Putovanje na Cipar s djecom (2022)

Razmišljate o putovanju na Cipar s djecom?
Pronašli ste dobre cijene karata „van sezone“?

Evo zašto bi trebali bukirati taj odmor na Cipru.

Mi smo se odlučili za putovanje na Cipar u studenom 2022. godine. Imate letove za aerodrome Paphos (Pafos) i Lanraca (Larnaka). Uzmite onaj jeftiniji, zaista je svejedno. Na Cipru u svakom dijelu zemlje imate ponešto za vidjeti, a vjerujte mi i poželjeti ćete se vratiti.

Naš let bio je za Pafos. Tamo smo pronašli smještaj preko Airbnb jer je bio najpovoljniji. Jednosobni apartman u centru i s parkingom platili smo 65€ noć.

Top 10 atrakcije grada Pafos

1. Tombs of the Kings

Pronađite na njihovim stranicama radno vrijeme, nije isto zimi i ljeti.
Nama je bilo otovoreno: Monday – Sunday • 8.30 – 17.00

Cijena: €2,50 po odrasloj osobi.

Parking ispred besplatan. Zapravo svugdje gdje smo bili bio je besplatan parking.

Ostavite pola dana za ovu lokaciju. Uzmite mapu prostora, zaštitu od sunca i puno vode. Ma možete i ponijeti nešto za piknik. Ovo mjesto je nestvarno. Na zeleno-pješčanoj litici kraj mora prostire se velika nekropola, podzemne grobnice u kojima su bili pokopani visoki dužnosnici i aristokracija.

Dijete je uživalo zajedno s nama. Za njega je to bio svijet dinosaurusa. Trčao je po livadama i skrivao se u rupama, a nosili samo ga samo da bi bili brži.

2. Kato Paphos Archaeological Park

Pronađite na njihovim stranicama radno vrijeme.
Nama je bilo otovoreno: Monday – Sunday • 8.30 – 17.00
Cijena: €4,50 po odrasloj osobi.

Ovdje ćete moći vidjeti:

Važne spomenike, kazalište, mozaičke podove, rimske kuće Dionysos, Theseus, Aion and Orpheus,  grobnice kraljeva, Odeon, Agoru, pa čak i svjetionik. Ovim gradskim lokalitetima možete pristupiti bliže jedino kroz glavni ulaz u Park.

.

3. Coastal Broadwalk

Duga šetnica od dvorca Pafos do obližnje plaže zapravo ide uz ogradu arheološkog parka Kato. Putem ćete vidjeti, od mora, gotovo uništena mjesta za sjedenje i skulpture. Međutim, isplati se popit piće i nešto pojest u kafiću na plaži, a nestvarno je i navečer kad sunce zalazi.

4. Phapos Harbour Castle

Ulaznica je 2,50 eura. Nema nikakvog sadržaja pa mi nije vrijedno cijene. Dovoljno vam je da ga vidite izvana.

5. Paphos Harbour and Port

Ovdje se nalazi nekoliko restorana koje predlažem za doručak ili brunch.

6. Paphos Promenade

Prošetajte rivom. Tamo vam vlada pravi turistički đir. Kafići, restorani i dućani suvenirima. Gledajte zalazak sunca dok naručujete večeru. Neki restorani čak imaju igraonice za djecu. A djeca, ako sve pojedu, mogu polizat sladoled u večernjoj šetnji prema doma. Tko je još otišao s odmora sa svjetlećom igračkom iz suvenirnice?

.

7. Katakombe, Fabrica Hill i šetnica iznad ceste

Besplatan ulaz. Navečer se upale svjetla pa izgleda zaista zanimljivo.

8. Happy Island Restaurant

Ovaj restoran nam je bio najbolji od svih. Na cesti je, interijer nije nešto specijalan, ali je zato bugarski konobar najljubazniji ikad, a hrana za prste polizat.

9. Mother’s Restaurant

Još jedan restoran s lokalnom hranom koji ima naše preporuke.

10. Kings Avenue Mall

Da, stavila sam Mall. Ako ste u apartmanu ovdje imate dućan s namirnicama, povoljnim. Mi smo ovdje uzeli razne stvari za doručak, hranu koju možemo nositi na izlete i vodu. Voda je pitka, al nama se nije činila baš dobra. Ako ste više dana, uzmite najveću bocu pa rastočite u vaše višekratne boce. 

Ovdje također imate i dućan igračaka na tri kata. Mi smo ga uspješno zaobišli. Sretno! 😊

Top 10 izleta iz Pafosa sjevero-zapadno

Mi smo sve dane boravka imali auto. Dogovorili smo se unaprijed s Nestor Car Rental iz Pafosa. Uzeli smo airport pick up – drop off. Cijena je bila 20€ dan s uključenim osnovnim osiguranjem, morali smo ostaviti100€ depozita i 30€ da možemo vratiti prazan tank goriva. Ako planirate u Turski dio morate uzeti dodatno osiguranje. Sve smo dogovorili opušteno.

Zato smo organizirali nekoliko cjelodnevnih izleta u okolici Pafosa. Pa idemo redom, od prve lokacije prema zadnjoj u krug. Pogledajte mapu na kraju da vam bude „šira slika“.

1. Brodolomac Edro III Shipwreck

Nisam mislila da ću ići gledati ovakvu turističku atrakciju, al isplati se doći pa čak i okupati.

2. Sea Caves vidikovac i šetnica.

.

3. George’s Ranch

Na račnu možete hraniti i jahati konje. Najavite se ako planirate jahati!

.

4. The Akamas National Park

Ovaj park je ogroman i većinom je cesta makadam. Ima nekoliko lokacija koje se isplati posjetiti u parku:

Avakas Gorge – dramatični kanjon

Mi smo odustali jer su nam rekli da je cesta do tamo malo lošija. Uzeli smo manji auto pa nismo htjeli riskirat. Ako želite ići iznajmite malo jači auto ili uzmite buggya na jedan dan. Dobro će vam doći i za istraživanje ostatka nacionalnog parka gdje su makadamske ceste.

Buggye možete iznajmiti na nekoliko lokacija u gradu.

Lara beach

Dom Turtle Conservation Project koji puštaju kornjačice u more u rujnu.

Ako dolazite s djecom, obavezno neki alat za igranje u pijesku (budite kreativni, ponesite nešto iz apartmana da ne teglite igračke iz hrvatske).

.

Blue Lagoon – kažu da je najbolje vidjet s brodom. Mi smo preskočili.

5. Gravity road

Nismo doživili gravitaciju, al smo uživali u restoranu istog imena na vrhu brda.

.

6. Baths of Aphrodite, Kremiotis waterfall, Evretou Dam i gradić Kathikas.

Mi smo morali odustati od njih, ali ako imate vremena svratite do njih pa javite kako je bilo.

7. Adonis Waterfalls

Ulaznica je 10€ za odraslu osobu. U cijenu je uključen mali amfiteatar, muzej i dva manja vodopada.  Jeli vrijedno ovih novaca? Mislim da ne. Jel bi ponovo otišla? Mislim da bi.

Cijena ne odgovara dobivenom, al svakako se isplati „bacit đir“. Ako se planirate kupati dođite dok ima sunca i ponesite kupaće, naravno. 😊

8. Holy Monastery of Saint Neophytos

Zanimljiv jer je zapravo samostan u brdu.
Radi od 9 – 16, ulaz slobodan. Ciljajte na zalazak. 😉

9. Pafos Zoo

Cijena ulaznice za odrasle 16,50€. Djeca 8,5€. Do dvije godine besplatno.

