CROATIA & MONTENEGRO…The black mountains: Montenegro…August 23, 2017Croatia / MontenegroTravelled in: May 2017 Montenegro came on to my radar as a holiday destination after seeing pictures on my facebook of somebody there last year. The scenery looked incredible and the more I researched, the more I decided I MUST go. Montenegro is similar to it’s next door neighbour Croatia in many ways. As much as I rave about how much I love Croatia, Montenegro is on another level… it is SO beautiful, the food is incredible, the service was perfect, there are less tourists and it is cheaper. There were however 2 things I would say that gives Montenegro a slight disadvantage over Croatia… 1. The driving! The road conditions were OK, with the exception of a few dirt tracks here and there. The biggest problem with driving here is the speed at which you drive is really quite painful. Most of the roads are single lane roads, so you can only drive at about 50km/h. The drivers are also horrendous and very erratic, with terrible parking etiquette. 2. The weather! Due to Montenegro’s mountainous terrain 99% of the time clouds get stuck here, meaning weather can be unpredictable! Luckily we had 2 OK days where there was break in the cloud and we saw the glorious sunshine, but we also had one day of torrential rain which felt like it was never ending. Regardless the scenery was still beautiful in the rain, but it was clear to see why the country is named the black mountains. Arriving in Montenegro: To get to Montenegro we flew in to Dubrovnik airport. Our flight was with Norwegian airlines from Gatwick. Dubrovnik airport is really close to the Montenegrin border, probably about a 20 minute drive. We hired a car from Dubrovnik airport using the company CarWizz, booked via rentalcars.com. The price of the car rental was around £55 for 3 days. We also had to pay an additional €21 for a cross border fee… this company was the cheapest I could see for cross border rentals! From the airport it is one straight road to Montenegro. To Kotor it will take about 1.5hrs, to Budva about 2.5hrs. It’s worth noting that getting over the border can take a bit of time, on the way there it took us about an hour in a queue to cross the border, but on the way back only 15 mins, so factor this in if you need to be somewhere at a specific time. Another option is flying in to Tivat airport in Montenegro, but I found flights to here limited and more expensive. Travelling in Montenegro: There are a lot of tour operators that travel from Dubrovnik over the border and around Montenegro stopping off at all the main sights. We chose to use a hire car and explore ourselves in our own time as we didn’t want to stick to a specific itinerary. As I already mentioned driving in Montenegro is a bit of a nightmare, and definitely not for the faint hearted. A lot of the roads are on the edge of a mountain, the speed limits are slow, (especially around Kotor Bay) and the Montenegrin’s seem to think it is acceptable to park and leave their cars in the middle of the road. Despite all of this, driving is probably your best option if you want to explore this beaut of a country at your own pace. Staying in Montenegro: I use various methods to plan accommodation for my trips, one websites I use for luxury travel inspiration and occasionally bookings is voyage prive. I spotted Lavender Bay apartments from one of their subscriber emails and I instantly knew I had to stay there as it looked incredible… Surprisingly it was super affordable, we paid £250 for 3 nights for a one bedroom apartment and got to wake up to this incredible view… The apartments are located in Morinj which is a 10 minute drive in to the old town of Perast and a 25 minute drive to Kotor. Eating in Montenegro: I was really pleasantly surprised by the food in Montenegro. In Croatia I found the food to be rather unmemorable, so I didn’t have very high hopes for its neighbors. We managed to find some really incredible places to eat and had some of the best meals here… Restaurant Conte, Perast – This hotel restaurant is located in the small old town of Perast. It was our first stop for food in Montenegro and we were not disappointed, by the food, or the amazing views the restaurant offers of the bay. I ordered the Gnocci with Seafood and it was incredible! Highly recommend if you are in the area. Catovica Mlini, Morinj – Conveniently this AMAZING place was located right next to our apartment. The restaurant here is voted one of the top in Montenegro on trip advisor and for good reason. I have to say the meal I ate here was one of the best meals I have ever eaten! We went all out and had a 3 course meal, starting with meats and cheese, following by seafood and ending with a chocolate fondant dessert, washed down with some local wine. The setting of this restaurant is also beautiful, hidden in a green garden just away from the bay. Sadly I couldn’t get any good pictures as it was dark, but seriously no visit to Montenegro would be complete without a trip here! Galion, Kotor – A really nice spot in Kotor for a meal. Beautiful views and a good menu, especially if you like fresh seafood! One more thing to mention – DO NOT DRINK THE TAP WATER. Some websites say that the Montenegrin water is absolutely fine to drink so we started off drinking water from the tap, this was a big mistake as on day 2 we got VERY ILL and the only explanation could have been the water! To be on the safe side I would advise to stick with bottled water. 