re: Croatia Trip

Last July the wife and I did 3.5 days in Vienna, then 5 days in Hvar and 3.5 in Dubrovnik.

-If you are active, and don't mind a bit of work biking from Melk to Krems was awesome. If you decide on it i'll look up the towns we stopped in.

-Flew from VIE to SPU via Serbia. Split has a really easy airport, and by downloading the Croatian ferry company aps I was able to buy my ferry ticket while we road from the airport to the ferry port. I'd recommend doing the same thing.

-Hvar hotels kind of suck (from pictures). I wanted to get more value out of my money so we decided to Air BnB. I am glad I did.

-Get some sturdy shoes if you plan on walking cross country at all on their paths. The stones really cut stuff up if it isn't tough.

-The beaches are pebble beachs, some cheap aqua socks are a worthwhile investments unless you have chacos or keens.

-the scenery is really awesome; really, really awesome

-Hvar was a great introduction to Croatia, but if I ever go back I'll stay on another spot on the island or on a smaller island. The town is known for its partying, so you get a bunch of geordies and loud Aussies. Not a problem or anything, but just as young drunk tourists have an affect on certain parts of NOLA they affect certain parts of Hvar.

-Go to a restaurant named stori komin. NYT Article: LINK

-Go to Lambik in Milna (small cove not far from Hvar town). If feeling adventurous walk from hvar to milna through the olive groves and farms.

-Do an island tour with Ilirio's tours. I usually hate tours, but this was just 4 couples on a speedboat and they bring around to caves, islands, different beaches, some cliffs to jump off from, etc. It was worth it, and was a great first day activity to get acquainted a bit with the area.

-The palkeni islands are pretty cool, but if you are looking for relaxation don't go to the island with the club (forget the name, club is the only thing on it). We spent most of our time on Jerolim. It has a beach bar with reasonable prices, and is half naturist/half clothed.

-Skip hula hula; go to falko beach bar instead

-In Dubrovnik take the northern ferry to kolocep and eat at villa ruza. Excellent scenery and food, and is an exception to my comments below. LINK

-Misc. thoughts on Croatia: Their cheap beer is pretty good. I read a tripadvisor review that said Croatia was "retard Italy", and that statement proved to be really true. The food and wine just falls short many times (the whites and rose wines were pretty good). Seafood again is good, but I've had better. I'm sure there restaurant industry will develop as their tourism industry develops, but it is something to keep in mind. You will still get pretty good value for the food (if you want certain dishes like lamb peka you usually need to order a day in advance).

I am sure I am leaving stuff out, so if you have any specifics please ask.