Međutim, tu ne staje vaše trošenje. Ako ćete hraniti ribice plaćate 2 €. Hranjenje lemura platit ćete 5€ po osobi, a žirafe i slona 10€ za grupu od max. 5 ljudi.

Vrijedi isto pravilo kao kod iskopina: ponesite mapu prostora, puno vode i hranu.

10. Ithaki Amusement Park & Mini Golf

Ovdje se nalazi jedna od mojih tura koje sam planirala na Google Mapsu – LINK.
Možete izbacivati i dodavati lokacije prema želji. S ovom mapom ćete moći i malo doživjeti prostor o kojem gore pričam.

Top 10 izleta iz Pafosa istočno

Neke od ovih lokacija obišli smo na putu od Pafosa do Ayia Nape, a druge po povratku.

1. Petra tou Romiou (Aphrodite’s Rock)

Plaža gdje je Afrodita izašla iz mora. I ovdje se može kupati, ako je još lijepo vrijeme obavezno se bacite u more. Parking je poviše plaže, besplatan naravno. Do plaže se dolazi tunelom ispod ceste.

2. Omodos selo u srcu Cypriot vinskog puta

Imate i agencijske dnevne izlete ako niste sa autom.

3. Tzelefos / Kelephos Bridge

Najviše mi je žao što nismo stigli do ovog mosta. Trebali smo na putu za glavni grad Nicosiju, al na kraju smo odustali od posjete.

4. Kourion – Ancient Ruins – Limassol

Provjerite radno vrijeme. Ulaznica je 4,5€ i ulazite autom.

5. Kurion Beach

Čak i ako nije za kupanje zastanite barem na tren. Poslušajte to more i pogledajte te stijene. Ako ste gladni imate restoran na plaži i restoran u sklopu ranča s konjima poviše plaže.

.

6. Limassol

Marina – idealna za vožnju biciklom

Cyprus Historic & Classic Motor Museum – idealno za nešto stariju djecu (muževe)

Pano Polemidia park je igralište za djecu prepuno sprava i potpuno natkriveno.

7. Kouris Dam

Možete joj doći skroz blizu. Mi smo je vidjeli iz Alasse gdje se nalazi St. Nicholas crkva pa nismo kružili dalje do nje.

8. Old Church of Saint Nicholas

Inače je potopljena, kad se digne razina jezera. Vrlo lako smo je pronašli i možete s autom ravno do nje, a odmah poviše imate i dječje igralište.

9. Archaeological Site of Amathous

Još jedno nalazište koje smo, ovom turom, preskočili.

10. White Rocks – plaža s bijelim kamenjem

Ovaj isti đir možete napraviti i ako noćite nekoliko dana u Limassolu. Razmislite o mijenjanju smještaja ako ostajete više dana. Uštedit ćete na vremenu provedenom na putu i gorivu.

Mi smo preostala noćenja uzeli u Aiya Napi. Turističkom, u post sezoni, sasvim ugodnom mjestu. Za 90€ noć uzeli smo polupansion (doručak i večera) u hotelu s unutarnjim i vanjskim bazenom te plažom. YOLO.

S obzirom na to da smo obroke u restoranima u prosjeku plaćali 50€, činila nam se skroz dobra cijena za dva obroka koje noćenje uključuje. A možete koristiti i cijelu spa zonu, svaku večer je drukčija glazba na terasi i imaju kids club. Djeci će se naviše svidjeti skakanje po bazenskim kaučima i kupanje na plaži ispod hotela. Rekvizite za plažu (kantice, lopatice i napuhance) također možete posuditi u hotelu, besplatno.

Ovaj smještaj bukirali smo putem platforme Locktrip.com. Sučelje ove platforme za bukiranje smještaja nije baš najbolje, ali služi svrsi jer pronalazi nabolje ponude. Prijavi se putem LINKA i na sljedećem putovanju iskoristiti naš kod za 6% popusta: MZGXV

Što vidjeti u Ayia Napi?

1. Nissi plaža

Posebna je jer preko mora možete prošetati do otočića nasuprot plaže. Ponesite masku za ronjenje, a u post sezoni i hranu jer svi obližnji restorani su zatvoreni. Parking se u sezoni naplaćuje

2. Sculpture Park

Kao što samo ima kaže park sa skulpturama. Odlično za izgubit sat vremena.

.

3. Blue Lagoon

Još jedna plava laguna. Idealno mjesto za cliff jumping ili just watching.

4. Stone Arch “Love Bridge” – na-žalost/sreću ne možete se popet na njega.

.

5. The Lighthouse in Cape Greco – ako imate vremena prošetajte do njega.

6. Ayioi Anargiroi Church and Cave

.

7. Kap Greco View Point

Može se doći autom, ali zapravo ovu i sve lokacije niže predlažem šetnju ili vožnju biciklom. Priroda izgleda nestvarno, a more je odlično za skakanje i kupanje.

8. Cyclops Cave

9. Sea Caves

10. Dolfin’s Luna Park

Ne očekujte puno, ovo je obična igraonica. Parko Paliatso Luna Park je puno bolji, ali bio je zatvoren.

Top 5 izleta iz Ayia Nape

1. Salt Lake

Veliko jezero kojeg smo ulovili u zalasku. Ako imate sreće naletit ćete na flamingose. Mi smo ih pronašli između Hala Sultan Tekkesi i aerodroma.

.

2. Camel Park

Zabava za velike i male. Ulaznica za odrasle 6€, djecu 4. Na ulazu možete kupiti hranu za životinje za 2€ i 5€. €. Ulaznica uključuje korištenje i vanjskog bazena pa ponesite kupaći.

.

3. Staircase of Love

Idealno mjesto za napraviti pauzu od puta.

.

4. Pano Lefkara

Najljepši ciparski mali gradić. Popijte kavu u Το Kafeneio tis Pareas.

.

5. Golden Donkeys Farm

Dugo sam istraživala koje mjesto je najbolje za vidjeti magarce, jer zaista ih ima svugdje. Ovo mjesto je imalo najbolje reviews na TA. Nije razočaralo.

Ulaznica je4€ za odrasle i 2€ za djecu. Uključuje amfiteatar, dva mala muzeja, farmu s domaćim životinjama i naravno magarcima. Unutar farme imate restoran i dva dječja igrališta. Nedjeljom imaju posebnu ponudu hrane i ulaznice za obitelji.

.

Nadam se da sam vam pomogla u planiranju. Ako jesam, OVDJE mi možete ostavit za pivu, dvije. 🍻

Dvorci i vodopadi na Uni u okolici Bihaća

Nakon što su pročitali naš blog iz Like, Dino i Sanja vlasnici Ville Lana iz Bihaća pozvali su nas da budemo njihovi gosti i istražimo okolicu Bihaća na isti način. Takve ponude ne odbijamo.

Gdje otići s djecom na vikend?

Ako ste već bili u ovim krajevima onda znate da su ovdje ljudi otvoreni, susretljivi i gostoljubivi. Takvi su vam Dino i Sanja, a njihova kućica u Račiću na Uni je idealan odabir za obitelj s djecom ili parove koji s romantikom kombiniraju aktivnosti u prirodi. Villa Lana na prizemlju ima kuhinju, kupaonicu i kauč na razvlačenje, dok je cijeli prvi kat zapravo spavaća soba s 1 bračnim i 2 single kreveta te može smjestiti maksimalno 5 ljudi.  Kuća se nalazi u prekrasnoj prirodi, a s balkona spavaće sobe vidite rijeku Unu. Ispred kuće je livada, odnosno igralište za djecu i parking.

Villu Lana možete rezervirati putem Boking-a i Airbnb-a.

