The Balkans 2024 – Blog

Oh yes, we are on our way as the majority of our group met at Auckland International Airport and started our journey to Europe via Doha. This was the first time for most of us to fly through Qatar. The transfer was so easy and the airport itself modern and clean with a beautiful garden just near our departure gate. Our gate C53 was in the middle of 96 gates for C zone – so a huge airport.

We arrived in Zagreb early morning (around 6.30am) and had a very smooth transition through passport control and better yet all our bags were there too. Nikolche Evtimoski, (Nikola) our Tour Manager was there to greet us and that was it – we are in the Balkans and ready for adventure!

In the interests of adjusting to the time zone better we checked into our hotel, had breakfast, freshened up and went out for a stroll with Mandy Page, our Tour Leader.

Zagreb is a mix of buildings from the last three centuries with the occasionally medieval structure. The hotel, Sheraton Zagreb was in the Lower Town and so we strolled along the streets to the nearby green area and onto the Upper Town. You couldn’t ask for a better day with blue skies, a warm 21 and a gentle breeze.

The afternoon was at leisure and then it was our first dinner together. Some of the group joined Nikola on a tram ride back to the hotel. Hotel; Sheraton Zagreb

We woke to another beautiful day and after a hearty breakfast it was time to get ourselves organised with the Whispers (personal communication system) and our day ahead. Our local guide, Zgravka Vrnoga met us at the hotel and was a wonderful storyteller.

There were some facts and dates in the two hour walk but the most memorable information was the people and personal history. We heard about bishops and witches, statues and buried rivers and saw lots of beautiful streets.

We all chose to take the funicular down the hill and enjoy a 63 second ride for .66 Euros. (Did you know it’s the shortest funicular in the world!)

After our walk around it was time for coffee and cake. Then we made individual choices for the afternoon; some went to the Museum of Broken Relationships, some shopping and some for another tram ride.

The day was not quite over for some of us as we ventured out to find dinner (hotel restaurant was filled to capacity). It was cheap but extremely cheerful as we wrapped ourselves in blankets and created the Higher Order of the Blankets. David, as our Archbishop was doing well with the rules of ‘No Honey, No Money and No Mucking About’ – Chastity, Poverty and Obedience but completely lost the crowd when he proposed we be a Silent Order. All was going well until we decided to catch the No 13 tram back to the hotel – would you believe for 20 minutes we had no 14, 12, 11 and even 1 but no 13! As it was chilly we decided to walk back (a kind passerby bought the tickets back from me) and as we started a No 13 appeared (going the wrong way)!

Today it was breakfast in Croatia and lunch in Slovenia. The day was wet however that did not deter us from sailing along the amazing highway from Zagreb to Bled. Slovenia is a green and pastural country with incredible mountains and access to the sea. From the highway we passed small rural villages with their distinctive white buildings with wooden balconies and doors. Each small settlement seemed to have a church with its tall tower and a cluster of farms.

Arriving in Lake Bled we meet Barbara Merlak our local guide who accompanied us to the small island in Lake Bled. The soft weather made all the sharp lines of mountains and sky very blurred and romantic. As we rowed by pletna boats to the island, small birds darted across the water and the occasional duck floated by. We all managed to get to the top of the small hill and view the church, inspect the gift shop and grab a warm coffee. Down the 99 steps, we rejoined the boats and were rowed back to our bus.

Barbara organised a local cafe to stay open so we could have a hot lunch before making a choice between walking around the lake, catching the tourist train or simply having a kremsnit (custard square). (Wonder which one we chose!!) Hotel: Komas Hotel, Bled

An earlier start today as we headed out at 8am to Ljubljana. We found ourselves in traffic for the first time as we entered the city.

Waiting for us was Karmen Rus our local guide; Karmen loves her city and she walked us around the historic centre introducing us to many of the bridges crossing The Ljubljanica, the river which flows through the city. The river today is lined with cafes and small shops making Ljubljana a very walkable place.

After hitting the main highlights Pedersen (poet), the cathedral, the town hall and many old streets, we were free to explore on our own for a few hours. Some of us went up to the Castle (Grad) by funicular, others went souvenir shopping and even more in search of coffee and cake. Those who hadn’t tasted the Cream Pie (Kremsnita) had their opportunity and what a taste sensation it was!

Gathering together at 1.45pm we headed back to the bus and were on our way to Plitvice National Park. The long drive was punctuated by the talking book, questions from the group and national anthems from Slovenia, Croatia and New Zealand.

A quick stop at the supermarket to buy our parts for the picnic tomorrow and then on to dinner.

