Trip Report - Dubrovnik - Vis
Aug 6th, 2006, 12:21 PM
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Trip Report - Dubrovnik - Vis
Croatia Trip Report
We recently returned from a great trip to Croatia (June 30 – July 10). Our goal for this trip was to relax, and to enjoy some good food. We weren’t so concerned with seeing all of the sights, and we didn’t try to stick to a budget. We certainly could have seen more and spent less…but we’re very happy with the way things worked out.
June 30 – Depart London Gatwick on Croatia Airlines
6:30 PM Depart – Arrived late - 11 PM
We arranged for a car from the hotel to pick us up (20 Euros). I know this was much more expensive than taking a taxi, which would have been just as easy, but it was nice to have someone meet us and whisk us away in air conditioning (it was hot that day). I think we’d take a taxi the next time.
Villa Dubrovnik was fantastic! Our room wasn’t very large, but it was clean and comfortable. The common rooms screamed ‘lounge here’, and the views of Dubrovnik and the sea were beautiful. The staff was always ready to assist. Oh, and the Air Conditioning was a gift! I like that this is a small hotel (40 rooms). As a side note, we heard that there will be a major renovation this year (Oct.), so I expect the hotel will only get better.
July 1 – Dubrovnik
Explored, relaxed – it was a super hot day. There were two cruise ships in the harbor, so the town was a bit crowded. We tried to schedule our time in Dubrovnik either early or later in the day so that we would miss the crowds.
Lunch - Buffet Kamenice on Gunduliceva poljana – 178 kuna
Mixed green salad and Seafood Risotto
Good solid food, in a convenient location.
Dinner – Knobo Pjatanca – Kobcepska 2 - 200 kuna
Mixed green salad
Grilled Squid
Scampi
We didn’t feel like venturing too far from the hotel, and this place was right down the road. The scampi was fantastic, sweet and tasty. The grilled squid was also nicely done. The owner poured us some of his homemade brandy, which almost left me without a throat. J I know, I’m just not an experienced brandy drinker.
July 2 – Dubrovnik
Walked the city walls, relaxed, swam. Two smaller cruise ships in the harbor.
Dinner – Ekvinocijo – 321 kuna
Mixed Salad
Stuffed Squid (with prust and cheese) – great, unusual taste
Dalmatian fish three ways – huge platter of fish – Orada, Dentist, Scorpion fish
This was a really nice meal. The restaurant was off the main drag, so it had a bit of an exclusive feel (not fancy though). The owners / people who worked there seemed very proud of their offerings. The fish platter was good, but it was a bit much – fish, fish, and more fish.
July 3 – Dubrovnik
Walked, drank espresso, ate gelato (a daily occurrence), swam, bought a painting.
Dinner – Sesame – 203 kuna
I have to say I was a bit disappointed with this place. The food was just OK, and the prices were higher than other places. Oh, and this was the first place to give us the tear-open hand towels, as opposed to the dish with warm water and lemon. J
Mixed Salad with cheese and prust
Shrimp soup
Sesame risotto (shellfish and fish)
Mussels grandmother’s style (cold with white wine sauce)
July 4 – Dubrovnik – Mali Ston - Brela
Gulliver rent a car (our hotel arranged for the rental the night before) delivered a car to our hotel at noon. 460 Kuna + 200 K for dropping off in Split.
Drove to Mali Ston. We almost decided to keep driving by, but changed our mind and stopped. I am so glad we did. This is a cute little town.
Kapetoanova Kuca – 232 kuna
Oyster soup
Mixed salad
Mixed Shellfish platter
Espresso x 2
We really enjoyed this meal.
Continued our drive up the coast. Stopped in Bratus, which is a small beach town. There were lots of vacationing families. No hotels, but there were Sobes and apartments. Decided to keep driving to Brela. This is a neat little town. Stopped at the Hotel Soline and found a room. The hotel was recently remodeled and we got a huge, very modern room for 918 Kuna.
Dinner - Feral – 192 Kuna – One of the best meals we ate in Croatia!
Tomato and young cheese
Pasta with clam strips – the pasta was homemade and unlike anything I have ever eaten!!
Grilled squid
Pancakes with chocolate
I think we’d go back to Croatia just to eat here!