Osim što u neposrednoj blizini Ville Lana možete pronaći staze za pješačenje i bicikliranje te Japodske otoke te Dvoslap i Troslap, u ovom blogu zapisala sam atrakcije, prirodne ljepote i kulturne znamenitosti koje vrijedi posjetiti u okolici Bihaća.

1. Nacionalni park Una
2. Kostelski buk
3. Dvorac Stari grad Ostrožac
4. Dvorac Stari grad Sokolac
5. Japodski otoci
6. Grad Bihać

1. NACIONALNI PARK UNA

Između Bihaća i Drvara prostiru se livade, šume i rijeke Nacionalnog parka Una. Postoji 6 ulaza u NP Una i nisu svi ulazi predviđeni za automobile. Mi smo obilazili one koji jesu, ako ste planinar ili biciklist bacite pogled na ostale ulaze u NP.

Štrbački buk

Ako dolazite automobilom i želite vidjeti Štrbački buk onda je za vas Ulaz br.3 – Ćelije. Ulaz je smješten u blizini naselja Orašac. Lokaciju s ovog linka ubacite u Google Maps i putem pratite drvene znakove na cesti. Nemojte pratit lokaciju Štrbački buk jer vas ona vodi na hrvatsku stranu slapa gdje ga zapravo i ne možete vidjeti. Također, ako ne želite milijunske račune za mobitel, ugasite data podatke dok ste u BiH.

Savjet: dok ste na WiFi mreži Ville Lana ubacite sve lokacije koje želite posjetiti u Google Maps (npr. Villa Lana – Štrbački buk – Martin Brod – Villa Lana) i kliknite odmah KRENI. Google će zapamtiti tu rutu i voditi vas njom, bez obzira što ćete ostati bez signala. Nemojte izlaziti iz aplikacije i bit će s vama cijeli dan. Ako skrenete s puta, uvijek će vas vraćati na istu rutu koju je zapamtio i dovesti kući.

Ako slučajno izađete iz aplikacije ili zbog nečeg trećeg ruta nestane, koristite unutarnji kompas i pitajte ljude na putu. Zaista su svi vrlo susretljivi i spremni pomoći.

Uglavnom, nakon što dođete u mjesto Orašac, vrlo brzo ćete se naći na makadamskom putu koji vodi do vrha slapa. Na toj cesti je ulaz Ćelije gdje ćete platiti ulaznicu u NP. Cijena ulaznice je 7KM po odrasloj osobi, djeca od 7 do 14 godina platiti će 5KM, a umirovljenici 2KM. Ostale cijene pronađite na njihovom webu.

Štrbački buk je, opravdano, simbol Nacionalnog parka Una. Slapovi visine 24,5 metra i širine 40 metara najviši su i najspektakularniji dio smaragdne rijeke Une. Područje oko vo dopada je odlično uređeno sa stolovima i klupama za piknik te dječjim igralištem. Drvena staza vodi vas na najbolje točke s kojih se vidi slap, a putem možete ponešto naučiti u pomoć edukativnih ploča.

Ako imate sreće vidjeti ćete raftere koji skaču s vrha slapa, a ako imate želju za avanturom na Uni možete biti i jedan od njih. Javite se jednoj od agencija i rezervirajte svoje mjesto u čamcu.

Stari grad Orašac

Po povratku u Orašac, svratite do ruševina dvorca Starog grada na vrhu brda. Od svega se najbolje očuvala kula.

Kulen Vakuf

Stanite nešto pojesti u Kulen Vakufu, najvećem mjestu u NP Una. Nama su predložili da sjednemo u restoran Havala, al kako je Oliver zaspao u vožnji nastavili smo dalje i preskočili Kulen Vakuf ovaj put.

I ovdje ćete na vrhu brda pronaći dvorac, Stari Grad Ostrovica.

Martin Brod

Do ovog ulaza vodi vas cesta koja je na dijelovima asfaltirana, dijelom makadamska. Proći ćete kroz mala sela, zasigurno se susresti s pokojom ovčicom i ugledati veličanstvenu feratu s desne strane.

Ovdje je ulaz besplatan, a dolazi se da bi vidjeli Milančev buk – kompleks slapova i kaskada.

Mi smo, na kraju, ovdje ručali. Konoba Zora ima naše preporuke. Ne očekujte ništa fancy, već divne vlasnike i pastrvu koja dolazi direktno iz rijeke do vašeg tanjura, i koja je za prste polizat.

2. KOSTELSKI BUK

Još jedan vodopad na Uni koji ne smijete zaobići nalazi se u naselju Kostela pa se i zove Kostelski buk. Mi smo se ovdje našli u vrijeme ručka pa smo sjeli u restoran Kostelski buk. Osim u izvrsnoj hrani uživali smo u pogledu na vodopade, a Oliver je bio oduševljen otočićem koji je imao dječje igralište, ljuljačke, plažu i naravno guske.

3. DVORAC STARI GRAD OSTROŽAC

Nakon posjeta Kostelima, nastavite voziti prema unutrašnjosti i skrenite lijevo prema Cazinu. Na vrhu brda dočekati će vas Stari grad Ostrožac i Dvorac Lothara Von Berksa. Dvorac koji je izgrađen još 1286. godine vidljivo je nadograđivan za obitelj Berks.
Ulaznica za odrasle 4 KM, djecu 2KM,

Odmah na ulazu pronaći ćete veliku livadu s topom, dječjim igralištem i zanimljivim skulpturama.

Šteta što unutrašnjost Dvorca Berks nije bolje uređena, pogotovo kad se ulaznica plaća. Mi smo se odvažili i istražili Dvorac iako stoji znak „opasnost od urušavanja“. Također, popeli smo se na zidine i prošetali, iako nema nikakve ograde.

4. STARI GRAD SOKOLAC

Još jedan ruševni dvorac i meni možda najdraži od svih koje sam nabrojala. Google Maps će vas dovesti u njegovo podnožje, kod Džamije Sokolac, pa produžite dalje. Skrenite desno kod crvenog znaka na kojem piše Debeljača i pratite jednotračnu cestu sve do ulaza u Dvorac.

Do Dvorca možete doći i planinarskom stazom, čak i navečer jer je osvjetljena, a ulaz besplatan.
Za one željne aktivnog odmora, podno dvorca postoje linije za slobodno penjanje.

Popnite se na vrh kule, nećete požaliti. S vrha se pruža najbolji pogled na Bihać. Nedostaje pokoja stepenica na ulazu, ali srećom su u kuli sve kamene stepenice na broju.

5. JAPODSKI OTOCI

Nekoliko minuta šetnje od Ville Lana nalazi se Dvoslap i Troslap na Uni, a zatim naselje Japodski otoci koji iz zraka izgledaju kao srce. Otočići su povezani mostovima, a na njima se nalazi kompleks u kojem možete pronaći smještaj, restoran, životinje, igralište za djecu i lađe za vožnju Unom. Nisam sigurna zatvaraju li nakon ljetne sezone pa provjerite prije nego krenete u tom smjeru.

6. GRAD BIHAĆ

Mi smo imali sreću pa smo došli u grad na Trahanijadu, tradicionalnom događaju na Gelenderima na kojem se kuha Trahana – tradicionalna juha. Glazba je svirala i svi su bili odlično raspoloženi.

U obilazak smo krenuli upravo od Glendera gdje su izvješeni kišobrani pa prema Spomeniku oslobođenja Bihaća.

Kapetanova kula, Bihaćki sarkofag i Crkva sv. Ante Padovanskog nalaze se odmah jedna do druge. U Kapetanovoj kuli postoji muzej, koji nam je nažalost bio zatvoren.

