations, I was just wondering if there is anyone else that experiences these kinds of comments when planning and what are your responses?

Tracy

You certainly wouldn't be questioned about Croatia from anyone who has been to that gorgeous country. Last year my travel companion to Paris had family members tell her how rudely she would be treated (of course, they have never been past those same islands you mention). Fortunately, she believed me instead and we had a wonderful time. If I wanted to be rude back, I would just ask how recently had they visited that country and on what personal experience did they form their opinions. But, it's best to just smile and continue your trip planning. Travel is an addiction some folks just don't understand.

Uhhh..have you been on THIS site very long....some of the folks here aren't any different from the ones who work in your office..in fact they may very be the folks who DO work in your office!

Different interests for different travelers, thank goodness. It is when you start allowing those people to dictate your travel plans that you need to worry.

Heck, I get a similar response if I say, 'we're going to Paris'...'what, AGAIN? Haven't you already been there?'

Some people just have no exposure, and possibly no curiosity, to know more.

Many people (what I mean to say is many Americans) have very little knowledge of the rest of the world. Of course, this doesn't keep them from spouting their opinions about it! Having been to Croatia, I know that they don't know what they are talking about, since it is a very beautiful and interesting country. I think you can either ignore them or try to educate them, whichever feels best to you at the time.

It's just the perception that these people have of a war raging that has ended but they still have the images of years ago. Just ignore them as you know what it will be like. Ths is a holiday destination for many europeans as well as for sailing holidays. Anyway if they find out it may get tooo crowded keep the secret from them! :-)

This is a similar reaction a friend gave when she heard a couple here in Ireland were going to Dubai for their honeymoon. She thought it was unsafe, Strict i.e. women should be covered and not even allowed out by themselves.....I had to tell her that lots of people go for sun/beach and shopping and that is a modern country that is welcoming to outsiders and not a strict islamic state i.e. you can get a drink at a bar in the resorts etc.

It's just lack of information. Have a fantastic trip...it's on my list of places to go.

Thank you all for your replies. I am going to go about planning my great vacation to Croatia and they will all be envious when I return and they see the gorgeous photos!

SiobhanP, we considered Dubai for our trip last year and definitely got strange comments about that one as well, even though most of them admitted that they didn't know where Dubai even was!

Tracy

Anyone who questions the safety of Croatia is way behind on their current events!!!

Croatia is just a hidden gem that people don't know about, for whatever reason. Well - not entirely true - tons of Europeans know about Croatia and vacation there.

I went to Prague a few times as a kid/teen (before the wall fell) and I can't tell you how many times teachers/neighbours/friends' parents would say, "Prague? Where is that? And why would you want to go there?"

If Croatia is going to go the way of Prague (and parts of the Czech Rep) in terms of increasing tourism - we'd all better get there ASAP!

Went to Croatia last summer and got the same responses before hand. It is amazing the amount of people that don't know that the war is over.
I just starting responding when people asked where I was going and said Central Europe. Then all people would say is -oh ok-. Never asked where in Central Europe.
You will love Croatia, it is a great country with great, friendly people.

Have a good trip, & don't care what other people say. I find that these are generally people who either a) don't travel anywhere; or b) go to the same place year after year.

They won't be interested in your photos either.

Planning my trip has been wonderful. I think Croatia looks amazing and I can't wait to visit. And you guys are right...its definitely not a hidden gem in Europe. We saw tons of commercials for Croatia when we were in Germany last month.

Leona, you are right. My DH's best friend and his wife was one of the people who couldn't believe that we would actually want to go to Croatia. Of course, they go to Destin, Florida every year but this year they decided for a "change of scenery" and chose the Gulf Shores instead!

Tracy

yeah i get the same reactions but that's just people ignorance - used to annoy me but now I find it amusing.
I went to Lebanon and Syria in Sep - shoud have seen to looks I got when I told people where I was going!
Enjoy Croatia - its beautiful - one of my favourite destinations !

Why wouldn´t you go to Croatia? Thousand of tourists from other European countries do, it is in every charter company´s brochure. I might go in July, I sort of got caught by their slogan: "Mediterranean as is once was."

How can this be annoying? Do we really want everyone traveling to the same places we do? Do we want every corner of the world as popular as Bruges? Let's relish their ignorance. Rick Steves has already done enough damage.

I visited Croatia in 1972 and 1977 and I can assure you that Italians had pretty much "discovered" it way back then and probably much earlier. The traffic jam at the border was horrendous.

I know it's possibly rude but I like palette's suggestion of asking how recently had they visited that country and on what personal experience did they form their opinions.

Oh, I forgot to join the refrain of Croatia is FABULOUS!

I must admit, when I saw you were going to Croatia I wondered "why" but more out of curiosity than shock. The problem with reading posts like yours is that my "must go to" list keeps growing!! Thanks.....