July 5 – Brela – Split – Vis/Komiza
We took a morning swim in Brela before checking out and making our way to Split. Returning the car was a nightmare, as we couldn’t find the drop-off point. Thankfully we gave ourselves plenty of time before the ferry departure. Bought tickets for the ferry to Vis – 82 Kuna each. The ferry was about 2 ½ hours and a nice ride. We spent part of the time upstairs on the deck, and the other part drinking espresso below. When we arrived in Vis the bus was waiting to transport people to Komiza. It was a very easy transition. Tickets were 20 kuna and the ride was about 20 minutes.
Unfortunately, I made reservations at Hotel Bisevo – 572 Kuna. We’re easy-going travelers, but I have to say that we were not happy with this hotel. It was clean, but the rooms were hot, and the hotel seemed to be full of kids attending a summer camp at the hotel? The restaurant/bar below the hotel was also active all night. Anyway, we checked in to the hotel, and promptly went to a tourist office (Darlic and Darlic) to find private accommodation for the next night.
Dinner – Konoba Bako (www.konobabako.hr)– 300 Kuna
Salads
Octopus in red wine
Grilled Orada
The setting for this restaurant couldn’t be better, right on the water with fantastic views of the town. The fish was so fresh it wasn’t even cleaned yet. Once we picked our fish, we watched the ‘cleaner guy’ walk over to the cleaning podium right behind us.
July 6 – Komiza (Island of Vis)
Lazy, lazy, lazy…Checked in to our new accommodation. We got an efficiency apartment next door to the owner of Darlic and Darlic. The room was large and airy, with a balcony overlooking the harbor. We were close to the main old town street, but far away enough not to hear everyone walking at night. AC, SAT TV, kitchenette. Spent ½ the day in a café drinking espresso, and the other half swimming. We bought cheese and meat from a store for lunch, and had a slice of pizza for dinner. It was a great day.
July 7 – Komiza
More lounging. Lunch at one of the restaurants on the harbor (sorry, I can’t remember the name). Pan fried fish, scampi and truffle risotto. Good, solid meal. The truffle taste was amazing! 190 Kuna
Dinner – Konoba Jasmina – 300 kuna
Pag cheese and prust
Grilled fish platter with everything you can imagine coming from the sea
We really liked this place. It is on a roof terrace with a great view and food was great. The owner and waitress were also very friendly.
July 8 – Komiza
Dinner – Jastozera - 745 kuna!!!
Salad
Lobster with spaghetti
This was a disappointing meal. The spaghetti sauce was a bit sweet, and eating the lobster was very messy (we should have known). There was nothing special about this meal, which was a shame, given the price. The atmosphere was nice though. Seating is over the water where the lobsters are kept in giant baskets, but the food just wasn’t that great. Maybe it was because we ordered lobster; perhaps we should have stayed with grilled fish. I think next time we would go back to Jasmina or Bako instead.
July 9 – Komiza – Split – Trogir
Checked out of our room and took the 10:45 bus to Vis. This gave us about 20 minutes to get our ferry tickets and board. The ride to split was uneventful and we enjoyed another sunny day on deck. Once in Split we walked to the bus depot and purchased a ticket to Trogir - 14 kuna. The next bus wasn’t leaving for 30 minutes, so we went to one of the food stands to buy something to eat. We got a huge sour cream, mushroom, cheese, and ham filled crepe. Yum! The bus to Trogir was a short ride. We had already booked an apartment through a reservation with Hotel Pasike. The hotel was booked, but they referred us to a newly renovated apartment right behind the Hotel Concordia. The apartment was fairly large and clean, the AC worked well, SAT TV, and kitchen. Breakfast was included at the Hotel Pasike. Oh, transport to the airport the next day was also included! 550 kuna. Apartmani Pomenic.
Dinner – Hotel Pasike – 190 kuna
This was the night of the final World Cup game, and the obligatory flat screen TV was mounted on the wall. We ate dinner and stayed for the game, which was fun.
Salad
Seafood Risotto
Stuffed squid in black sauce with polenta
This was a great meal. Menu items were standard, with a few interesting twists.
July 10 – Trogir – Airport
The hotel driver picked us up and delivered us to the airport. Quick ride.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
So, we had a great trip. We came home well rested and about five pounds heavier. Here are some misc. notes:
· Food prices listed above are approximate. We shared meals many times. Sometimes we had a glass of wine, sometimes not. We always had mineral water.
· We used the Cadogan Croatia travel guide, and were very happy with it.
· When staying at an apartment, it is best to ask if they provide towels – both for the bath and for the beach. We ended up buying beach towels.
· Sand shoes would be nice since the beaches are so rocky. We did without, but it probably would have been nice to have.
