Croatia - Selfdrive Holiday (The Pearl of the Adriatic and Dubrovnik Riviera)

Eating well and relaxing must be the slogan on this trip. Croatia won its independence from the former Yugoslavia early in the 20th century. The capital city is Zagreb, where much of the old architecture was influenced or designed by the Austrians (It was part of the Austro-Hungarian kingdom at the turn of the previous century). The two most famous UNESCO world heritage sites in Croatia are the Plitvice Lakes and Dubrovnik city (the old capital of the Dubrovnik Republic). Our self-drive trip took us from Zagreb to Split, then to Dubrovnik, Zadar and Plitvice Lakes and finally back to Zagreb. Croatia’s large coastline is truly beautiful and with thousands of small and large islands, small and ancient towns, wine growing regions and huge forests that makes for a wondrous journey. Swimming in the Adriatic Sea is possible almost anywhere, but if you are looking for sandy beaches this is not the destination for you. The beaches are mostly made of small pebbles with no or very small waves. During the summer months, the sea temperatures reach highs of 28 degrees Celsius. Split and Zadar are cities worth visiting, but the highlight is definitely Dubrovnik. There is a fantastic tourist-holiday atmosphere and many marine and cultural activities. Some things to do while in Dubrovnik: Visit the old towns of Ston and Mali Ston, visit the wine-growing regions around Peljesac, take a small boat to the small island of Lokrum, hire sea kayaks, take the cable car to see the old Dubrovnik city from above, walk around the old city atop the walls, visit museums, enjoy the street café culture around Lapad beach and relax on Lapad Beach. Plitvice Lakes is a must see, it is best to stay in a Plitvice National Park Hotel for 1 night, as one can enjoy the walks, mini-train and ferry rides from there. Fantastic waterfalls, lakes and forest scenery! The first impressions of Zagreb are maybe not the greatest, but the city definitely grows on one, and it offers a number of museums, monuments and shopping options. It is also home to the world’s shortest funicular which takes people from the lower city to the upper city – about 80m. As I mentioned before, the food is great and prices are similar to prices in South Africa. One can really sit for hours and enjoy the street culture, while eating and drinking good quality products. South African Passport holders require visas to visit Croatia. The requirements are similar to Schengen visa requirements. Croatia is about to join the European Union (In March 2013), and will probably also join the Schengen agreement (for visas). There are currently no direct flights from South Africa, but easy flight connections exist via Frankfurt, Istanbul or Paris. Croatia is a very safe destination, and I can recommend it for adventurers, conferences, families with small children as well as for honeymooning in Dubrovnik (Especially in the Lapad Beach area) .

Best time to visit: Summer months of May – September.