Here She Goes Again

Zagreb – First Stop

Hotel Dubrovnik : Arrived at the hotel around  8 pm. It was a long flight.(Check my pro-tips below to make it better for your trip)

After a long hot shower, I ate the most amazing and hot tomato pasta made by the chef at the restaurant downstairs . The hotel was in the main city square of Zagreb. Very lively any time of the day or night.

After the dinner I asked if I could sit outside in the patio with a glass of wine. He asked,”red or white?” I replied,”Red and also do you have a chocolate cake?”. He said, “of course!” I sat outside and he brought the most amazing glass of red wine and a slice of chocolate mousse cake! Each bite of that cake and each sip of wine was heavenly. I spent the next eternity people watching and loving the real  human noises around me.

Day 2 – Still in Zagreb

Today I was quite apprehensive about exploring outside. I kicked myself and went downstairs for a breakfast for one (another awkward) but I did it. No one cared! All the fear and doubts are in our heads. Then I asked for directions to Maksimir park. They said I had to take the tram no 12 and I did. 

It was a beautiful and serene park. The weather had just the right amount of sun and warm. I walked around for a bit soaking in the beauty around on a bench by a pond.

A bit later I found a cafe up a hill and went up there for a coffee. More people watching was in the order . I was getting more and more comfortable being alone.

Later I walked to get the bus back to my hotel and took a wrong bus that took me almost all around Zagreb literally! I saw Tesla museum, I had no idea that Nikola Tesla was a Croatian.

Later I asked around and the kind Croatian people helped me navigate to the right bus to my hotel. I have to say Croatia is an amazing country to travel alone as a woman. People are very kind and friendly.

This evening I met up with the people who would be in my group touring all around Croatia  for next 7 – 8 days. Here is where I met our beautiful tour guide Aana.

Day 3 – Last day in Zagreb

Today we walked around Zagreb, learned about their history and hiked to a a few places.

The daily market by locals was one of the highlights. So many fresh fruits and cheeses. Not to mention super cheap.

I learned that a lot of inventors were Croatians and they had statues all around the city!  Croatians also invented the neckties😯.

Lots of murals here as well! It very lively during the nights with local musicians playing every corner of the Zagreb square.

Stari Grad- Plitvice Lakes National Park

Today we set out to a town south called Stari Grad. Before we reached there we visited the most famous National Park in Croatia: Plitvice National Park! This was a pretty area although very crowded. The falls and nature were beautiful but nothing extraordinary. May be because we did not walk to the upper falls. This I would have loved to do but the weather was not very friendly that day.

The next day we were supposed to go on a hike to Plakentia National Park but the weather took a different turn. There were very strong winds (called Bura) and could get super dangerous if we hiked up the mountain in that! So instead we settled for cooking class in town called Zadar (😐). While the others were busy cooking (non vegetarian), I set out to explore Zadar! Very beautiful!

Split – Game of Thrones

The next day we set out to another town called Split. But before we reached there we stopped by to do some rafting.

We had a free day in Split. This I enjoyed immensely. I went walking to the top of the mountain to get the full view of the port town. It was breathtaking. 

I walked down the hill and ate a late breakfast at a local cafe while people watching. I went again to the hill top in the evening to get a golden hour view. I wanted to stay there forever.

Later I took a bus to go to a beach my guide had recommended. Called Pebble beach. Wow! It was hot and pretty. The beaches here in Croatia are at a different level of beauty. The Adriatic is indeed blessed with the hues of blues!

Palace hotel stay- The hotel we stayed in Split was a palace before, we were told. For all “Game of Thrones” fans this is Mecca! There were too many spots to count. I did not much care for it since I haven’t watched it 😬

The piazza by the hotel had live music in the night with food. It was different vibe here. Highly recommend to stay here if you ever plan to visit Split.

Hvar and Kayaking

Hvar island is one of the most beautiful and vibrant places in all of Croatia. This is the place postcards are made of, to describe the its beauty. Port town with a lot of water activities! Boats of all shapes and sizes can be found here. 

 One day we went cycling around the island. This was a really fun part of my trip. We were given power bikes so the effort was minimal to cruise along the towns and villages. Lovely sights of the the lakes and forests and villages and canals. That place was aptly called the Venice of Croatia.

  Chocolate tasting – The introduction and tasting was done by a lady who owned and run the shop for generations, yet chose to keep it small. The chocolates were delicious and handmade. There I was attacked by some bugs and I had to run out 😫 A local lady in a small shop gave me some oil spray that instantly healed my itching.

We then moved on to a lunch place that was small but had some of the most delicious vegetarian food. Olive trees were all around there along with pomegranates!

 Kayaking – This was strenuous to say the least! I had no clue how to navigate the kayak.😳Fortunately my partner Kathy knew and we made it to another island after almost 1 hour. We were starving and were served with the most delicious Mediterranean food! I loved it very much. After that we walked around the island to see the prettiest colored ocean and beaches. The sights can be only be experienced. No photo can capture this!

This evening after we returned, we walked around the island and shops as the sun was setting and it was beautiful.

We also did a sunrise walk and took lots of pictures. There were so many sights that no amount of pictures could ever capture the beauty of this place! Must visit!

Dubrovnik- Last Stop

  This the place where major scenes of the show “Game of Thrones” were shot inside the palace. I believe the famous “walk of shame” is here! People were going crazy taking pic inside the castle.

I walked around the castle to catch some of the beautiful small shops selling trinkets! I bought a Christmas ornament for my daughter! Lots of walking today as well. We had our last dinner together and I had a lovely time connecting with some of the ladies in our group! So many funny stories were shared. 

I have to say that Croatia is one of most beautiful and safe countries I have visited so far! Absolutely safe to travel as a solo woman. With that said, here are my pro-trips to make your trip to Croatia even more memorable!

Credits: All the pictures of mine are captured beautifully by my friend Kathy!

Pro tips:

• When booking the flight , take the multi-city option to fly into Zagreb and out of Dubrovnik. American Airlines has the best option. You will save time and money and more importantly the flight will be hassle free. I did not do it, but a good lesson was learnt in this trip
• If you have to do a group tour, do not choose an all inclusive option. They are unnecessarily expensive. You don’t even feel like eating that much food 3 times a day.
• Always plan to reach a day or two before the tour is supposed to begin to allow for the time to rest and get acquainted with the surroundings.
• Personally I would land at the first hotel and the take day tours from each place where the stay would be. Hotels provide the best tour options and the tour operators tend to be safer as they are vetted by the hotel. No one wants bad reviews due to an unfortunate incident.