· We managed to find ATMs everywhere we went.
· We didn’t really see anything that we felt compelled to buy. I think the best bet would be olive oil, and homemade wine or brandy.
· We wanted to avoid the crowds, which is why we chose Vis as our island destination. Komiza was a great little village, and we would be very happy to go back!
We recently returned from a great trip to Croatia (June 30 – July 10). Our goal for this trip was to relax, and to enjoy some good food. We weren’t so concerned with seeing all of the sights, and we didn’t try to stick to a budget. We certainly could have seen more and spent less…but we’re very happy with the way things worked out.
June 30 – Depart London Gatwick on Croatia Airlines
6:30 PM Depart – Arrived late - 11 PM
We arranged for a car from the hotel to pick us up (20 Euros). I know this was much more expensive than taking a taxi, which would have been just as easy, but it was nice to have someone meet us and whisk us away in air conditioning (it was hot that day). I think we’d take a taxi the next time.
Villa Dubrovnik was fantastic! Our room wasn’t very large, but it was clean and comfortable. The common rooms screamed ‘lounge here’, and the views of Dubrovnik and the sea were beautiful. The staff was always ready to assist. Oh, and the Air Conditioning was a gift! I like that this is a small hotel (40 rooms). As a side note, we heard that there will be a major renovation this year (Oct.), so I expect the hotel will only get better.
July 1 – Dubrovnik
Explored, relaxed – it was a super hot day. There were two cruise ships in the harbor, so the town was a bit crowded. We tried to schedule our time in Dubrovnik either early or later in the day so that we would miss the crowds.
Lunch - Buffet Kamenice on Gunduliceva poljana – 178 kuna
Mixed green salad and Seafood Risotto
Good solid food, in a convenient location.
Dinner – Knobo Pjatanca – Kobcepska 2 - 200 kuna
Mixed green salad
Grilled Squid
Scampi
We didn’t feel like venturing too far from the hotel, and this place was right down the road. The scampi was fantastic, sweet and tasty. The grilled squid was also nicely done. The owner poured us some of his homemade brandy, which almost left me without a throat. J I know, I’m just not an experienced brandy drinker.
July 2 – Dubrovnik
Walked the city walls, relaxed, swam. Two smaller cruise ships in the harbor.
Dinner – Ekvinocijo – 321 kuna
Mixed Salad
Stuffed Squid (with prust and cheese) – great, unusual taste
Dalmatian fish three ways – huge platter of fish – Orada, Dentist, Scorpion fish
This was a really nice meal. The restaurant was off the main drag, so it had a bit of an exclusive feel (not fancy though). The owners / people who worked there seemed very proud of their offerings. The fish platter was good, but it was a bit much – fish, fish, and more fish.
July 3 – Dubrovnik
Walked, drank espresso, ate gelato (a daily occurrence), swam, bought a painting.
Dinner – Sesame – 203 kuna
I have to say I was a bit disappointed with this place. The food was just OK, and the prices were higher than other places. Oh, and this was the first place to give us the tear-open hand towels, as opposed to the dish with warm water and lemon. J
Mixed Salad with cheese and prust
Shrimp soup
Sesame risotto (shellfish and fish)
Mussels grandmother’s style (cold with white wine sauce)
July 4 – Dubrovnik – Mali Ston - Brela
Gulliver rent a car (our hotel arranged for the rental the night before) delivered a car to our hotel at noon. 460 Kuna + 200 K for dropping off in Split.
Drove to Mali Ston. We almost decided to keep driving by, but changed our mind and stopped. I am so glad we did. This is a cute little town.
Kapetoanova Kuca – 232 kuna
Oyster soup
Mixed salad
Mixed Shellfish platter
Espresso x 2
We really enjoyed this meal.
Continued our drive up the coast. Stopped in Bratus, which is a small beach town. There were lots of vacationing families. No hotels, but there were Sobes and apartments. Decided to keep driving to Brela. This is a neat little town. Stopped at the Hotel Soline and found a room. The hotel was recently remodeled and we got a huge, very modern room for 918 Kuna.
Dinner - Feral – 192 Kuna – One of the best meals we ate in Croatia!
Tomato and young cheese
Pasta with clam strips – the pasta was homemade and unlike anything I have ever eaten!!
Grilled squid
Pancakes with chocolate
I think we’d go back to Croatia just to eat here!
