Croatia Travel Blog

As a five-star hotel in Dubrovnik, the Hotel Excelsior always had a lot going for it, not the least of which was its excellent Rustica restaurant. Alas, the Rustica is falling victim to the total overhaul of the Hotel Excelsior. The renowned restaurant will become a luxury villa rented to the biggest of the big spenders and the rest of the Hotel Excelsior  will also be upgraded to suit the most exacting of standards. Need space? You’ll have plenty of it when the facelift is completed (in late Spring). The 108 rooms will be consolidated into only 95, with the largest rooms on the 5th and 6th floors. Also overhauled will be the swimming pool, spa and wellness area. We can’t wait until the grand opening in late May.

See more about the Hotel Excelsior  and other luxury hotels in Dubrovnik.

Posted under Croatia Hotels & Croatia Travel & Dubrovnik | 1 Comment »

You’d think that with 1185 islands, Croatia would have enough. Well no. It turns out that subtle subterranean shifts are slowly–very, very slowly–producing more Adriatic islands. It’s all about plates. Tectonic plates. According to an article in the New Scientist, geologists have found that the Eurasian and African plates are creeping ever closer together. As the Adriatic sea sits atop the African plate, its seabed is getting squeezed which will cause new islands to pop up. But not that soon. If all proceeds as expected, Italy will edge ever closer to Croatia and in about 50 to 70 million years all of the islands will get smushed together in one landmass. No more Adriatic sea! No more sailing the Croatian islands! This would be very bad for tourism. And what would the new landmass be called? Croitalia? Italy and Croatia have a long and frazzled history squabbling over the Adriatic coast. Their most recent quarrel is over Croatia’s implementation of a protected fishing zone to keep out Italian fishing boats. One can only imagine the fireworks when there’s a whole new landmass to claim. At least there’s a long time to think it over. See more about Croatian islands.

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There’s good news for those who like wine with their meals. Croatia’s famous “zero tolerance” law which placed at zero the acceptable amount of alcohol in the blood of drivers has been modified. Passed in 2003, the law seemed to reduce traffic accidents but was highly unpopular among Croatia’s hospitality professionals. Croatia’s has a thriving wine industry that was none-too-pleased to see tourists drinking soda with their dinner, instead of local wine.

The new law allows drivers over the age of 24 to drink a glass of wine or beer with their dinner as long as their blood alcohol content is lower than 0.5 per ml.

See more on driving in Croatia. 

Don’t think that you will long enjoy a cigarette with your wine or beer however! Part of the same legislative package  aims to put an end to smoking in bars and restaurants by the end of 2008. A 2006 law banned smoking in workplaces but it was not widely enforced. Implementation of a law banning smoking in public places is more or less required for Croatia to become part of the EU but the one out of four Croatians who smoke are most displeased. Which leaves three out of four who will certainly love the overall improvement in air quality.

See more on smoking in Croatia. 

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A new tour company, Secret Dalmatia, based in Split is offering an exciting array of luxury tours for the 2008 season. There are custom-tailored itineraries, special romantic tours for honeymooners plus  sailing holidays on fully skippered yachts that take you through Croatia’s islands with  knowledgeable local experts. And that’s not all! If your passion is photography, there’s a photo tour. Love the pleasures of the palate? Discover the region’s best wineries or take a gastronomic tour of Dalmatia’s finest kitchens. Active travel? This dynamic young company can arrange for your hiking, trekking, rafting or scuba diving adventure. The service and accommodation is first-class all the way.  The name says it all: Secret Dalmatia takes you off the beaten track for an unforgettable vacation.

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Good news for those who want to visit Korcula on a quick day trip from Dubrovnik. Up until last year, the ferry schedules required you to wait  for the coastal ferry to chug from Dubrovnik to Korcula and that was only a few times a week. Last year was the first time that GV Line ran a fast boat from Dubrovnik to Mljet, Sipan, Korcula to Lastovo and I’m pleased to report that the service will run this year as well. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday the “Nona Ana” catamaran will leave Dubrovnik in the morning and return from Korcula in the afternoon. It’s a long trip but worth it in order to at least get in a short visit to Korcula, although the island deserves so much more.

See the Nona Ana schedule.

Posted under Croatia Ferries | 1 Comment »