Graduation and first anniversary present!

[drron]

Agreed.a great TR and you have made me add a TG F trip to the bucket list.

 

[zig]

I'm another one adding Thai F to my wish list. Enjoying the report - thanks

 

[NDiddy]

Brilliant TR. Very comprehensive & a joy to read........cheers.

Thanks amaroo - Merry Christmas and happy holidays!!

 

[NDiddy]

Agreed.a great TR and you have made me add a TG F trip to the bucket list.

I'm another one adding Thai F to my wish list. Enjoying the report - thanks

Thanks drron and zig. I think you both will enjoy it. Now hopefully I get to post on the new F on their 747

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you both!

 

[Sprucegoose]

Our booking for the spa was very easy and we asked them to give us 15 minutes to finish the coffee and we booked ourselves the full body oil massage. I didn't take any photo's of the spa rooms but believe me when I say you won't be disappointed. But first no Thai spa experience can start without.....

more scented cold towels and some herbal juice thing:

View attachment 11861

5 minutes later and the Mrs and I were split up into separate suites for our massages. The room is very expansive with a great bathroom and shower attached. I was asked if I wanted a quick shower and willingly obliged. Word of warning, the underwear that they provide leaves very very little to the imagination. Think of it as fishnet underwear and that should set the scene. Still I seemed to be the only one who had any issue whatsoever and that dissipated as soon as the massage started.

Like all really good massages, this one was over way too quickly. The lady was very good and the music they play in the suite is actually quite soothing. When you lie face down on the massage bed you actually stare into a bowl of scented jasmine (although at this point everything was smelling like scented cold towels to me). As I had the oil massage (of which you can choose from 3 but don't ask me what they were, I went with number 1) I was only too happy to have another shower with l'occitane ammenities.

After the shower you're invited to sit in a waiting room area where they will serve you a myriad of food and drinks but we were keen to head back to the F lounge.

They didn't advise you against showering for say 8 hrs post massage?

 

[mella2007]

Wonderful read!! I am thinking TG but in J for the long leg from SIN to LHR via BKK in June....can't afford first!

 

[Sprucegoose]

Wonderful read!! I am thinking TG but in J for the long leg from SIN to LHR via BKK in June....can't afford first!

You can upgrade at the airport see their website. It's published

 

[NDiddy]

Merry Christmas AFFer's. Hope Santa was good to you all and some of the presents include travelling to new and wonderful places. I've been without an internet connection for the last 3 or so days and I must say has been quite enjoyable. What hasn't been enjoyable is not being able to see/read the boxing day test but looks like everything is in order there.

Spent an amazing 3 nights in Dubrovnik including quite a boozy Christmas eve with a Canadian couple and a German fella who were all away from their families this Christmas. Ironically the conversation quickly moved to star alliance redemptions as it turned out we all flew on points to get to Dubrovnik

Just a couple of cheeky updates - last time I left you we had just arrived in Split. Wonderful place and we scored a great cheap apartment using airbnb.com which was definitely the way to go. We were taking the bus down to Dubrovnik (scenic route hugging the Adriatic coastline) so that where I'll start this part of the TR.

Cazmatrans Bus Lines - SPU -> DUB
Bus Type: No idea but think of it as a Y+ bus experience
Scheduled Departure: 10:00
Actual Departure: 10:00

Scheduled Arrival: 14:30
Actual Arrival: 14:21

Seats: 25/26

Our wonderful host Mario drove us down to the bus station which was only a few km's away and as we had already purchased our tickets a couple of nights before, it was just a matter of waiting for the bus to arrive and we'd be off.

No lounge access with any of the bus tickets but the waiting area inside the bus ticket complex was at least warm but sparsely furnished:



Our Ride:



The seats:





Not a full bus and really mostly just tourists with a few locals jumping on/off throughout the journey:

 

[NDiddy]

Views along the way:





The bus trip was very comfortable and definitely a great way to travel for short distance destinations. Seats were nice and I even managed to doze off for a couple of hours at the start. There are a few stops along the way at certain towns and there is a small section that you actually cross over into Bosnia & Herzegovina which was pretty interesting. There was only a Croatian border check at either side and no B&H immigration control (and I so would have liked another stamp). As I found out later from the German fella (born in Yugoslavia) they try and make the crossing as easy as possible but that will change when Croatia joins the EU in July 2013.

Arriving at the Dubrovnik bus station, we took a 10 min cab ride to the Hilton Imperial which is just outside the old city walls. What a tremendous place to stay. I didn't take any pictures and the ones online will do it more justice. Wonderful time was had by the Diddy's and some great people were met whom I'm sure will remain friends.

You can see why Dubrovnik is the jewel (outside of may be the Plitvice Lakes) of Croatian tourism. You can't help but be in awe of this city. Powerful walls, marble everything and a striking coast make this one of the best cities I've ever been too. The walk on the walls is a must and I encourage anyone who's been thinking about coming here to bite the bullet. Apparently summer can be crazy but shoulder season (may be just after the cruising season finishes) would be the best time to visit.

 

[NDiddy]

Our next stop is Zagreb, where we'll be spending 2 nights before heading off to Paris. Rather than catch the taxi we decided to bus it to the airport which is about 24km away from Dubrovnik. Croatia Airlines has a bus that will pick you up from the bus station 1.5 hours before your flight and the journey takes about 30 minutes.

We had a terrific breakfast and were picked up promptly by the Croatia Airlines bus and arrived in DUB airport to hardly a soul.

