As the pandemic had disrupted the travelling spree within us quite effectively. Planning a trip during these couple of years was a burdensome task. We had planned and cancelled trips to multiple locations and often last minute cancellations had made big holes to our pockets.
One such destination was Croatia where we lost around 300 euros of flight fare due to last minute cancellation fearing a possible lockdown due to high number of COVID-19 cases. But this time we planned it with a mix of vacation and soft workload.
Our main destination was Zadar and during the long weekend travel to Sibenik region and Dubrovnik. 2 days in the beginning and 2 days towards the end of our trip were reseved for work from hotel. The flights were cheap on a Monday-23rd May 2022 evening with a retun planned on next Wednesday-1st June 2022 evening. The thursday i.e. 26th May was holiday in most parts of Germany so a day leave on friday the 27th May would make a 4 day long vacation in Croatia. We kept Zadar mostly for the evenings as day light is longer during the summer and after work there was enough time to soak in the vibes of the vibrant streets of Zadar.
Our flight was from Cologne and planned arrival at Zadar was 11:35 pm. We had our taxis booked to pick us and drop at our hotel as during these odd hours it was difficult to get any public transportation from the airport. Eventually, our flight got delayed by 2 hours, so naturally we reached our hotel at round 3 am on 24th May. The taxi driver was kind enough to greet us at these odd hours and adjust our booking accordingly. When the whole of Zadar was sleeping, he drove us with Pink Floyd being played in the car's music system, which was already a perfect start to the trip.
(**For a full view of the images, please click on them. You can also check all images at once with the next button, from the picture viewer that opens on click)
The Hotel Delfin was located just by the beach, but in the dark, we could only hear the waves crashing into the rocks near the shore. When we opened our window the next morning, the view of the sea elated us, establishing our choice of hotel. The morning was planned for some work from the hotel, so after breakfast, we grabbed a couple of desks in the restro-bar owned by the hotel and the feeling was fresh as life- a computer screen, a window and beyond it the blue sea with lots of sun.
A tiring night with less sleep was all gone with some swim in the sea during the lunch break. I had some sumptuous local fish with some local beer for lunch and was ready for the sunset from the area near our hotel. Basically, we rested and worked the whole day and soaked in the beauty of the sea till the sun dipped into it, spilling the pastels on the sky and the water. Though, I had a brief walk around the area to see how the locals live and feel the tends to the suburban region of Zadar.
The hotel is situated in such a way that guests can easily board a bus which will take them to the center of Zadar. After soaking up the sunset, we ventured out into the bustling cityscape.
The city of Zadar had a positive vibe, with beautiful architecture that was influenced by the Roman Empire considering how long it held dominion over this area. There was also a nice promenade where many small yachts, cruises and waterboats were stationed; some belonged to tourist companies and others were privately owned by wealthy tourists.
The next day was already Wednesday. We had booked a hotel room for that night in Sibenik's wine region. We had to check out in Zadar early but but the hotel staff were accommodating and allowed us to use some of their space in the cafe and the terrace for remote working and chilling around. The terrace had a nice shower we could use when we went swimming in the sea later that afternoon.
After work, I took the bus to the airport to pick up my rental car. The car rental from the usual famous rental houses was really expensive. I had booked a car for these 6 days with Enterprise, but the option for full insurance selected on the website was not comprehensive. Buying a new insurance was overshooting my budget. So instead, I decided to book a car through a local rental company for the last minute. The cost of this arrangement was expensive, but still cheaper than buying full insurance from Enterprise. Lesson learnt: in smaller European countries it is always wiser to google for local rental companies as they are cheaper than the internationally famous ones.
We reached our hotel in Skradin after a one and a half hours drive. This place is just at the edge of the Krka National Park and our plan was to visit the national park next day and by evening leave for Dubrovnik. By the time we could check in and get out for a stroll, it was already a dark. The area was rich yatch owners' hub. We grabbed some quick bite and a glass of the local wine before hitting the bed.
I woke up pretty early, but not earlier than the bright sun. The surrounding was livelier than it was at night. People waking up on their yatches and swans, adding royalty to the scene. Croatia really gets very hot during the summer; May is kind of end of spring, hence the weather started getting hotter as the clock stroke 9 am. The bright sun may have warmed up the weather, but of course had saturated the colours of spring. The walk was really refreshing; a good start to the day.