3 Days in Montenegro: My Itinerary… Perast – This beautiful little city is one of the oldest in Montenegro. It is located half way between Dubrovnik and Kotor. The main attraction to this city is it’s cute picturesque architecture, the amazing views of the bay of Kotor, and Our Lady of the Rocks, which is one of two islands that sits within close proximity to the town. You can get a boat over to the artificially made island and explore the museum and church that sits upon it. Budva – Budva is a coastal town about an hour from Kotor. There are 2 sides to Budva: The old town and the new town, which are VERY different places. The new town is where the beach and promenade lies and I can only describe it as being the Montenegrin equivalent to Blackpool. The old town is super cute with narrow winding streets and some lovely boutiques and restaurants. Budva wouldn’t be my first choice of places to go if I was to return to Montenegro, however if you had a spare day to go and explore or have a beach day the old town is worth a visit. Sveti Stefan – This little island is one of the most iconic places in Montenegro, mainly for it’s uniqueness. The only thing on the island is a 5 star hotel and the only way to get there is to cross over the footbridge. On the mainland there is a small beach you can spend a day sunbathing at, however unfortunately on the day of my visit the rain was relentless. Kotor – This medieval town is the main attraction on the Bay of Kotor, this is noticeable by the herds of tourists that arrive on their buses and cruise ships each day. The old town of Kotor is a UNESCO world heritage site, and the best way to see it is from above. From narrow passageways on the outskirts of the city you can climb up the hill to the castle of St Johns. Sadly I was feeling so unwell after stupidly drinking the tap water I couldn’t manage the hike, but for sure I will be back to do it one day. There are plenty of other things to see from below as well, loads of cute streets to strole around, lots of churches to visit, and weirdly a lot of references to cats throughout the city centre. Other things to do/places to visit… 3 days was not enough in this beautiful country and I would love to go back and explore further. Some of the things I didn’t quite get around to seeing were: Cetinje – The historic capital is located up in the mountains, we attempted to drive here on the rainiest day ever and due to the mountainous landscape the driving and road conditions were just not good enough to continue all the way up, definitely something to bear in mind, that the drive is pretty treacherous if you are thinking about taking it on. National Parks – There are some amazing national parks in Montenegro, the most popular being Skadar and Lovken. Stari Bar – A place for history lovers, Stari Bar is home to ruins from the old 11th century fortress, set upon a backdrop of mountains and olive groves. Rafting – One of the most popular things to do in Montenegro, and if the weather had been better, something I would have loved to have done was go rafting along the Tara River. The rafting in Montenegro offers an amazing adrenaline rush whilst doing some sight seeing along the way as you pass the Durdevica Tara Bridge. ... Read more...Dreamy Dubrovnik…July 31, 2017CroatiaTravelled in: May 2017 After my road trip around Croatia last year, there was one city I felt like I had really missed out on – Dubrovnik! Croatia is definitely one of my favourite European countries to holiday in, everywhere you go is picture postcard pretty and Dubrovnik is no exception… Although beautiful, Dubrovnik is probably one of the most touristy places I have ever been! The amount of tourists does put a slight dampener on the Dubrovnik experience as at times it doesn’t feel very authentic, eating and drinking is quite expensive and the narrow streets can get so crowded at times you have to fight your way through! Saying that though Dubrovnik is an amazing city break full of fun things to do, especially if you are a Game Of Thrones fan! I did have an amazing time here, but I would say 3/4 days in this city was more than enough… Arriving in Dubrovnik: I found my flights to Dubrovnik via sky scanner. Sometimes sky scanner will combine airlines to get you the cheapest price. On this particular occasion the cheapest flights were a combination of Norwegian Airways and Monarch. Return flights Wednesday – Tuesday over the May bank holiday weekend cost around £140. To get to Dubrovnik city center from the airport there is a shuttle bus run by the company Atlas. The bus costs 70kn for a return journey in to the center and it takes about 25 minutes. The bus will drop you off at Pile Gate, but on the return journey will pick you up at the Cable Cars. Travelling in Dubrovnik: As the old town of Dubrovnik is pedestrianized we explored the city mostly by foot. One major thing to note is that there are ALOT of steps in Dubrovnik! Depending on where you enter the walled city from will determine how many steps you need to walk up or down to get in or out. If you enter the city at Pile Gate it is quite flat and there are only about 20 steps to climb down. If you enter the city from the other side of the city near the cable cars you will have to walk down about 150 steps to get in to the center. To get anywhere else such as the district of Lapad or Port Gruz I used UBER, which in Dubrovnik was super cheap! We paid no more than €4 for a 10 minute journey, which in a regular taxi would have cost 3x this. Staying in Dubrovnik: I used my trusty fave airbnb