I am also trying to plan trip and find people are most excited by the idea of finding someplace "new" even though of course very old and quite "discovered" by much of the world.

When my husband and I were trying to figure out where to go and I felt still drawn to Italy and Spain - we decided... Capri will be in 5 years very much like it is now but Croatia won't be......so I guess I am excited that people look at you funny. That means this theory is still true. My bet is it wont' be for long.

By the way tcreath - why don't you share your itinerary thoughts :-)

tcreath - I'm returning for my fouth time and still get odd looks ("...you're going AGAIN?...") but hey- it's just means I don't bump into many Americans and have get to hang out with Italians and Croatians, drinking wine, eating prust and totally relaxing.

When I went to Morocco in November of 2001 there were friends and family literally begging me to change my mind, and I'm sure saying behind my back that I was a complete nutcase. When I returned, some of those people actually said things like "glad you made it out of there alive." It's just ignorance. Unfortunately, it's widespread.

I agree with everyone...I want to go to Croatia before it gets too "discovered"!

sfmaster, I am still working on our itinerary because it looks like the airfare from the midwest into Zagreb or Dubrovnik are very expensive. So as of now, our itinerary is this:

Fly into Rome; train to Ancona and catch overnight ferry to Split
3 nights Hvar
3 nights Korkula
2 nights Dubrovnik
Overnight ferry to Bari

I agree with everyone...I want to go to Croatia before it gets too "discovered"!

sfmaster, I am still working on our itinerary because it looks like the airfare from the midwest into Zagreb or Dubrovnik are very expensive. So as of now, our itinerary is this:

Fly into Rome; train to Ancona and catch overnight ferry to Split
3 nights Hvar
3 nights Korkula
2 nights Dubrovnik
Overnight ferry to Bari
2 nights in Rome
Fly home

Again, this is just the itinerary as we wouldn't be going until probably April of next year (and I'm planning a Paris trip for November!) and I'm hoping that I can find a better way of getting to Croatia. As much as I love Italy, I would rather spend the nights in Croatia.

Thanks for asking!
Tracy

Tracey - I found that airfares dropped starting in September. Not sure what your time constraints are but September is wonderful - crowds are winding down, it's cool at night, warm during the day.

LOL, only yesterday my co-worker told me she wants to go to Croatia, and my first reaction was: is it safe?

Carta_Pisana, thanks for the tip! We unfortunately couldn't go this September because we have a Paris trip planned for November, so we were considering April or May of next year. However, if the prices are cheaper in September, we probably would consider going later. Right now the flights into Zagreb are about $1200 a person from St. Louis. I prefer an open-jaw (into Zagreb, out of Dubrovnik) but would consider flying Croatian Airlines from Dubrovnik back to Zagreb to fly home if the price was right. Otherwise, I guess we will still consider the Italy ferry options.

Thanks again!!
Tracy

Have you tried checking www.whichbudget.com? There are flights from several cities to and from Croatia if you would consider going through London or Dublin, for example.

Nikki, thank you for the suggestion. I have looked into whichbudget.com and found a few flights from London to Croatia. I have to look into them more but I was a little concerned about the baggage weight restrictions that are usually strictly imposed. However, if I could work out an itinerary for a good price I would probably take it!

Thanks!
Tracy

tc, you shouldn't be surprised, as Croatia hasn't been big in the iternational news since the misfortunes a while back, and it also hasn't been extensively advertised as a tourist destination--certainly not to the degree that the better known destinations have been.

After all, there are hundreds of countries in the world, most of them small and of relatatively little importance on the world scene. It would not be reasonable to expect most people (especially those on a different contintent) to be familiar with all these places.

By the way, we are considering Croatia and northeastern Italy for a vacation next year, so we'll be interested to hear about your experiences.

I get the same reaction to the term Croatia, but when you say the Dalmatian coast on the Aegean it gets a totally different reaction--go figure!

Rufus, I guess you are right. I can understand why people ask if its safe or if I am concerned about my own safety. What I didn't really get, though, was the questions such as "why would you want to go there, there is nothing there anyways" and that type of thing from people who undoubtedly know nothing about Croatia except that it was involved in war and turmoil not all that long ago. I usually just respond with a "don't knock it until you tried it."

If I can come up with a good itinerary and actually get myself over there, I will definitely post a trip report.

Thanks!
Tracy

What about telling them you're going to "Yugoslavia?" ;-)

Just think of how much geography your family/friends/coworkers are learning thanks to your travels! My husband and I received similar comments last year when we went to Malta - nobody knew where it was! We just returned from Budapest and a couple people asked where that was!

Croatia is on our short list of travel stops and I look forward to reading your trip report upon your return. From what I've read on this forum, those who have been to Croatia just love it and can't wait to return. I hope you feel the same way after having visited - and keep planning and enjoying those 'non' main stream destinations!

