Croatia in general (Croatia)

Member Name: candykim

Product:	Croatia
Date:	12/06/09 (83 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: lovely scenery

Disadvantages: not as cheap as you might think!

Croatia is similar in appearance to other European countries such as Italy and it's very easy to get around and explore.

**************************************
Dubrovnic
We stayed at the youth hostel which is pretty well located and within walking distance of the old town. There are also a couple of houses beside the hostel where you can rent out a room from some crazy old ladies. This is a cheap option and better than the hostel as we got our own room. It's also a good way to see the real people of Croatia.
The old town is really beautiful and has a lovely atmosphere. I would recommend walking around the city walls as it is a great way see the area. There are also lots of little alleys and shops to keep you entertained.
After a couple of days her we went down th the harbour and caught a ferry to Split. Around the harbour area there are a few travel companies offering excursions but we found them too expensive. There is also a tourist information office and a ferry booking office. We thought that a ferry would be a more comfortable way to travel rather than sitting on a stuffy bus for hours. It was a pleasant journey and we even managed to do a bit of sunbathing on the deck!

*****************************
Split
This is another pretty city built around the ruins of a roman palace. When you get off the ferry (as with all the other places we visited) you will be met by a horde of landladies who will try ro get you to stay with them. A polite no is all that is usually necessary to stop them hassling you. We actually ended up taking one up on her offer as she was very nice and the apartment was very close to the waterfront. Again you can spend most of your time wandering aorund and eating and as we had a very limited budget this suited us just fine. One day we got a bus to the Krka national park which is definitely worth a visit, the main focus of which are the waterfalls. The scenery is beautiful and you can swim in the water and walk along well laid out paths right to the top.
Back in Split we got a boat over to Hvar.

**************************************
Hvar town
This is quite a posh area and you can sit for hours watching the fancy yauchts and their inhabitants. There is a little castle on top of the hill to the back of the town, from which the views are really specatcular. We also hired out a little motorised boat and explored the neighbouring islands which was a fantastic day out. Don't expect sandy beaches in this part of Croatia though. Most are pebbly at best and the locals don't seem to mind sunbathing on jaggy rocks and slabs of concrete! After spending a few days here we got a bus over to the other side of the island and caught the ferry back to Dubrovnic.

*****************************
Mljet
We caught a baot over to this little Island which is known for it's two inland lakes. You can rent bikes but we just walked around for the whole day and took in the sights. We stopped for a swim in one of the lakes and it really is a lovely experience.

*******************************
Food
We had a mixed experience in this department and we were a bit disappointed that it wasn't as cheap as we had expected. The main items on the menu are seafood and there are a few pizza places. Some of the places we visited were very touristy so I guess it's just a matter of looking around and using your judgement.

******************************
Overall
I would highly recommend Croatia because of it's beautiful natural scenery and the lovely towns and cities. It is easy to get around, the people are friendly and we always felt safe.

Summary: a great place to visit