Croatia & Slovenia Guidebook
Favorite discoveries or tips:
d'Vino Wine Bar (Palmoticeva 4a, +385 (0) 20 321 223) just off Stradun. The proprietor is gregarious and can teach you about Croatian wines. Besides by-the-glass he sells bottles but is not pushy.
Apartments & Rooms Bilicic, Privezna 2, 20000 Dubrovnik Tel: +385 20 417 152, Mobile: 098 802 111 E-mail: apartmentsbilicic@hotmail.com Marija Bilicic's small establishment is about a half-mile uphill from the Pile Gate (note: 83 stair steps each way!). It's on the #8 bus line for slackers. She is very welcoming and helpful. She picked us up from the airport in her car (no charge) and even did our laundry for us. She has a wonderful outdoor kitchen and terrace. The 2-bedroom apartment was a bargain at 80 kn a night (in October) and has a kitchen and a balcony with a view of Lapad and sunsets. Air conditioned. A small grocery is just across the street.
Restaurant Levanat is on Lapad Bay and best reached by taxi. Steep steps down to the restaurant. An outdoor terrace has a wonderful sunset view but only serves drinks and appetizers. Your best bet: drinks on the terrace til sunset then move into the restaurant for a quite nice fish dinner.
The cable tram to the fortress on Mt. Srd is now running. It was damaged in the war and re-opened in 2010. It gives a wonderful if acrophobic view of the city.
Tom Nelson in Minneapolis, MN USA 11/27/2011
Take Rick's advice to go early when walking the walls of Dubrovnik. We were the first ones on the wall and we pretty much had the walk to ourselves. Starting early lets you gaze leisurely at the incredible views, stop for coffee about half way around, and avoid the crowds. We took two hours to enjoy and count that as one of our best memories of our days in Croatia. Also, a good place to swim is just around the wall from the harbor. Not a sandy beach but rocky. Locals use this area as evidenced by several changing into their suits in public; I doubt tourists would do this. You can't see the harbor from this spot; only coastline and islands and the water temperature was perfect even though it was late September. Beautiful.
Linda in Battle Creek, MI USA 11/07/2011
No
Mike in Gig Harbor, WA USA 10/30/2011
The good news is that there is now a very convenient laundromat in Dubrovnik called Sanja & Rosie's Laundrette, situated just outside the Ploce gate. With a retro theme, lots of machines and driers and detergent included in the price the service was great.
Alison in Sydney, Australia 10/17/2011
Family run Plitvice Ethno House just outside the Plitvice Park on route 1 is a great place to stay. The rooms are very nice and come with breakfast. You can also buy the half-board evening meal. The dinners were really good with Mom doing the cooking! It was so convenient to come back to great food after hiking the park all day.
McDonald in Brookeville, MD USA 10/14/2011
Cameron & Rick,
Following a recent one-week trip to Croatia (Rovinj, Opatija, Rab, and Zagreb), I wanted to share a delightful and unexpected accommodation experience: Pension Tamaris is located within easy walking distance of "downtown" Rab Island, and it seems a likely contender for inclusion in your 2012 guidebook to Croatia and Slovenia.
Reasonably priced, even with the less than 3-day stay surcharge, the Tamaris offers tidy, attractive lodging - many rooms have striking harbor views - along with a fine, garden surrounded outdoor restaurant. Service is outgoing and attentive, and it proved an ideal place from which to begin - and conclude - our Rab explorations. As noted, Pension Tamaris isn't centrally located, but in a way this works as an advantage, as the ten-minute walk into Rab is a level and highly scenic stroll that hugs the waterfront (alas, the walk is only recommended during daylight as nighttime illumination isn't consistent from the Tamaris into Rab town). A stay at the Tamaris also provides easy access to easy, 20-kuna (5 dollars) trips via water taxi to postcard-perfect swimming opportunities in the glorious Adriatic. Do consider Pension Tamaris on Rab Island.
David Dillon in Westford, MA USA 08/26/2011
Cameron & Rick,
Following a recent one-week trip to Croatia (Rovinj, Opatija, Rab, and Zagreb), I wanted to share a delightful and unexpected accommodation experience: Pension Tamaris is located within easy walking distance of "downtown" Rab Island, and it seems a likely contender for inclusion in your 2012 guidebook to Croatia and Slovenia.
