Highlights from a week in Croatia
April 2015
A year ago I embarked on my epic 5-week trip to Milan, Croatia, and Paris. It would have an epic five-week SOLO trip to France, but my best friend decided to play “kabab-mein-haddi”/a gooseberry/third-wheel (whatever your drift is) between Paris and me. Nonetheless, the trip was fantastic and so is she, so I’ll let her transgressions slide.
Why Croatia?
Four weeks before my trip, I asked Sukanya if she wanted to travel with me to Europe and she called rain-check. To be precise, she said, “I don’t have time; I want to save money and focus on getting married in December, Europe doesn’t excite me that much and I would much rather visit these cities in my sixties, blah blah blah.” Me: “Bummer”.
Fast-forward 1 week => disastrous yet successful Schengen visa incident.
Fast-forward another week. Right after I bought my tickets, she called me and asked me to travel with her to Africa in two weeks. Mind you, Ebola was spreading left, right and center just about then. Whilst I’ve always wanted to go to Africa, the outbreak of Ebola was worrying. With fatal viruses spreading quickly, it’s often better to not travel. However, she said she’d purchased a procedure face mask to ensure she could reduce her chances of catching and spreading the virus. She also tried to convince me with catchphrases like “seizing the single life one last time, girls going wild, You can’t do this for me?” and-and “YOLO forget Ebola”. Ok maybe she didn’t use those exact words, but she expressed the same sentiment, all right?
Since I’d already bought RT tickets to Milan, I tried to coax her to travel near/around Europe instead. We brainstormed for offbeat places – Egypt, Morocco, Russia, etc. After virtually traveling around the world in 80mins, we finally settled on *drum roll* Croatia. I had been eyeing the country for a while, and we were both obsessed with GOT, it was a no-brainer.
Croatia
We spent a week in the country, but it feels like it passed in the blink of an eye. Besides a bus into the Zagreb and a flight out of Split, we made no other plans; we didn’t have any time to make plans. Everything we did was spur of the moment, which was in equal parts liberating and frustrating. Although in retrospect, the frustrating moments make for great stories and even greater laughs. To sum up, Croatia was everything we dreamt it would be, the country was exotic and beautiful, the landscapes and coastline were downright stunning, the people were lovely. (except our tour guide in Zagreb who was a teeny bit rude. But that’s because we were late to her walking tour and on top of that, she spotted me taking a photo of Sukanya under the cherry blossoms while she was waiting for us :P), and the coffee, cheese, and wine were on point. Thank you, Croatia!
Touchdown Zagreb

We took an overnight bus from Milan to Zagreb and made it to the capital city after a rather interesting border check. We spent two days in the capital city, exploring Upper Town and Lower Town, checking out the vibrant street art scene, and of course stopping every now then to drink excellent Croatian Kava mit Schlag (coffee with milk and whipped cream yes please!) and Croatian wine.







Game of Thrones, Croatia
In a nutshell, Croatian history has been turbulent. In fact, Croatia as a country didn’t exist until two decades ago. Since 1000BC, invading armies have conquered territory only to be kicked out by other armies. Originally the Adriatic/Dalmatian coastline was part of the Roman Empire, and then the Turks took over. Only to be succeeded by the Hungarians, followed by the Venetians, the French, the Italians, and all the way up the Austrians and the Hungarians during WWI. The rest of 20th century was spent being part of Yugoslavia until 1991 when Croatia finally gained independence. Every kingdom and empire wanted(s) a piece of Croatia, including the Lannisters and hungry tourists like you and me today.
Trivia: Dalmatian dogs trace back to the narrow coastal strip called Dalmatia, stretching from north Croatia to Montenegro! Funny enough, my husband recently started a business in Montenegro thanks to the great immigration benefits and tax reliefs. Here’s one of the Montenegro Guides you may want to check out for your benefits of joining the nation.