Flight Details
Croatia Airlines - OU669 - DUB to ZAG
Aircraft Type: Bombardier Q400 Dash 8 - Y
Seats: 20D/F

Scheduled departure: 13:25
Actual departure: 13:25

Scheduled Arrival: 14:30
Actual Arrival: 14:21

Very similar to our first trip from Zagreb to Split only this time we were at the back of the plane as opposed to the front. Still no issue as the seats were the same:



Not a full flight like last time but still about 75% full:



The meal was still a bit of a stretch which comprised of a water and a biscuit (for those who know what pepernoten is, that's what this tasted like):





You could have some softdrinks or juice but that had to be requested of the FA who were more than happy to oblige. Again for an hour flight there were really no complaints. Arriving in Zagreb we were greeted by our taxi driver (organised by or airbnb host) and whisked away to the City Centre where we have an apartment right next to the Dolac market.

After being in Split and Dubrovnik where most things were closed, it's been very refreshing to come to Zagreb where all the locals are out and about, shops are open and most importantly the Christmas markets still running. Doing a walking tour tomorrow which includes stopping at some konoba's for some more great Croatian food.

Next flight out is our last paid flight from ZAG to CDG on the 29th so I'll post some more then - until next time

 

[serfty]

...

Arriving at the Dubrovnik bus station, we took a 10 min cab ride to the Hilton Imperial which is just outside the old city walls. What a tremendous place to stay. I didn't take any pictures and the ones online will do it more justice. Wonderful time was had by the Diddy's and some great people were met whom I'm sure will remain friends....

Loving the TR - I have some great memories of DBV from three years ago, here's a link to a photo I took heading down the Adriatic to the airport and a couple of others:

Click an image to Enlarge

(The Hilton is just to the left of the red tile roofed "Old Town" in the first, Hilton forecourt Restaurant & Looking from Old Town to "old" Quay )

 

[turtlemichael]

Great report..thanks

 

[LadyC]

Great trip report! Sounds like fun and you are doing well to remember all the details and take all the photos

 

[Sprucegoose]

very good pieces of information like the bus to the airport.

Dubrovnik is certainly on my list. What precisely would be shoulder - late sept?

Excellent journalism !

 

[ellen10]

Yes enjoying the trip report.
Great detail. Looking forward to the next instalment.

 

[NDiddy]

Loving the TR - I have some great memories of DBV from three years ago, here's a link to a photo I took heading down the Adriatic to the airport and a couple of others:

Click an image to Enlarge

(The Hilton is just to the left of the red tile roofed "Old Town" in the first, Hilton forecourt Restaurant & Looking from Old Town to "old" Quay )

Great photo's serfty -I'm sure you have plenty more and I hope between the 2 of us we've whet the whistle of a few AFFer's to make it down to this beautiful part of the world. The Diddy's have been discussing an Italian jaunt with a drive to Croatia (or may be the ferry across from Ancona or Bari) and also taking in B&H, Montenegro & Sarajevo. Could be at least a year away though but we'll see

 

[NDiddy]

Great report..thanks

Great trip report! Sounds like fun and you are doing well to remember all the details and take all the photos

More than welcome - Glad you're enjoying it!

 

[NDiddy]

very good pieces of information like the bus to the airport.

Dubrovnik is certainly on my list. What precisely would be shoulder - late sept?

Excellent journalism !

Let me know if you need more - Certainly apart from Zagreb if there are 1 or 2 of you travelling the Croatia Airlines bus option is very affordable. You can always pick up a taxi from the bus station if you're hotel/apartment is not within walking distance.

Taxi to Zagreb on the other hand makes more sense as it only costs 90 Kunas to the airport and I think the bus was about 50 Kunas per person.

With regards to shoulder season - A very long conversation with an overly chatty Hilton Ops Manager suggested that if you can time your visit just after the last cruises then you'd be doing well from a crowd perspective. Late Sept/Early Oct would be my suggestion. September more so if you want to take in some beach time.

Again let me know if you need any info on this - Always happy to help out!

 

[NDiddy]

Yes enjoying the trip report.
Great detail. Looking forward to the next instalment.

Thanks ellen10 - Let's start the next lot!

 

[NDiddy]

Ah Croatia - You've really captured my heart. 2 days in Zagreb was not enough but it was just enough time to see the things we had high on our list. One of them being the Mimara Museum. I must implore anyone who is coming to Zagreb to visit this fantastic collection - although the acquisition of this collection is quite contentious!

Spent 3 hours in Mimara and honestly could have spent more - There were may be another 2 or 3 couples in the whole museum and that was it. Admiration of art took on a whole new meaning. You weren't jostling for position or stuck behind throngs of people, just a perfect way to be in awe of some truly creative an inspirational people. Renoir's "Bather" is housed here along with some great works from Manet, Veronese, Caravaggio, Ruebens, Van Dyk....the list goes on.

The controversy about the acquisition of the art comes from the donor, Ante Topic Mimara, who is claimed to have "stolen" the art when he was in the Yugoslavian army in WWII. But nevertheless, it's wonderfully housed, brilliantly presented and there is a wifi connection you can make in the museum which will connect you to an audio guide on your smartphone/tablet. With no one around, I didn't even bother with the headphones and just played it through my phones speakers. What joy!

More walking around, eating, shopping, eating, drinking hot wine and before you knew it - 2 days were up. A couple of recommendations if I may:

Dinner - Vinodol english - Wonderful spot with very generous servings with a price that won't break the bank
- Tip Top - Fun little place recommended in the Lonely Planet - Very cheap, good servings and very jovial waiters.

Our apartment - https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/230608 - Maya is a wonderful host and we even brought her some Vegemite (she did ask if we would) and was blown away that we didn't want any cash (please luv - it was like $2). Her apartment is wonderfully located right next to the Dolac market and the main square is just behind. The bathroom is def on the small side but you just couldn't beat the location and the price