Reasonably priced, even with the less than 3-day stay surcharge, the Tamaris offers tidy, attractive lodging - many rooms have striking harbor views - along with a fine, garden surrounded outdoor restaurant. Service is outgoing and attentive, and it proved an ideal place from which to begin - and conclude - our Rab explorations. As noted, Pension Tamaris isn't centrally located, but in a way this works as an advantage, as the ten-minute walk into Rab is a level and highly scenic stroll that hugs the waterfront (alas, the walk is only recommended during daylight as nighttime illumination isn't consistent from the Tamaris into Rab town). A stay at the Tamaris also provides easy access to easy, 20-kuna (5 dollars) trips via water taxi to postcard-perfect swimming opportunities in the glorious Adriatic. Do consider Pension Tamaris on Rab Island.
David Dillon in Westford, MA USA 08/26/2011
Rick and Cameron,
Your guide to Croatia has once again proven an invaluable resource for our most recent Euro-sojourn. What a wonderful $20 investment! However, it appears you guys might have missed the (Batana) boat on one of Rovinj's better seaside watering holes. The Monte Carlo, located just before the Valentino, offers an extensive and appealing list of libations at about half the cost of its better known neighbor. While the Monte Carlo lacks the gimmicky underwater lights, visible fish, funky drinking glasses, and overall style of the Valentino, it does offer romantic seaside seating, including soft, low key lighting, and friendly, unhurried service. Combine all that with Dean Martin crooning the theme song from "Rio Bravo," what else could one possibly need from a holiday?
David Dillon in Westford, MA USA 08/21/2011
We went to the town of Cres on the island of Cres. Go there. It was an amazing little town.
David Krupski in Elkridge, MD USA 08/06/2011
We wanted to highly recommend Alma Elezovic as a guide in Mostar (who is also recommended in the book). Though she wasn't able to accommodate us during the day, she instead invited us out to dinner with her husband Ermin . It was an incredible local feast where we shared stories and experiences for hours. It was THE highlight of our experience in Bosnia and we would recommend traveling to the beautiful city of Mostar to anyone.
Eric Huseth in Berkeley, Ca USA 08/03/2011
Dubrovnik, Croatia
1). Housing -- best housing/apartments in middle of Old Town. House Fascination, owner Daniela Braci Knego (+385/0/20/323-112). Fantastic location, reasonable, quiet, clean, AC. Definite place to stay. Owner full on recommendations an connections.
2) Restaurant -- Dalmatinos. Great Croatian style food, slow prepared to order. NOT tourist trap
Michael P in San Leandro, Ca USA 07/23/2011
We were in Dubrovnik on June 27,28 ,29 of 2011. We stayed in the rooms of Paulina Cumbelic right outside the walls of Old Town.Just as you described -a kind, gentle woman renting rooms in her homey, clean peaceful house. I told her that I would be writing to you and I am keeping my promise. It's only too bad that we had to share a bathroom, but it was very clean and quite comfortable .
Johanna Collura in South Orange, NJ USA 07/14/2011
Eger:
1) We had a wonderful hedonist afternoon/evening at the Salt Hill Thermal Spa (actually part of a large modern Saliris Resort) and the Siren's Valley wine caves. We recommend using taxis to get to each place & home--much easier & not expensive. At the wine caves, we liked #2's Bull's Blood and the two ladies were fun. Look for a cement-facade cave on the far side with one or two old men in front, who oblviously don't run a commercial venture. Their cave is lined with about an inch of penicillin fungus, but his white wine was worth buying. He poured it from a stainless-steel vat into a large, green plastic bottle for us to take--great fun!
2) Dont' miss the 11:30 AM organ concert at the cathedral in Eger. The emotional response brought tears to all of us. The beautiful music man can create is in sharp contrast to the recent brutal war in Croatia/Bosnia and the horrific experiences of Auschwitz-Birkenau that man can also create...
Larry Iversen in Bremerton, WA USA 07/03/2011
Rental Car: if you need an automatic transmission, confirm with the rental agency that you are guaranteed an automatic. We booked an "automatic" with Sixt, but they insisted that we had only really stated a preference for an automatic. We had to scramble to find a rental car with an automatic transmission, picking up in Dubrovnik and dropping off in Zagreb. With the drop-off fee, expect to pay at least $100 per day.