I think most of us slept the sleep of the tired when we got to bed. Hotel: Jezero Hotel, Plitvice

A welcome later start meant we started our day at 9.45am. First stop was the Park Entrance 1 where we met Patricia, our park guide.

Despite the forecasted rain we had a cloudy day which brightened into sunshine. The colour of the lakes looked impossibly blue to turquoise and the many cascades sparkled in the sun. The fresh green of the spring foliage was particularly beautiful today.

A slow stroll around the lower lakes brought us P2 where we had our picnic. Tablecloth, serviettes and a fine array of food produced by the group. Delicious.

After lunch there was a bit of a wait for the boat. (There was an unexpected number of guests in the park and the boats only take 100 passengers at a time.) It was wonderful being on the blue water (silently on the electric boat) moving up the lake to P3. At this point some went on to the upper lake and the rest of went by another short boat ride to P1 and up the hill to the hotel.

Leaving behind the green and turquoise of Plitvice, we travelled southwest to the coast. One moment we were in a fertile farm area, the next going through a 6 km tunnel and then we were four degrees warmer in a rocky, barren landscape. The three hour journey took us to the Adriatic coast and Spilt.

Split has been occupied for over 2,000 years and in the centre of the old town is the Emperor’s Diocletian’s Palace. Don’t imagine a dry dusty ruin, the palace is part of a vibrant living city. Shops, apartments, restaurants and businesses live within the city walls and palace complex.

Jelena Grgas, our local guide took us on a winding walk in the palace, from the basement to the upper floors.

After some free time, mostly trying the local beer, we walked to dinner at a fish restaurant. (Most of us decided the local dish of mackerel was not for us) and so we walked on to the hotel. Hotel: Globo

An early start today as we needed to be at the bus early to get to the ferry terminal in time to board the ferry. It was a calm sailing to the Island of Hvar. Clyde our retired ship’s captain, managed to get us a tour of the ship and bridge.

Arriving at the island it was a smooth drive across the island from Stadi Grad to the town of Hvar. Sunshine, pale stones and ocean.

Dajana Moskaleto was a great local guide as we walked slowly through the old town with it’s narrow streets, quirky architectural features and lots of options for food and drink. Greeks, Romans, Venetians, Kiwis, they have all been to this small town!

Our hotel was right on the water with views across the marina back to the town. Time for a rest, a gelato and slow look at the shops. Most of us had dinner together at Mizarola, a recommendation from our local guide.

We woke to a sparkling day; clear blue skies, shiny limestone buildings and clear sea water. Hvar township is small enough to get to know well and large enough to have surprising treats just around the corner.

Some of us climbed the 80 odd metres to the fortress overlooking the harbour. Originally fortified by the romans the fortress last reincarnation was as a Spanish fortress after lightning ignited the gunpowder store. The complex was on many levels and had panoramic views of the town and distant islands.

Down in the main square we met more of our group and crossed the plaza to the old theatre (foundation stone 1612) and the first civic theatre in Europe. They had virtual reality headsets explaining the history of Hvar – a novel of new technology meets old building.

The last stop on our combination ticket was the Clock Tower. Then it was time for lunch by the water.

After lunch (and Alan’s first gelato of the day) a few of us wandered along the paved path to access point to the sea to put our feet in the Adriatic. The sea water was distantly salty and pebbles lined the shore where they between the rocks. Cold and refreshing the water was crystal clear.

The rest of the day was at leisure: time for a nap, read a book, swim or refreshing drink at the bar.

At 6pm most of us gathered to walk 6,5 minutes to Restoran Palaca Paladini, a garden restaurant. The restaurant was set in an enclosed open-air courtyard and perfect for a friendly, fun evening.

The great weather continued as we woke early to get our day underway. At 7.30am we walked across the town to our bus and then drove the 77km to Sucaraj, our ferry terminal to return to the mainland. Our timing was perfect and we managed to get on the 10.30am ferry for our 30 minute crossing.

Back on Europe we travelled south to first Ston, then Dubrovnik. Ston was our lunch stop and those ancient kilometres of wall were impressive.

First sight on our approach to Dubrovnik was a huge passenger ship, Norwegian Viva: we think over 3,000 passengers. Here’s hoping they are not all in the old town tomorrow morning.

Sleep tonight is in Valamar Tirena Hotel

An easy start as we settled into our day in beautiful Dubrovnik – the old city with its fortified walls, location on the sea and preserved old buildings takes some beating. We expected it to be crowded, after sighting that huge cruise ship in port and the place was humming with tourists.

Our local guide, Romana Kmetovic was an expert as she navigated around the crowds, into shady spots and still managed to explain the history and uniqueness of Dubrovnik. Highlights of our walking tour included the Franciscan monastery pharmacy and the Rector’s Palace. It’s very difficult to take a bad photo in the old town; so many cute alleys and architectural features!

