SeeCroatia.net
Natural beauty, historical grandeur
Robin & Robert, Sydney
For many years we had heard and read about the beauty of the coast of Croatia. As my photo of Makarska shows, it has the sparkling Adriatic Sea on one side and the dramatic limestone mountain range on the other.
When we arranged a week in Tuscany in June 2005 with our London based family, we decided we had to include a visit to Croatia in our trip. After a great deal of research we considered ourselves fortunate to come in contact with Stephen Robertson and Johnny Kostanic of Croatian Rivijera Tours.
We travelled to Split on the overnight ferry from Ancona, Italy to be greeted at 7am by Stephen and Johnny. Their punctuality and politeness were hallmarks of our experience from that first exciting day to the last. They delivered us to our accommodation at Drvenik, a picturesque village which proved an ideal location. We thoroughly enjoyed our week there.
I’ve included a photo of the beach which was across the road from our apartment. In our free time we enjoyed walks on the beach and around the headlands on each end. Sitting on our balcony admiring the view was a pleasure at any time of the day. The food and service at the Bukhara Restaurant were excellent. The little supermarket supplied all our needs. Not speaking Croatian was never a problem. Drvenik was well located for outings to the major attractions between Split and Dubrovnik. We are grateful to Stephen for having designed such an interesting itinerary and for the ever-courteous and considerate way he carried it out.
My third photo was taken on our last day which was a gem. Stephen took us to Omis where, as usual, we were introduced to an excellent local guide to escort us through the Old Town. The sights and commentary were fascinating. The next treat was a forty minute ride in an open motorboat up the scenic Cetina River to the historic Radmanove Mlinice Restaurant. My photo is of Robert and our hosts relaxing under the splendid old Linden trees during a tasty authentic meal before we were returned to the ferry terminal at Split.
It’s impossible to nominate a single highlight of our tour. We appreciated every aspect of it from the natural beauty of the place to the grandeur of its many historical monuments. Other significant factors include the limited size of the group, the professionalism of our tour leaders, their local knowledge and obvious love of their subject. We look forward to seeing more of Croatia with them in the not too distant future.