Croatia was one of the most difficult places we've travelled to. My first draft of this post was a bit less forgiving, but then we went to Korcula and the people became friendlier, the weather cooler and the beaches more inviting. I realized that for as many unfriendly, unhelpful people as there are working in the service industry, there are just as many kind, welcoming and hard-working people who are ready to show you a good time. Chatting with our friendly taxi driver in Zagreb, we caught a different perspective. "People in Croatia don't like to work," he said. "Sometimes the wages are so low that you don't have the will for a smile."
I don't know what to say to that. When I'm travelling in a country I take notice of the socioeconomic conditions. I've travelled to poor regions before, none poorer than Bolivia. And everyone there had a genuine smile on his or her face. Thailand was also full of friendly people, despite the fact that many of them live in substandard housing and I saw a few bathing in the Chao Phraya River.
Economically Croatia is nowhere near as poor as these two examples. Perhaps they feel so because of their proximity to the Schengen area countries? Is this a good excuse for such consistently rude, unwelcoming behaviour to visitors? I'd love to hear from other readers on this issue.
Those who keep up with us on Facebook and Twitter may know that we cut our time there short by two weeks. Croatia is a very beautiful country and we didn't even get to some of the most attractive cities and areas. It isn't cheap, however, and we're celebrating our one-year wedding anniversary this month. We don't want to deal with unfriendly people and a lot of nonsense. But I want to be helpful and for visitors to have the knowledge to make the most of their time. Here are my do's and don'ts for exploring and preparing for your Croatian adventure so that you can have hopefully have a better time than we did.
DO Bring the right gear
Croatia's beaches are not the sandy affair you might be used to. While sand beaches do exist, most of them have pebbles or sharp rocks, so purchase some reef shoes. Don't um and ah about it: it will make the difference between skipping happily into the water or wincing as you tiptoe for fifteen minutes out to the deep part. You'll also probably want some snorkel gear and a beach towel as even the more expensive hotel we stayed at in Supetar didn't provide these. Hats and sunscreen are a must.
DON'T Visit in August
This was probably our biggest mistake. It's stinking hot, teeming with German and Italian tourists (which is fine but you might get tired of constantly being addressed in German when you're speaking Croatian or English) and many locals are absolutely sick and tired of foreigners. I suspect this was our biggest foible but, unfortunately, this was the only time we had this year to visit. Everything is more expensive, more crowded and more aggravating.
DO Bring cash
Even if the door of the establishment has the Mastercard and Visa logos on the door and even if you see the credit card machine sitting there on the counter, don't assume that your card will be accepted. We came across more 'cash only' businesses in Croatia than anywhere in South America. And bring plenty of money in general. The only bargains are beer and transportation.
DO Enjoy the nice local food
We didn't have a bad meal in Croatia. From delicious grilled meats to fresh seafood to excellent Italian dishes, you can't go wrong with restaurants. For those with a sweet tooth, you'll find a gelato shop every 50 metres and bakeries have excellent pastries and desserts. In general, 'caffes' serve coffees, ice cream and specialty drinks while restaurants and takeaway shops have the food. Diversity is not common - restaurants of a similar type will offer pretty much the same menu and we didn't find much in the way of international cuisine. Be sure to try cevapcici and the delicious fish such as Sea Devil, which is like monkfish.
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