Happily getting approval for extended 4 days weekend from my senior, I flied to Croatia via Istanbul, 5-8 April 2012. Chose this destination because I saw a beautiful picture of Plitvice Lakes National Park few years ago. And started from April 2012 till October 2012, I found out that anyone with Schengen visa (mine expires 15 April 2012) can enter Croatia.
I arrived in Zagreb, the capital on 5 April 2012 at about 11AM. By airport bus (30 Kuna), I went to the bus terminal, then taking tram 6 (12 Kuna) to my hostel (Chill Out Hostel, 15 euro by hostelbookers.com). Since the check-in time was from 2PM, I left my bag and strolled the city.
On the way from airport to the city, I saw lots of graffitties on the walls. However, strolling around the city center, I found out Zagreb was a beautiful city with a lot of parks and squares with cafes and markets.
In the bottom of the funicular, which connecting the lower and the upper cities, I decided to take lunch in a restaurant named Vallis Aurea (recommended by Lonely Planet and Arukikata). I got Pasticada (beef stew) and a cider. The taste was strange since they put plum in the stew.
With the funicular, I climbed up to the upper city. We could see the lower city, and I saw a beautiful path with trees. Few minutes walk took me to the famous St.Mark's Church with the painting on the roofs. It was surrounded by government buildings that many policemen were around. I keep strolling the city having the recommendation (from the girl in the souvenir shop) to follow the routes on the City Map. I stopped in a cafe called Hystoric Cafe in a nice streets full of bars called Tkalciceva for a beer.
I arrived at the main square called Trg Jelacica and went to helpful Tourist Information. After having a coffee in a street full of cafe called Bogoviceva, I continued exploring the city following the recommended routes on the city map. The National Theater building was my favourite, yellow building surrounded by beautiful flower garden.
I went back to the hostel, checked in and had a rest. In the evening, I met my room mate from the US named Brian. Since it was raining outside, he lent me his umbrella and we went for dinner in a place recommended by Vedran, the hostel reception, named Ribice i Tri Tockice (literally means a fish and 3 dots), good for its seafood. The restaurant was cutely decorated with fish pictures and ornaments.
The second day, I went to Plitvice Lakes National Park. Tourist Information girl booked a transportation for me with a travel agent named iBus (180 kuna). It was better this way since I didn't have to go to the bus terminal, and I could leave my bag in the car, and it was a bit cheaper. We departed Zagreb at 8:40 and arrived in the Park at 11:10. On the way, we saw a beautiful village surrounded with cascades of water falls. Unfortunately we didn't have a photo stop (later on I found out the name of the village was Rastoke - Millers' Village).
It was cloudy and started to rain when we arrived in the park. Thanks again to Brian for lending me his umbrella. We strolled the park together following the well-marked route. The park was really beautiful with many lakes and water falls. The water was emerald green and so clear the we could see the bottom, with dead trees and fish, and also a boat! We took the boat to cross the lake to the upper lakes area. The view was getting prettier and prettier. Finally we reached the end of the route (we followed Route C) about 1:30PM and we took the bus back. That was where I met Ogata-san, a Japanese living in Chester UK.
The bus didn't take us to the Entrance No.1 where we supposed to wait for our bus, but we still had to walk. The walk took us to the best place to get the whole view of the park from above. Since we had 1.5 hours, we decided to get back to the first areas and we went to a cave. Climbing up passing the cave took us to the location with the best view of the lake from above we had passed previously.
Finishing the whole route, we had our nice beer and had our sandwiches we brought from Zagred while waiting for the bus.
The bus dropped me to the bus terminal, then I take the airport bus to the airport to take my flight to Dubrovnik. I arrived earlier in the airport and was surprised that the security didn't open before 1 hour before the flight.
I arrived in Dubrovnik about 10:15PM and took the bus (35 kuna) to the old city Pile Gate. My hostel, Oldtown Hostel (20 euros by hostelworld.com), was located inside the walled city, not far from the Pile Gate, really really nice location. I was moved by the beauty of the city at night. The walls, the main street was marble white, with monastry, cafes, and shop along the street. After checking in and putting my bag in the hostel, I strolled the night city. The main street was only about 200m. At the other end of the street, there was a square with beautiful church.
I got up in the morning, trying to search for a day trip to Montenegro, but finally I didn't get a chance. The Atlas Croatia travel agent, despite their website showed they had a daytrip to Montenegro, they said their website was out-dated. The travel agent Adriated Explorer in the hostel said they had left at 8AM, as well as the travel agent I met in the street. So I decided just to stay in Dubrovnik.
I bought the ticket (70 kuna) to stroll the wall. The walk started above Pile Gate. The first view was stunning, with the main street (Stradun), marble white in the scene. It was a really nice walking and certainly a must do thing in Dubrovnik. The view of the city and the surrounded city and Lokrum Island.
I met a Japanese, Orikasa-san, who lived in London. We strolled along together and had a lunch, yummy seafood risotto (60 kuna) and beer in a restaurant called Lokanda Peskarija in the harbour.
We wanted to use the cable car to the Srd Mountain, but it was not working due to bad weather. So I decided to go back to my hostel to have my siesta.
Late afternoon, coincidentally I met Ogata-san, and we went to a restaurant Kamenice to have steam mussels and wine. We decided to walk up to the Srj Mountain. We gave up on the way since we had already got a nice view and it was rain.