Prošetali smo centrom grada do Džamije Fethija pa se spustili na Gradska otoka do skulpture Djevojka s Une, koja je simbol grada. Gradska otoka, otočići spojeni mostovima, se upravo preuređuje pa će uskoro biti još zanimljivija atrakcija.

Prošetajte se Gradskim parkom i pređite preko mosta na Uni. Nemojte zaboraviti ponijeti nešto hrane za patkice koje se brčkaju uz šetnicu.

Ako imate vremena posjetite Muzej AVNOJ-a. Radno vrijeme i cijenu ulaznica pronađite na njihovom webu.

Na izlazu iz grada, na brežuljku Garavice nalazi se Spomen-park Garavice, kompleks od petnaest jednakih kamenih skulptura.

Po povratku u Villu Lana, ručajte u odličnom restoranu River Dock smješten u naselju Pritoka. Restoran ima odlično dječje igralište, a nude i iskustvo ručka na lađi.

Villa Lana i Bihać su zapravo jako blizu Plitvičkih jezera pa možete i do njih svratiti, kao i do aerodroma Željava, Ranča Jelena i ostalih atrakcija tog područja o kojima sam već pisala -> OVDJE.

Puno hvala Dinu i Sanji na ovom neprocjenjivom iskustvu. Nadamo se da ćete i vi istražiti ovo prekrasno područje jednom i biti gosti u njihovoj Villi Lana.

Ako vam naši savjeti pomognu u organizaciji puta, ne zaboravite nas označiti na vašim pričama i zapratiti na Instagramu. Hvala ❤

Upoznajte Konjic i atrakcije koje ga okružuju

Ako do sada niste čuli za Konjic vrijeme je da se upoznate s ovim gradom na Neretvi. Konjic je smješten u centralnom dijelu Bosne i Hercegovine, u kotlini, na rijeci Neretvi i idealno je mjesto za posjetiti u ljeto, jesen i proljeće.

Gdje otići s djecom na vikend iz Splita?

Iz Splita, autom u Konjic možete doći iz smjera Mostara ili preko Blidinja. Moj savjet je da jednim smjerom dođete, a drugim se vratite i putem posjetite još neke dragulje Bosne i Hercegovine koje nabrajam na kraju ovog bloga. Inače, iz Konjica do Sarajeva vas dijeli samo 1,30 sati vožnje pa možete svratiti i na kafu na Baščaršiji.

Centar Konjica je mali i može se prošetati u jednom danu, međutim priroda i atrakcije koje okružuju Konjic daju mu dodatnu vrijednost. U ovom blogu donosim listu atrakcija koje trebate posjetiti.

Most Stara Ćuprija

Slika s razglednica i simbol Konjica je Stara kamena ćuprija. Most, sa šest lukova različitih dimenzija, spaja staru jezgru Konjica sa novim dijelom grada. Poseban je doživljaj popit kafu kod Stare Ćuprije i to možete napraviti s obe strane mosta.

S desne strane mosta nećete pogriješti ako sjednete u Ljetnu baštu ili restoran Vidikovac. Dok u staroj jezgri, s lijeve strane mosta, predlažem Hotel i restoran Konak koji ima stolove pokraj same rijeke, s pogledom na Ćupriju.

Zavičajni Muzej

Odmah kraj Hotela Konak, nalazi se Zavičajni Muzej u sklopu kojeg imate stalnu etnografsku postavu, galerijski prostor, arheološke i zavičajne zbirke te rodnu kuću Zulfikara Zuke Džumhura.

Gradska Džamija Konjic

Šetnjicom uz Neretvu desnim, novim dijelom grada proći ćete Trg državnosti i doći do Gradske Džamije Konjic. Ovu četvrt su zaista impresivno uredili pa ćete tu naći i igralište za djecu i street workout park.

Crkva svetog Ivana Krstitelja

U novom dijelu grada nalazi se i Crkva svetog Ivana Krstitelja koja uz Franjevački samostan i tri pomoćna objekta čini Nacionalni spomenik Bosne i Hercegovine.
Preko puta crkve svratite na sladoled ili kolač u odličnu slastičarnu Dnevni boravak.

Titov bunker, atomsko sklonište / ARK D-0

Otprilike 15 minuta vožnje od centra grada nalazi se najstrože čuvana tajna Konjica, Titov bunker, atomsko sklonište, ARK D-0. Treći najskuplji Titov projekt, uz luku Lora u Splitu i aerodrom Željava, a za čiju je izgradnju bilo potrebno čak 4,6 milijardi američkih dolara građen 26 godina u potpunoj tajnosti.

Znači, toliko u tajnosti da ni stanovnici Konjica, ni ljudi koji su ga gradili nisu znali da se bunker gradi. Kako je to moguće? Da bi saznali morat ćete se uputiti u Konjic, uzeti turu i čuti iz prve ruke. Pisali su već neki bloggeri o njemu, ja ne želim. Ostavljam vam samo slike i pozivam vas da doživite sami.

Za vrijeme našeg putovanja, posjeta je bila moguća isključivo rezerviranjem ture preko agencije, najkasnije dan ranije. Ulaz u bunker smo platili 20 KM (10 EUR), što uključuje turu od cca. 2 sata i pratnju službenog vodiča koji vam sve lijepo ispriča. U jednoj turi može biti max. 15 ljudi, a ture su samo 3 puta dnevno pa vodite računa da rezervirate na vrijeme, pogotovo ako vas je više u grupi.

Rafting centar Dzajica buk

Ako ste željni avanture i adrenalina, nastavite od bunkera istom cestom i doći ćete doRafting centar Džajića bukkoji nudi rafting na Neretvi dug 18 km. Ako ipak niste avanturista, ispred objekta centra tzv. Noine arke možete promatrati brzace, pridružiti će vam se divlje patke i žabe, a postoji i mjesto predviđeno za roštilj i okupljanje prijatelja.

Mnoge druge aktivnosti također možete organizirati u Konjicu: kanuing, kanjoning, planinarske ture, brdsko – biciklističke i jeep ture. Mi čekamo da Oliver još malo naraste, a vi u međuvremenu sami istražite što vam se od navedenog čini najzanimljivije.

Jablaničko jezero

Na putu od Konjica do Jablanice smješteno je Jablaničko jezero. Ovo umjetno akumulacijsko jezero omiljena je ljetna destinacija domaćih i stranih turista. Najpoznatije plaže su Ćelebićima i Peta u mjestu Paprasko, a većina ih ima igrališta za djecu, ponudu kanua, pedalina, brodova i splavova.  

Splavarenje je najpopularnija aktivnost na Jablaničkom jezeru pa probajte organizirati turu ako uspijete. Nama se, krajem rujna, jezero već povuklo pa nismo bili te sreće. Kad sam već to spomenula, Jablaničko jezero se povlači pa ako se približavate obali pazite na pukotine u tlu i velike blatnjave površine u koje vam može propasti noga.

Dobro otvorite oči i uživajte u velikom i malom životinjskom svijetu, a okrijepite se u jednom od restorana uz jezero. Mi smo se odlučili za Restoran Orahovica i nismo požalili. Osim odlične hrane, imaju igralište za djecu, splavove i dobar prilaz jezeru.

Jablanica

Ako prolazite kroz Jablanicu, po dolasku ili odlasku iz Konjica, preporučujemo da posjetite Memorijalni kompleks Bitka na Neretvi i Most na Neretvi.

Planirajte dolazak u vrijeme ručka jer i ovdje se odlično jede. Mi vjerski stajemo u Restoran Zdrava voda koji ima i jezero s ribama posebno interesantno djeci.