for accommodation! Our lovely host Vesna had 2 one bedroom apartments listed, located about 200m away from the cable cars. Both apartments are small, but perfectly formed with an outside terrace and in a perfect location. I say perfect location as I personally think it was a good decision to stay outside of the city walls… The old town could get a bit overwhelming with its hoards of tourists and constant buzz. The only downside to this was that to get to any of the accommodation outside of the walls you had to climb up those hundreds of steps I mentioned earlier… To get to Vesnas’ apartment we had to climb exactly 242 steps – absolute killer, but great for the glutes! Eating in Dubrovnik: We found there to be a lot of overpriced tourist trap restaurants within the walls of the old town. As dinner is my favourite meal of the day and we didn’t want to risk making bad choices we took the advise of blogs and trip advisor to source out a good feed and found the following places… Restaurant Marriano, Lapad – After some sunset drinks at Cave Bar More, we were looking for a good eatery in the Lapad area of Dubrovnik. We found Marriano’s via trip advisor and we had one of our best meals of the holiday here. We were served by the owner and he was more than accommodating… our food was slightly late out of the kitchen so he gave us free dessert. The food was incredible, as was the wine and the locally sourced olive oil they served with homemade bread. Definitely recommend this place! Peppers Eatery, Port Gruz – This restaurant is all over the foodie blogs, so we had to give it ago. Peppers offers a vast menu of quirky tapas plates and an extensive cocktail menu! Good food, good cocktails, the only downside was the service was all very rushed so we were in and out in about 40 minutes. Horizont, Palace Gate – Amazing find just outside the walls of the old town. Great seafood dishes and really reasonably priced considering the location. Locanda, Lokrum – There are not a lot of eateries on the island of Lokrum, so if you go over for the day you either bring a picnic across with you, or go to this place as the food was great! Watch our for the rabbits and peacocks running around in the background whilst you are having lunch! Bakeries – For a cheap feed in Dubrovnik or a light lunch we went to the bakeries for some delicious pastry treats. There are quite a few of them dotted around the city center. For a real bargain venture just outside the city walls and you will find the bakeries are so much cheaper. We found good ones near Pile Gate and up the hill on the street Zagrebacka. 3 Days in Dubrovnik: My Itinerary… Dubrovnik Cable Cars – The best view of Dubrovnik is from above, and there’s no better place to see it than the top of Srd hill. A round trip up to the top on the cable car costs 140kn. There is a really nice restaurant at the top, although as you can imagine it is a little pricey. There is also a hiking route to the top, but this seemed like a little too much effort for my liking! Either way it is definitely worth a trip to take in these incredible views. Dubrovnik Old Town – This walled city has an incredible buzz about it. Although the old town is one of the most touristy places I have ever been, it still has a lot of charm and an incredible atmosphere, especially in the evening! There is a lot going on in the old town, and everyday hundreds of tourists flood the streets, which can be quite overwhelming. From Pile gate you enter on to the main street – Stradun which is the perfect starting point for a tour of this historic city. City Walls – One of the main attractions of Dubrovnik is walking the city walls which stretch for 2km around the whole of the old town. You can enter the walls in a few places around the city, the main entrance being at Pile Gate, although this is always super crowded so you might want to start your walk from one of the others… The entrance fee to walk the wall is pretty extortionate at 150k, but from the top you get the most picturesque views of all the typical Croatian terracotta roofs. Take plenty of water with you if it is hot as there is not a lot of shade and the walk can be pretty exhausting, although there are bars along the way you can stop at to have a drink. Fort Lovrijenac – When you purchase your ticket for the city walls, you also gain entrance to St Lawrence Fortress which is also well worth a visit. You may recognize this place from a certain popular TV show where it doubles up as the red keep… Game of Thrones – All around the city you will see reminders that Game of Thrones was filmed here, it is something the people of Dubrovnik are incredibly proud of. There are many tours you can do to visit some of the filming locations, however these will set you back around £50. As an alternative you can do a DIY tour, by checking out this kingslandingdubrovnik website and going to see the sights yourself. The jetty in the picture above was used in a scene with Sansa Stark and Shae were watching the ships dock. Gradac Park – I believe this park is also on the list of Game of Thrones filming locations, which is why we took a little strole here. It’s nothing too special, but you get some nice sea views and there’s plenty of well needed shade on a hot summers day. Lokrum – An amazing day trip is to hop on the ferry and take the 10 minute journey over to the island of Lokrum. The ferry costs 120kn for a return journey with entrance to the island. Lokrum is the perfect place to either completely relax on it’s many beaches, or