Ever since I started my backpacking adventures in Asia, I've always been an advocate for low-cost traveling. I'd go for the cheapest flights from secondary local airports, prefer walking around cities and take the public transports, sleep in bunk beds or crash at a friend's place. No fancy hotels or restaurants. For the longest time, I got used to this that I forgot how it's like to check in at a first-class hotel or join a group of tourists in organized sightseeing tours.
So, I confess. This one is not about backpacking, low cost or budget-wise trip. But since it's a once-in-a-blue-moon experience, I would like to share my first ever un-backpacking trip to the beautiful country of Croatia.
Last May 2015, I was one of the chosen few from my company to join in what was promised to be a fantastic trip to the pearl of the Adriatic — Dubrovnik. It was a generous initiative of the company to recognize top performers across Europe who has delivered a sustained contribution for the year.
Five days of pure relax, pampered in a luxury five-star hotel and a line up of events, guided tours, endless welcome drinks and fancy dinner set in the best restaurants in the city.
From the arrival at Dubrovnik Airport, we received a welcome pack, guest ID (and some generous cash allowance, if you may) and a coach transfer to the Dubrovnik Palace Hotel. What a service.
We arrived at the start of the summer season in the month of May. Croatia is still catching up its tourism industry despite being Europe's most fashionable places to visit. Perhaps it has not been well advertised, as I didn't know about the range and quality of what the country has to offer since this trip. Just the view of the old city of Dubrovnik from the coach as we headed to our hotel is breathtaking — beautiful colored houses rendered with red tile roofs and the endless shimmer of the Adriatic Sea.
As promised, we stayed at the luxurious five-star Dubrovnik Palace Hotel situated on the peninsula of Lapad. From afar, the hotel resembles a huge ship dramatically situated in the cliffside below the aromatic, pine-covered Petka woods.
The newly renovated Hotel Dubrovnik Palace boats its luxurious wellness and spa center with spectacular sea views and excellent gastronomy. And yes, I got to stay at one of their best suites with a private balcony and beautiful sea view. I wouldn't mind staying 5 days at the hotel if it costs me zilch.
All is impressively organized and we've got nothing to do but wait for the coach from the hotel. At least I got to feel now how it's like to travel lavishly. I could worry less about walking. It feels very different but at the same time, this will allow me to appreciate more of the freedom and immersion when I do my solo backpacking compared to this pampered very-tourist type tour. It's not that bad when you do it once in a while, and even better when you do it for free! So, sharing our itinerary so you get to see how did it go.
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Thursday 7 May |
Activities |
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From 09:20 |
Meet and greet at Dubrovnik Airport, transfer to the Dubrovnik Palace Hotel. |
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19:20 |
Meet in the hotel lobby for departure to the Old Town |
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19:45 |
Cable car ride to Srd Hill |
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20:30 |
Welcome Dinner at Konoba Dubrava |
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22:30 |
Transfer back to hotel |
Highlights: The cable car ride which took us 450 meters above sea level to Srd Hill (pronounced serge) is just the perfect spot to get a superb 360-degree panoramic view of the magnificent city.
A truly unforgettable ride and the start of the never-ending welcome drinks. And the dinner at Konoba Dubova high above Dubrovnik, welcomes us with the traditional taste of spit-roasted lamb, flat bread cooked over hot stones and local wine.
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Friday 8 May |
Activities |
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From 06:00 |
Breakfast at hotel |
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09:45 |
Meet in hotel lobby for departure to the Old Town |
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10:30 |
Sightseeing tour of the Old Town |
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12:45 |
Lunch in Old Town at Restaurant Dubrovnik |
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14:00 |
Shuttle transfers departing from the Old Town to hotel |
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18:30 |
Meet in hotel lobby for departure to Gruz Harbour |
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19:15 |
Pre dinner drinks and Sunset Cruise |
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20:30 |
Dinner in the Old Town at Restaurant Klarisa |
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22:15 |
Transfers back to the hotel |
Highlights: Old City tour. Setting of the infamous battle of the Blackwater Bay. Seat of the King of Westeros, the seven Kingdoms — the Red Keep of the Game of Thrones. Fancy cruise. Great evening.
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Saturday 9 May |
Activities |
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From 06:00 |
Breakfast at hotel |
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08:15 |
Meet in hotel lobby for departure, and cross border into Bosnia. |
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10:00 |
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12:45 |
Group lunch in Trebinje at Hotel Platani |
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14:30 |
Transfer back to hotel |
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15:30 |
Time at leisure |
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19:30 |
Drinks reception at Vala Beach Club (at the hotel, 1st Floor) |
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20:00 |
Gala dinner at Vala Beach Club |
Highlights: Border Crossing to Bosnia Herzegovina. Community Service. Relax. And the Big Night at the Vala Beach Club.
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Sunday 10 May |
Activities |
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From 06:00 |
Breakfast at hotel |
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09:45 |
Meet in hotel lobby for departure to the Konavlje region |
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12:30 |
Lunch |
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14:00 |
Depart to Hotel |
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14:30 |
Arrive hotel and afternoon at leisure |
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15:30 |
Time at leisure |
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19:00 |
Dine around — transfers available to the Old Town |
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21:00 |
Return shuttle service operating 21:00—00:00 from the Old Town to hotel from Dubrovnik old town pile gate |
Highlights: 16th-century Watermills and Fortress. Brajkovic Winery. Wine tasting. And. More. Wine.
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Monday 11 May |
Activities |
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From 06:00 |
Breakfast at hotel |
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14:00 |
Departure transfers |
Experiencing a once in lifetime lavish trip to Croatia is not that bad. Considering that everything is quite organized and planned, the tour pretty much covered the must-see's and must-do's for a typical tourist, but I imagined it would have been entirely different to see Croatia in a low-cost backpacking point of view. Surely, I would definitely go back to Croatia but this time, no more five-star hotels, fancy restaurants, and group tours. So back to the basics — backpacking off into the unknown freely, just for the pure joy of adventure and discovery!