July 5 – Brela – Split – Vis/Komiza
We took a morning swim in Brela before checking out and making our way to Split. Returning the car was a nightmare, as we couldn’t find the drop-off point. Thankfully we gave ourselves plenty of time before the ferry departure. Bought tickets for the ferry to Vis – 82 Kuna each. The ferry was about 2 ½ hours and a nice ride. We spent part of the time upstairs on the deck, and the other part drinking espresso below. When we arrived in Vis the bus was waiting to transport people to Komiza. It was a very easy transition. Tickets were 20 kuna and the ride was about 20 minutes.
Unfortunately, I made reservations at Hotel Bisevo – 572 Kuna. We’re easy-going travelers, but I have to say that we were not happy with this hotel. It was clean, but the rooms were hot, and the hotel seemed to be full of kids attending a summer camp at the hotel? The restaurant/bar below the hotel was also active all night. Anyway, we checked in to the hotel, and promptly went to a tourist office (Darlic and Darlic) to find private accommodation for the next night.
Dinner – Konoba Bako (www.konobabako.hr)– 300 Kuna
Salads
Octopus in red wine
Grilled Orada
The setting for this restaurant couldn’t be better, right on the water with fantastic views of the town. The fish was so fresh it wasn’t even cleaned yet. Once we picked our fish, we watched the ‘cleaner guy’ walk over to the cleaning podium right behind us.
July 6 – Komiza (Island of Vis)
Lazy, lazy, lazy…Checked in to our new accommodation. We got an efficiency apartment next door to the owner of Darlic and Darlic. The room was large and airy, with a balcony overlooking the harbor. We were close to the main old town street, but far away enough not to hear everyone walking at night. AC, SAT TV, kitchenette. Spent ½ the day in a café drinking espresso, and the other half swimming. We bought cheese and meat from a store for lunch, and had a slice of pizza for dinner. It was a great day.
July 7 – Komiza
More lounging. Lunch at one of the restaurants on the harbor (sorry, I can’t remember the name). Pan fried fish, scampi and truffle risotto. Good, solid meal. The truffle taste was amazing! 190 Kuna
Dinner – Konoba Jasmina – 300 kuna
Pag cheese and prust
Grilled fish platter with everything you can imagine coming from the sea
We really liked this place. It is on a roof terrace with a great view and food was great. The owner and waitress were also very friendly.
July 8 – Komiza
Dinner – Jastozera - 745 kuna!!!
Salad
Lobster with spaghetti
This was a disappointing meal. The spaghetti sauce was a bit sweet, and eating the lobster was very messy (we should have known). There was nothing special about this meal, which was a shame, given the price. The atmosphere was nice though. Seating is over the water where the lobsters are kept in giant baskets, but the food just wasn’t that great. Maybe it was because we ordered lobster; perhaps we should have stayed with grilled fish. I think next time we would go back to Jasmina or Bako instead.
July 9 – Komiza – Split – Trogir
Checked out of our room and took the 10:45 bus to Vis. This gave us about 20 minutes to get our ferry tickets and board. The ride to split was uneventful and we enjoyed another sunny day on deck. Once in Split we walked to the bus depot and purchased a ticket to Trogir - 14 kuna. The next bus wasn’t leaving for 30 minutes, so we went to one of the food stands to buy something to eat. We got a huge sour cream, mushroom, cheese, and ham filled crepe. Yum! The bus to Trogir was a short ride. We had already booked an apartment through a reservation with Hotel Pasike. The hotel was booked, but they referred us to a newly renovated apartment right behind the Hotel Concordia. The apartment was fairly large and clean, the AC worked well, SAT TV, and kitchen. Breakfast was included at the Hotel Pasike. Oh, transport to the airport the next day was also included! 550 kuna. Apartmani Pomenic.
Dinner – Hotel Pasike – 190 kuna
This was the night of the final World Cup game, and the obligatory flat screen TV was mounted on the wall. We ate dinner and stayed for the game, which was fun.
Salad
Seafood Risotto
Stuffed squid in black sauce with polenta
This was a great meal. Menu items were standard, with a few interesting twists.
July 10 – Trogir – Airport
The hotel driver picked us up and delivered us to the airport. Quick ride.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
So, we had a great trip. We came home well rested and about five pounds heavier. Here are some misc. notes:
· Food prices listed above are approximate. We shared meals many times. Sometimes we had a glass of wine, sometimes not. We always had mineral water.
· We used the Cadogan Croatia travel guide, and were very happy with it.