We had two options for seeing the Krka National Park: a boat excursion and a drive around it. However, in that case, we would have to pay extra for the bus that would take us close to the entrance if we wanted to visit Skradinski Buk, one of the park's most stunning waterfalls. A full access to the entire national park costs 200 Kuna, or around 2200 Indian rupees, and may be obtained by purchasing separate tickets for each section of the park. Bus and boat rides required separate tickets.
We chose to visit Krka Monastery first rather than hike around in the sweltering heat. We stopped by Brljan Lake along the route and were able to get a distant look of the Brljan Buk. The monastery was of the traditional East European design. We were happy to have access to the fascinating stories about the monastery's history because a local guide was with us inside as part of the entrance price.
Our next stop on our tour of the national park was Burnum, an archaeological site that belonged to the Roman Legion. After exploring this location, we decided to continue our journey towards Manojlovac Slap - another waterfall located in the deep jungle. However, after encountering a snake while travelling through the forest, we immediately decided to turn around and head back towards our next stop: Roski Slap. Roski Slap is a waterfall located in the southern part of the national park; it took some time for us to get there due to its distance from where we were at.
It was mesmerizing to see how the water glided through the marshy paddy fields to fall as a small waterfall. I made a short ascent to a cave close to the summit of a nearby hill, and the view was even more amazing from there. A completely different perspective on the scene was quite admirable.
Where the Roski slap falls, there is a very pretty restaurant where you can put your feet in the water and relax while eating. Since we already had our lunch, we could not take full experience of this location, but did not miss an opportunity to grab some snacks and a coffee.
By the time we reached the Skradinski Buk, it was already around 4pm. We had to take the bus and return with the last bus that was around 6:30 pm. We did not waste any further time and immediately booked the bus tickets to the entry to Skradinski Buk.
You must have seen images of Croatia on the internet, where wooden bridges cross swampy terrain to lead to stunning waterfalls. Most likely, you've seen pictures of the Plivtice National Park, but I assure you that the Krka National Park is equally beautiful and less visited, while still offering you the chance to take a stroll amidst nature. Herein you walk on this wooden bridge around a beautiful waterfall and all its tributaries. We had a pleasant encounter that was sufficient to lift our day's exhaustion from the heat, sun, and perspiration.
The following step was a roughly three and a half-hour trip to Dubrovnik. We had a short bite at the only restaurant open at the Skradinski Buk entrance, told our host in Dubrovnik that we would arrive about eleven o'clock, and then didn't waste any more time to started the Volkswagen Taigo I had leased.
An interesting thing about this drive is that you drive through Bosnia and Herzegovina for a very shot stretch of around 10 kilometers. For fun we stopped by in a Pizza place to claim that we had dinner in a different country. Entering Dubrovnik was epic as we played the title track of Game of Thrones to make the drive through the bridge to the city more indulging.
We reached out homestay at around 11:45 pm and our hostess was kind enough to wait for us and still be very calm and hospitable to help us parking on a free spot as the usualy parking in Dubrovnik city center is pretty expensive. Not only so she even kept some sumptous fruits cut and plated in our room. For the next morning, she also suggested places around where I can park my car for free.
The homestay was very well located at night we could see some lights of the oldtown but when I woke up in the morning it was amazing to see the old town and the neighbouring islands from the terrace of the property. Our initial plan was to stay 2 nights at Dubrovnik and leave for Hvar for the third night but we extended our stay at Villa Anika. For the first 2 nights we had paid just 152 Euros and the extension costed us 80 euros more.
After the late check-in, I was not quite in time to see the sunrise, but I was still in time for a quick stroll in the neighborhood. It featured breathtaking views, with steps leading to a sea view and the ancient city of Dubrovnik at a distance.
We had intended to attend a free walking tour of Dubrovnik's old center that day. Although the trip was scheduled to last for two hours and begin at noon, we arrived a little early to get a feel for the city before learning its history. It was a sunny and warm day, but not one of those that would physically deplete you to the extreme. The entry to the old city was nothing less than entry to a crowded fair in India. Tourists from around the globe had queued up to enter one of the most beautiful old town in Europe.
