Spending a nice week in Croatia with colleagues
- Sep 30, 2021
- 5 min read
Updated: May 23
On September 2021, me and my colleagues went on a week-long trip in Croatia. We worked remotely from this really beautiful country that's rich in nature and culture. I like the place because it gives me the tropical weather vibes. It's also my first time to travel outside the Netherlands after a year.
To get started, we travelled from Rotterdam/The Hague Airport to Dubrovnik Airport. It's just a 2h 10m flight. Since it's still pandemic, we're required to wear face masks all throughout the flight. Before landing, look outside the plane's window to see a fascinating view of an island surrounded by blue waters. When we went outside the airport, the mountains were already greeting us.
My colleague also arranged a car rental service so when we get there, we just went straight to the car rental area and waited for the available car we're going to use. There's a lot of car rental services available so it's good to also book them in advance for the entire trip duration. If you have a driver's license then it would be easy to rent a car and enjoy the vacation without worrying about commuting. When we were driving around, mostly we go on winding and narrow roads since they're on mountainsides. The speed limit is usually just 50 kph so fast drivers don't like it very much.
The currency in Croatia is called Kuna. Most stores accept euro so it's good because I didn't have to exchange my cash to kuna. They also accept debit/credit cards and there are available ATMs to withdraw cash. It's still good to keep some cash though because there are smaller stores or bars that only accept kuna as mode of payment.
Cavtat
We stayed at House Villa Vista Old Town in Cavtat for a week. It's just a 10 minute drive from the airport. It's a really nice holiday house with four bedrooms. It's a fully-furnished house, with a terrace and barbecue area so everything we need are already there. It's very neat and I like the paintings hang on the walls. The garden has trees with fruits like kiwi, grapefruit and lemon. They also have two pet turtles that are just walking around the garden. The location of the villa is like in the middle so going to the sea and to the supermarket or restaurants are just a few minutes walk.
Every morning when I wake up and look outside the window, I see the green trees and the blue sea. The aesthetics of the houses are very nice too. They're mostly made of rocks that can be seen in the mountainside. The colour of the roofs are almost similar too.
We ate at different restaurants every day during our stay. One that's highly recommended is the Rokotin restaurant. We've been there several times because they serve really good food. We usually order a platter of fish or meat dishes that we can share. They have really nice deep-fried squid (calamari/calamares) too. The restaurant is just next to the beach so we're able to enjoy the nice food, the wonderful view and the good talks.
We often have breakfast at Posejdon Restaurant. It just feels good drinking a cup of tea (or coffee) with a nice view, waiting for the sun to come up and just enjoying the morning ocean breeze. They also have satisfactory omelettes and pancakes.
We had dinner at other restaurants too that served really good seafood, barbecue, steak and lamb dishes. During our last night in Croatia, we had dinner at Konoba Mrs&Mr Caput and it's also a good place. It's a family-run business so they have a really hospitable gesture. The owner also showed us their own winery because they make their own drinks.
We often walk around the Cavtat Harbour that has really nice boats and yachts. The water is still clean and clear so I appreciate the effort that everyone give to keep it that way. There's a lot of good restaurants and ice cream shops around the area too.
The place is pretty rocky so slippers or water shoes are useful. Everyone can go to their favourite spots to go swimming or diving. The water is clear and blue, with areas that are pretty deep too. I have colleagues who would go swimming every morning and every afternoon. There are chairs in most areas that can be used for sunbathing.
I really like watching the magnificent natural resources that Croatia has to offer. I also witnessed one of the most alluring sunsets in Cavtat. Sometimes we're just walking around then we'll realize that we all stopped just to stare at the beautiful sunset. It's just a moment to appreciate the beauty it brings and the calmness it makes us feel.
We also went hiking on Sunday morning. We hiked from Cavtat to Močići and back to Cavtat, so it's almost a 13 km walk. It was pretty hot so we need to stay hydrated. The hiking trail is good because there are visible signs so hikers will not get lost. There are parts that are rocky and there are nice areas with a lot of tree shades. It was a really comforting feeling to breathe fresh air and hear the natural sound of nature. We were going uphill so we also got to see the ocean and some islands from above. There's a lot of really tall pine trees that get so much attention if we look at the forests because they can be seen from anywhere. We also had breakfast at Restaurant Domestico in the middle of the hike. I would say they have the nicest caesar salad I've ever tried so far.
Dubrovnik
We also went to Dubrovnik that's famous because of the stone walls surrounding the city. This is one of the locations of Game of Thrones series, so we see a lot of gift shops specific for the show’s fans. I always like the idea of castles so seeing the walls gave me a feeling of fulfilment somehow. There's also an option to walk around the castle walls for a fee. During our second visit in Dubrovnik, we took the boat taxi which costs €47 for a round-trip ticket and that's good for two people. The travel time takes around 45 mins to 60 mins. It's also a good experience to see the ocean, the islands, the coastline and some old buildings that might have been vacated during the Croatian War.
Walking around the city feels like we were in the films with old setting. It's literally a city surrounded by castle walls and it feels fantastic. They have several well-preserved churches and I really liked them too. There are more tourists in this area and everyone's taking nice photos of the old buildings.
When the night came, the city lights were lit up which showed the other side of this beautiful city. We also walked around the Old Harbour of Dubrovnik that’s very busy during the day.
I had a great time in Croatia. It's also a really nice experience because I got the chance to spend more time with my teammates and got to know them more. It was a good work-life balance because during the day we work, and after that we would go swimming or have dinner in a nice restaurant. Others would grab a drink in a bar. The foods and drinks are very good and way cheaper (than in Holland). Staying in a sunny place gives us more energy that's why I like it so much. It makes people happier! I would definitely go back to this place!
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