do some walking and get in touch with nature. Beaches – Other than the beaches of Lokrum, there are a couple of beaches on the mainland you can visit to get your tanning fix. My favourite was Sulic Beach, a small pebbled bay right underneath Fort Lovrijenac (pictured). It is really out of the way of the main tourist track so remained fairly quiet. There are also a couple of beach bars here to have a drink at. Another beach I spotted whilst walking through Gradac Park was Dance Beach, also a bit out of the way, and I didn’t make it all the way down to the rocks, but looked like the perfect spot for a swim and sunbathe. There is also the more popular and touristy Banja Beach. Sunsets – I’m sure you have seen the famous Dubrovnik Cave bar all over instagram, it is a must do when in Dubrovnik. Cave Bar More is located about a 10 minute drive outside of the old town, in the more seaside area of Dubrovnik called Lapad. From the main beach area you can either walk along the seafront pathway to get here, or you can go via the road above. Try to get a bed on the seafront as it is the perfect place to lay and sip a cocktail at sunset. Another amazing place to watch the sunset is from the rocks in the old town. If you walk around the old harbour to where the pier/lighthouse is you will see some steps winding around the rock, follow this round and you will come to a secret little rocky area which is the perfect place to chill with some drinks in the evening. There are also the famous Buzu bars, which are also a good place to chill and have a drink whilst admiring the blue sea views. ... Read more...Road Trippin’ Croatia…February 22, 2017CroatiaTravelled in: June 2016 Here’s an idea for an amazing Summer holiday and something I did myself last June – hire a car and take a road trip around Croatia! Croatia is probably the most beautiful European country I have visited, and a road trip from one end of the country to the other is the perfect way to experience it in all its glory. There’s so much to see and do in Croatia… If you are into music there’s festivals, if you want to relax there are an array of islands to chose from, if you’re a fan of Game of Thrones you can visit some of the sets! I loved Croatia so much that I have just booked to go back in May, this time I will be visiting Dubrovnik, (a city I didn’t get to visit last year,) anddd I’ll be ticking off one of my 2017 travel goals with a few days in Montenegro! Arriving in Croatia… When I lived in Northern Italy, Croatia was basically my next door neighbour, it almost seemed rude not to do a road trip here… From Venice to Rijeka in the north of Croatia the drive was about 3 hours, then from there another 4 hours down as far as Split. From most international airports you can fly in to Split, Zagreb or Dubrovnik, but if you were thinking of a road trip flying in to Venice or Trieste and driving from there is also a good option… One thing to note if you do fly into a neighbouring country then plan to drive into Croatia from there is to make sure you read the terms and conditions of the rental car agreement, as not all car hire companies will allow you to cross borders. I used Sicilybycar booked through rentalcars.com as this particular company does allow inter-country travel. Another tip – if you are driving through Slovenia make sure you buy a high way vignette from a gas station before you drive over the borders in the the country other wise you could be hit with a hefty fine for not paying the toll fee. You can buy these from most gas stations close to the Slovenian border, it is a sticker you put on your window screen that costs €15 and is valid for a week. Final tip – have your passport ready! Croatia is not part of the Schengen agreement for European travelers so you have to show your passport at the borders if you are coming in from Slovenia or any of the other neighboring countries. (I learnt the hard way as my passport was packed in the boot of the car…) Staying in Croatia… For every city we visited in Croatia we stayed in an Airbnb, accommodation is fairly cheap in Croatia (providing you are not booking in festival season, as that is when they bump up the prices). If you do have a car try to find somewhere with free parking as the city parking can be difficult to find and can get expensive. My favourite of the places I stayed was in Hvar… Lucijas house: I booked a room in Lucijas house through airbnb and I was so happy I chose this room! Lucija was super friendly and gave us loads of information about the area, the room was spotless and offered a really nice view out to sea, her house has free parking outside and was an easy walk in to the center of Hvar from here (although the house is located up a very steep hill so you get a good work out in as well, very good for the glutes). Travelling in Croatia… For me and the places I wanted to go in Croatia hiring a car was my best option, however if you do not want to drive on the wrong side of the road there are buses that go between the main cities as well as to the key nearby attractions. You can have a look at some of the bus routes to plan your trip here. The only way to get over to islands such as Hvar or Brac is by ferry! If you have a car you can take these on some services, otherwise you can go over on a passenger catamaran which takes slightly less time. You can check out the timetables and prices of the main ferry operator here. Something to bear in mind if you do drive in Croatia is that most of the highways are toll roads. The charges are