Sibenik: definitely worth seeing. A bit sleepy, but an authentic, and unvarnished, medieval town with great views of the cathedral over the Adriatic.
Julian Alps Driving Loop: great recommendation by Rick, but there is a better way to return to Bled from the Soca Valley. At Bovec, take the road to Predel in Italy (where there is a beautiful glacial lake surrounded by mountains, several small swimming beaches, and zero tourists), then to Taravisio, and back east to Bled. The roads are great, the trip is shorter then going all the way around (or waiting for the car train), the scenery is excellent, and the border is open, so there are no delays.
Ljubljana: Don't miss it. A real city, with real Slovenians, going about their business. Genuine and lively, picturesque, and easily walkable. We spent 5 hours, a full day would have been better.
Bihac (Bosnia): a great way to "experience" Bosnia is to go to Bihac for dinner if you are staying overnight at Plitvice. It's an easy 30 minute drive, the border crossing is pretty easy, and there are good restaurants along the river. We ate at the Hotel Imperial, which we can recommend. The pedestrian mall has a mosque and several vintage Communist era retail/office buildings that will make you feel like you took a step back to the 1960s. On the way back to Croatia, watch the signs carefully, as there is a subtle fork where you must turn left. We went straight, ended up overshooting our target by 10 miles, and found that no one speaks a word of English (but with our good map, and writing down the key towns, we were guided back to our target destination).
Bob K. in Potomac, MD USA 07/02/2011
Plitvice Lakes National Park: 1) If you are traveling from Split to Plitvice, I suggest renting a car instead of relying on the buses. Easy drive with a good map. A GPS here is not necessary. If you pick the car up by @ 9AM, then you will arrive with lots of time to cover the lower lakes the same day--nice way to break up the long hike. Skip the Supljara Cave, but be sure to hike up to the viewpoint from the Big Waterfall. From there I strongly recomment walking up to the road, across the bridge, and follow the sign to the Panorama pooint for a spectacular view of most of the lower lakes. Then, one can do the lakes above the ferry crossing the next morning on rested legs with plenty of time to drive on to Zagreb via Otocac. If you plan to drop off the car in Zagreb, then be aware that the dropoff office will probably be at the airport with the 200 Kn taxi ride into the train station. 2) If traveling by bus to Bled, the bus driver will probably not be enthusiastic about stopping at the Ljubljanska cesta stop, but I you sit up by the driver and pester him, then he might be more agreeable. The problem there is stopping on a busy street long enough to get bags out from the lower storage compartment. 3) At Lake Bled, the trip out to The Island and back is @ 1 1/2 hours from the pickup in front of the Vila Preseren. For a shorter rowing time, if they are open, the plentas rented near Tito's Vila Bled offers quicker transport with the same time on The Island. So I recommend walking around the lake counterclock-wise. The shorter steeper trail to the Castle has been greatly improved with new steps and rails & is probably the best way up. From start to finish, with the Castle, The Island from in front of Vils Preseren, & a stop at Tito's Vila bled for a beer and a peek, we took a total of six hours.
Larry Iversen in Bremerton, WA USA 06/27/2011
Amelie, a small dessert/tea shop at Vlaska 6, Zagreb, Croatia www.slasticeamelia.com, (website in Croatian) but pictures are current. amelie@slasticeamelie.com Near the Cathedral, charming tea shop atmosphere, amazing desserts, referred by locals.
Cheryl McDaniel in Sandy, OR USA 06/12/2011
In Dubrovnik, the restaurant Skola has delicious homemade bread and good sandwiches.
Peggi Johnson in Vienna, VA USA 06/05/2011
Hi Rick
I just love your guidebooks as well as your general travel philosophy; although (this may come as a surprise) I am not an American but a Croatian. Unfortunately, there are basically no guidebooks of yours on the Croatian market, but, luckiliy, there is amazon.com. :-)
I actually own your guidebook for Slovenia and Croatia, which I find very useful although I am "one of the natives".