· When staying at an apartment, it is best to ask if they provide towels – both for the bath and for the beach. We ended up buying beach towels.
· Sand shoes would be nice since the beaches are so rocky. We did without, but it probably would have been nice to have.
· We managed to find ATMs everywhere we went.
· We didn’t really see anything that we felt compelled to buy. I think the best bet would be olive oil, and homemade wine or brandy.
· We wanted to avoid the crowds, which is why we chose Vis as our island destination. Komiza was a great little village, and we would be very happy to go back!
Aug 6th, 2006, 01:11 PM
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Thanks for posting this Sandra, I'm going to take some notes.
What were your impressions of Vis - interesting architecture? Of what type Would you recommend Vis Town - any interesting sites or activities?
Cheers,
Murphy
What were your impressions of Vis - interesting architecture? Of what type Would you recommend Vis Town - any interesting sites or activities?
Cheers,
Murphy
Aug 6th, 2006, 06:01 PM
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Murphy - I'm a bit embarrassed to say that we didn't stop in Vis town. We got off the ferry, on the bus, and went straight to Komiza. I think the guide book said there is a monestary and maybe some Roman baths. In general, I think Vis town / island is not a place that you go to for its sights, but it is a good place to experience a relaxed lifestyle.
Nukesafe - Prsut is basically the Croatian version of Prosciutto...widely available, and very good.
Nukesafe - Prsut is basically the Croatian version of Prosciutto...widely available, and very good.
Aug 7th, 2006, 06:05 AM
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Sandra, great trip report. Really enjoyed reading it - me and DH are going in Sept. Deciding whether to drive from Dubrovnik to Split or take the bus (ferry doesn't work with our schedule). Did you enjoy the drive and what type of car did the 600K get you? Thanks!
Aug 7th, 2006, 08:36 AM
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Sandra,
Our trip to Croatia focused on Dubrovnik and Korcula. Though Dubrovnik was interesting, we found the charms of smaller Korcula more to our taste. And the bus drive up the coast from Dubrovnik to Split whet our appetites for visits to the small towns like Brela along the way. Having read your report, we'd probably just try to duplicate your trip next time!
Our trip to Croatia focused on Dubrovnik and Korcula. Though Dubrovnik was interesting, we found the charms of smaller Korcula more to our taste. And the bus drive up the coast from Dubrovnik to Split whet our appetites for visits to the small towns like Brela along the way. Having read your report, we'd probably just try to duplicate your trip next time!
Aug 7th, 2006, 11:46 AM
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I was interested to read that you had been to Vis.
I have the opportunity to rent a house on Vis, in the village of Kut which is just around the bay from Vis town. While the island looks beautiful on the websites, there is actually relatively little information about the island, so it was nice to hear something, even if it is that it is a place to go to relax rather than do anything other than sailing or diving. Although I read that it is totally organic and there are wine tours of the vineyards.
Apparently the 2004 Rough Guide lists Vis at #2 in their list of 'places that must be seen'.
I have the opportunity to rent a house on Vis, in the village of Kut which is just around the bay from Vis town. While the island looks beautiful on the websites, there is actually relatively little information about the island, so it was nice to hear something, even if it is that it is a place to go to relax rather than do anything other than sailing or diving. Although I read that it is totally organic and there are wine tours of the vineyards.
Apparently the 2004 Rough Guide lists Vis at #2 in their list of 'places that must be seen'.
Oct 13th, 2010, 09:17 AM
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While Korcula is a wonderful place I would warn everyone about making reservations at House Pomenic. My partner and I had a horrible experience which we later found out was not the first. We prepaid $500 for a ten day stay in July and once we got there the apartment ( room really) was not at all what was advertised. The access to the room was very difficult due to narrow staircase, the bathroom wall ( roof of the house) was barely 3,5 feet tall, and worst of all, once we walked out, we did not receive a penny refund! Nothing! Boris, the contact for reservations is ignoring our calls and attempts at contact. Stay away from the place! We ended up going to a hotel and had a great time!
Oct 14th, 2010, 06:30 AM
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I'm glad to read about others enjoying Vis island, one of my favorite places in Croatia. I stayed in Vis town, and passed through Komiza a couple times as we rented scooters and covered a good bit of the island, which has amazing secluded beaches.
I highly recommend renting a car or scooter (of bike, for the extremely fit) to see the views and scenery.
I highly recommend renting a car or scooter (of bike, for the extremely fit) to see the views and scenery.
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