We stayed at Hostel Chic in Zagreb. It was our very first time in a hostel and thankfully we had an excellent experience there. The hostel was inexpensive and neat, close to Old Town and the owners arranged tours for us, despite the offseason challenges. We shared the dorm, some stories, and a few laughs first with a guy from Dubrovnik, who btw had the superpower to sleep through pretty much anything. He was in Zagreb for a science conference and gave us great tips for things to do in Dubrovnik. Two girls from Germany moved into the dorm the second night. I grabbed a Kava with them the next morning. When in Croatia ?
Plitvice Lakes National Park
On our third day, we took a day trip to Plitvice Lakes National Park (organized by the hostel), about 3 hours away from Zagreb. We drove past green rolling hills and the lush Croatian countryside and stopped at the adorable village of Rastoke for an hour, strolling past picturesque windmills and small waterfalls, before heading to the park.


The Plitvice Lakes area contains 16 lakes, which flow into one another through a vast canyon, forming hundreds of natural waterfalls. These lakes and waterfalls were this incredible turquoise greenish-blue that you’d see in photos. Sukanya remarked that government conspirators emptied buckets of green and blue paint to make it that color and I was inclined to believe her, it was simply too beautiful to be real.





There were hardly any people in the national park and we took full advantage of that. Photo shoot galore: D



Onwards to Dubrovnik (aka best bus ride of our lives)
The fourth day had us packing our bags and scrambling to catch the train from Zagreb to Split. When we reached, we enjoyed a relaxed lunch in Split and jumped on a bus to Dubrovnik. The bus ride was hands down the best bus ride of our lives (excluding the time the bus driver tried to kill us). After a brief discussion about who would sit in the window seat, we decided to split so neither of us had to compromise. It was a good decision because the Adriatic coastline is ridiculously beautiful. We were always exclaiming how amazing the view was, only to have it turn even more beautiful at the next bend. (Probably irked the entire bus with our constant Oohs and Aahs :P) I sat next to a friendly guy Ljubomir from Montenegro, who was surprised at how much we loved the view. In his opinion, his country’s coastline trumped Croatia’s and he even offered to be our guide when we visited. I doubt that but will take him up on his offer anyway. “We are coming for you Montenegro. ”
Window seats trump friendship #sorrynotsorry
Dubrovnik
On the way, we booked a cozy room through Airbnb outside the Walled City, high up in hills surrounding Dubrovnik. That meant climbing tons of stairs, but like I say, anything for a great view and good company. Our Airbnb host Zoran and his family were incredibly sweet and welcoming and see the view we woke up to every morning. (every = all of two mornings :P)

View during the day 😀

The walled, orange-roofed old city next to the Adriatic was downright majestic and from the minute we stepped foot in the Walled City/Old Town, we were rendered speechless.


The mornings began with us devouring a delightful breakfast prepared by our Airbnb host Zoran’s mom in the terrace.


During the day we explored the walls and alleys of the Old Town with gleeful abandon, basking in the Mediterranean sun and slurping creamy gelatos.






We ended the evenings at Buza Bar, nestled between the rocks on the cliff, watching the sun go down with a cold drink in hand in the company of new friends.



Split
After two blissful days, we reluctantly took the bus back to Split and booked another Airbnb, this time inside the walls of the Diocletian Palace.



Roman emperor Diocletian founded Split in 295AD and built a grand palace, against a backdrop of rugged mountains and views over the azure Adriatic Sea. This so-called “palace” is actually a medieval walled town, with passages and streets around a central square. What’s really fascinating is that locals actually live and work in this palace today. Our cozy Airbnb was pretty cool because one of the walls in the bedroom is/was a part of the actual palace walls, all for a grand price of thirty euros. 😀


We spent two days exploring all that the palace had to offer and spent hours strolling along the beautiful promenade.





Regrets: Croatia’s islands are supposed to breathtaking and, unfortunately, we couldn’t visit even one. Moreover, it was still early spring and too cold for stepping into the water. There is a statue of Grgur Ninski (Gregory of Nin) in Split, who was a badass bishop and fought with the Pope to have the church services held in the national language, and not Latin, which majority of the population didn’t understand. Rubbing his shiny toe is said to bring good luck, and we rubbed it in the hope that we’d be lucky enough to return one day.