The free walking tour was hosted in english by a young gentleman named Marko, who spent his early childhood in the city of Dubrovnik and even resided in the old town for quite a while. In his later life he moved to the UK for higher education so his English was pretty good with a very neutral accent. His love for the city was as clear as day. How Dubrovnik chose business for its development and wisely avoided wars. He was proudly showing us the streets and the spots where the famous series Game of Thrones and many other famous movies were cinematographed. Interestingly in the times of the shooting, the production house pays a huge amount of compensation to the people living and doing business there. Many locals, especially students get opportunity to fill their pockets and appear on screen as sides or junior artists. I must say Marko had staggering story telling skills and in 2 hours he smiled through the stories from each street to another through all corners of the old city of Dubrovnik. People in the group were so happy that some of them even offered him tip upto 50 Euros.
We had some good lunch and decided to head towards the beach for some splash and swim. The access to the sea from directly the walls of the city was amazing but not our cup of tea. People doing cliff jumping, sun bathing on the rocks getting down through the stairs that lead to the water. The scenes were tempting but as I said not in our capability.
Eventually, we came out of the old town and walked to the nearest easy access beach. Just a 500 meters walk and you reach the lovely Banje beach. Less sleep during the night and walking for over 3 hours in the walled old town, I took a couple of dips and a short nap with a couple of beers on the beach. It was relaxing and luxurious.
While returning, we had no energy at all to walk all the way up to our homestay, so a taxi took us back with minimum effort and some cash. I had planned to drive up to a panoramic point on Mount Srđ. After a quick shower and some rest, we were ready for the sunset over the Adriatic Sea and its islands with the historic city of Dubrovnik in the foreground. There is a restaurant up there, but our plan was just to enjoy the euphoric end to the day and see the old town lighting up as it tends to get dark.
We had a long day after a short night so naturally we took a pizza to our room and did not even realize when our eyelids were heavy enough to caress our tired corse to deep slumber.
The following day we awoke early enough to go for a stroll before the sun rose high enough to radiate warmth, despite the fact that daybreak at this time of year is too early. We followed the correct directions and began to saunter through the city's streets until we arrived at an ancient promenade close to the Lovrijenac fort, a location that appears frequently in Game of Thrones as the Black Water Bay.
After visiting for a while, we were curious to see how the ancient town looked without all the tourists. We had the freedom to explore some intriguing neighbourhoods, climb and descend some steep staircases, and enjoy some quick but delicious breakfast bites with a cups of mochaccino because the streets were comparatively quiet, and it wasn't too hot.
By this time we had plans to go back to the hotel and take some rest before making our way for a short drive in the outskirts or take a boat to some nearby islands. But plans change, and why not when you see some local performances by little school kids? A lively, colourful display by the little souls was enough to keep us standing in the scorching sun and be amused. To our surprise, one of the songs they danced to was the "Senorita" song from the movie Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.
The morning and the afternoon were well spent, and our bodies needed a shower and a nap desperately as the heat had drained all our enthusiasm by this time. The walk back to our hotel was a 500-meter walk, with 50 percent being stairs upwards. In the torrid heat, this distance was not the most pleasant one.
After a shower and a quick rest, we decided to drive towards the outskirts of the city. We had no plans, one option was to maybe drive towards Bosnia and Herzegovina, enjoy the sunset and return. But the rest was a little longer than we had expected, hence the setting sun and clouds had already dramatized scenes on our way.
A pleasant drive, a few stops to admire the beauty and it already started getting dark. We witnessed amazing scenes of the sky getting pink to blue over the Adriatic. Again we played the title song of Game of Thrones while driving through the bridge that lands us in the city, trust me it dramatizes the scene insanely.
The night was reserved for UEFA Champions League final where Real Madrid plays against Liverpool. I was really excited to be in the country of Luca Mordric and see Real Madrid beat Liverpool in a pub in the Old town. There was immense rush there in this pub and why not it is the best two teams of Europe kicking around the ball to achieve the highest-ranked annual trophy in football.
As we entered the Old town, it was actually a musician playing the music of Game of Thrones on her violin. What else could one ask for. The ambiance of the city was totally fascinating in the evening, but I could not help myself to get attracted to the pub which would broadcast the UCL final. God! The pub was incredibly crowded; ordering a drink was a task in itself. I somehow managed to grab a seat with a beer and shared the place with an Austrian guy. Inside the pub there was a bigger screen, but grabbing a seat there was out of question. The outdoor seating also had screens but trust me even there the ambiance was equally enthralling.
