Dubrovnik, the jewel of the Adriatic! What a magical place to spend several days! We arrived on a Saturday afternoon and stayed for 5 nights. I would have liked to spend another week to explore the surrounding islands! We had scheduled our last 3 nights of the trip for Rome and would have cancelled that part of our trip to stay longer in Dubrovnik had we not prepaid our hotel and had to fly out of Rome.

We arrived a day earlier than planned via ferry from Hvar (I think the cost was about 85 Kuna per person). We had booked 4 nights so we got on Dubrovnik-online.com and found a place for our first night. It was an ok place for one night but I am glad we didn?t have to stay there for the full 5 nights. We had booked a sobe called ?Divna? via email from a woman named Ksenija for 4 nights. When we arrived we found they had double booked us so they moved us to ?Magical? apartment and we were thrilled to pieces with it! The price for Divna was 30 euro and the stated price was 70 for Magical but since the owner screwed up we only paid 40 a night for the apartment. The apartment had a small kitchen, dining area and bathroom downstairs with the bedroom upstairs.

The first night we wandered the streets in awe. The lights shimmered off the stone sidewalk of the Stradun and people moved about, seeming to not have a care in the world. When I have traveled in other countries the pace seems so much quicker with everyone acting as if they had a destination to reach. Dubrovnik strikes me as a place that people RELAX and it just felt GOOD!!

We awoke very early the next morning and transferred from the one night place to Magical Apartment located about three blocks in from Pile gate and only up 1 and a half flights of stairs. Once we settled in and paid up with the owner we walked one or two blocks down the Stradun and visited the War Photos Museum (I think that is what it was called). The impact the photos had on me was similar to that of Auschwitz when I went through that 15 years ago. I had a steady stream of tears running down my face as I saw the grief and despair on the subject?s faces. Thank goodness the ladies at the front had tissues available. As sad as I was while walking through this photo exhibit, I do not regret seeing it. It had an amazing impact on me and the horror the Croatians, Muslims and Christians experienced during the war will always remain in my mind due to seeing these images.

As we were leaving the photo gallery I asked the lady working at the front where we should go for a nice relaxing drink. She said that her favorite place was the East/West Beach Bar which is located about 100 meters outside of the Ploce gate. This bar is a little difficult to find but well worth the effort! As you walk outside the Ploce gate continue on along the road for about 100 yards. You will see a sign for the post office and if I remember correctly it is a fairly large yellow sign that says, ?POSTA?. Right beyond that is a stair case to East/West. Now you have entered paradise! The drinks are perfect, the service is great and the scenery is straight from a postcard! We spent a fair amount of time here during our stay in Dubrovnik.

The following day we arrived at the entrance of the wall just as it opened. We walked around the wall and on the seaward side we spotted the bar ?buza?. We decided that it was never to early to have a cold one while vacationing so we continued along the wall towards the exit on the opposite end and found our way along the inside of the wall to a sign, ?COLD DRINKS? which pointed towards a door in the wall. I felt like Alice in Wonderland walking down the steps and into this fanstasy like place. Dean Martin was piping through the sound system, the breeze was cooling on a warm day and we had a cold beer in our hand by 11:00 am! We loitered about for 2 hours, went and took a quick nap and then stopped in to Café Komenica for dinner. Tasty, simple grilled seafood at reasonable prices but don?t expect the same friendliness as other places in Croatia. The service wasn?t bad but it was very matter of fact.

Day three was a review of the previous days with a couple of visits back to Buza, lunch at Mea Culpa (great pizza!) and dinner at a place right outside of Ploce gate and to the right. This was one of the best dinners we had but we neglected to write down or remember the name of it. You should make reservations, for certain! To do so, walk outside the gate and to the right as you walk along the port you will see a restaurant on the right with tables outside. The food is great!

We had planned on visiting Montenegro, through a day trip with Atlas, for our fourth day but due to a very rainy day forecast we opted for Mostar instead (42 euro per person). This was another very moving experience. The city was the economic heart of Bosnia-Hercegovina but was demolished during the war. While Dubrovnik is almost 100 percent rapaired, Mostar is still about 80 percent demolished. I thought this trip was well worth it.