Boračko jezero

Mi nažalost nismo stigli vidjeti Boračko jezero koje slovi kao jedno od najljepših prirodnih jezera Bosne i Hercegovine. Na našem popisu stoji da moramo posjetiti eko selo, uređene plaže i dobre restorane, slično kao i na Jablaničkom jezeru. Ako vi stignete posjetiti javite nam koje je bolje.

Planinsko selo Lukomir

Još jedna lokacija koja nam je ostala na popisu je prelijepo i gotovo napušteno Planinsko selo Lukomir. Do ovog sela, zbog nepristupačnog terena, preporuča se doći jeep i biciklističkom turom.

Park prirode Blidinje

Putem od/do Konjica možete planirati kratki odmor u Parku prirode Blidinje. Nezaobilazne atrakcije Parka su: Blidinjsko jezero, franjevački samostan u mjestu Masna Luka, stećci na Dugom polju i grob Dive Grabovčeve. Ako odlučite prenoćiti i planinariti u Parku, Hajdučka vrata su must see.

Buško jezero

Jedno od najvećih akumulacijskih jezera u Europi prva je točka puta na kojoj možete stati ako idete iz Splita, ili zadnja ako se vraćate.

Mostar

Po povratku iz Konjica odlučili smo ići cestom uz prekrasnu Neretvu do Mostara. Nije bila pametna ideja ići ljeti u Mostar i savjetujem da ga izbjegnete ako vidite na prognozi više od 33 stupnja. Kažem vam – kamen gori, duša ti gori. Savjetovala sam i Adrijani pa su Kruzovi ipak otišli, a ovdje možete pročitati što su vidjeli u Mostaru i jel im gorila duša -> LINK.

U okolici Mostara zaista ima pregršt svari za vidjeti i sve će vas dojmiti. Počitelj, Green Park Žitomislić, Vrelo Bune i Blagaj Tekija, Bunski kanal, vodopad Kravica, vodopad Koćuša i većinu je Adrijana jako dobro popisala u svom blogu pa da se ne ponavljam kod nje se možete inspirirati svježim informacijama. One koje nije popisala ona i naše iskustvo složim u nekom novom blogu, radnog naziva “Putevima Hercegovine”. 😁

I za kraj, na vašem road tripu možete ići preko Međugorja ili Imotskog, koji vam mogu biti prva ili zadnja stanica. Još nekoliko usputnih lokacija možete pronaći i u blogu Dalmatia, a o jezerima koje Imotski skriva pisala sam OVDJE.

Nadamo se skorom ponovnom putu u Hercegovinu pa da napokon složim i taj blog „Putevima Hercegovine“. Do tad, pratite nas na Instagramu gdje svakodnevno dijelimo naše priče.

Tour from London with Rabbie’s

Hello World!

We are in London, the capital of England, and since it is not our first time here we know how to get a break from the busy city -> explore beautiful rural England!

First time when we were in London we visited Stonehenge and Bath and this time we were guests at Rabbie’s “Oxford & Traditional Cotswold Villages Tour”.
Of course, we covered entire tour on our Instagram stories, so go find highlights called “Rabbies England” -> @dianomaya.

DEPARTURE

Tour departs from London’s Greenline Coach Terminal, which is not hard to find. You can easily come to Victoria Station with 3 different tubes (Circle, Victoria and District). Directly behind Victoria Train Station and diagonally across from Victoria Coach Station you will find Greenline Coach Terminal. Rabbie’s departure stand is number 3.
Find directions -> HERE.

We got picked up from stand 3 by a lovely driver & guide in a Mercedes mini-coach. It was just a couple of us on a tour, so we each got our own seat. For us, the best thing in the Mercedes were USB ports next to each seat, where we charged our phones during the drive between villages. Every blogger dream 🙂

Our driver/guide told us many stories on our way out of the London and during our trip, things you can’t find in guidebooks. I could tell you a few, but where is the fun in that? The best is if you hear it and see it yourself. Experiencing first hand is everything!

There are many Cotswold Villages you can visit and our first stop was Burford, small medieval town with famous High Street.

In that street we found the cutest ancient houses turned into shops, restaurants and galleries. Even though houses and the streets are a tourist attraction, keep in mind that people still live and work there. We found the cutest house and I wanted to take a picture on it’s porch. Imagine my surprise (and shame) when a lady walked out the door! Luckily, she wasn’t mad, she just smiled. It is possible this happened to her more than once. 🙂
Pro TIP: be respectful!

We stopped for a tea & cake at Huffkins bakery and continued down the street to the Burford Church, Anglican church with eqsuisit courtyard by the Windrush river.

Our second Cotswold Village was Bibury, or should I say Shire, the inspiration for Tolkein’s books.

Arlington Row is a long line of beautiful stone cottages and the most photographed Cotswold scenery. Doesn’t Arlington Row look like the hobbits could live there?

Last, but not least on this tour we stopped at the Oxford city.

Diano was surprised with it’s size, because it is a really big city, which he didn’t expect. Another city where you can “get lost in the movie”, but this time Harry Potter movie. We had couple of hours there, so we decided to explore as much as we could. Our driver advised us to visit The Christ Church first, because it is the most popular location in the city.
Tickets are not included in your tour price. We paid entrance fee approx. 10 EUR per person (£9).

It’s Great Hall directly inspired J. K. Rowling’s Great Hall of Hogwarts. It really looks like you’ve stepped into the Harry Potter film.

We also advise you to visit University Church of St Mary the Virgin, the entrance to the Church is free, however there is a 5 EUR (£4) fee for entry to the church tower, which offers excellent panoramic views of the city.
You got to the top with a medieval spiral staircase. The tower terrace is sooo narrow, the narrowest we’ve ever seen, so that two people cannot go by.

From above you get to see Radcliffe Camera, historic library and the most iconic Oxford site.

Oxford is a place of many awesome museums, if you are museum kind of person don’t miss Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford Botanic Garden and Pitt Rivers Museum.

While walking around the city we found The Bridge of Sighs, many different colleges and the picturesque Oxford High Street, where we stopped for a quick lunch. A pub lunch and a beer is how we do it. Being very hungry we just sat down in the first one we found. If you have enough time explore many Oxford’s historic pubs: Eagle and Child (J.R.R Tolkien’s favorite), Lamb & Flag, The Turf Tavern or King’s Arms. Pub tour is always a good idea when in England.

That, unfortunately, brings us to the end of this tour. Should you wish to escape London for a day or two and experience England’s fresh air, beautiful landscapes, and quaint villages, like we did, you have to try it Rabbie’s Tour way.

Diano also made a short video of our Rabbie’s experience, which you can watch here:

Hope this blog will help you organize your trip to London or/and England. In our next blog I will try to cover -> “London TOP 10 or 20…or who knows”.
In the meantime:

😍 GET SOCIAL WITH US

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/dianomaya/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/dianomaya/
YouTube CHANNEL: https://goo.gl/vwMFqo

😍 Let your brand travel with us!
Collaboration requests: maivcevic@gmail.com

Where to stay in London?

Hello World!
If you have been following our Instagram, you know we visited London, UK. If you have Instagram account, you can follow our adventures here -> @dianomaya. Look for the London stories in “Highlights“!
This blog is loooong overdue, so let’s not procrastinate any more and go strait to it.

In London, we were hosted by the “St Christopher’s At The Village Hostel in London Bridge“, a very chic, in the center of the city, party hostel. I think that description says it all. Let’s start with what we think is their best quality -> location!

