Travel: Croatia - Dubrovnik

I always try to have something booked a few months in advance, just to have something to look forward to. It keeps you sane at work too as you count down the weeks til you're off on another little adventure. As I mentioned in my first post I travelled for 7 months in 2014 throughout South East Asia, New Zealand and Australia. I documented this in my 'Rustic Roamer' blog. If anyone is travelling to any of these areas you can read about my experience here and who knows you may pick up some tips for your trip.

Last July, myself and Kev headed off to Croatia after hearing lots of positive feedback about the country. We decided to go to Dubrovnik as you can fly there direct from Dublin with Aer Lingus.
The Monday morning flight goes at 07:40 and we arrived in Dubrovik at 12:05. We decided that a week was probably too long to stay in Dubrovnik so we opted to divide up the trip by staying 2 nights in Dubrovnik, 3 nights in Korcula and back to Dubrovnik for another 2 nights. In hindsight we probably should have stayed 4 nights together in Dubrovnik as it would have saved some hotel hopping.

Hotels:
The first hotel we stayed in was called 'Hotel Vis', located about 10 minutes on a bus from the Old Town of Dubrovnik. The room itself was fairly basic but the hotel was clean and tidy. What I liked about this hotel was that the beach was right on it's door step and the bus went from outside the front door into town. One small thing that bugged me about the beaches in Dubrovnik is that they are all stoney. If you are going swimming you need to buy these special shoes (unless you don't mind walking on rocks). They are only about €5 to buy and they sell them everywhere in Dubrovnik so fret not.

Hotel Vis

The second hotel we stayed in Dubrovnik was 'Hotel Adria'. This is again located about 10 minutes outside the Old Town however there was no bus stops outside this hotel. You're best shout is probably getting a taxi in and out. This was a lovely hotel which had a spa and an outdoor and indoor pool. The restaurant offered breathtaking views over looking the Adriatic Sea.

Hotel Adria

Things to do: 
The Old Town: We spent most of our time in the Old Town. You could just spend hours getting lost within the walls and back streets of this beautiful part of the city. It's like a maze and you really don't know what kind of bar, restaurant, or quirky shop you will find as you turn each corner. Be careful though because the stone is really slippy to walk on. On every street you will see musicians and people sitting outside enjoying the sun. The night life is pretty mellow there. It mainly seemed to consist of couples and friends sitting out enjoying a few civilized cocktails.

Kev being a tourist in the Old Town

The Cable Cars: This is a must do for anyone visiting Dubrovnik. The best views of Dubrovnik and the surrounding area are seen from up here. It's about a 10 minute walk from the old town to the cable car lower station. The tickets are €19 return. It takes about 10 minutes in the cable car to get to the upper car station. While you're up there definitely eat in The Panorama Restaurant. It's steak is to die for and the strawberry dacquiris are divine! You will need to book this restaurant especially at peek times as it is usually booked out.

Enjoying a cocktail in The Panorama Restaurant

The Blue Eye: This is a 45 minute boat trip departing from the old port of Dubrovnik. It takes in fantastic views of the medieval walls of the Old Town and surrounding areas as well as been able to take a peek through the glass (at the bottom of the boat) at the underwater world of the Adriatic Sea. We did this on the first day and it was a lovely way to get a feel for the place.

All aboard The Blue Eye!

Eat: Dubrovnik is known for it's fabulous food, particularly it's fish. I would reccommend Nautika restaurant for a seafood lunch. It's located on the very edge of the sea at Pile, alongside the western entrance to the Old Town. The food and views are magnificent. Nautika is a sister restaurant of The Panorama Restaurant which I have mentioned previously. If you fancy a bit of fine dining then look no further than Proto. It's located in the heart of the Old town, at the corner of Siroka Street and Vara. It is renowned for the sea food but offers plenty of meat dishes as well. When on holiday one must treat themselves.

That's my little round up of Dubrovnik. It is an expensive city but it is definitely worth the visit. Any questions give me a shout because I'm sure I've left something out. As I mentioned we visited Korcula too so I will do a piece on that later on in the week! That's enough excitement for one day!!

M
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