I am writing with a general comment why don't you include Zadar and Šibenik in your guidebooks? I have talked to a number of tourists visiting our country which all agree that they are both beautiful old cities, and relatively undiscovered (this is especially the case of Šibenik). Quient old cobbled lanes, old churches, UNESCO site cathedral, great food, not to many tourists - a textbook example of your back door travel phylosophy...
I am actually a financial advisor which loves to travel with his familiy. I reside between Zagreb, Zadar and Šibenik so I know these towns very well and I honestly think you should consider including them in your guidebook... Finally, if (when) your travels bring you back to Croatia, I would love to meet you and buy you a beer or two :-)
Best regards from Croatia
Sincerely yours
Marijan Šimi?evi?
Marijan Šimicevic in Zagreb, Croatia 05/29/2011
We found a tasty pasta dish in Dubrovnik at the STORIA Restaurant. The friendly owner Moki, helped us with our bags on our way to Renata Zijadic's rooms. The chef made a fig,prosciutto,gorgonzola pasta that was so unusual and tasty! Highly recommend it. And Renata was so lovely and the location was fabulous- we looked out on the harbor.
Elizabeth Naegle in Forestville, ca USA 04/09/2011
I wanted to let you know how appreciative I am that you mentioned Lidija Matic in your Snapshot guide to Dubrovnik. She's a gem! I sent an email to her, mentioning your book. Although she had no vacancies, she gathered from my message that I was a female traveling alone and she made a few calls and found alternate places for me to stay. This was during the high season last July and August, so she really went above and beyond to help me. She was gracious and friendly, as was almost everyone in Dubrovnik.
Ali in Brooklyn, NY USA 03/15/2011
Instead of staying in Hvar, go instead to Jelsa, only 9 kilometers from Stari Grad, a beautiful little town around a curved harbor. Many apartments available. We stayed in an apartment with a terrace overlooking the town, run by Ana and Benko Milatic. Email: benko.milatic@st.t-com.hr. Good (but typical) restaurants all along the harbor in walking distance from the apartment. Nice beaches also within walking distance. Benko also owns vineyards and olive groves and will probably give you a bottle of his wine. He picked us up from and took us back to the ferry at Stari Grad.
Joyce Erickson in Seattle, WA USA 10/27/2010
Two good restaurants we discovered: In Split: Buffet Fife, Trumbiceva Obala 11 Was recommended to us by a nearby coffee shop owner. Rustic setting with wooden benches, very generous servings, and bargain prices. Good choice for lunch. They serve soup in large tureens with big baskets of bread.
In Hvar: Dalmatino restaurant, Banketi 1, phone 385-91529 3121. Entry stairs go down to basement at rear of building facing waterfront. Great food, excellent service, reasonable prices. Run by 4th generation of the same family. Friendly young owner attended college in Rochester, NY and speaks English fluently.
In Mostar, Pension Botticelli offers same day laundry service at reasonable prices and free parking in a lot across the street. Motel Emen has a great restaurant with excellent veal & chicken dishes.
Hotel Amphora in Hvar has a free shuttle van which meets each ferry upon arrival. Walking between the ferry and hotel with luggage is impractical because of the distance and number of stairs.
Chris Peter in El Cajon, CA USA 10/26/2010
Opatija, Istria Croatia Le Mandrac Restaurant (www.lemandrac.com) This is a splurge restaurant but well worth it. Creative and delicious food.
Joni Henry in Seattle, WA USA 10/26/2010
If you are into caves and are active, Krizna cave in the Karst region is worth your time. We took the four hour tour. You paddle up a series of lakes.
Natalia in Sherwood, Or USA 10/24/2010
Lidija at Apartment Plaza in Dubrovnik gave us a great recommendation for meals just a short walk from her apartment - Tavjerno Maro. It's a small place with a small menu, but the daily specials were some of the best and least expensive meals we enjoyed on our entire trip.
Dave Johnson in Sacramento, CA USA 10/22/2010
My wife and I hired Pepo Klaic to show us Dubrovnik and its environs. He was wonderful. Just wanted to tell you "Thanks" for the recommendation. You (and Pepo) helped to make our cruise memorable.