The next day was the time to bid goodbye to this beautiful city. The plan was to reach Zadar by the evening. The day after and another day was work from Zadar again. We liked Hotel Delfin, so there were no requirements to research a new abode for the last two days.
We left Dubrovnik with a heavy heart because it was so very impressive and had already stolen our hearts in such a short amount of time.
We stopped in a little town called Mali Ston on the way back to Zadar since it had the best seafood in the area; in ancient times, even the kings of Dubrovnik used to get their oysters from there.
I tasted some mussels and oysters, and they were very excellent. It was the ideal way to start the long drive. After that, taking a stroll along the promenade was enjoyable and soothing.
Our next destination was Split, but en route, we undoubtedly discovered some breathtaking views of the azure Adriatic, some deserted beaches to relax on, and some incredible towns that we drove through but undoubtedly planned to include in our itinerary on our next trip. One such stunning town was Omi.
We arrived at Split close to the end of the day. The city was really lovely, but your expectations are already high when you travel from Dubrovnik to another touristy city. Although the city's architectural splendor was stunning, tourists and locals must definitely take care of the cleanliness of this city.
It was already getting dark as we left Split. The view of the Klis fortress as seen from the highway captured our attention. The fortress appeared to be out of this world with its stunning lighting, regal position atop the hill, and dramatic clouds hovering above it as the sky radiated the gorgeous blue hour light. There was no way to stop and take a picture of this amazing sight; all I could do was admire it.
After so many stops, we knew that we wouldn't have anyrestaurent to eat at by the time we arrived in Zadar. We made the decision to take a diversion and have dinner in Sibenik after traveling a considerable distance on the tolled highway. Some sumptuous fish, a glass of local beer and a peaceful post supper walk; some feelings needs no elaboration just a mention of the events are enough.
The next day was a working one. Hotel Delfin greeted us the morning with great breakfast and then the sea greeted us with sporadic cool swims during lunch.
In the evening, we made a little drive to the heart of Zadar because we had our the car with us for the remainder of our trip. There is a lovely promenade that is close to the Roman Forum; the sunset from here was spectacular and splashed soft hues all over the sky.
There was only one day left before we had to pack our belongings and leave Croatia. In order to make the most of the limited amount of time we had left on our holiday, we chose to take a half-day off, visit a neighboring winery, and return to the Fortress of Klis because it had already caught our eye and we could not leave it unexplored.
After some research we found a winery in the Sibenik region. The most popular and one with minimum drive was the Baraka Winery. I must say they had amazing hospitality and lovely wines. The couple who ran their family winery showed us around and we booked a wine tasting after a quick tour of the place. We were certainly impressed by the taste of one of the wines called Tenebra and bought a bottle while leaving.
Our next stop was the Klis Fortress.I had huge hopes for this place because, in addition to the mystic view of it that blew our mind away while driving back from Split during the weekends, it was also the fortress where Daenerys had punished the rulers of Meereen by hanging them to crosses in front of all the slaves in the classic television series Game of Thrones.
Only one of us entered the fortress because we got there only 30 minutes before it closed; paying the 7 euro entrance fee per head for the same seemed to be a bit pointless. The fortress did not have much to see from the inside except some panoramic views and some memories from GOT if you had been a fan of the series. But I must say the fortress is located in a staggering location with a distant view of the sea and bird's-eye views of the surroundings because of the height at which it stands.
Once again, we arrived at our hotel quite late, and this time we had to pick up some Chinese food from a neighboring restaurant that was practically closed but decided to offer us some orders for takeout upon our request.
The final day of our vacation had come. It was late in the evening when we would take off again for Düsseldorf. I opted to take a short morning drive to the photogenic Nin Chappel, which was just a few kilometers from our hotel in Zadar. It was an untouched and beautiful location. I was the only one at that time of the day in that area to admire its sanctity.
The afternoon was spent lazily swimming in the adjacent sea, having some delicious local fish, and drinking beer from a nearby restaurant. The hotel Delfin again allowed us to work from their property after checking out of the room and take shower in their terrace where the other guests often unwind and sunbathe.
After spending such great moments and seeing such a gorgeous nation, returning home is never simple. The beauty of this land was that it continued to fascinate us right up until the very end. As we flew over a gorgeous sunset, we only could think, "Croatia, we will surely come back again."
