Dear Dubravka,
Croatia! Where do I start? The experience was wonderful, magical, from start to finish. Traveling with our grown children made the experience even more special, as we enjoyed each other’s companionship while we marveled at the beauty of the country.
The itinerary that you arranged for us was perfect. We all remarked that every day was so different, yet equally enjoyable. We were busy, but we appreciated the fact that we had some “down time” for leisure. The hotels were lovely, the breakfasts were great, the guides were so knowledgeable, and the drivers were safe and professional, yet so kind and accommodating. And, of course, every venue along the way was beautiful.
I cannot praise you and Secret Dalmatia enough for the program you arranged. Everything — and I mean everything — came off without a glitch. What an efficient operation you run, yet one that still exudes comfort and caring. Everyone was so wonderful and helpful, as were the Croatian people in general.
Thank you also for arranging the side trip to Ogulin to allow us to see the hometown of my grandfather and to meet with relatives still living there. What a special experience and what a lovely day we had!
At the risk of going on too long, allow me to comment specifically on our experience in the various locales:
ZAGREB. What a beautiful and vibrant city. We were pleasantly surprised by all it had to offer. Don’t let the secret out! Our guide, Neven, was the best. He was a wealth of information.
OGULIN. Visiting here was an emotional experience for everyone, and it put the whole trip in perspective. I returned to my roots! Sabina was the perfect person to facilitate the meeting between us and our relatives. She and our driver were so helpful in filling in the blanks with the translation.
PLITVICE NATIONAL PARK. Wow! Such beauty! Our guide, Tijana, was so familiar with the best trails, enhancing our experience there. We were also very pleased to find such great quality food at the “mountain area” restaurant at Hotel Degenija.
ROVINJ. What a beautiful setting. Villa Tuttorotto was unique. My son really enjoyed all the fish options at breakfast!
SPLIT. Again, such a magical place, where you’re living among history. Again, as in Rovinj, it was great to stay right in the heart of the city. Of course, Andrija made our stay at the hotel so special and so personal. Our guide, Nives, gave us a good overview of both the old and the new in Split.
TROGIR. Probably the highlight of our trip was the cooking class with Tatjana. How privileged we were to experience the work of such a professional. Yet, she simply welcomed us into her home with open arms. Again, it was such a personal experience, and we had the best meal of our trip — which is saying something, since we never had a bad meal during the entire stay!
HVAR. It was so relaxing sipping wine at the vineyards, not to mention the great meal with the “million kuna” view. Our boat captain was very accommodating and very safe. We were fortunate to have a side trip to another island to do some swimming in the beautiful Adriatic.
MOSTAR. We’re glad we took the side trip to experience that part of Yugoslav history. So close, yet a world apart. The bridge jumpers were something to see, and the Old Town had a certain magic at night.
DUBROVNIK. Ah, Dubrovnik! We could definitely see why it is the Pearl of the Adriatic. Our guide, Marija, was great. It was interesting to hear her first-hand accounts of the war in that city.
I would be remiss if I did not praise Dalibor, our driver who shuttled us to multiple places and who pointed out so many interesting things to us along the way. He exhibited so much patience, even at the slow border crossing from Bosnia into Croatia. He is the ultimate professional. Kudos to him!
In summary, we all couldn’t have been more pleased with Secret Dalmatia, and you in particular, for providing memories of a lifetime for us. We can recommend you without reservation. Thank you for your personal attention to every detail. Thanks for everything. Hvala!
Larry and Angela Glass