Visit Croatia - Your Holiday Reviews

Split
Submitted by: Anonymous
Visited: Split in June 2003
Organised: Organised it myself

Type of accommodation: Hotel (Out of 5, best = 5)
How would you rate the town/city you stayed in? 3
How would you rate the accommodation? 2
How would you rate your holiday overall? 3

Comments:
I went to Split on a recent holiday. It was an interesting and quite beautiful city in many ways. But I was very disappointed by the zoo in Split, which I think is a disgrace to the city. It is tiny, with animals kept in some of the worst, inhumane conditions I have ever seen in a civilized country. A young tiger was kept in a cage so small he could barely move. He looked like he was going crazy. I'm no animal rights fanatic but found this very disturbing.

Porec
Submitted by: Jack from London
Visited: Porec in August 2002
Organised: Organised it myself
Type of accommodation: Hotel

(Out of 5, best = 5)
How would you rate the town/city you stayed in? 5
How would you rate the accommodation? 4
How would you rate your holiday overall? 5

Comments:
Porec is great. Nice looking town crowded with tourists from all over the world. I don't get it why some of visitors say there are no beaches....yes, there are, but you have to ask for them. And night life is delightful! Better then in Spain. I was there few years ago in may and that is not the main season, but in july and august it is damn hot!
I am young - 26, and i had a great time!

Would you go again? Of course! This year, august. see ya
Submitted July 9th 2003

Hotel Pical, Porec
Submitted by: Ray Green from Merseyside, UK
Email: raygreen@f2s.com
Visited: Porec in May 2003
Organised: Tour operator Thompsons
Type of accommodation: Hotel Pical

(Out of 5, best = 5)
How would you rate the town/city you stayed in? 5
How would you rate the accommodation? 4
How would you rate your holiday overall? 5

Comments:
We visited the Pical Hotel in Porec Croatia in May 2003 on recommendation. My first impression of the exterior of the hotel was of a typical communist late 60's early 70's concrete building, it was drab looking. Thompson's advertise this as a 4 T Hotel. The local tourist board rating is 3 stars.

On entering the hotel we found the service to be excellent in all aspects. Our room was a little on the small side, but very clean and well maintained. The food was of good quality, however breakfast was continental or bacon swimming in fat. There was a good choice for the evening meal, which included a lot of fish.

The evening entertainment seamed to be the same duo every night. However this was in May.

The TV in the room had 2 English news channels and we managed to find an English movie most nights if it was required. Reception had a cash point machine. Two points on health and safety. 1. The front of the balconies have some sort of plastic that makes up the front wall. This is perfectly adequate for adults; there is about 1 foot gap at each end that a toddler could squeeze through. 2. The swimming pool ladders lack any abrasive surface on the rungs, so it is easy to slip. I know because I did.

The sea view is worth every penny. You can hire a small fridge for £35 per stay. Don't expect a beach type holiday because there are no beaches.

The resort is spotless and the cost of living is very cheap for the tourist. A large beer is about £1.50.

Overall, we have just booked our return 2 week holiday for Sep 2003. Its good value, relaxing holiday. I think the resort is aimed at the more mature traveller. For those that like the buzz of Spain may be disappointed.

This hotel is not suitable to wheel chair users. There are about 20 steps to the dining room and about 10 steps to the main bar.

If the wheel chair user has limited mobility they should be ok. But full time user's should give it a miss.There is a part of me that wants to say "Never visit Croatia", but that is because I want to keep this lovely place a secret.

Would you go again? Yes, we are going in Sep 2003 for 2 weeks. TV Travel Shop (Sky TV) saved us £100.00 on the booking.

Dalmatian Coast
Submitted by: Ronald and Bernadine Gudac from Punta Gorda, Florida, USA
Email: mauchu@sunline.net
Visited: The entire Dalmatian Coast; from Venice to Dubrovnik and points in between in June 2002
Organised: Tour operator Kollander World Travel, Cleveland, Ohio
Type of accommodation: Other - we cruised aboard "The Monet". Just 48 persons on this ship. Just the right size to venture in and out of all the Adriatic islands and ports.