Regardless, we had a ball in this beautiful country, and if you are wondering where to go in early summer or fall, I can’t recommend Croatia enough.
Signing off with some dramatic Game of Thrones style photos 😀


Pin this for later 😀

Sounds like an amazing trip! Your photos are gorgeous! 🙂
Thanks Jade 🙂 It was an amazing trip, I can’t wait to go back Jade Xx
Dubrovnik looks seriously beautiful! I must go there! Lovely pictures and a great write up. Thanks so much for sharing xxx
Aw thank you for appreciating my photos Jessica 🙂 Honestly, Dubrovnik is so beautiful you’d be hard-pressed to take bad photos haha. Happy travels when you go Xxx
Cool photos! I haven’t been to Croatia before but this post just fuels my desire to visit. Love the architecture. 🙂
Happy my post inspired to go, Croatia is a stunning country and I do hope you get to visit some day <3 Thank you Akska!
I’ve been to Croatia several times with my family when I was younger but I haven’t seen the place in years. I really need to visit again!!!
How wonderful! I’m so excited for you to go back to discover the new and relive the past, how fun. Also, really love your blog Dany and I’m following your adventures around the world now X
I wished I saw more of Croatia when I was there, I stayed on Pag Island and it was absolutely stunning. Thank you for sharing your experiences, the photos are so beautiful! I found Eastern Europe so underrated when I visited in 2015.
I agree Lauren, Eastern Europe is less on the radar compared to the west and it was one of the reasons why I found it more enticing 🙂 It is slowing becoming more mainstream and more people are able to enjoy the wonders of EE now. YAY!
I think Croatia is so beautiful, it is just not possible to cover it all in one trip, more reasons to go back don’t you think 😉 ? I would love to visit Pag island too! Xx
Great post!! Croatia is one of my favorite countries I’ve ever been to! I love all of the photos you included! And the “read” bar at the top of the page is so fun 🙂
Hehe thank you so much and thanks again for the attention to detail. Croatia is one of my favorite countries to go and I’m dying to go back.
Also, Felicia I loooove your blog, I’m following you now Xx
Croatia looks amazing! I would love to see the Roman ruins in Split and the orange roofs in Dubrovnik. Your photos are really inspirational. And I didn’t know the Croatians were good at coffee with cream. Sounds delicious!
Aw Stella, how nice of you to say that. You must go to Croatia, you will be mind-blown. It is one of the top-3 favorite countries in the world. Mmmm at Croatia cream + coffee, I could use about 10 of that right now and everyday haha!
Also, love your Japan posts, following you for more travel inspiration <3
What a beautiful city! This makes me want to visit one day!
Wow didn’t realise Croatia has so much to offer ! Staying by a medieval wall is just the sort f thing that appeals to me!
Okay firstly, can I just say that your website is beautiful?! I’m in love. I thought all the photos were absolutely gorgeous. I’ve heard a lot about Croatia and I’m a HUGE GoT fan so I’ve always wanted to visit but after reading your post, I literally just want to pack up bags and be off NOW lol. Experiencing some major wanderlust these days.
Gorgeous photos. I love how visual your blog theme is.
Its been about 10 years since I was in Croatia. This post definitely makes me want to return. Great photos.
I’ve been dying to visit the Plitvice Lakes … your pictures remind me why! So lucky you got the place to yourself for the awesome photo shoot! Looked like such a fun trip =)
Croatia has been calling me. Your itinerary sounds great. I think I would want to go in the summer to explore the islands, though. I’m inspired. Thanks!
Love this post! Especially your pictures of Split ! I’ve been dying to go and now I want to even more
I absolutely love all your photos! They have a great album layout for easy viewing too! LOVE!
The Plitvice Lake looks beautiful! I would love to go there! Also your back story is funny! YOLO let’s travel 😊
You reminded me how beautiful Croatia is! I haveb been to thw Plitvice Lakes years ago and it was very crowded so you girls were lucky! Lovely photos 🙂
What a great spur of the moment rip! Croatia is a place I would love to visit and is close to the top of my list, pinning this for future use. And, I didn’t know that about Dalmatian dogs!