Debs, I feel your pain :)

Being born in Belarus, and knowing nobody in San Francisco knows where it is, I say simply: from Russia.

Some people are not satisfied, and the torture continues: what part of Russia. No, I am not kind enough to say "west of Russia". This is where I lose my patience, and say: Belarus, it's a separate country now.

After several blank stares I gave up, printed a map of Europe, and now it's proudly hanging over my desk.

Aloha to all, (Ann) should be back from her trip to Croatia by now. Would love a trip report! We are going in sept and heard the same remarks! I, too asked, So when did YOU go?

tcreath, I went to Morocco, Spain and France in 2000. From the comments I received, people thought that going to Morocco was the equivalent of going to Mars. When I told them that we may run across toilets that were fancy holes in the ground, they were appalled. It was so much fun to come home from this trip and tell them that the only place I found holes for toilets was Paris! Go on your trip and bring back beautifull pictures to show off so they all know what they are missing.

Good for you for hanging your map Faina. I do know where Belarus is, but I admit I sure could use a geography refresher on Africa. Hanging a map on my wall is a good way to re-learn where all the countries are since I spend a lot of time staring at my wall while I am work... ;-)

Texas, I usually stare at the ceiling, any solutions for that :-?

A co-worker and friend -- well a sorta friend -- we have an odd conflicted relationship but it's his problem and another story -- mentioned today that his wife is in Croatia on business this week.

We started talking about Split, the coast, Dubrovnik and my coastal sojourns there in the 70s.

And I thought how magical it was then and how much I would like to go back but how do you get there from central Canada etc etc.

Actually, he says the weather is LOUSY at present (15 degrees, which would be roughly 60 F.) compared to our own ultra-humid 30 C (85 F) in central Canada.

But I digress.

I said magical: Well it is and those offshore island along the coast -- bare, rocky eggs emerging through the summer haze....I will NEVER forget them...

Note to self: Start Fodors-based research at once.

A reply that affirms while being open to feedback would certainly be more conducive to congenial relations, such as "that sounds interesting, I don't know much about Croatia/Belarus/Dubai, perhaps you'll tell me about it sometime..." However, consider that many people find it difficult to admit a weakness in some particular area, and worse yet, when they feel vulnerable, mount a pre-emptive defense that only too often consists of something offensive, such as a criticism of someone for being stupid or careless in their choices.

I agree that this is frustrating, annoying and rude. But...(you knew that there was a 'but' coming didn't you :) ) the fear that many people have that they will be looked down upon or humiliated for admitting a weakness is not entirely misplaced. Sometimes, agreed, the fear that they will lose face is just that, fear. But the fear does have some basis - consider the existence of so many jokes in our culture that ridicule the ignorant, for example. Including some that can be found on this board, which does make us rather part of the problem, I feel.

Maybe redirecting the focus of attention to the questioner might help, as in: "Let's talk instead for a minute about what YOU enjoy doing or are interested in exploring. Do you like to hunt for antiques/do crafts/go for walks?" And then, when they've had a chance to explore some familiar ground with you for a bit, you can say, "well, my next destination, Croatia, is famous for a lot more than just that sad war they had a few years back. [pre-emptive strike aimed at dispensing with old history] It also has..." and here you describe the old castles for the antiques-lover, the scenery you've heard about to the walking enthusiast, etc.

I can't guarantee that it will work, but generally I think people are simply looking for a way to save face and feel more comfortable, and this just might be it.

Not to bore anyone, but my photos of Croatia last September (2004)(do not copy the place name into the "cut and paste," that's only for identification purposes)

http://www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhotos.js...p;sort_order=0 Plitvice


http://www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhotos.js...p;sort_order=0 Coast

http://www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhotos.js...p;sort_order=0 Opatija

http://www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhotos.js...p;sort_order=0 Dubrovnik/Cavtat

http://www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhotos.js...p;sort_order=0 Split and Zadar

http://www.ofoto.com/AlbumMenu.jsp?v...mp;page=2& Kotor/Budva


http://www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhotos.js...p;sort_order=1 Lake Bled

http://www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhotos.js...p;sort_order=1 Lake Bohinj/Ljubljana

http://www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhotos.js...p;sort_order=1 Zagreb

http://www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhotos.js...p;sort_order=1 Venice

We traveled to Croatia last April. I wrote a short trip report under "Slovania and Croatia trip report" or just look up "Granny". It was a wonderful trip and the people are very friendly. Our friends also questioned our choice.

Last year there was not a whole lot of information on this board about Croatia. I've notice so much more in one year's time. It is definitely being discovered.

By the way, we lent a friend our Croatia book yesterday and another friend said they are going next fall and wanted information. Go and enjoy.