I will end my report here but add a few notes.

The transit system is very easy for getting from place to place, island to island

Renting a car for all or part of the trip will allow you to visit places you would not see by public transit.

You don?t need to know the language but learning a few words will bring smiles to the faces of the Croatians. Here are a few key words to know:

Thank you ? Hvala
Please ? Molim
Excuse me ? Molim
Hello and goodbye informal ? Bog
Good morning ? Dobro jutro
Good afternoon ? Dobar dan
Goodbye ? dovidjenja
2 beers please! ? dva piva, molim!

Also, please be sensitive to the subject of the war. Some people are open to talk about it and others are very sensitive. Be respectful and consider how you would feel if you had suffered similar circumstances.

I hope you find this report informative and helpful!

Euro, Welcome to the Group of Those Who Love Croatia! I'm sure your report alone will result in at least a dozen people experiencing Dubrovnik for the first time.

I'm in awe of your respect and appreciation for the Croatian people.

May I ask where you live?

For part 1 - http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34506179

Great report! Loved the language lesson... Sharon

Grasshopper, I posted a reply to this but it only shows up when I try to post it again so it may post twice. I live in Portland, OR, born in Canada and I am the daughter of Dutch immigrants who lived through WWII. Thank you for noting the respect I have for the people of Croatia. I try to show the same respect for all cultures I come in contact with. I think we can learn more from other cultures than we will ever learn in a text book. One of the greatest things we gain from travelling is knowledge and understanding, right? Cheers!

Eurotraveler -
Love your Alice in Wonderland analogy for Buza. I saw the photo exhibit also - some of the houses on Stradun that were nothing but a facade - our ability to destroy such beauty is disturbing. Was the bridge in Mostar free of scaffolding? Were you able to cross it? Croatians are very matter of fact - down to business - aren't they? Great report.

Mark, the bridge in Mostar appeared to be finished but there were still cranes on each side of it. It was due to open in three weeks so we were not able to cross it, unfortunately. Mostar was fascinating but moved me to tears.

Eurotraveller, I think your comments about respect for other cultures, and the knowledge and understanding to be gained from travel, should be must reading for all travellers. And thanks for the tip about Rab -- we've added it to our itinerary.

eurotraveller, glad you enjoyed dubrovnik as much as many of us did. And I found that I was in better shape when I left it because of all those steps!

2 beers please...always a good phrase to know. But make mine 3.

Aloha, I am glad to hear you will be visiting Rab Town. I would go back again in a heart beat!

Mina, Those stairs are a butt burner! Thank goodness our apartment was only up two flights! I am almost certain that my boyfriend and I will be back in Croatia again within the next 3 years, probably on a yacht charter.

Sharon, thanks for linking part one of my report to this thread.

I will soon be posting a link to some great photos!

Cheers!

Very nice, glad You have so good imopresions of Dubrovnik. Im living just there andif You have more questions You forgot to ask on spot, dont hestate to ask me!

Hi Ivod. I would to ask you a question about an apartment location in Dubrovnik, where we're going to spend a week next May. The address is Istarska 3 in Pile, and I wonder what you could tell me about it. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

Alohatoall, if you'd like to see the exact location go to:
http://www.htnet.hr/karta/karta.html
This is a digital map of Croatia with detailed maps of larger cities and towns.
In "mjesto" type in name of the place (Dubrovnik), in "ulicu" street name (Istarska) and in "kucni broj" street number (3). "Trazi" is search.
On the left side you will find zoom-in and zoom-out menu and on the bottom of the screen "Povecaj" link to get a larger map.
Hope this helps.

Thank you, Jonas -- the web site works perfectly! I think I remember that you live in Zagreb, so I'd like to ask you another question. We'll end our trip with 3 days there, and I wonder about the location of the Sheraton, where we can stay free with points. I know it's "downtown" but is it a decent location? Thanks again for all your help.

alohatoall, although I remember someone here posted that Sheraton doesn't have the perfect location, I think it is not bad either. Yes it is downtown and about 15-20 minutes walking from the main square (Trg Bana Jelacica).
Here is another useful link:
http://www.htnet.hr
At the right you will see "Telefonski imenik" which will take you to Croatian Phone Directory. Click there on "Engleski" for English version. Search for Sheraton (this is the only Sheraton in Croatia) and on the results click the street name which will open pop-up with Sheraton's exact location.
From Sheraton take a walk trough Pavla Hatza street which will take you to the small green oasis in the heart of the city and then turn north to reach Trg Bana Jelacica and you are in the very center of Zagreb.

