Blog #3 “Winter Came and I Slayed that Bih”. My review of Dubrovnik Croatia (Game of Thrones Film Site) and Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Anyone who really knows me, knows that Game of Thrones is my show! I’ve been a fan since day one (more like 2015 but that’s still well before all the hype). Anyhow, this year Jacque and I decided to take our annual trip to Dubrovnik, Croatia. I know what you’re thinking; I can’t even pronounce Du-brov-nik let alone know where it is so how did you choose there? Lets just say the coastal aspect and Game Of Thrones connection gave it the nod.
Day One. We land at 8:30am after the 2-hour flight, grab our bags and sprint to the shuttle trying to be the first through passport control. Grabbed some local currency from the ATM and called an Uber. Tip: Always check to see if the city has Uber. Lots of times its more reliable and much cheaper than a taxi. Unfortunately, the Ubers kept cancelling on me so after two attempts we hopped a cab to the hotel for early check-in.
We booked four nights at the Sheraton Dubrovnik that I paid for with points. Platinum status gave us an upgrade and early check-in so right away we dressed, grabbed breakfast and requested a hotel arranged car to travel 10 minutes away to Old Town where everything was.
First thing up, The Game of Thrones Tour! Tip: I recommend doing city tours the first day because they usually give you a good idea of landscape and you have the rest of your days to return anywhere you want to dive into more. Dubrovnik did not disappoint! The tour gave us lots of history on the city and hit all the popular GOT sights like Fort Lovrijenac, The City Walls and all the ins and outs of Old Town.
I remember one specific moment thing how much felt like a nerd recapping our favorite moments of episodes and speculating future ones. It’s cool though because the show is worth it and I’m in Croatia!
I’d have to say Dubrovnik is one of the most picturesque cities in Europe. You won’t need filters for any of these photos! The waters are the prettiest version of azure around and the ancient architecture is the perfect sidekick. The weather was cool, no bugs, no humidity (my curls were popping ALL DAY) and the sun was glistening off this skin of mine!
Day 2. Another early start. The day before on the tour, Jacque and I noted a few spots we wanted to get back to for pics. Tip: Get to venues right when they open early in the morning for the best shots with no one in them. For venues that don’t have restricted entry, go just after sunrise. Jacque and I have always been into photography for our trips so we couldn’t wait to test our new tricks behind the lens. Can we say winning?!? Basically got the whole city to ourselves!
Check out my post:
“Winter Came and I Slayed that Bih”
for a look at the best vacation pics of my traveling.
Already feeling accomplished, we had the entire day left so we booked a quick boat trip to the Island of Lokrum.
The boat ride started out a little cloudy and cold but within 10 minutes of being on land the sun decided it wanted to cooperate. Lokrum was dope! Peacocks and rabbits were roaming free. There was a botanical garden, a monastery, a dead sea and tons of other hidden gems that we opted out of only because we were ready for lunch. What we did catch before leaving was my favorite things on the island bar none. Sitting on the Iron Throne and taking pics on the rock formations.
Sidenote: Most all of our time was spent in Old Town but we did hit a cute modern area called Babin Kuk which had lots of great restaurants and bars!
Day 3-4. No good trip is complete without a spa day and that’s exactly what we did on day three since rain help narrow our options. Our final day was our two for one so we rented a car and headed to Bosnia. Tip: always hit two locations on your trip to maximize long travel.
And that’s it, another city crashed by curls!
Look below for an idea of how I paid for this trip and an itinerary for each day. If you’ve ever been to Dubrovnik, Mostar or the Kravic Waterfalls, share your experiences or pics below!
Length of trip: 4 full days (Thursday-Monday)
Do they Speak English: Yes
Flight:Turkish Airlines($323 paid in full with cc points)
Hotel:Sheraton Dubrovnikincluding free breakfast ($115/night paid I full with Marriott points)
Day 1 - Old Town
Game of Thrones Tour
City Walls
Explored city streets
Lunch:Sebastianin Old Town (highly recommend)
Pre-Dinner drinks: Buza Barin Old Town (amazing view, subpar service)
Dinner:Protoin Old Town (highly recommend)
Day2 - Old Town
Pictures in the Fort Lovrijenac
Lokrum Island Tour
Lunch:Tutto Bene(sufficient for quick lunch. Pizza is cool, wings not that great.)
Cable Car- Attempted but was closed du to maintenance.
Dinner:Shizukuin Babin Kuk (highly recommend)
Day3 (Rainy Day)
Spa day at the hotel
Lunch:Pull Over Bistroin Babin Kuk (Highly recommend)
Dinner: Room service
Day 4 - Mostar/Trebeinje/Kravica Waterfalls
Avis Car rental- including green card for country access. (Paid cash - 1449kn/ $218usd)
Day trip to Bosnia
Old Bridge
Crooked Bridge
Museum of War and Genocide in Old City
Dinner: Ruzmarin Gastro Bar (Dubrovnik)