not too expensive, but make sure you have local currency or euros on you to pay the fees. Petrol is also really cheap in Croatia, so if you are driving back to drop your car off in a neighboring country such as Italy, make sure to fill up in Croatia or Slovenia to avoid inflated petrol prices! Eating in Croatia… In all honesty I wasn’t blown away by the food in Croatia, there is a lot of good fresh sea food which I did enjoy, and the food is reasonably cheap, but compared to Italy or other European countries I found the food quite unmemorable. Some places I did enjoy were… Plava Alga, Hvar – One of the nicer places I ate in Hvar, they did my favourite pasta Spaghetti alle Vongole 🙂 Kod Kapetana, Hvar – Lovely spot on Hvar Harbour for a tasty lunch. They did a great Ceasar Salad! Restaurant Sperun, Split – A great little find down a Split side road. Good food with an Italian influence. Lovorka Restaurant, Rijeka – A definite must go to if you are in the area, but probably one of the most random places I have ever been. We found this on trip advisor by doing a “restaurants near me” search, it is located in the middle of an industrial estate, but this is definitely the place to go if you want a traditional Croatian meal. Shopping in Croatia… If you want shopping in Croatia the streets of Zadar were lined with loads of cute boutiques, gift shops as well as high st and high end retailers… There is also a good market in Split where you can find all sorts of treasures. 5 Days in Croatia: My Itinerary… Day 1: Opatija – This is a really cute seaside town we stopped off in for lunch on our way down to Split. Not a lot going on here, but a good rest place if you are doing a long drive. Split – We used Split mainly just as a base so we could get the early ferry from here over to Hvar. The main attraction here is Diocletian’s Palace which is a must see. Day 2: Hvar – Hvar town is SO beautiful. The city center is really cute, full of cobbled streets and some lovely churches. The main square is a really nice place to sit and people watch and the harbour and coast line is great for a long walk. Make sure you take a trip up to the hill to the Fortress, it’s a good place to learn about the history of Hvar and has the best views on the island (I recommend driving here if you do have a car as it is a bit of an uphill trek otherwise). For a fantastic afternoon of sunbathing and drinking you have to check out Hula Hula beach bar, this place comes alive at sunset and turns in to a club after dark. Another club to check out is Carpe Diem, their main site is on the harbour, but they also host parties at their island beach bar in the Summer time. Day 3: Pakleni Islands – One of the most beautiful places I have ever been to, the waters are so blue and the beach bar vibes are amazing. To get to the islands you can hire a boat (without any license or experience) from one of the stands along the harbour, our boat was about £70 for a day. If you don’t feel comfortable driving the boat yourself you can get a taxi boat instead, but it means you are a bit more restricted as you have to know where you want to go… It takes about 20 minutes to get over to the islands, we took a picnic and spent the whole day sailing from bay to bay sunbathing and swimming. My favourite bay was Zdrilca as it was so peaceful and chilled, but the best bay for beach bars was Palmizana. Day 4: Krka National Park – A must do in Croatia, Krka National Park is such a good day out. There are all sorts of things you can do in the national park, boat trips, hikes, waterfalls. The two most popular are Visovak (a small island along the river) and the Stradinski Buk waterfalls. There are different entrance fees depending on what you want to visit, you can find them here. Day 5: Zadar – Zadar is a really nice city, the most popular attraction is the Morske Orgulje (Sea Organ), where you can watch the sunset whilst listening to the waves making music as they wash up on the steps. Right next to this is The Greeting to the Sun where you can see the solar powered light show next to the seafront. The city center itself is a lovely place to walk around, good for shopping with some really lovely places to eat. Nin – About a half an hour drive away from Zadar is Nin. A really cute walled city with a lovely sandy beach. A great place for a day trip from Zadar. Other things to note… Money – Currency exchanges are everywhere when you cross the border from Slovenia, however surprisingly I found that Treviso airport gave me a better rate, so do a bit of research before you buy your currency. Some places didn’t always take card, so make sure to have a bit of cash on you at all times. Festivals – There are a lot of festivals in Croatia throughout the summer. I visited Croatia at the beginning of June before festival season started so the vibe was pretty chilled, the day I left was the opening party of Hvars main club Carpe Diem, so I can imagine from mid June onwards is when the islands start to get really busy! Check out the festival timetables here. Bare in mind that during festival season the surrounding towns will be a lot busier so if you are looking for a relaxing holiday it’s best to check out if there is a festival going on before you book. Game of Thrones – For superfans of GOT Croatia is the place to go. Some key scenes from the show were filmed here particularly in and around Dubrovnik and Split. When I go back in May I will definitely be doing a GOT tour, so stay tuned for a post on that this summer.... Read more...
