Many years ago, I visited seven islands in the southern Caribbean on a massive cruise ship with oh, just a few thousand of my fellow passengers. Most of our time was spent on the boat, we did little to impact the respective local economies, and I left with very few memories of actually experiencing the individual personalities of those beautiful islands. I decided I’d never set foot on a ship
Did you know that even if only one of your grandparents (or even great-grandparents) was born in Croatia, you’re eligible to obtain your Croatian citizenship? Assuming you can provide the required documentation, you may be one year away from becoming a dual citizen. The concept of dual nationality means that a person is a national of two countries at the same time and Croatia allows its citizens to hold foreign
When people think of truffles, most associate these umami-rich hidden treasures with Italy – specifically, the northwestern Piedmont region. Or Villefranche-du-Périgord, France. Or maybe, the mind drifts to medieval Aínsa, Spain. Meanwhile, overdue buzz has been catapulting the new ‘it girl’ of the truffle world – Croatia’s Istrian peninsula – to soaring popularity. If you’ve visited Croatia, you’ve probably sipped on remarkable wines produced in the Istria region such as Malvasia or Teran.
If I had to summarize my extended time in Croatia using just one word, I’d probably choose “glorious.” The days are indulgently long, with a gentle lavender-scented breeze bringing welcome reprieve from the persevering Adriatic sun. My daily stint at the beach features a panoramic stretch of impossibly crystalline water, framed by pine trees and mountains with the island of Brač in the near distance. We sit on our seaside
The first time I rented a car in Croatia and drove along the Dalmatian coast back in 2014, I was astonished – and not just by the stunning scenery. I’m very familiar with the Dalmatian’s “pomalo” philosophy (take it easy; relax) but apparently, it applies to everything except for driving. Even though I was driving the posted speed limit (and maybe a few kilometres over, if I’m being honest), it
The old city of Dubrovnik – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – appears almost hand-painted, resembling the dreamiest of fairy tales and filled with bucket list must-sees. Of all the town’s jaw-dropping sites, the ancient city walls surrounded by terracotta rooftops and intensely-hued turquoise water rank as the #1 attraction (and deserve their very own blog post!). Though the fantasy series Game of Thrones propelled the medieval town and its
While the Makarska Riviera may be the better-known stretch of precious Dalmatian coastline, the adjacent Omiš Riviera is an equally fabulous destination! Some of the riviera’s most popular seaside towns include Duce, Nemira, Stanići, Ruskamen, Lokva Rogoznica, Medići, Mimice, Marušići, Pisak and of course, Omiš itself. This majestic stretch along the Adriatic is renowned for its rugged beauty. Punctuated by wild lavender, fragrant pine trees, and towering mountains that seem to plunge into the azure
There’s nothing worse than arriving at your dream destination, succumbing to a nap, and then finding yourself up half the night – and subsequently ruining your sightseeing plans the next day. I lived in Hong Kong for the better part of a year and made regular trips between HK and San Francisco, allowing me to experiment with various remedies to combat Asia’s special brand of extreme jet lag. Unfortunately the
Rovinj. For as long as I’ve been visiting Croatia, this idyllic Istrian coastal town has eluded me – after all, central Dalmatia (where I stay) is a 6-hour drive away. Armed with a travel itinerary conjured the night before, an equally unassuming travel partner and a supermini car that required temporarily switching off the A/C to climb daunting hills, we were ready to hit the road. We booked boutique accommodations in the center of the
Have you spied the handmade posters promoting “fish picnic” excursions in coastal Croatian towns with a marina? Though the name always makes me laugh, this half-day excursion is seriously fun! We simply walked onto the boat the morning of our fish picnic this past June, but reservations are usually recommended during high-season. And by reservation, that simply means giving the captain a head’s up the day prior – most of these excursions cannot be