The hotel, Valamar Sanfior, has recently been refurbished, and in fact some work is still ongoing, particularly in the grounds. It is a lovely hotel with indoor and outdoor pool, and a spa. The rooms aren’t very big but they are very clean and comfortable. You need to upgrade if you want a balcony. It is situated at one end of Rabac with a 15 minute walk to the harbour. Meals are buffet style and the food is fine with plenty of choice. The dining room gets quite busy and noisy and service for drinks can be a bit slow. It’s the same in the bar where there was live entertainment most nights. All the staff are very friendly and helpful.

I was disappointed with Rabac itself. It is a very modern resort with no character and seems to exist purely for tourists. There is no real centre, just a strip of cafes, bars and souvenir shops. However the small medieval town of Labin on the hill above Rabac is well worth a visit. It’s a 10 minute bus ride away, and if you’re feeling energetic you can walk back down!

On our first full day we were taken on an included excursion along the Istrian coast to the towns of Pula, Rovinj and Porec. They were all lovely and I couldn’t help wishing we were based in one of them. The day ended with a visit to ‘somewhere in the countryside’ where we were given ham, cheese, bread and wine by the gallon! It was a long but enjoyable day.

The trip to Plitvice Lakes was also a long day. 7.30am start and back to the hotel at 8.30pm. It is a long journey and we were only actually at the Lakes for about 3 and a half hours. It was very busy and you are constantly making way for other groups of tourists. Some in our group found it hard going so be warned. You need to wear suitable shoes and be prepared to walk along uneven boardwalks and footpaths for a few hours. But the scenery is spectacular. You have to decide if the long journey and the crowds are worth the reward of beautiful lakes, waterfalls and lush vegetation.

The Island Cruise and BBQ trip was marred by bad weather and rough seas until we reached the shelter of the bay at the island of Cres. Some people felt a bit seasick. There was no BBQ as such. We were served a meal on the boat consisting of mackerel and salad with ‘a pint of wine’ or beer! There were meat (pork) and vegetarian alternatives. We docked twice in a small village and then a larger town, both of which were very pretty. The sun came out for our journey back and the sea was a lot calmer.

I didn’t do the other excursions to Venice or Lipica stud farm and the caves. However those who did said they enjoyed them. The Venice trip is a very long day with a 6.00am start and returning after 9.30pm.

I agree with previous comments about our Tour Manager ‘V’. She is lovely, very helpful and full of knowledge about the country.

I hope this gives you a flavour of this particular holiday. Please ask if you want to know anything else.

Jean

Thanks for the review! And yes, V is lovely and so kind.

It seems the weather was a bit of an anomaly. I hope you enjoyed it nevertheless.

Mark

Croatia is a beautiful country with lovely people. I have been before, to the Dubrovnik area so I was really looking forward to this tour. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t kind to us with 2 full days of heavy rain and thunderstorms and temperatures below average. The tour manager said it was very unusual weather for the time of year. Cold and wet…like UK!

The hotel, Valamar Sanfior, has recently been refurbished, and in fact some work is still ongoing, particularly in the grounds. It is a lovely hotel with indoor and outdoor pool, and a spa. The rooms aren’t very big but they are very clean and comfortable. You need to upgrade if you want a balcony. It is situated at one end of Rabac with a 15 minute walk to the harbour. Meals are buffet style and the food is fine with plenty of choice. The dining room gets quite busy and noisy and service for drinks can be a bit slow. It’s the same in the bar where there was live entertainment most nights. All the staff are very friendly and helpful.

I was disappointed with Rabac itself. It is a very modern resort with no character and seems to exist purely for tourists. There is no real centre, just a strip of cafes, bars and souvenir shops. However the small medieval town of Labin on the hill above Rabac is well worth a visit. It’s a 10 minute bus ride away, and if you’re feeling energetic you can walk back down!

On our first full day we were taken on an included excursion along the Istrian coast to the towns of Pula, Rovinj and Porec. They were all lovely and I couldn’t help wishing we were based in one of them. The day ended with a visit to ‘somewhere in the countryside’ where we were given ham, cheese, bread and wine by the gallon! It was a long but enjoyable day.

