I have recently returned from a very enjoyable week in Croatia. Our first hotel in Petracane was right on the coast with beautiful sea views. My room was a good size with balcony and there was also a fridge, safe (at no extra cost) and air con. The large buffet style dining room provided a good selection of both breakfast and evening meals. We had a local guide in Zadar who took us to the Roman forum and Cathedral. I think the highlight was listening to the sea organ, with its strange sounds being made by the waves. I could easily have stayed here longer. The Krka National Park is definitely worth visiting as the waterfalls are stunning. Some of us took the opportunity to swim there but be warned it is quite uneven underfoot but still worth doing for the experience. We went on to the Bibich Winery where we sampled several wines and enjoyed a delicious tapas lunch. On the way to our second hotel in Tucepi we spent the day in Split. The visit to the Diocletians Palace was very interesting and again the local guide was very good. There are lots of good places to eat lunch and time for a visit to the market or local shopping. Dubrovnik was definitely one of the highlights of the holiday. The first interesting thing is that you have to go through 7km of Bosnia to get there, but all very easily done. Our local guide gave us a very good overview of the ancient and more recent history of the town after which there was the opportunity to take a boat out to a nearby island, take the cable car for fantastic views over Dubrovnik or walk around the city walls. Some of us just about managed to do all three! On another day we took a boat trip out to the islands, unfortunately we did not stop at Hvar as originally planned, but after lunch served on the boat, we arrived at Bol on the island of Brac where we spent some free time. Some of us chose to go to the beach at Zlatski Rat where we were able to swim in the beautiful clear water. The beach is definitely worth going to but is further than the suggested 20 minute walk and this misinformation almost resulted in a few people missing the last boat and being left on the island! The second hotel was also good, with similar room facilities and balcony, again right on the coast with a long promenade with gift shops and places to eat. There was also a morning tour to Makarska which those that went on seemed to enjoy. Our tour guide Alen was very helpful and knowledgeable and for all the guided tours we had an earpiece so that we could easily hear the commentary without having to be right by the guide. Some people were surprised about how long some of the journeys were but a quick look at a map will give you an idea of distances. The coast line is very long and thin, and apart from the late journey to the first hotel, when it was dark, I found there was always plenty of gorgeous scenery to look at or time for a snooze on the coach. In short Croatia is a stunningly beautiful country and coastline, I had a very enjoyable holiday, met some lovely people, and I would definitely recommend Croatia and the Makarska Riviera. I'm sure there is much more that I could have included in this review. If you are contemplating this holiday and would like to know more, please ask.
Cathy