After our walking tour it was time to enjoy some free time; some went for a walk on the walls, some for lunch, others for shopping and even more to do some quality control on the gelato!

Returning to the hotel we had time to freshen up before Mandy’s birthday party. Nikola negotiated a balcony space, a cake and champagne and finished his range of talents by being the DJ for our party, which got progressively louder as the alcohol got lower.

To round off the day, fourteen of us caught the local No, 6 bus back to the old city for a concert by the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra. It was a magical evening which just got better and better. Our first treat was at a local restaurant who offered us half price quesadillas – yum. Second treat was having the concert in the Rector’s Palace and the greatest treat of all was the superb orchestra. The concert started with classical pieces and then morphed into popular themes such as James Bond and Game of Thrones. Two encores!! (We even managed to catch the bus and return to the hotel without getting lost).

Today was a travelling day as we left Croatia and entered Montenegro (via a land border control). Our first stop in Montenegro was Kotor and what a great place it is. The tiny port was overshadowed by an enormous Viking cruise ship and the narrow streets overrun with tourists moving in packs of 20-50.

Our guide in Kotor was Jovic and was a charming example of the local people.

After Kotor it was the adventure of the serpentine, a road over the mountain with 25 significant switchbacks. All was well until we met two buses coming in the other direction – I swear I heard our driver Zoran mutter some choice words as he expertly got us passed them. Mind you when we stopped to take in the view, Zoran needed a few minutes to calm his nerves with a cigarette.

Over the summit the road improved and we soon arrived at the oldest restaurant in Montenegro – more a roadside inn – a local family served a simple meal of bread, cheese, prosciutto, olives and a glass of local wine or mead. The owner then escorted us into the smoke room for a shot of Rakia (45 proof). Some of us really enjoyed the Rakia and had a merry old time getting back to the bus.

It was a quick hop over to Cetinje, only slowed by the road works where we helped the machines flatten the loose gravel.

At Cetinje we met Veljko Kadija who walked us around the older part of the town and through King Nikola House Museum. Our patient kiwi group felt like the filling in a tourist sandwich as we followed one cruise boat pack and was back ended by another. King Nikola’s House was full of treasure which only indicated how wealthy this royal family once were.

Culture over, we were back on the bus to drive the last 45 minutes to our hotel in Budva. We were right by the sea with large rooms equipped with balconies. Hotel: Queen of Montenegro

We woke to thunder and lightning and pelting rain. Our weather gods (Jan C on sun, Bevin on wind and Denise on temperature) really needed to try harder. However by the time we got ourselves together and the show on the road the rain had stopped.

Dragan Peric, our local guide set a few hearts a tweeter with his tall, dark and handsome presence. Budva being Budva under constant construction, meant we had to walk pass building sites down to the marina. The marina was a array of small boats from simple dinghies to very expensive super yachts.

Dragan walked us through the old town and to our happy surprise Holy trinity church was open and we had the opportunity to see the newly painted frescoes without any other group.

Back on the bus it was a short drive along the coast and stop to take photos of St Stevans, an exclusive island just for the extremely wealthy. The views to see from the island must be extraordinary.

On our way again it was some 90 minutes to the land border between Montenegro and Albania. This time soon passed with information, another few chapters of our audio book and a quiz (Heath won). The border crossing was quick and straight forward – oh yes – and we were in Albania.

Albania is the land of BMW, Audi, Mercedes and luxury cars – they are notably all black. The landscape changed once again and the houses were taller and larger with gardens and fields. Mosques had begun to appear and even the occasional bomb shelter.

First sightseeing stop was Rozafa castle in Skhodra. Bora Minku was our guide, and she was helpful in arranging for some of us to take a mini bus up to the castle entrance whilst the rest of us walked up the sloping stone path. The view even from this level were extensive across the river plains below.

Climbing further up we passed through the first castle gate in the first yard of castle ruins. We eventually got to the third area and the inner yard. This castle was once taken over by the Ottomans and it was easy to understand why it was of strategic importance.

Back down again it was time for a late lunch in the local town – our first meal in Albania and it was received well. Vegetable soup, salad, veal with mushroom sauce and risotto followed by local dessert.

Time to travel to Tirana with the two hours quickly passing with view from the bus and Nikola’s music. Approaching Tirana we encountered lots of traffic, road construction, and many traffic police. Cars went wherever they wanted and also parked wherever they liked.

Once at the hotel it was time to say goodbye to Zoran and our big grey bus as EU rules required him to have a compulsory rest. Hotel: Mondial