CROATIA
When you go
Flights: Turkish Airlines has the most direct flights from Johannesburg to Zagreb via Istanbul. Croatian Airlines, British Airways, Air France, Qatar Airways and KLM fly to Zagreb via various European and international destinations. Visa requirement: Citizens of the UK, EU, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand do not require visas for up to 90 days, all other nationalities require a visa. Accommodation: Hotel Jägerhorn: www. hotel-jagerhorn. hr / en Esplanade Hotel: www. esplanade. hr Chillout Hostel: www. chillout-hostel-zagreb. com Hotel Kimen: www. hotel-kimen. com / en Hotel Kazbek: www. kazbekdubrovnik. com / default-en. html Don’ t miss: Lunch in Valun at sunset, the oceanside vendors of Cres, picnics in Maksimir Park in Zagreb, Plitviče Lake outside of main tourism season, the Secrets of Grič tour( during summertime in Zagreb), hiking Medvednica Mountain, taking a drive to Beli. And it goes without saying that Dubrovnik and Split are best enjoyed outside of the peak summer months. Unique festivals: Sali Donkey Racing: www. dugiotok. hr / en / offer-festivities Cest Is d’ Best: www. cestisdbest. com / engleski / index _ engl. html Rijeka Summer Nights Festival: www. visitrijeka. eu / What _ To _ Do / Annual _ Events / Rijeka _ Summer _ Nights Sinjska Alka: www. dalmacija. net / sinj / sinj _ 1. htm Karlovac Beer Festival: www. karlovac-touristinfo. hr / en / info / beer-festival-karlovac Marunada in Opatija: www. visitopatija. net / en / gastronomy / marunada
Outside the majestic city walls of Dubrovnik and the popular gothic and baroque buildings of Split, life slows down to a leisurely ocean pace. Ice-cold glasses of Karlovačko and Ožujsko beers are sipped in cafés overlooking village docks, while plates of Crni Rižoto( squid risotto) are enjoyed as the sails of passing yachts decorate the horizon.
Everyone here has access to some kind of ocean-going vessel; be it a small dingy, a super yacht or simply an inflatable inner tube. The water is refreshingly cold, a perfect respite from the hot summer sun.
There are many ways to travel around Croatia. There’ s an extensive network of buses that reaches every small village around the mainland and the outer islands of the Dalmatian coastline can be reached via a network of ferries.
I was drawn to the road, traversing the countryside from Zagreb to the island of Cres by car, allowing time for detours to the sights en route at my leisure. I decided to extend my time at the spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Site of Plitviče National Park, where 16 interconnected lakes peaking out through forest and azure limestone waters.
Driving with all the windows down, we stopped on the side of the road as the smell of roasted suckling pig caught our attention. Although the seaside harbour of Mali Lošinj beckoned over the next hill, we couldn’ t stop ourselves from pulling over.
A cook was preparing four of the pigs that graze around the open land of his house, as the rest of his family served up blitva and beers.
This is Croatian life. Yes, bullet holes still dot the sides of buildings, openly displaying the scars of a country that was ravaged by a war that cost thousands of lives and made refugees of millions of people. But Croatia has emerged into a thriving amalgamation of modern and old. There is a story behind every stone, and a proud people who remain traditional, but filled with the energy of a young, ambitious new generation of Croats, who are turning the country into a holiday destination as unique as its people.
Travel Update | issue 9
47