Dazzling Days in Dubrovnik

To spend a few days in Dubrovnik is simply not enough time! Dubrovnik is an unique city, filled with cruise ships, tours, and crowds, but full of charm and excitement!

[divider class="" ]How?

Since we were in Split, there are a few different options. Throughout my research, I tried so many options. There was flying, but it was a bit expensive and inconvenient considering the time factor. With renting a car, there is the ease factor, but I really did not want to drive a car. On the internet, some said a 7-8 hour cruise from Split to Dubrovnik was amazing. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find this cruise. In the end, we took a bus…

Granted, the bus was only suppose to be four hours. However, the website did not mention the curvy twisted roads nor the countless bus stops. Our bus somehow was two hours late. In my mind, there was one positive about the bus - we added another country - Bosnia! We stopped in this sleepy country for almost an hour and purchased a meal! Unfortunately we also added another stamp to our quickly filling passport pages.

[divider class="" ]Villa Dubrovnik

By far, this is my proudest moment as a budget-is traveller. Mary Frances was especially proud of my decision. Once we arrived at the bus terminal, we were transported to a vastly different world at the Villa Dubrovnik! As it is the only true five star hotel in Dubrovnik, it is the definition of posh!

We were warmly welcomed by the front desk staff, whom proceeded to show us around the grounds. We began with the outside patio which has the perfect overlook on the Dubrovnik castle! We could have lunch or dinner under the trees in the cool atmosphere. We then proceeded to the cocktail bar which has sleek counters and comfy couches! We then learned there is a wine bar on the rooftop! How amazing!

This excludes the sun bathing areas. There is one directly on the sea with semi-private cabanas where we could also order food and drink. If we preferred the pool, there were plenty of awesome spots! Mary Frances was in heaven at this point!

Our room was quite swanky and even included a bottle of bubbly and chocolates to celebrate our arrival. There are loads of various buttons and cool things. Perhaps our favorite spot was the balcony as we had a direct view of the Dubrovnik castle. It is simply amazing!!

[divider class="" ]Rooftop Wine Bar

Similar to the many other people at the hotel, we went to the rooftop wine bar to celebrate luxury and obviously marriage. Strangely, there were loads of Americans here… (joking!). We enjoyed lovely local cheese board and Croatian rose as the sun set. Because of our view, the sun set directly behind the castle and city. We were very happy!

We decided to then move the party downstairs to the Michelin praised restaurant. Although it was not a Michelin starred, it was reviewed and given the seal of approval by the famous rating system! This hotel has astounding views regardless of our location as Mary Frances enjoyed perfect night time Dubrovnik skyline. During dinner, someone even began a free fireworks show over the city! I mean, we could not have asked for a better first night!

For dinner, we started with an interesting cucumber soup with fresh bread. I definitely enjoyed every last drop! Since we were in prime Croatian wine country, Mary Frances ordered a great bottle of white wine since we planned on getting fresh seafood. For our main, I ordered a fresh seafood pasta - the pasta is also made from scratch daily! Mary Frances ordered a great looking sea bass which she definitely enjoyed!

[divider class="" ]R&R at the Villa

Since we had the villa, we obviously had to take advantage of all the amenities so we decided Friday would be our rest and relaxation day!

Photo Time!

Someone (MF) had a fantastic idea to take professional photos while in Dubrovnik. I doubt this person (MF) realized this would mean we would have to wake up at the crack of dawn! As a morning person, I certainly did not mind but she certainly had a panic!

During our initial research, there is a great service called Flytographer. For a block of time, you pay a professional photographer to take pictures of you and they have to provide either 15, 30, or 45 professional photos. Although expensive, I was very happy we did this! Not only did we see the local side of Dubrovnik, we also had great pictures taken! As always, pictures speak a thousand words!

Use the code CODE1814 for $25 off your first purchase!

If staying in the city, I would highly recommend waking up at the crack of dawn to explore and take pictures of the city. There were hardly any tourists, except locals, in the city, leaving us to take our photos in peace and quiet. The city is truly beautiful, especially as the sun rises and hits the ancient stone!