The trip to Plitvice Lakes was also a long day. 7.30am start and back to the hotel at 8.30pm. It is a long journey and we were only actually at the Lakes for about 3 and a half hours. It was very busy and you are constantly making way for other groups of tourists. Some in our group found it hard going so be warned. You need to wear suitable shoes and be prepared to walk along uneven boardwalks and footpaths for a few hours. But the scenery is spectacular. You have to decide if the long journey and the crowds are worth the reward of beautiful lakes, waterfalls and lush vegetation.

The Island Cruise and BBQ trip was marred by bad weather and rough seas until we reached the shelter of the bay at the island of Cres. Some people felt a bit seasick. There was no BBQ as such. We were served a meal on the boat consisting of mackerel and salad with ‘a pint of wine’ or beer! There were meat (pork) and vegetarian alternatives. We docked twice in a small village and then a larger town, both of which were very pretty. The sun came out for our journey back and the sea was a lot calmer.

I didn’t do the other excursions to Venice or Lipica stud farm and the caves. However those who did said they enjoyed them. The Venice trip is a very long day with a 6.00am start and returning after 9.30pm.

I agree with previous comments about our Tour Manager ‘V’. She is lovely, very helpful and full of knowledge about the country.

I hope this gives you a flavour of this particular holiday. Please ask if you want to know anything else.

Jean

Thanks Jean for a very detailed review of this trip which I am going on 5th June and looking forward to it, hoping the weather will be good.

Croatia is a beautiful country with lovely people. I have been before, to the Dubrovnik area so I was really looking forward to this tour. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t kind to us with 2 full days of heavy rain and thunderstorms and temperatures below average. The tour manager said it was very unusual weather for the time of year. Cold and wet…like UK!

The hotel, Valamar Sanfior, has recently been refurbished, and in fact some work is still ongoing, particularly in the grounds. It is a lovely hotel with indoor and outdoor pool, and a spa. The rooms aren’t very big but they are very clean and comfortable. You need to upgrade if you want a balcony. It is situated at one end of Rabac with a 15 minute walk to the harbour. Meals are buffet style and the food is fine with plenty of choice. The dining room gets quite busy and noisy and service for drinks can be a bit slow. It’s the same in the bar where there was live entertainment most nights. All the staff are very friendly and helpful.

I was disappointed with Rabac itself. It is a very modern resort with no character and seems to exist purely for tourists. There is no real centre, just a strip of cafes, bars and souvenir shops. However the small medieval town of Labin on the hill above Rabac is well worth a visit. It’s a 10 minute bus ride away, and if you’re feeling energetic you can walk back down!

On our first full day we were taken on an included excursion along the Istrian coast to the towns of Pula, Rovinj and Porec. They were all lovely and I couldn’t help wishing we were based in one of them. The day ended with a visit to ‘somewhere in the countryside’ where we were given ham, cheese, bread and wine by the gallon! It was a long but enjoyable day.

The trip to Plitvice Lakes was also a long day. 7.30am start and back to the hotel at 8.30pm. It is a long journey and we were only actually at the Lakes for about 3 and a half hours. It was very busy and you are constantly making way for other groups of tourists. Some in our group found it hard going so be warned. You need to wear suitable shoes and be prepared to walk along uneven boardwalks and footpaths for a few hours. But the scenery is spectacular. You have to decide if the long journey and the crowds are worth the reward of beautiful lakes, waterfalls and lush vegetation.

The Island Cruise and BBQ trip was marred by bad weather and rough seas until we reached the shelter of the bay at the island of Cres. Some people felt a bit seasick. There was no BBQ as such. We were served a meal on the boat consisting of mackerel and salad with ‘a pint of wine’ or beer! There were meat (pork) and vegetarian alternatives. We docked twice in a small village and then a larger town, both of which were very pretty. The sun came out for our journey back and the sea was a lot calmer.

I didn’t do the other excursions to Venice or Lipica stud farm and the caves. However those who did said they enjoyed them. The Venice trip is a very long day with a 6.00am start and returning after 9.30pm.

I agree with previous comments about our Tour Manager ‘V’. She is lovely, very helpful and full of knowledge about the country.

I hope this gives you a flavour of this particular holiday. Please ask if you want to know anything else.

Jean

Thanks for a very helpful review. Sorry the weather wasn't good for you, it does make all the difference, but it seems you enjoyed it nonetheless. I've read another review from Mark, who I believe went to a different hotel a couple of years ago. He says taking your own towels is a must, but I was led to believe that is not necessary at the Valamar. Have you any comment on this aspect. Also, how did you cope as a group to eat and get together on an evening, given that the restaurant is busy and buffet style. Your comments would be much appreciated.

