December 19th 2007
Starting June 7, SkyEurope will run twice weekly (Tuesday and Saturday) flights from Prague to Zadar making it easy to swing down to the Croatian coast as part of an Eastern Europe trip. Prices start at an unbelievably low €10.60 one-way. I would book now.
Find more cheap flights to Croatia.
December 11th 2007
According to the tourist association there have been 568,111 tourists in Zagreb, Croatia’s capital city, the first 11 months of 2007 which represents a 14% increase over last year’s figures. That’s good news for one of Eastern Europe’s lesser known highlights. Zagreb has always suffered by comparison with the far more publicized Prague. OK. The old town is not quite as extensive as that of Prague but neither is it ever elbow to elbow with tourists. And it’s cheaper than the Czech city.
The nationalities of visitors to Zagreb is as follows: mostly German, followed by Americans and Italians. That’s probably because Germans and Americans generally get cheap flights to Zagreb while Brits fly from London to Split, Pula or Dubrovnik.
See more on:
December 10th 2007
Easyjet has announced a new route to run from Bristol to Split starting April 26. Booking has not yet opened but look for fares as low as £46.98. According to UK general manager David Osbourne: “EasyJet will launch 18 new routes over the next few months from our bases across the UK and we will shortly announce further expansion.”
Hmmm. Could that be good news for Croatia?
See more on flights to Croatia.
December 10th 2007
The venerable NYT has been a little late on the uptake when it comes to Croatia but is making up for it. This past weekend, Croatia appeared twice. A piece on family vacations correctly noted the many opportunities for active vacations in Croatia that include sailing, cycling and kayaking on the “Dalmatian Riviera” which runs from Split to Dubrovnik.
And, in its “53 Places to Go in 2008” article, the writer highlights Hvar Island, known for its chic nightlife and wonderful Adriana hotel, Croatia’s first Leading Small Hotels of the World. (But, bizarrely, the photo accompanying the article shows Komiza on Vis Island. As if there aren’t plenty of photo-ready spots on Hvar!)
Despite the emphasis on luxury, note that you don’t have to charter a yacht to fit into the Hvar harbour scene! There are plenty of small backpacker bars in the narrow side streets and plenty of reasonably priced private accommodation.
See more on:
December 7th 2007
The famed rapper’s concert in Zagreb took place on December 3 but the buzz lingers on. First there were his extravagant (OK, not by star standards) list of “requests” for the Hotel Antunovic (as reported by Javno.com): Norwegian salmon, Russian caviar, 50-vitamin mineral water, soy milk in six flavors with only 1.8% fat. I’m thinking ‘What a healthy guy!’ And everything has to be recyclable. And so ecologically-correct! But then there’s the obligatory Dom Perignon and Hennessey. Uh-oh. Maybe, just to please the entourage?
Alas. Mr. Cent was caught with his nose down. In a white powdery substance. The incriminating stance was captured by a local reporter who wandered into his dressing room right before the concert. (You can watch it on YouTube)
Now here’s the question: which is more shocking? A rap star demanding 50-vitamin mineral water and an eco-friendly hotel room, or a rap star ingesting powdery substances right before a concert?