Steve Lucas in Sun City Center, Fl USA 10/18/2010
My flight left early from Split to return to the States, so I wanted a place to stay near the airport. Vila Štafileo, which I found on the internet, turned out to be perfect. I stayed there 2 nights. It is a small three story hotel about 5 minutes from the airport. Jacov (or Jacob, as he introduced himself) bent over backwards to accommodate me, including driving me to Trogir for sightseeing and taking me to the airport in the morning. He served breakfast in the morning, accommodating my gluten-free, dairy-free diet. Not easy. The place was very clean - hard wood floors in the rooms, marble in the hallways. Also, there is a bus stop right by the hotel, for taking a bus to Trogir or into Split.
Jakov Mihaljevic (Jacob), manager
Vila Štafileo * * * Njiva Sv. Petra 1 21217 Kaštel Štafili? Croatia tel.: +385.21.493.200 fax: +385.21.493.199 mob: +385.99.493.2000 email: welcome@stafileo.com web: www.stafileo.com Nancy Isaacson in Bloomington, IL USA 10/17/2010 After trying to find ways to get from Italy to Croatia we stumbled upon the ferry from Venice to Rovinj. This was a great way to travel. It was a high speed boat(it took about three hours) and was very comfortable. This also solved the rental car problem by dropping a rental in Venice and picking up another in Rovinj we didn't have the severe drop charges. Henry Smalling in Aiken, SC USA 10/05/2010 Hotel Korsal in Korcula. Recently opened July 2010. Small - 10 rooms, but beautifully decorated, 4 star hotel Toni in Nyack, NY USA 09/12/2010 1. Hrastovlje, Slovenia [1/2 hr from Lipica stud farm, or Skocjan caves]- Church of the Holy Trinity - Amazing frescoes (~1490)- the entire church is covered. The most interesting is the Dance of Death. If you use Rick's recommended map (Kod & Kam) it is easy to find. 2. Beram, Croatia - Istrian Peninsula [close to Pazin]- Church of St. Mary - another 15th century fresco of the Dance of Death. We stopped here on our drive through the Istrian peninsula. To find the little chapel -- this is actually what we did - ask anyone in town about the Church. They pointed us to the house where the woman who has the key resides. She agreed to take us there (the chapel is in the woods), and then we gave her a ride. Once in the chapel she allowed me to take a few pictures without flash (with very little light -my 50mm 1.4 lens worked very well). We gave her some money for her trouble, and then drove her home. The bright frescoes, with skeletons carrying scythes and blowing horns as they lead townspeople to the netherworld are stunning. J & G Grunau in Abbotsford, BC Canada 08/30/2010 1. Hrastovlje, Slovenia [1/2 hr from Lipica stud farm, or Skocjan caves]- Church of the Holy Trinity - Amazing frescoes (~1490)- the entire church is covered. The most interesting is the Dance of Death. If you use Rick's recommended map (Kod & Kam) it is easy to find. 2. Beram, Croatia - Istrian Peninsula [close to Pazin]- Church of St. Mary - another 15th century fresco of the Dance of Death. We stopped here on our drive through the Istrian peninsula. To find the little chapel -- this is actually what we did - ask anyone in town about the Church. They pointed us to the house where the woman who has the key resides. She agreed to take us there (the chapel is in the woods), and then we gave her a ride. Once in the chapel she allowed me to take a few pictures without flash (with very little light -my 50mm 1.4 lens worked very well). We gave her some money for her trouble, and then drove her home. The bright frescoes, with skeletons carrying scythes and blowing horns as they lead townspeople to the netherworld are stunning. J & G Grunau in Abbotsford, BC Canada 08/30/2010 Wonderful driver/tour guide: Davor Dragicevic. Davor is about 55 and from Dubrovnik. He has been driving folks around for years and knows just about everyone in the tour business in Dubrovnik (and I suspect Mostar). He was also in the seige of Dubrovnik and will willingly talk about the war. We had several fascinating discussions as a matter of fact. He is intelligent, compassionate, and passionate about Croatia. He knows all about the surrounding areas as well. He took me to Mostar and was a wealth of information along the way. His English is excellent. I recommend him highly. Here is his contact info: Davor Dragicevic, Namada Tours, Jospia Pupacica11, 20000 Dubrovnik, Croatia. Mobile: +385 (0) 98-285-298. Email is namada@du.t-com.hr