[photogrid ids="3035,3036,3043,3042,3041,3040,3039,3038,3037" captions="no" columns="two" fullwidth="yes" ]

Very Villa!

After our photo session, we went back to the Villa for our breakfast. Somehow, we were still able to beat the ‘crowds!’ We ordered a very tasty eggs benedict and omelette with fresh fruit! Obviously, we loved our view and could not get enough of it! The staff were also great and very attentive despite my many requests for couple photos!

The rest of the Villa day was spent by the pool. We ordered great wine, food, and beer as we soaked in the sun. Heeding our earlier summer mistakes in Greece, we ensured our now British-ified pasty white bodies did not get burned! We also took some very chilly dips in the Adriatic! It was glorious!

A One Hour Tour

My one request of Mary Frances on her R&R day was we explore Dubrovnik city on Friday night. There was a quick one hour tour, provided by Dubrovnik Walking Tours, that gave us loads of food tips as well as history! We met by the fountain and basically did a complete circle of the city!

By the numbers, Croatia/Dubrovnik is one the fastest growing holiday destinations. They have surpassed all expectations and goals for 2018 as almost 6 million people have already visited! However, our guide told us that the tourism season dies as soon as the cruise ships stop coming November. Perhaps we need to come in November…

By looking at the city, we could tell it is very medieval through the castles and various buildings. And Game of Thrones, duh. Surprisingly, there is only one pre-1660s building standing due to a massive earthquake. On top of that, due to the civil war in the 1990s, many buildings were damaged. From the wall walk, our guide said that any red roofs indicate a ‘new’ or rebuilt building. We can confirm most of the city’s roofs are red, unfortunately!

Our guide pointed at all the hot spots, including Game of Thrones scenes, on our one hour tour. She recommended the following:

• Cathedral
• Wall Walk
• Castle
• Hidden bars such as Buka Bar or Bard Bar
• Archelogoical sites
• Food and wine

Sunset on the Wall

After the walking tour, we ventured to the top of the wall. There are a few entrances that enable visitors to walk on the top of the wall in a full circle. Luckily, we were just in time for the sun to begin setting. It was nearly magical!

We met loads of other tourists along the wall and taking their pictures. It appears this is a popular hour! Rather than walking around the entire wall, we only did it half way and then went back to the streets. My research told me there were lovely bars within walls to watch the sunset - only we had to hurry to see it!

Unfortunately, similar to the other hundred plus people there, we were jammed into a very small space to view the sunset. We enjoyed a nice sunset with rose, until some stupid idiot climbed the rocks and literally blocked everyone’s view. Or, I could say it is me who decided to do that??!

Di’Vino

Since I dragged Mary Frances out of her beach chair, made her walk on a tour and on the wall in the hot sun, and finally did not feed her delicious food and wine. Then, I took her into the magical word of Di’Vino. As the name surmises, we went to one of the best wine bars probably in the world! Definitely the best one we have ever been to! Tucked into an alley, with minimal seats, Di’Vino hosts all sorts of wine and very friendly staff to help you drink it!

Since we were newbies to Croatian wine, we chose two different red wine flights. Our ‘guide’ for the evening informed us that we should do the basic Plavic Mali wine flight and then the premium one. It won’t take long to figure out which one we liked best! I enjoyed seeing Mary Frances’ face light up and the new knowledge and fun. We definitely enjoyed the banter between us and the bar staff. Most importantly, we enjoyed the chartcuerie board!

After our wine flights, we decided we might as well drink a few glasses from our favorite bottles. Unsurprisingly, we ran into a few Americans in the bar as well! If it is a nice evening, we could even sit outside or on the stairs. It truly seemed magical!

[divider class="" ]The UnChartered 13 Summary:

• Di’Vino is an amazing place - go to it!
• For amazing professional photos, use Flytographer! Don't forget my code CODE1814
• For special (or any!) occasion, book the Villa Dubrovnik. You won’t regret it!
• Schedule all activities in the city for early in the morning or late at night to avoid the crowds
• Do NOT take a bus from Split to Dubrovnik - I wish we either ferried or just rented a car