I understand you have free points, but if someone else is looking for a nice hotel in Zagreb, I would recommend The Regent Esplanade Zagreb which is probably the nicest hotel in Zagreb and it has a good location. But it is a bit pricey.

Loved your report, eurotraveller. One question for you: Most private apartments on the web are quoted in euros, do the landlords or landladies want the rent in euros ? Going to Dubrovnik and Hvar in two weeks' time, I am very excited about this trip.

Naturaltan, although most places such as restaurants and shops use the Kuna, most landlords/ladies prefer the Euro because the Euro is very strong. We attempted to pay in Kuna at one place but the landlord told us he preferred the Euro.

Enjoy your trip!

Cheers!

Thank you for this email - it is inspiring! I am hoping that those on this board can help me with my trip:

I will be traveling in mid-August with my mom who is only staying from Friday, Aug 6 flying in to Zagreb, and returning from Zadar, Saturday, August 14 (although I will be there for longer), and we will be making a "pilgrimage" of sorts to where we are from in Croatia (Pag). Since this is very important to my mom, I want to make sure that she is able to see as much as possible in this timeframe. We are planning on the following and would appreciate any insight:

Zagreb (Aug 6-7th)- Two nights at the Esplanade.
Fly to Dubrovnik via Croatia Air?

Two/Three nights in Dubrovnik (Aug 8-10th). (any recommendations on places to stay that is mid-range?)

Then we plan to rent a car and travel up the coast via Hvar to Split. One night in Split or Hvar. Any thoughts on where to stay?

Two nights in Pag. Probably a Sobe to stay while here.

One night back to Zadar where we fly out from (maybe stay a night in Zadar depending on 2 vs. 3 nights in Dubrovnik).

Will this work and does anyone have any suggestions/input to share? Also, might travel be better via ferry?

Thanks so much for your time and all of these wonderful stories! We are very excited!!!!

Best,
Suzanne

Suzanne

You will probably get more replies if you post this as a new post rather than as a comment to eurotraveler's trip report. There are lots of Coratia experts on this forum that can give you some good input.

I am making the same journey as you a month later so I will look forward to hearing about your trip when you return!

Make that three, as I'm doing the same trip in September (just got my flights sorted out yesterday and now have to figure out the ferries, buses, etc.)

I too am looking for a reasonable overnight hotel in Zagreb before moving on down to Hvar, Dubrovnik and some of the surrounding islands. I've printed many of the Croatia travellers trip reports and I'm sure I'll find all the info I need among them all but new suggestions always welcome. I'll also advise you of new discoveries I find in my research.

Hi Suzzane, here are my observations about your itinerary.
Much of Zagreb can be seen in one day, so if you have two full days there I would cut a day and add it to somewhere else (Hvar). Esplanade is a very fine hotel. If you can't cut a day in Zagreb maybe you could combine it with a day trip to Plitvice Lakes national park. You will not regret it.
Buy Zagreb-Dubrovnik tickets when you arrive in Zagreb. Shop around different travel agencies and Croatia Airlines office (located near Esplanade) to get much cheaper tickets than if you buy them in advance.
Instead of renting a car in Dubrovnik, take the ferry to Hvar and spend there a day or two. Plan a ferry or hydrofoil from Hvar to Split in the morning so you can explore Split a little bit on the same day. Split's center is pretty compact and you can see it in half a day. Rent a car in Split and drive to Pag. Because you're from Pag you will want to have a car there to explore it a little bit more. It is a long stretched island with beautiful beaches.
I would not bother searching for accommodation in Zadar as it is close to Pag (there is a bridge connecting the island with the mainland) and you can visit it from Pag. I love Zadar. It has a nice old town and would recommend spending at least half a day there. Drop off your car in Zadar and bye-bye.
Have a great trip.