So 2022 was an extraordinary year of travel for me. You can read all about it by clicking here. I traveled far and wide (for work and leisure) and sometimes had less than a 24-hour turnaround. Most people I know think this is a chore and assume I’m exhausted as a result. Wrong! I love it so much…
It’s hard for me to explain how exhilarating it is and how travel has transformed my attitude to life and people. So I thought I’d use the words of the great writer, Mark Twain before transporting you to stunning Croatia which I visited at the end of September 2022. Here goes:
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.”
And this!
“Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all of one’s lifetime. We all have preconceived notions but traveling has shown me that many are usually false. ”
Thank you Mr Twain.
One of the fabulous occurences of 2022 was that I visited four countries I had never been to before. And one of these was Croatia.
Croatia is one of six countries that used to form Yugoslavia. It declared independence on 25 June 1991 and became embroiled in war for the next four years. Now that’s all fairly recently – history that I lived through and can vaguely remember which is a bit disconcerting. Anyway, that’s all in the past now and the country’s bloody past is very much that, in the past. These days it draws tourists from all over the world and I’d heard so much about Croatia I had extremely high expectations.
My first stop was Dubrovnik, an ancient city known as The Pearl of the Adriatic. We stayed at the luxurious, five-star Hotel Excelsior sitting on a cliff overlooking the Old Town and shimmering sapphire waters of the Adriatic. Just a short walk to the Old Town and its winding cobbled streets, myriad restaurants and bars (don’t miss the cliffside bars accessed by going through a hole in the city wall – if you have a head for heights) and plenty of shopping opportunities.
Here’s an overhead view of the seaside area of the hotel – ideal for sunbathing and a dip in the cooling waters.
I could see the red roofs of Dubrovnik Old Town to the right of the hotel from my balcony and watch the sun setting on the horizon.
As well as exploring the Old Town there’s plenty to do on Croatia’s mainland around Dubrovnik. We had a fabulous trip to an oyster farm off the coast of Ston which is about an hour away. We hopped on a boat, were handed a glass of the local liquor and headed off to the oyster beds in the blue. There we settled down to sample oysters and mussels straight out of the sea, washed down with some delicious local wine. Croatian wine is surprisingly good.
As was the food we indulged in. Here’s the sublime plate of foie gras I ate at Vapor, the restaurant at the Excelsior’s sister hotel Bellevue.
Picturesque Dubrovnik is a joy to walk around.
We also headed into the Konvale Valley to Kameni Dvori, a family-run farm, for a cookery class. We picked fresh veg in their garden and cooked up a storm before eating our efforts. The highlight was this incredible chicken stew, honestly it tasted so good!
The fish dishes were also exceptional, like my best sea bass ever, sampled at the restaurant at Supetar, another hotel in the group in nearby Cavtat (more of which later).
I stayed three nights in Dubrovnik on this press trip and loved every moment of it. I then embarked on my own little adventure, hopping onto the catamaran to head for Korcula Island. There are over a thousand islands in Croatia, though only 49 of them are inhabited. I chose Korcula because it was a mere two-hour catamaran trip away. Love a boat trip and this one was made even better by the smiling man (Croatians are a friendly lot) who insisted I tried a large tumbler full of local wine which he poured from a plastic bottle. Well, never say no to local wine I say, it was lovely and made the journey all the more fun.
On arrival I pulled my suitcase up the hill to the room I was staying in called Apartments & Room Nina on the edge of Korcula Old Town. Love an Old Town. Can you tell?
This is the view from my window. I loved that view!
Korcula is the sixth-largest island in Croatia and is truly beautiful with its harbour, turquoise waters and beautiful Old Town. I didn’t venture much further than this as I only stayed a short time but I loved every moment of what I did see. Here’s the view through the harbour towards the Old Town.
Blue skies and bougainvillea-festooned streets to explore.
How can you not love an island with waters like this? Heavenly. Oh, and it’s where Marco Polo came from!
My final destination on my first Croatian odyssey was Cavtat (pronounced Savtat) back on the mainland. Just 20km south-east of Dubrovnik it’s a really stunning town with a tree-line harbour, a mountain backdrop and lots of restaurants, bars and shops. Here’s the view down towards the town from the road near my hotel.
I stayed in Hotel Croatia, Cavtat, sister hotel to the Hotel Excelsior. My room had these stunning views from the spacious balcony.
I only had one night here and explored as much as I could on foot. Cavtat would be perfect for a longer stay as it’s conveniently close to many of Croatia’s attractions and has a boat service to Dubrovnik and elsewhere from the harbour.
Where I stayed in Croatia
In Dubrovnik I had a signature suite at the Hotel Excelsior as I was on a Press Trip. This five-star hotel has stunning views, a fabulous indoor pool and spa and is a convenient five-minute walk to Dubrovnik Old Town.
In Korcula I stayed at Apartments & Rooms Nina. Really comfortable with everything I could possibly need, including another stunning view, at a bargain price.
In Cavtat I stayed at Hotel Croatia Cavtat. Set on the hill overlooking beautiful Cavtat Bay, I had a spacious room and balcony and more stunning views. My stay was very brief so I didn’t get to enjoy the facilities properly – there are sunbeds temptingly placed below the hotel on the cliff overlooking the ocean, as well as some excellent-sounding restaurants. Oh, and it’s also handily placed for the airport (about a 15-minute drive away) – and I had an early morning flight.
I’ve had many early morning flights recently. I love that airports have their own time-zone (anything goes) and for me are the first step to my next adventure. Once that suitcase is checked in I’m on my next voyage of discovery. Even the thought of my next trip engenders joy in my soul and a sense of excitement and anticipation for what lies ahead. There’s so much more of the world for me to discover. My heart is open and I can pack my bags in record time. Come on! I’m ready to explore.