(Out of 5, best = 5)
How would you rate the town/city you stayed in? 5
How would you rate the accommodation? 5
How would you rate your holiday overall? 5

Comments:
This was our second trip to Croatia and we decided to cruise on a small, but very elegant ship called "The Monet." It is owned by Elegant Cruise Lines and caters to small groups. Half the passengers were British; the rest American, and one Canadian couple.

June of 2002 saw some of the most violent storms in the northern Adriatic, yet when we sailed into the harbor at Split, the sun began to shine on us, and did so for most of the trip.

The ships' crew were all Croats. Service was impeccable; the food was great, and our fellow-travelers were very interesting, indeed.

Favorite spots: Hvar city with its quaint waterfront and cafes; the island of Mljet (a national park); and the island of Korcula where we were serenaded by a Klapa quartet. Most romantic. Also impressive was Sibenik with its 14th century cathedral designed by Juraj Dalmatinac.

Favorite beverage: Karlovacka beer, of course. And the wonderful Dalmatian wines, both white and red. Exquisite!

Would you go again? We plan to go back next summer and spend 3 weeks on Hvar and explore the islands nearby. Hopefully, 2004 will bring better weather to the northern Adriatic as we would like to spend some time in Opatija and Istria.

Zadar
Submitted by: Daria from Canada
Email: croatian_hottie13@yahoo.ca
Visited in: July - August 2002
Organised: Tour operator Thomas Cook
Type of accommodation: Other - my grandmother's and grandfather's house

(Out of 5, best = 5)
How would you rate the town/city you stayed in? 5
How would you rate the accommodation? 5
How would you rate your holiday overall? 5

Comments:
Oh god, where do i start. Croatia is such a beautiful country. Since it is small people think it is ugly (since the war) but you haven't seen croatia until u visit it. The people, the food, the culture, the sea, oh god the sea is amazing!!!!! you really have to visit croatia if you already haven't because it will be a trip you will never forget. It is fun for the kids and a great educational experience for the adults. The coast is especially beautiful because of all the islands. I love it there. If someone were to give me $1,000,000, the first thing i would do is buy 4 tickets to Zadar Croatia. I hope i have given you a destination spot this summer!! enjoy!!!!!!!!!!

Zadar - Bibinje
Submitted by: Rodney Kindred from Australia
Email: rrockyk@hotmail.com
Visited in: August 2002
Organised: Other
Type of accommodation: Private accommodation
Name of accommodation: Tapun Apartments

(Out of 5, best = 5)
How would you rate the town/city you stayed in? 5
How would you rate the accommodation? 5
How would you rate your holiday overall? 5

Comments:
On the advice of a trusted friend (who has seen every corner of this world), I decided to experience the Croatian way of life. My journey lead me to a little town called Bibinje, south of Zadar. I stumbled across an Australian Croatian, named Vince - Tapun to his friends. Tapun had returned to his motherland after 42 years abroad. We rented out one of his modest apartments - and it was a real ball!

I must say, he had fantastic homemade wine, cooked a mean BBQ and had many stories to tell that kept us in stitches!

Tapun was great in assisting us in hiring a yacht, We explored the Kornati archipelago, travelled to the water falls of 'Slapave Krke' and 'Plitvice' and enjoyed the calm water of Bibinje. This place is a must for all that travel to Zadar.

I've already reserved a place for 2003! For those interested, there are a couple of good webs - www.bibinje.com and www.tzo-bibinje.hr. If you find anymore, let me know!

Zadar, Split, Baska Voda
Submitted by: Simon Treves from London
Visited in: regularly since April 2002
Organised: Organised it myself
Type of accommodation: Other

(Out of 5, best = 5)
How would you rate the town/city you stayed in? 4
How would you rate the accommodation? 4
How would you rate your holiday overall? 5