I also have a sobe recommendation. Ivan i Anka Raic lived in Germany for many years running a restaurant and came back several years ago to their home of Croatia and are now running a fabulous sobe. They have sweeping views of Old Town DBV. Incredible. Anka's English isn't the best but she's adequate enough for English speakers. The room we two women stayed in had two beds, an ensuite, and a shared kitchen area. We got a deal from her (my friend does business with her daughter) but we only paid 50 Euros each per night. It was a steal by DBV standards. About an easy 20 minute walk from Old Town. Contact details: Ivan i Anka Raic, Bruna Busica 24, 20000 Dubrovnik. www.raic.de/ferien Mobile +385 (0) 91 783 3319. Tip: Dubrovnik is getting more expensive by the minute. I used a 2008 edition of the guidebook and it was quite out of date. I met two women using the 2009 edition and it too was outdated. I think you just need to make people aware that Croatia is an up-and-coming destination and that prices are reflecting that accordingly. I did think that DBV was overpriced compared to Korcula, Mostar and Kotor/Budva. Tip on Mostar: be sure to get a personal guide (about 30 Euros -- well spent. I used Selmir from Fortuna Travel DMC (www.mostar-travel.ba Selmir is 30 and lived in Mostar during the war. He is a lovely guy and balanced in his commentary. Fortuna Travel showed the film you recommend in the guidebook and it gave me the chills. I would have given that film 3 triangles. Gretchen Brown in Charlotte, NC USA 08/20/2010 Peter & Carrie Detwiler Sacramento, California detwiler@pacbell.net Peter & Carrie Detwiler in Sacramento, CA USA 07/30/2010 Rick - Thank you for recommending Mostar the way you did. My friends and I rented a car and drove there from Dubrovnik. I swear it's the best way to do it and cheaper than a bus for groups of 3 or 4. A GPS device takes you right there and we had no trouble at the border patrols. Memories of this trip will not be forgotten! Thanks Rick for opening my eyes to new places and possibilities. I am a huge fan and watch your show weekly. If you read this personally I would love an email from you! - Jason Jason in Heil, OH USA 07/25/2010 I visited some of the Istrian hill towns: Groznjan, Motovun, Brtonigla, Zavrsje (Piemonte d'Istria), and one less hilly but town, Bale, close to Rovinj. I found the location of and the view to and from Motovun nicer than the town himself. I was fascinated by the location of Zavsje, where grace to the Rural and Economic Development of a Disadvantaged Historical Istrian Locality project (EU), there are nice explicative panels along the tourist's path. After Groznjan, I found Bale, close to Rovinj very interesting as town: Bale has the circle shaped "borgo", the centre with palace and some old cistern, with lovely forgotten old stone houses. Bale also has a small chapel of San Rocco with XV. old frescos! I found Brtonigla as settlement boring, only because of the recommended restaurant it is worth to go there. Concerning Motovun, Zavrsje, Groznjan, I would suggest to include into the guidebook that these locations are along the valley of the chanel/river Mirna, one facing another. This double line of fortified settlements and the valley himself is absolutely magnifique. A small, but still interesting addition to the museums of Rovinj: from Monday to Saturday, from 10 to 12 am, one can visite the collection of the Fransiscan Monastery what is surprising with some interesting representations of Europaen history, some venetian paintings, among usual church stuff. One can still get an idea of the richness of this monastery in Rovinj in the earlier centuries! Faragó Éva in Szombathely, Hungary 07/08/2010 Hi Rick We just returned from 3 weeks in Croatia using both your book and the Lonely Planet. Your book wins hands down. We stayed at many of the sobe you recommended and were most inpressed with your selections and tips. One restaurant that we discovered in Opatija that was a big highlight was called Roco. It's a genuine Italian restaurant. It's cosy and nicely decorated with excellent service and reasonable prices. They make their own pasta and flat bread and the bread is baked in the brick oven right before being brought to your table. It was really a treat in a country with very many disapointing or at best, "adequate" restaurants. We went there 2 nights in a row. These guys obviously know what they are doing and are worth a mention in