"Winter is coming"

September 2021 – Croatia

The feeling of being at an airport again let alone in another country after a long time was just an excitement for both of us. It’s been 2yrs in the waiting, just walking around the airport was exciting for me.

A downside of travelling within Covid times, was the issue with testing and how expensive it was. Our Covid tests cost more than our flights which wasn’t ideal, and it would have been a disappointment if we got tested positive so we decided to stay inside our house for a week leading up to our flight.

Dubrovnik

When we arrived in Dubrovnik airport, we thought it would have been a lot hectic there, but it was completely the opposite, with no queues at border control which surprised me.

The weather was so nice for mid September and no sight of any rain and a lovely breeze as well. The Old Town is the main tourist attraction in Dubrovnik and its quite easy to get around on foot, no need for any public transport. Best option to get from the airport to the city centre would be the shuttle bus which was 55 Kuna. Sit on the left side of the bus as you’ll get to see a great view of the city whilst the drive is along the coast.

If you’re a big Game of Thrones, you definitely need to visit Dubrovnik, so many scenes from the series, for example the location of the Walk of Shame and the burning tower. We even got to see a replica of the Iron throne, had to get a picture on it of course 😊. The Throne was located on Lokrum Island which is a boat ride away, you get to see a lot of peacocks too.

Other places to visit which we would suggest are: City Wall - Walk the ancient city walls, recommend doing it first thing in the morning at opening . There are three entrances to the walls, the main entrance is from the Pile gate and the other entrances are located by the St Lucas Fortress and the St John’s Fortress. Also kayaking is a great if you’re feeling adventurous like us.

Our favourite bit of Dubrovnik has to be the aerial view of the whole Old Town and the coast of the city, the views were breath-taking, great place for sunset. To get to the top, you can either walk for around 45 mins or take the cable car. We choose to take the cable car on the way up and then walk the way down. We decided to dine with a view at the Panorama Dubrovnik. The portion for the price wasn’t ideal but the food tasted good! (The food is very expensive in Dubrovnik!)

Split

So, we took a ferry from Dubrovnik to Split, and noticed the vibe in the city was completely different to Dubrovnik, it was more lively and modern. We didn’t stay much in Split as we really wanted to visit the KrKr National Park and also Hvar (island).

KrKr National Park is a must visit in Croatia, it’s a bit of a journey from Split around 1hr30mins but well worth it. You can explore the whole national park and get a boat ride. Ticket prices were around £25.

Other places to visit: Marjan Hill for a lovely sunset view of the city and Diocletian's palace.

Foods to try: Peppino’s Ice Cream – soo many flavours to try including Kinder Bueno. Octopus Salad – tastied really chewy and sweet.

Rožata – dessert made with custard and rose liquor – was very sweet and sugary

White Risotto – we didn’t really like this as it was very watery

Buzara – seafood stew often made with shrimp, clams and mussels, loved the seafood

Overall, it was a great trip, finally being able to travel after Covid and hopefully visit other cities within Croatia next time.

Shugs