Comments:
My wife is Croatian, so it's contractual that we spend at least 6 weeks a year in Dalmatia. I simply adore Croatia: the people are so much more friendly than the British! Whatever they have they share, even if it's very little. You'll never visit a relative or friend without a cake being produced and Turkish coffee being slowly simmered on the hob. Of all the Adriatic towns my favourite is Zadar, especially the tree lined jetty running parallel to the town itself. You could gaze at the gentle Adriatic and the islands beyond for hours. Split is bigger of course, and cursed with some seriously ugly (but highly prized, for God knows what reason) high-rise apartment blocks. But there is no better way of wasting a couple of hours than sitting on the Riva with a cold Karlovacko beer and people-watching. There's also a v good small International bookshop that sells UK papers a day or two after publication. I'd also recommend Pizza Bakra, which is 2 mins walk from the Riva down a small back alley: best pizzas I've ever had and amazingly cheap. The beauty of Split is the way it's framed by the mountains: you notivce that particularly if you visit the beautiful wooded cemetery a mile or two south of the centre, just off the main road to Dubrovnik. And try to visit Stobrec too (my wife grew up there so I'm biased): a quiet bay 6 or so miles south of Split. We spent a week with friends in Baska Voda, nr Makarska, last August (2002). This is a very touristy place, impossibly overcrowded on the beaches during the day, but with plenty of good restaurants along the sea front. I found the best time to swim was very early morning: 7am - the place was deserted apart from people like me. To me Croatia is an idyll: quiet, starkly beautiful with the mountains abutting the azure sea. Beer, laughter, fresh fish, Karlovacko, klape music, hot sunshine, clean clear starlit skies, and air you could drink (esp when the Bura blows).

Would you go again? Of course: I love Croatia. And like I say, it's contractual.

Split, Brac, Hvar & Dubrovnik
Submitted by: Lee & Deirdre from Cork
Visited in: July 2002
Organised: Organised it myself
Type of accommodation: Camping

(Out of 5, best = 5)
How would you rate the town/city you stayed in? 5
How would you rate the accommodation? 5
How would you rate your holiday overall? 5

Comments:
Had a great three weeks travelling around some of the islands and visiting Split and the fantastic Dubrovnik. As a twentysomething couple we found that Croatia fitted the bill perfectly, particularly enjoying the chilled out Bol on Brac. The food was great and cheap (compared to rip-off Ireland), camping was easy and relaxing (if a little hot!) and the ferry network was comprehensive and cheap. Nightlife was relaxed, and the beer is tasty.

We're returning again this year to explore some of the other Southern Dalmatian islands - can't wait! Sure, I'm even doing a self taught course in Serbo-Croat!

Zagreb, Podgora & Dubrovnik
Submitted by: Sean & Tricia Bell from Edinburgh
Email: rsean@blueyonder.co.uk
Visited in: July/August 2002
Organised: Organised it myself
Type of accommodation: Rented an apartment/villa

(Out of 5, best = 5)
How would you rate the town/city you stayed in? 5
How would you rate the accommodation? 5
How would you rate your holiday overall? 5

Comments:
We spent a few days in Zagreb at the beginning and end of our holiday. Zagreb is a charming city with many sights to see and places to explore. Our two sons aged seven and three loved travelling about on the city's trams. Some highlights for them were paddling/swimming in the manmade Jarun Lake visting Zagreb Zoo and the Maksimir Park and getting wet in countless city fountains. Zagreb has lots of museums and galleries and is a great city to visit.

We took an overnight train from Zagreb down to Split and then hopped on a bus to Podgora on the Makarska Riviera. Podgora is a small resort just perfect for families. The coast has lots of beautiful coves with white pebble beaches and the warm Adriatic Sea. Perfect for chilling out on the beach and snorkelling amongst the fish. Not having sand in your food, eyes and orifices is a joy. Pebble beaches rule!

We managed a couple of day trips. We took a boat trip out to Bol on the island of Brac (where the white stone for the White House in Washington DC was quarried). There is an enormous peninsular beach, Zlatni Rat at Bol. We also hired a combi to go to Dubrovnik for the day. Dubrovnik is awesome. A wonderful medieval walled city with history everywhere. A must see.

The food in Croatia is fantastic. Everywhere we went we had wonderful meals but two in particular stand out. When we were on the coast some Croatian friends arranged for us to be driven up into the mountains where we had fresh lambs barbecued whole on an open spit. It was wonderful. Back up in Zagreb on our last night we drove to Samobor with some friends. Samobor is a small town near Zagreb renowned for it's cuisine. We went to a family run restaurant where we had a meal to die for and then went to another restaurant for the local speciality desert.

Croatian friends helped us organise our visit this year. Everywhere we went we met the most friendly people in a very beautiful country.

Would you go again? We have no doubt that we return again and again
Sean kindly sent us an additional review of his 2003 holiday. Read it here.