your book. Much thanks for your excellent work. Michael & Dale Sherman, Vancouver BC. www.msphoto.ca The address is M. Tita 114 and tel number is +385 (0)51 711 500. It's on the main drag thru town on the non-ocean side of the street. Michael Sherman in North Vancouver, BC Canada 06/01/2010 In the city of Opatija, you should add to best restaurants, Ruzmarin, veprinacki put 2, tel: 051 712673. We were recommended to this restaurant by a local young woman working at a kiosk. We were in Opatija at the end of October. The weather was terrible -- it rained every day, but this restaurant was a terrific find. We went once in the late afternoon and once at about 7:00 p.m. On both occasions it was filled with locals who obviously knew the owners and the single konobar very well. The food was absolutely wonderful -- one of the best pizzas we had ever eaten anywhere including Italy. The prices were reasonable and Konobar Zeljko Coter was delightful. Please try it out and add it to your book. We have travelled all over Croatia, having been there 7 times in 5 years, and this really was one of our best restaurant experiences. Ernie & Lucille Walter in Sturgeon County, AB Canada 12/13/2009 We loved the restaurant Gallija in Cavtat, right at the end of the waterfront. It is definitely worth the trip from Dubrovnik. The food was great and they had a lovely piano player at night - great ambiance. Melissa in Dallas, TX USA 10/29/2009 You need a permit to drive on the autocesta in slovenia. You can purchase them at the gas stations. We were pulled over for not having this permit and it was hefty! Signs are tiny and easy to miss, I did not even see a sign, I was told there are signs in English but very small. [Editor's Note: We posted a notice to our guidebook updates page on the need for a "vignette" in Slovenia several months ago. Be sure to check Rick's updates before you leave for the latest information about your travel destination.] Amy in Adler, Md USA 10/26/2009 I wasn't able to go to the Julian Alps/Vrsic Pass/Soca River Valley as they stop day-trip tours there from Bled and Ljubljana in early September. Barbara Lagrou in Tacoma, WA USA 10/21/2009 New jewelry store in Dubrovnik, owned by artists Simona Farac and her brother. They make all their own jewelry which is beautiful and original after all the jewelry outlets in Dubrovnik. These two people are native Croatians, friendly artisans which unique and well made jewelry with better prices than all the other stores. This is a true find and I highly recommend you include them in your next edition in shopping in Dubrovnik. This is the kind of place your readers enjoy, not the touristy, same-old-thing shops so prevalent in Dubrovnik.
Contact Information: Dubrovnik Treasures Croatian Designed Jewelry Simona Farac simonafarac@gmail.com Celestina Medovica 2, 20000 Dubrovnik GSM: +385(0)99 506 2262 Tel: +385(0)20 321 098 Austin Raglione in Portland, OR USA 10/05/2009 At Plitvice the entrance fee does not include parking. It is 7kn an hour, but if you eat at the restaurant Licka Kuca they will validate your whole parking fee. Kay Britto in Wrightsville Beach, NC USA 09/27/2009 On Korcula island, in Vela Luka, follow the "Vino" signs painted on the sea path out of town for an unforgettable meal. B Watson in Calgary, AB Canada 09/26/2009 On arriving in Korcula, we went to the recommended Soba Depolo which was full. Rezi suggested we try next door where we met Dora, a fascinating lady, retired doctor, speaks good english. We got a very nice, spotlessly clean top floor room facing the harbor. Don't know how good the Depolo rooms are, but I can't imagine anything nicer than Dora's. She set us up with a friend of hers in Dubrovnik who picked us up at the bus station and took us to his sobe nearby in Gruz, just up from the Jadrolinija dock (Niko Vulicevic, Radnicka 13. nikovulicev@yahoo.com). I highly recommend both of these sobe. Here's a tip: Don't make the mistake I did and go to Zadar assuming to catch a boat to Split. There aren't any. Zadar is a lovely city on the coast with a beautiful "old town" and a nice harbor front promenade featuring the unique sea organ. The guide book neglects this town. Gary Lingenfelter in Stanwood, WA USA 09/25/2009 Renting a sailboat from Atlas. This was awesome and a worthwhile splurg. $100 a person but we got a 36 foot sailboat and captain for a perfect day of sailing the Elaphite Islands. Worth every penny. Also sea kayaking around