LOCATION

London is huge, so it is very hard to define center, but if you are here for London’s top tourist locations, St Christopher’s Hostel is situated literally in the center of the city! It is an easy walk to the Shard, London Bridge, Tower Bridge, Tower Castle, Shakespeare’s Globe and Tate Museum. If you plan to go anywhere else in the city, hostel is just 2 minutes walk from TWO tube stations (JUBILEE, NORTHERN).
Right in front of the hotel you also have a bus stop with couple of lines going around the city. There is a “London TUBE Map app” you can install to easily navigate around the city, or just use Google Maps, like we did. Find the location you want to go to and Google Maps will show you all transportation options to get there, with approximate time of arrival too.

CHECK IN / OUT

Hotstel has 24/7 reception desk, which is always a plus. Staff spoken several languages, was polite and very helpful, however they’ve put us in the room on the third floor, next to the “chill out room”, which we didn’t appreciate. Let me elaborate. We knew we were coming to a party hostel, no problem there, let’s party! People are using chill out room” as a “hangout” at night, no problem there either, let’s meet new people. But the doors of that room were broken. So every time, night or day, someone would enter or leave “chill out room” the doors would do BANG! BANG! BANG! on our brain 🙂
To conclude, if they say 3rd floor room, make sure it is not close to the “chill out room”, try to switch rooms right there on the reception desk. If I remember right, we got the room no. 311. which we advise to avoid.

ROOM 1

Now, let’s get back to the good stuff. The room itself was tiny, but pretty great. We got a private double bunk room, with our own bathroom. We had all amenities we needed in the bathroom: shower gel, towels and hair dryer; and in bedroom: coffee and tea bags, with cups. Right next to our beds we had several electricity plug ins, which is always needed, if you are travel blogger and Instagramer, like us. Keep in mind to bring UK outlet adapter.
On the third floor, we also found an terrace with the most wonderful Shard view.

CAPSULE ROOM

Last night of our stay we moved to Japanese-style capsule beds. YES! Firstly, a capsule bed!! We saw those on several YouTube videos and always wondered what would be like to sleep in one. Secondly, even though we shared the room with other 20-ish people, it was so quiet, in compare to our first “next to chill out room” room.
So, when you check in into “capsule bed” you get the room key, because it is a room. In that room there are maybe 20-30 capsule beds, lockers and toilets with showers. You get your bed number aka. your capsule equipped with UK outlets, USB ports, mood lights and curtains for privacy. You will also be assigned to a locker (same number as your bed), where you can put your luggage and valuable items. Padlocks are available for the lockers.
Inside the capsule, combination of the lights and comfortable beds rocked us to sleep immediately.
This was totally unique accommodation experience, perfect for 1 or 2 nights in the city. Only if you are claustrophobic you should skip it 🙂

BREAKFAST

It is always good to have something to eat at your accommodation to start your day on a full stomach. St Christopher’s Hostel has a breakfast included in their prices and it is located in the building basement. There you will find simple breakfast buffet with toast, ham & cheese, cereals, fruit, coffee, tea and juices to get you started. If that is not enough for you, there is a supermarket minute walk from the Hostel.

BAR

Since St Christopher’s Hostel is a “party hostel” they have a bar on the premises, called Belushi’s bar. Being a hostel guest will get you 25% discount on your food & drinks. Just show your key card before they issue the bill.
We were out in the city most of our days during our stay, so we didn’t get to try their food and apparently very tasty burgers, but we did enjoyed a beer during a hilarious karaoke night and coffee in the morning (which is much better than breakfast coffee). Bar has a “sport vibe” with “cage tables” where each table has it’s own TV. How cool is that?

All in all, if you are young (or feel that way) and want to have fun, St Christopher’s Hostel is a hostel for you. There is a party every night at the bar, you can save money on a transport (being that close to several city attractions) and meet so much cool people all around the world.
Besides London, St Christopher’s also has hostels around the Europe, like Amsterdam, Barcelona, Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen, Prague, Edinburgh and Bruges.

You can find them here:
Facebook: St Christopher’s London at the Village London Bridge
Instagram: St Christopher’s London

And for Shereen, from sales team, if you are reading this, thank you for everything, you are really the best!

I almost forgot! After a long time Diano found inspiration and made a short London video. Wohoooo! You can find it here:

In our next blog -> “Rabbie’s tour outside London“. Talk to you then 🙂

😍 GET SOCIAL WITH US

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/dianomaya/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/dianomaya/
YouTube CHANNEL: https://goo.gl/vwMFqo

😍 Let your brand travel with us!
Collaboration requests: maivcevic@gmail.com

TOP 5 attractions in Cologne (Köln)

Hello world!
We are in Cologne (Köln), Germany! We didn’t have time to explore it all, so this time we are breaking down only TOP 5 attractions in this 2,000 year old city.

1. Cologne Cathedral

Grand Gothic cathedral with twin spires is  the “face” of Cologne city and also the most visited landmark in Germany, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage in 1996.
We cannot decide if it is more glorious from outside or inside?

2. Groß St. Martin

Second part of Cologne skyline is the tower of “The great St.Martin’s church”. We loved how the church merged with colorful Cologne old town houses. It is the most perfect Instagram location. We only wish we had more sun there. So, if you are looking for a perfect photo location, plan better than us :).

3. Hohenzollern Bridge

It is a pedestrian and rail bridge that connects Cologne Cathedral with Rheinboulevard. On the walking path to the other side you will find “love padlocks” on the bridge fences. If you are in love and into things like this, buy the padlock, write your names and throw away the key into the river Rhein so your love can last forever.
From the other side of the bridge, on Rheinboulevard, you will get the most perfect view of the city, a specially in sunset. Get a beer (wine, juice, water, whatever you prefer) and chill on the boulevard steps while enjoying the most glorious sunset.

4. KölnTriangle skyscraper

This is a second sunset spot, but also observation deck. Top floor offers the panoramic view of the city, including the Cathedral.
Entrance fee is 3€ per person and you can find working hours on their website.

5. Museums 

Cologne has over 30 museums and we, unfortunately, didn’t have time to see any. The top of our wish list is Chocolate Museum, but if you plan to visit Cologne you can also explore: Museum Ludwig, Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, Fondation Corboud, Romano-Germanic Museum, Museum of Applied Art design, Museum Schnütgen and Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum.

The main reason why we didn’t have any museum time is shopping and food, which is also the big part of this lovely city.

We got the feeling like shopping and shoppers are everywhere in this city! This could easily be the most popular activity for tourists. I’ve found that the most popular shopping streets are Schildergasse and Hohe Straße, but you can also have a peak in Ehrenstraße and Mittelstraße.

Food is the second tourist activity and you should definitely indulge in gourmet food that city offers, sweet and sour.

To conclude, we are most definitely coming back to this city. With open mind (to visit some museums) with empty bags (to do more shopping) and empty stomach (to try more local food). Who is with us?

GET SOCIAL WITH US

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/dianomaya/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/dianomaya/
YouTube CHANNEL: https://goo.gl/vwMFqo

 Let your brand travel with us!
Collaboration requests: maivcevic@gmail.com

Where to stay in Berlin?

Hello World!
If you have been following our Instagram stories, you already know we visited Berlin, Germany. If you have Instagram account, you can follow our adventures here-> @dianomaya. Look for the stories in “Highlights”!

Let’s begin our Berlin story with some basics, our accommodation! So where did we stay in Berlin? We were invited for a complimentary stay at “The Amstel House Hostel Berlin”, the friendliest hostel in Berlin. We learned they have been elected the best hostel staff in Europe two times, so we were keen to try that special hospitality.

CHECK IN / OUT

We were convinced how friendly they are right from the start. Upon our arrival we were welcomed by two lovely male receptionist and given instructions about the room, keys, breakfast and the bar. They were also so kind to give us complimentary backpack, with personalized note. I don’t know about you, but we love when accommodations take their time to make you special. Also, I can’t wait for spring to come, to take my new backpack out!

