Croatia

Dubrovnic

Author: Jay
Date visited: Jun 05

We stayed in the Babin Kuk peninsular, which is about 10 minutes from the old town and walking distance to Lapad. The hotel we stayed at was the Argosy and is part of a chain that have 4 different hotels on this peninsular. I emailed the hotel direct and got a slight discount on the rate. We paid approx gbp23 pppn B&B. The room had recently been refurbished (as with a lot of the hotels) and was of slightly higher standard than a travelodge room, so very comfortable and cosy. The hotel staff couldn't do enough for you.

Sightseeing Its cost 10 kuna (approx 80p) per person per trip, local bus. Buses run very regularly and are on time and run until about midnight. It cost about gbp23 for a taxi from the airport to our hotel, which was about 30minutes.

Food:

For less busy places and slightly cheaper food head back from Stradun in the old town, and let yourself get lost in the maze of streets. Alternatively get a pizza. Wine is more expensive than I expected in restaurants. Sesame was our favourite, outside Pile gate and up the same road to the cinema. Beautiful terrace upstairs, excellent meat or fish, (try the steak @ 90 kuna) superb service. Nautica is touted as the best but if you go down the steps to the side of it into a little tiny harbour, there is a fish restaurant just as good used by the locals at much less cost. Just be prepared for a fisherman to land a couple of fish next to you while eat, then bash the living daylights out of them. Made some of the clients say eeeeeeiiiiioooouuuuuu

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Author: Kay
Date visited: Apr 05

We stayed in the Kompass Hotel which is in the Lapad area of Dubrovnik. I booked it on Expedia.co.uk and it cost £175 for 3 nights B&B for a double room. The hotel had stunning views over the seafront from the balcony and had lots of facilities including indoor/outdoor swimming pools, sauna, gym etc. It took about 10 minutes by bus to get to the old town but there are also some restaurants and bars around the hotel area.

Transport:

Buses are very reliable and frequent. they get very packed and its a case of if there is space you get on, no safety considered . There is a bus service to and from the airport which departs after every scheduled airline arrival and 2h30mins b4 every scheduled departure. It operates to and from the central bus station and costs 30 kuna( bout 3pound)

Food:

Venture off the main street to find the cheapest and better cafe and restaurants. Everywhere we ate was very nice and relatively cheap, approx gbp3 for a plate of pasta, gbp5 for a steak. Places we ate were Lindo (was in the hotel), maestro which was outside the old city over looking the old harbour, spaghetti toni (which despite the name was very nice). Lapad is where we found a lot of bars leading down to the sea, where a lot of locals seemed to hang out. A few nice lunch time places to eat in this area. Local beer was about gbp1.30 for 500ml and very nice, not quite as bitter as east european beer.

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Author: Sophie
Date visited: May 05

If anyone has ever wanted to step back in time and see what the world was like before we were invaded by the likes of Starbucks and McDonalds, they should visit the Croatian town of Dubrovnik, a town the future seems to have passed by. A small walled town situated on the southern coast of Croatia, with picturesque coastline, rocky beaches and crystal clear water. A town immersed in history that is somewhat impossible to absorb, it?s a town that has with stood invasions, occupations, war and the arrival of Richard the Lionheart. For such a small town it is jam-packed with historical artefacts, churches, monasteries, cosy restaurants and cafés. The first stop for any visitor should be a walk around the walls of the city, parts of this date back to the 10th Century. The walk puts the town into prospective and gives you a birds eye view of what?s to come. To choose between the many churches or monasteries as a must see is simply impossible, all of them should be visited as they have their own special charms and features, each one will differ from the last. The Rough Guide To Croatia describes the Jesuit Church as having a ?bombastic? alter and it certainly does, with its bright colours and enormous paintings it will really take your breath away. Rumour has it that one of the ceilings of the many churches was painted by the great Rafael, how true this is I?m not sure but it makes the paintings even more intriguing. The fort perched on the hill; nick named the Gibraltar of Dubrovnik, just outside of the walled city is definitely worth a visit. A hive of activity during the summer festival but is disserted the rest of the year, however still a must see. It?s yet another chance to get a spectacular view of the city and the mysterious island of Lockrum. The island of Lokrum is another must visit, the island is a few hundred metres from the port and is accessible by a regular boat services. The island is said to have a curse placed upon it by the Benediction monks, that built the monastery that is still there to visit, that were asked to leave the island. The mystery of the island is slightly taken away but the sight of a gardener and a basketball net but still has the hint of mystery with the botanical gardens laden with cacti that look like they could come alive and eat you. The island as a whole is beautiful and tranquil, disturbed only by the cries of the numerous peacocks that are scattered around the island and the faint whisper of other explorers. A swimsuit is a must to take to the island as the chance to swim off one of the many beaches around the island. The sea is crystal clear and very inviting after the strenuous, but worthwhile, climb to the fort on the island. Dubrovnik as a whole is an interesting and exciting place to visit; the thing that lets down the town is the influx of cruise passengers on a Saturday, the sad and run-down aquarium and the food that is available in some of the restaurants. Many of the restaurants within the walls of the city are aimed too much at tourist with bland taste and who are unwilling to try anything more traditional. If traditional Croatia food is what you are after you are best to step off the beaten track and visit a less than touristy family run restaurant that the locals visit. Here you will experience what is the real Croatia, with traditional folk music, homemade wines and spirits along with a friendly atmosphere and superb food. I would recommend anyone to visit Croatia, go before it is taken over by the package holiday companies and is spoiled by the problems mass tourism causes. It is still a place you feel you are one of the select few to have visited.