the old walls and then swimming from a cave. Also through Atlas. $100 for 3 people including lunch, water bottles and snorkle gear. Pat Vinkenes in Arlington, VA USA 09/13/2009 In Dubrovnik, we loved the Taj Mahal restaurant. "Authentic Bosnian food", right around the corner from Rick's recommended Konoba Komenice. Try the Cevap - meat fingers and cheese in a delicious bread. In Dubrovnik, Amico Tours runs small group (8 person) tours in air conditioned minivans - our guide Anton was exceptional. He was funny, informative and professional. Really enjoyed our trip to Mostar with him. Julie in Vancouver, BC Canada 09/07/2009 Rick, We have just returned from a lovely 16 day trip to Croatia and Slovenia using your excellent guide book. We enjoyed your writing style and were amazed at how accurate and up to date your information was. We have used many guide books but as we have mainly traveled in Asia, we have not found your books before. We did not always stay at your recommended hotels or eat at your restaurants but we certainly used your suggestions to base our choices on. We were amazed last night to turn on the television at 3am to see your Bloomberg interview. (We were waiting for the latest typhoon to pass). We were not aware of the diversity of your company. During our tour of the Julian Alps with Gorazd, he had said that you had recently been in Croatia. We were probably one of the 8 tourists who had read your book and were enjoying our drink at the Hole in the Wall when you were in Dubrovnik. We were also astonished by the herds of the cruise boat tourists following the numbered poles around the old town. We took your advice and included a side trip to Mostar. We were amazed by the strength of the Bosnians who had returned from overseas to rebuild their houses and their lives in peace.
Some feedback for your next Croatia & Slovenia Guidebook.
i) Hike from Velo Grablje on Hzar Malo Grablji is no longer abandoned but has a delightful cafe over looking the town. Do not ask for a Coca- Cola, however, you will not be welcome. Try the local wine or fresh juice. The lemon is very refreshing after a hot walk. Make sure you check out the kitchen. We also could not find the track back to Hvar from Milna. After a couple of hours clambering over rock fences and paths we gave up, and walked back to Hvar via the road.
ii) Dubrovnik Restaurants. By our final night in Croatia we were looking for a restaurant with a "different" menu. We were fortunate enough to find "Gil's cuisine and pop lounge" for our last night. This is a must to be included in your next book http://www.gilsdubrovnik.com/indexeng.html Although a little more expensive than your normal pizza restaurant, it was great. We were also lucky enough for our last night in Croatia to be the opening of the Summer Festival. We will certainly be looking for your Eastern Europe book for our next trip.
Leigh & Lorraine Kennedy
Baby Boomer Australian ex-pats living in Hong Kong Lorraine Kennedy in Hung Hom, Hong Kong 07/20/2009 Pero (Pepo) Klaic, recommended by Rick and by others's feedback, deserves his outstanding reputation! Rick, you should include Bosnia -- and at least Sarajevo -- in your guidebook. Sarajevo is a beautiful and manageable city with a fascinating history and heroic recent past. Lots to see. Good food. Recommend Hotel Unica, good location, clean, comparatively not too expensive, friendly, helpful English-speaking staff, good breakfast. Contact:
Hotel Unica, H.Kresevljakovica 42 71 000 Sarajevo,BiH T: +387 33 555 225/335 F: +387 33 555 226 E-mail: info@hotel-unica.ba Web : www.hotel-unica.ba
Green Visions does tours in English and other languages of Sarajevo and into the countryside, ranging from day-long "green walks" to more extensive hiking, rafting, etc. Contact: sarajevo@greenvisions.ba. Kirsten Mishkin in Saratoga Springs, NY USA 07/06/2009 Konoba Pizzeria, Kod Paveta in Vis Town, Vis Island. A family run place with great homemade meals with many of the ingredients coming from the owners garden. Mark Gillespie in Madison, WI USA 06/06/2009 Dubrovnik - Apartments Pavisa Peter was absolutely terrific. He picked us up when we arrived with our rental car and helped us return our car. He took us to the bus station when we departed. All without charge and with a smile on his face. We stayed in his apartments as well as another apartment that he manages for a friend. Both were great. Jan Henderson in Laguna Beach, CA USA 06/03/2009