Thanks, Gina.

Thanks again, Jean.

Croatia is a beautiful country with lovely people. I have been before, to the Dubrovnik area so I was really looking forward to this tour. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t kind to us with 2 full days of heavy rain and thunderstorms and temperatures below average. The tour manager said it was very unusual weather for the time of year. Cold and wet…like UK!

The hotel, Valamar Sanfior, has recently been refurbished, and in fact some work is still ongoing, particularly in the grounds. It is a lovely hotel with indoor and outdoor pool, and a spa. The rooms aren’t very big but they are very clean and comfortable. You need to upgrade if you want a balcony. It is situated at one end of Rabac with a 15 minute walk to the harbour. Meals are buffet style and the food is fine with plenty of choice. The dining room gets quite busy and noisy and service for drinks can be a bit slow. It’s the same in the bar where there was live entertainment most nights. All the staff are very friendly and helpful.

I was disappointed with Rabac itself. It is a very modern resort with no character and seems to exist purely for tourists. There is no real centre, just a strip of cafes, bars and souvenir shops. However the small medieval town of Labin on the hill above Rabac is well worth a visit. It’s a 10 minute bus ride away, and if you’re feeling energetic you can walk back down!

On our first full day we were taken on an included excursion along the Istrian coast to the towns of Pula, Rovinj and Porec. They were all lovely and I couldn’t help wishing we were based in one of them. The day ended with a visit to ‘somewhere in the countryside’ where we were given ham, cheese, bread and wine by the gallon! It was a long but enjoyable day.

The trip to Plitvice Lakes was also a long day. 7.30am start and back to the hotel at 8.30pm. It is a long journey and we were only actually at the Lakes for about 3 and a half hours. It was very busy and you are constantly making way for other groups of tourists. Some in our group found it hard going so be warned. You need to wear suitable shoes and be prepared to walk along uneven boardwalks and footpaths for a few hours. But the scenery is spectacular. You have to decide if the long journey and the crowds are worth the reward of beautiful lakes, waterfalls and lush vegetation.

The Island Cruise and BBQ trip was marred by bad weather and rough seas until we reached the shelter of the bay at the island of Cres. Some people felt a bit seasick. There was no BBQ as such. We were served a meal on the boat consisting of mackerel and salad with ‘a pint of wine’ or beer! There were meat (pork) and vegetarian alternatives. We docked twice in a small village and then a larger town, both of which were very pretty. The sun came out for our journey back and the sea was a lot calmer.

I didn’t do the other excursions to Venice or Lipica stud farm and the caves. However those who did said they enjoyed them. The Venice trip is a very long day with a 6.00am start and returning after 9.30pm.

I agree with previous comments about our Tour Manager ‘V’. She is lovely, very helpful and full of knowledge about the country.

I hope this gives you a flavour of this particular holiday. Please ask if you want to know anything else.

Jean

An excellent and very thorough review Jean, many thanks. Especially helpful as I am going on Wednesday, my first trip with Just You. I am looking forward to the Plitvice Lakes trip, hope my legs have the same ideas about it!

Sorry if I have given a poor impression of this holiday. I really did enjoy it very much but yes, the poor weather was definitely a factor and it would have been so much better if we'd had nicer weather. Please don't be put off. Croatia is a beautiful country.

Gina, re towels, the hotel gives you a 'towel card' when you check in. You can then use this to get a towel at the pool. When you return your towel at the end of the week, you get the card back, and you must present this when you check out. Regarding the meals, V the tour manager, reserved 2 long tables for us for 7.30 for dinner, and whenever we wanted for breakfast, so we were all able to eat together.

By the way, someone asked on this forum about currency in Croatia. Although they join the EU on 1 July, they will continue to use the Kuna for the forseeable future.

So Gina, Gail and Richard, enjoy!!

Jean

You must be using a different hotel now! Such a shame you didnt get good weather.

What do you have planned for your next holiday?

Mark

Jean

Mark

I've been to the Dubrovnik area already and loved it. But I think it's time to try somewhere else. I quite fancy Tuscany, or maybe the Italian Lakes. I also fancy Morocco but it's not available with JY. Decisions, decisions.

Jean

I wonder why JY stopped doing Morocco?

It is 2 centre? Did not realise that...

Oops sorry Mark. The Istria one is of course centered in Rabac only.

I meant the Croatia 2 centre one.