I arrived in Zagreb, the capital on 5 April 2012 at about 11AM. By airport bus (30 Kuna), I went to the bus terminal, then taking tram 6 (12 Kuna) to my hostel (Chill Out Hostel, 15 euro by hostelbookers.com). Since the check-in time was from 2PM, I left my bag and strolled the city.
On the way from airport to the city, I saw lots of graffitties on the walls. However, strolling around the city center, I found out Zagreb was a beautiful city with a lot of parks and squares with cafes and markets.
In the bottom of the funicular, which connecting the lower and the upper cities, I decided to take lunch in a restaurant named Vallis Aurea (recommended by Lonely Planet and Arukikata). I got Pasticada (beef stew) and a cider. The taste was strange since they put plum in the stew.
With the funicular, I climbed up to the upper city. We could see the lower city, and I saw a beautiful path with trees. Few minutes walk took me to the famous St.Mark's Church with the painting on the roofs. It was surrounded by government buildings that many policemen were around. I keep strolling the city having the recommendation (from the girl in the souvenir shop) to follow the routes on the City Map. I stopped in a cafe called Hystoric Cafe in a nice streets full of bars called Tkalciceva for a beer.
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| St.Mark's Church, Zagreb |
I went back to the hostel, checked in and had a rest. In the evening, I met my room mate from the US named Brian. Since it was raining outside, he lent me his umbrella and we went for dinner in a place recommended by Vedran, the hostel reception, named Ribice i Tri Tockice (literally means a fish and 3 dots), good for its seafood. The restaurant was cutely decorated with fish pictures and ornaments.
The second day, I went to Plitvice Lakes National Park. Tourist Information girl booked a transportation for me with a travel agent named iBus (180 kuna). It was better this way since I didn't have to go to the bus terminal, and I could leave my bag in the car, and it was a bit cheaper. We departed Zagreb at 8:40 and arrived in the Park at 11:10. On the way, we saw a beautiful village surrounded with cascades of water falls. Unfortunately we didn't have a photo stop (later on I found out the name of the village was Rastoke - Millers' Village).
It was cloudy and started to rain when we arrived in the park. Thanks again to Brian for lending me his umbrella. We strolled the park together following the well-marked route. The park was really beautiful with many lakes and water falls. The water was emerald green and so clear the we could see the bottom, with dead trees and fish, and also a boat! We took the boat to cross the lake to the upper lakes area. The view was getting prettier and prettier. Finally we reached the end of the route (we followed Route C) about 1:30PM and we took the bus back. That was where I met Ogata-san, a Japanese living in Chester UK.
The bus didn't take us to the Entrance No.1 where we supposed to wait for our bus, but we still had to walk. The walk took us to the best place to get the whole view of the park from above. Since we had 1.5 hours, we decided to get back to the first areas and we went to a cave. Climbing up passing the cave took us to the location with the best view of the lake from above we had passed previously.
Finishing the whole route, we had our nice beer and had our sandwiches we brought from Zagred while waiting for the bus.
 |
| Plitvice Lakes National Park |
I arrived in Dubrovnik about 10:15PM and took the bus (35 kuna) to the old city Pile Gate. My hostel, Oldtown Hostel (20 euros by hostelworld.com), was located inside the walled city, not far from the Pile Gate, really really nice location. I was moved by the beauty of the city at night. The walls, the main street was marble white, with monastry, cafes, and shop along the street. After checking in and putting my bag in the hostel, I strolled the night city. The main street was only about 200m. At the other end of the street, there was a square with beautiful church.
I got up in the morning, trying to search for a day trip to Montenegro, but finally I didn't get a chance. The Atlas Croatia travel agent, despite their website showed they had a daytrip to Montenegro, they said their website was out-dated. The travel agent Adriated Explorer in the hostel said they had left at 8AM, as well as the travel agent I met in the street. So I decided just to stay in Dubrovnik.
I bought the ticket (70 kuna) to stroll the wall. The walk started above Pile Gate. The first view was stunning, with the main street (Stradun), marble white in the scene. It was a really nice walking and certainly a must do thing in Dubrovnik. The view of the city and the surrounded city and Lokrum Island.
I met a Japanese, Orikasa-san, who lived in London. We strolled along together and had a lunch, yummy seafood risotto (60 kuna) and beer in a restaurant called Lokanda Peskarija in the harbour.
We wanted to use the cable car to the Srd Mountain, but it was not working due to bad weather. So I decided to go back to my hostel to have my siesta.
Late afternoon, coincidentally I met Ogata-san, and we went to a restaurant Kamenice to have steam mussels and wine. We decided to walk up to the Srj Mountain. We gave up on the way since we had already got a nice view and it was rain.
We went to a cafe (Glamp Cafe) and a wine bar (Festival Cafe, on the main street, nice with live piano but expensive), waiting for dinner with Orikasa-san. We decided to have the dinner at Dundo Maroje, since it was on Arukikata, most the customers were Japanese, the power of a guide book. We took the dinner course (139 kuna per person) and drank 2 bottles of wine (we took the cheapest one, 124 kuna, but it was tasty one). End of my trip. The next day I just flew back to Zagreb, then heading back to Doha after having 7 hours stop over in Istanbul to meet my Turkish friend.
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| Panoramic Dubrovnik |
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