Amstel House Hostel has 24/7 reception, so if we ever needed to ask about Berlin, transport, bike rent, museums or similar, we definitely used that perk. You can find free maps at the reception, along with coupons for Berlin attractions. They also have electronic devices which you can borrow, towels you can rent and hygiene products you can buy. What else do you need?

ROOM

Oh, yes, you need a room! They offer a different room types and beds, such as private, single, double, twin, dormitories, family rooms, etc. Some rooms have private bathroom, some are with shared ones. We got a private twin room with shared bathroom. Shared shower and toilet was just door to ours, so it made life easier. We also had little sink in our room, which is a very nice add on. Our beds were so cozy, it was hard to leave them in the morning 🙂

BREAKFAST

We always include breakfast in our room booking, partial because I am obsessed with buffet breakfast (there is something very special about other people making breakfast for you) and secondly because it is easier to explore the “big city life” on a full stomach. What is special about Amstel House breakfast is their vegetarian and vegan selection, which I noticed right away, as I don’t eat meat.

BAR

The heart of the Amstel House is their 24/7Bar. We would come to Hostel after dinner and to avoid feeling like we missed the night in the city, by staying in our room, we went down to the bar to hang out. Hanging out at the bars is always the best. You get to met Hotel staff, ask about what to do in the city and meet new interesting travelers, which has always been our luck! Do you have a story from the Hotel bar’s?

It is safe to say we liked the bar area the best. We would hang out and relax with our cold beers, after the long walks in the city.
One thing we, unfortunately, didn’t get to use was their cool game room. It sure looks like a lot of fun, so maybe next time 🙂

LOCATION AND TRANSPORT

Amstel House is located in Moabit, in the district of Mitte, which is very well connected by public transportation. S-Bahn and bus stop is 5 min walk from the Hostel and with TLX fast bus, you are only a few minutes from the historical center. We bought a day ticket from local store (right at the bus stop) which gave us access to all public transport.

That sums up our accommodation experience. If you decide to book a stay with them, hope you will have as much fun in Amstel House Hostel as we did.

You can find them here:
Facebook: Amstel House
Instagram: Amstel House

And for Amstel House Hostel team, if you are reading this, thank you for your hospitality, you are really the best!

In our next blog -> “Top things to see in Berlin”. Talk to you then 🙂

😍 GET SOCIAL WITH US

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/dianomaya/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/dianomaya/
YouTube CHANNEL: https://goo.gl/vwMFqo

😍 Let your brand travel with us!
Collaboration requests: maivcevic@gmail.com

Zagreb is still the best Christmas Market in Europe

Hello World!

As some of you might know, we are based in Split and it’s the most beautiful town in the world, however, it doesn’t do winter festivities very (any) good. Lucky for us 5 hour bus drive takes us to Zagreb Christmas Market, which has won “The best Christmas Market in Europe” three times in a row (2017,2016,2015). We believe it would have won again this year, but the rules are you cannot win 4 times in a row. Once you’ve seen Zagreb, nothing can compare, not even Strasbourg Christmas Market which we saw last year and it is one of the top 10.
Zagreb simply wins in Christmas. 🎄🎄🎄

I wrote about our TOP 10 locations last year and they haven’t changed much. If I start writing, I would name most of the same locations, but the crazy thing is they have completely different set up, but are still incredible!

Let me show you 2018 vs 2017 pictures!

2018 Plato Gradec

Advent in Klovicevi dvori

2017 Plato Gradec

2018 Caffe de Matoš

Caffe de Matoš, Zagreb

2017 Caffe de Matoš

2018 Marićev passage

2017 Marićev passage

2018 Fuliranje

2017 Fuliranje

2018 Zrinjevac park

Zrinjevac, Zagreb

2017 Zrinjevac park

I’ve also vlogged last year, so you can watch the video, if anyone has time for that :).

I think you can see the upgrade, not only in Zagreb locations but also in our photography style. Who know what 2019 has prepared for us! I am thinking about writing 2019 wish-list blog, so stay tuned for one more blog before New Year. The easiest way to know when is uploaded and live, is if you subscribe to our blogs 🙂 Also, don’t forget to:

GET SOCIAL WITH US:

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/dianomaya/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/dianomaya/
YouTube CHANNEL: https://goo.gl/vwMFqo

 Let your brand travel with us!
Collaboration requests: maivcevic@gmail.com

10 FREE locations in Dalmatia, Croatia

Hello World!

When we started blogging life we thought we need to travel outside Croatia all the time, for people to be interested in our stories. Luckily, we realized you don’t need to escape your country or hometown to be interesting, what you need to do is EXPLORE it MORE. 

Split,  Croatia

We know it is not easy to travel 365 days in a year, but you can easily walk around your city every single day. When you get enough of your town (if that is even possible when you live in a place like Split, Croatia) you can explore it’s surroundings. That’s exactly what we have been doing recently.

Split city is located in DALMATIA region, so let’s break down some FREE highlights of this area.

1. SALONA

Near city of Solin there are remains of ancient Roman town Salona. At it’s entrance you can find beautiful martyrs (Manastirine) and Tusculum, while at the south part there are remaining of the Roman forum. There is small fee only for the Archaeological museum, which we skipped and enjoyed only outdoors. If you have time, it is perfect picnic spot.

Roman forum

Tusculum

Near Solin you can also find remains of the Hollow Church (Šuplja crkva) on the Jadro river bank. 

Jadro river

Hollow church, Solin

2. KLIS

On the mountains above Split you can find small village of Klis. It is mostly known for it’s Klis Fortress, were TV series “Game of Thrones” was recently shoot. The entrance fee is 50 HRK per person. Since this was FEE FREE trip, we didn’t go inside, however we admired the views from it.

View from Klis Fortress 

Nearby, we also found the most magnificent bridge that gave us serious Harry Potter vibes. 

3. NUTJAK FORT

Fort is located near city of Trilj, on Cetina river bank. There aren’t many signs on the road (although it should be, because this place is pretty incredible), so follow the instructions here: MAP. From the main road turn onto dirt road, which leads very close to the fort.

Nutjak fort is also famous for it’s wild life: birds, lizards, but also snakes, so if you have any phobia, skip this one. If you are a nature lover, prepare your photo gear and take your time, they crawl all around.

Nutjak fort, Trilj

Cetina river view from Nutjak

4.  GREEN LAKE

We visited Blue and Red lake near Imotski before (find that story HERE), but this time we decided to visit it’s less known sister Green Lake. This gorgeous “Cinderella” is located near town Ričice and it is man made accumulation lake, not natural one. Still, we found it mesmerizing and totally worth of visit! You can come with your car, over the dirt road, all the way to the middle of the lake. It looks like you are walking on Mars.

Green lake, Ričice

Green lake, dam 

5. PROLOŠKO BLATO

Again, near Imotski there is another nature phenomena that is out of this world and it is called Prološko blato (mud). It is a huge wast flooded area with the lake in the middle. You can ride your car around the field, but be careful because water created crests, so you will find many “dead ends”. Also, there is big reason it is called mud field. Water variates during the year, so there are periods when the field is almost entirely flooded and there are dry periods. We were there in semi dry period and walked around. I had marvelous idea to skip over water stream to get to Franciscan monastery, on the other side of the crest. I fell so deep in the mud that I almost lost my shoe in it :). Btw. monastery was not worth it.

Maya in the mud up to her knees

Prološko lake, Proložac

Prološko blato from above, I took this pic with my phone

6. RUDA river SPRING/SOURCE

Like the name says, this is Ruda river spring. To find it, there are no markings on the road (approximate location – HERE). I’ve put request to Google Maps to update on location, so you can easily found it next time, but in the meantime just ask the locals. It always works :).