I’m glad you enjoyed my country so much. The Game of Thrones thing is absolutely stunning and I’m so glad they decided to make in Dubrovnik, where there is such a choice of lovely landscapes. Next time you should do an island tour, and visit the Istria region, in the North, enjoy the wines, quality local foods, and come for some concerts too.
P.S. you got such a lovely room in Split:)
I’m a big fan of Croatia. The only downside is the crowd. But the nature and landscapes (if you manage to hit the mountains) are quite amazing!
You have some very beautiful pictures here. I have never thought about going to croatia but your posts makes me want to go! xoxo Nicole
Zagreb was super grey when I was there too – I’m not sure that city ever has a blue sky! 🙂
You’ve got some absolutely gorgeous photos here, and your second Airbnb in Split looks so authentic for the area you were staying in.
Plitvice Lakes have me like 😍😍! What a treat to travel on a whim with your best friend! You will be reminiscing for years to come.
Your photos are beautiful. I was going to begin to list which ones I loved.. starting with the dalmation. But as I read on I loved every single photo you took they are amazing
I wouldn’t even consider Croatia but now I am! It is down right beautiful there!
Oh wow, I actually had no idea it was so beautiful. Love that colourful wall!
I love this post! I now really need a trip to Croatia!
I’ve heard so many great things about Croatia and seen heaps of amazing pictures! It might be time to put it on my shortlist.
Your pictures of the Plitvice Lakes really clinched the deal for me though. The are gorgeous!
I would love to spend a week in Croatia. This looks like a great itinerary and April sounds like the perfect time to visit. I pinned for future reference.
Looks like you had an amazing time in Croatia! It’s on my list of places to visit. The list just keeps getting longer. Lol.
Croatia is such a beautiful country! I have only been to Dubrovnik but I remember the amazing bus trip from Mostar to there, crossing stunning canyons and passing through tiny towns on the cliffs next to the beach. Your view from the airbnb in Dubrovnik is fantastic, worth climbing all those stairs! 🙂
These photos make me want to go to Croatia right now 🙂 Especially the lakes! I had no idea Dalmatians originated from Croatia. I guess we learn new things every day huh! I also like to have spur-of-the-moment plans because they turn out to be more fun; even though they are complete disasters, but still a good laugh when you remember them after a few years 🙂
This is full of such incredible tips and awesome photography!!thanks so much for sharing!
Great to see that Croatia has so much more than the castle that I keep seeing in every article about this place. Lovely photos, we are going there early next year and this post is great for my planning.:)
Sounds like you had a lot of fun! And your photos are absolutely gorgeous!
Croatia looks absolutely amazing! I would love to travel their some day. So cool that they filmed Game of Thrones there!
All of your photographs are beautiful!
They really do look like postcards!
I’m from Australia and have travelled much of Asia and Europe and Croatia is one of the most beautiful countries i have been to so much so I have now returned numerous times. You have gone in the cooler months but I highly recommend you visit in Summer as although there are crowds the festivities are great and the vibe of the place is amazing. Be sure to check out the islands of Hvar, actually base yourself here and Vis island whilst also visiting Bol and Pucisca on the island of Brac and Korcula on Korcula island. The ferry connections are great. But here are my hidden treasures not yet discovered by Non European tourists. Google them and be blown away. Betina on the island of Murter and the Kornati archipelago, Island Losinj, Town of Sibenik and the Krka Falls, Primosten and Rogoznica, Rovinj and last but not least Motovun and Groznjan. Man Croatia should just be declared a UNESCO site from top to bottom.
Croatia is indeed very stunning! This is definitely a must visit place and most especially that it is also a GOT location. I can’t wait to finally set foot in the old and medieval city of Dubrovnik. The view is just picturesque! The beaches as well in this beautiful country are simply breath taking. Maybe next year I will be able to visit this surreal place.