When you come to old mill ruins, don’t just stop there, go behind it. Follow concrete path, because it leads you to were spring is hidden. You can walk all the way to the spring too, follow woods path on your left. Just be careful because the water is crazy fast and below the spring is a rocky waterfall.

Ruda, mill

Ruda waterfall

Ruda river

Ruda spring and mill (phone picture)

Ruda source (phone picture)

7. GRAB river SPRING/SOURCE

Grab is the sweetest little village famous for it’s mills and river spring. Everything is very well marked, so you cannot get lost here. Our advice is to park your car right at the city entrance, near the church, and walk from there. Grab charmed us completely. Nature is beautiful and heritage is so valuable. There are couple of mills that are still in function, we stopped by “Čosića mlinica” and “Samardžića mlinica”, where they ground grain to water run. If you want to buy homemade flower, you can do it there.

Čosića mill

Grab river 

8. CETINA CANYON BRIDGE

We found this beautiful bridge, in Cetina river canyon, completely by accident. On our way to Imotski, we found marking on the road for “Kreševski most (bridge)”, in Kreševo village, and decided to pursuit it. You can find directions -> HERE. Again, it is not direct link, but there are markings on the road, so you should easily find it, once there.

The bridge connects mountaineer road from Kreševo to Blato na Cetini, so if you are up for a nice walk a long Cetina river, this is the perfect place.

9. CISTA VELIKA WELLS

These ones you cannot miss, they are right on the side of the road! That said, we missed it, hahaha. So keep your eyes open when passing Cista.

Besides wells, the area of the Cista Velika has other historical findings like tombstones and fortresses, so if you have time, stop and explore it more. We only stopped to see wells from Turkish times. They were obviously water source once, but now they are incredible photo shoot location.

Wells in Cista Velika

People also use it as a garbage bin, so sad about it

10. TRNBUSI and BLATO NA CETINI

Two little villages in Dalmatia hinterland, located on beautiful Cetina river, which have several magical river banks and locally owned picnic spots. I would say it is more summer location, because in summer time you can swim in river and definitely refresh your body and soul in it.

Cetina river (phone picture)

(phone picture)

Hope this was helpful! If you end up going to one of this locations, TAG #dianomaya so we can see it!

Should you wish that WE ORGANIZE PHOTO TRIP to these locations, let us know in Instagram DM and we will make it happen!

Finally, don’t forget to:

😍 GET SOCIAL WITH US

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/dianomaya/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/dianomaya/
YouTube CHANNEL: https://goo.gl/vwMFqo

😍 Let your brand travel with us!
Collaboration requests: maivcevic@gmail.com

Where to stay in Amsterdam?

Hello World, we are in Amsterdam!

Yes, we visited Amsterdam in Netherlands during the Easter holiday, completely by mistake. We booked EasyJet flight from Split, Croatia for 60 EUR (return ticket for 2 people). The ticket was so cheap that I didn’t even thought about checking the dates.
Why is she writing about this, you ask?
During any holiday, extended weekends and similar “fun dates”, popular cities all around the world are packed with visitors! There are huge lines at the museums, you can hardly find a restaurant with available table and, in Amsterdam case, ques for canal rides were just too long.

Traveler’s tip – never book a “holiday date” for your vacation, if you can.

Nevertheless, we had wonderful time just strolling around Amsterdam canals and streets. Let’s begin our Amsterdam story with some basics, our accommodation!

Where to stay in Amsterdam?

We looked for accommodation on Google.com, again, and found XO Hotels Amsterdam.  They have 8 Hotels on different locations all around the city, so we decided to check out their website.
XO Hotels Amsterdam literally have a Hotel for any type of traveler: from luxury to backpacker and from family to business friendly hotel. If you are looking for city hotel, they have one. If you would rather stay next to Vondel park, they have one that location too. We have chosen XO Hotels Couture, honestly, mostly because of it’s colors. I mean, look at our room!

CHECK IN / OUT

They have self service check in and out! This was our first time experiencing check in without hotel staff and I must say, we loved it! There are 3 computers at the Hotel entrance and you start with“check in” box on the screen.
You need to write down the Name on the reservation, or reservation number and voila! Your reservation pops in front of you and you are ready to make your keys.
They placed empty room cards close to computer. You have to take one and put it on the scanning machine. If you need two, just repeat the process.
After you are done, computer prints out little note which has your room number, check out time, breakfast buffet working times and price (if not included), restaurant working hours and WiFi details. I mean, you have to love this!
I was a receptionist, lifetime ago, and I really respect this system. Repeating these information, million times a day, gets tiring after a while.
If you are old school, Hotels Couture’s staff is close by to help you with your check in.

ROOM

We got wonderful double bed room, on 10th floor. As soon as we entered, we fell in love with the view! I made myself a cup of complimentary tea, grabbed my book and sat down to the most beautiful rainy sunset window view.

BED

We booked Standard Double/Twin room and were given one queen bed, as we noted in our reservation that we are a couple. Bed was clean and comfortable, do I need to say anything more?  That is all we needed after long walks in the city. We were so happy to come home to this cozy thing!

BATHROOM

The bathroom was very spacious, clean and really modern with rainfall shower. We had full size mirror above the sink, which is every girls dream….or maybe just my dream (as I was raised in the house with only one tiny mirror).

LAPTOP CLUB

You know that we bring our work with us, everywhere we travel. That is the reason why we always need place to set up our “laptop club”. It is basically our office on a road, but we don’t really like calling it office, it sounds too “normal”. We call it laptop club instead :).

COMPLIMENTARY

You will be given the WiFi password, obviously, a TV with international channels and also couple of other treats. We got bottles of water, tea & coffee bags in the saloon and also slippers & toiletries in the bathroom. Amsterdam guides, which they left for us on the table, were of so much help! Without it, we wouldn’t have know that flower festival has started the day we landed :).

BREAKFAST

Definitely include breakfast in your room booking, because they have very rich buffet breakfast. We stayed enough days to try everything on the menu and we give it 5 stars :).
Thing that we loved the most was “orange juicer”, you must try it. It squeezes fresh oranges right in front of you.
Thing that we appreciated the most were Easter eggs, served on the Easter day. It was so much fun for the children that were staying in the Hotel, but also for us adults 🙂

BAR

Last, but not least, we also went down to the Hotel’s bar. We have a habit of going to the hotel’s bars and I will tell you why. Usually, we come late into Hotel, to tired to go anywhere. To avoid feeling like we are missing the day in the city, by staying in our room, we go down to hang out. These kind of adventures are always the best. You get to met Hotel staff, ask about what to do in the city and meet new interesting travelers, which has always been our luck! Do you have a story from the Hotel bar’s? We have so many, wanna hear about it?

LOCATION AND TRANSPORT

Hotel is located slightly outside of the city center, but there is a tram stops literally right in front of the hotel. Tram NO.2 takes you directly to the city “hot spots” within 20 minutes.
You can also buy 24, 48 and 72 hours Tram ticket, which we highly recommend. There is vending machine in the hotel lobby, where you can get your “GVB” Amsterdam transport ticket.

I feel like I wrote down everything about our stay… is there anything else you would like to know about XO Hotels Couture? Send us your questions in the comments, we will be happy to answer them all!

In the meantime, don’t forget to:

😍 GET SOCIAL WITH US

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/dianomaya/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/dianomaya/
YouTube CHANNEL: https://goo.gl/vwMFqo

😍 Let your brand travel with us!
Collaboration requests: maivcevic@gmail.com