In July 2022, Bonita and I traveled to Austria, Slovenia, and Croatia for our honeymoon. We were there for two weeks. This post recollects how we spent five days in Croatia.
The Itinerary
We entered Croatia through Slovenia to the north. The goal was to gradually make our way south, reaching Split, and turning back north to Zagreb.
Day 1: Entering the country
Having already spent half a day in Slovenia, the plan was to get to Zadar by dinner. Soon after leaving the Skocjan Caves, we crossed the border. Unlike the other EU countries we visited, Croatia had immigrations and border patrol. We showed our passports and were quickly invited into the country.
Our first stop was at Rijeka. We arrived around 3pm, ate a light meal, and walked around to stretch our feet. The coastal town is further up the Adriatic sea, thus receives fewer tourism from cruise ships. It was quiet and relaxing.
In 2021, Croatia still used their own currency: the Croatian Kuna. It took some time getting used to see prices in Kunas.
The shop we went to sold Mille-feuille. Quite possibly the best dessert I’ve ever had was a Mille-feuille from Ukraine in 2014. I am always motivated to try it whenever it’s an option at bakeries just to see if it could compare. In this case, the Croatian bakery did OK, but still not on par.
After the afternoon snack, we drove down to Zadar. We checked into our Airbnb near sunset and enjoyed the views of the sea from the rooftop patio.
Bonita found a highly rated seafood restaurant for dinner: Restoran Punta. The seafood was grilled in our view, and we enjoyed the early evening breeze.
Our first proper meal in the country did not disappoint. It was quite different from the central European palette, heavier on vegetables, yet flavorful. We had a seafood salad along with a medley of grilled oysters, shrimp, squid, and fish fillet over a bed of potatoes. Afterward, we walked the mile back to the Airbnb to rest up.
Day 2: Plitvice Lakes National Park and Zadar
Plitvice Lakes National Park is a 1.5 hour drive north of Zadar. The 2022 summer heat wave was in full effect, and we hesitated whether to go in 100 degree heat. After contemplating for some time, we decided to go.
We arrived in a sea of tourists. It took nearly 10 minutes of driving further into a complex parking lot just to find a spot far from the park entrance. There was just one primary round-trip trail, with visitors having the option of choosing which direction to walk. We took the route less traveled, one that would require us to constantly turn our heads back for more appealing views. But, the lakes really were gorgeous. There are 16 in total, connected by waterfalls. I’m not sure how many lakes we saw, but the water had different colors and hues as we walked through the trail.
The trail was several miles long, but it was mostly flat in elevation and an easy trek. Despite going the opposite of most people, there were still a couple congested areas. After standing in a line that moved at snail pace for what felt like half an hour, we finally knew why. We reached a major attraction point: waterfalls!
There were so many adjacent to each other that everyone was trying to get their turn taking the best pictures. We quickly snapped a few pictures, then escaped the crowd.
We soon made our way to a ferry that we were required to board to continue the trail. The 10 minute ride was a nice escape from the sun.
We ate a quick lunch at the ferry terminal, then walked to what I personally think to be the most beautiful part of the park.
Just look at the color of this water! The hike was lovely, but the temperature was 97 degrees and difficult to tolerate. We finished the trail and drove back to Zadar.
We arrived back at Zadar near sunset and spent time enjoying the view.
Dinner time. We went into Zadar Old Town and were blown away by just how medieval everything looked. But first, food pics @ Konoba Dalmatina.
We walked through the square that contained an 11th century church, through the Roman Forum, to a Sea Organ where waves hitting some manmade objects made music, and through the Sea Gate. There weren’t many people, and the walk was quiet and pleasant.
Day 3: Zadar Boat Tour & Split
Croatia’s islands are a major attraction. We planned to visit some ourselves and booked a half-day boat tour. We were lucky and had the boat to ourselves, getting a personalized experience from the captain and made small talk with him throughout. Fun fact: Croatians refer to the waters as the sea, not the ocean.
The first of three islands we visited was small, with just a few residents. We walked around the whole island in 30 minutes.
During the walk, we witnessed the locals growing olive trees. As we looked towards the mainland, we noticed a wildfire start to spread. Once we returned to the boat, the captain informed us that summer wildfires had become fairly common in recent years due to unprecedented droughts. Croatia was not immune to climate change.
At our second stop, we snorkeled off the coast of an even smaller island. Then, we headed to the last and largest island of the day. On that island, we swim a bit more, then walked through the small boardwalk. We were pleased with our decision to spend time in the water during peak temperature.
On the boat ride back to the mainland, we learned from the captain that a large portion of Zadar’s population was transient. Many locals, primarily from Zagreb, owned vacations homes on coastal town and would visit during different times of the year.
Separately, I thought of famous Croatians and asked if he knew who Mirko Cro Cop was. He smiled and said, “Everyone in Croatia knows who Cro Cop is.” I had no idea he was THAT famous! I tested my luck further and asked if he knew who Mate Pavić was. Unfortunately, he didn’t. I suppose a mixed martial arts legend was more recognizable than a recent tennis world #1 and 6-time tennis Grand Slam doubles champion.
We enjoyed our time in Zadar, but it was time to leave. We start the 1.5 hour drove south to Split. Split became more renowned after Game of Thrones was filmed there, specifically the scenes of Meereen. We arrived in the hotel mid afternoon and walked right into the city center.
Oof. Two large cruise ships parked in the harbor. Packed crowds. The buildings looked mighty impressive and on a scale even larger than Zadar, but we were more focused on not running into people.
Despite the crowds, the vibes really were great. I was constantly reminded of Age of Empires II and imagined catapults and trebuchets breaking down castle walls.
We walked around until it was dinner time. Bonita reserved a Michelin recommended restaurant, PiNKU. If you ever visit Split, this restaurant is an absolute must try. It’s one of my favorite meals in recent years.
The menu comprised of 6 dishes. The dishes all had a play on different local seafood, but they were presented in such unique ways.
The tuna was raw, yet had a dried jerky texture with a smoky taste. I loved it.
These two courses were the stars of the show. The Mol was made to like ramen, but the “noodle” is cuttlefish! The Raza skate fish was unbelievably good, and the sunchoke with fig leaf sauce was a brilliant play on mashed potatoes and gravy.
PiNKU was, dare I say, an experience of a lifetime. It is underrated and I would give it at least 1 Michelin star.
Day 4: Fortress Klis and Zagreb
We spent the morning visiting the City of Meereen, where Khaleesi freed the slaves. It was scorching hot. Bonita nearly melted.
Being completely honest, the fortress was overrated. We spent less than an hour there and left feeling underwhelmed.
The original idea was to visit Krka National Park, but it was too damn hot. We did not feel motivated enough to bask in the sun and instead began the 4-hour drive north to Croatia’s capital, Zagreb. We stopped just once at a very random place inland for lunch. The restaurant only accepted cash, and I had just enough to order a single plate of steak and fries.
We arrived in Zagreb when it was already dark. Eager for fulfilling food, we found sanctuary at a Sri Lankan restaurant, Curry Bowl. Dinner did not disappoint, especially when we did not expect South Asian cuisine in a Balkan country.
After dinner, we briefly walked around upper town (known as the old part), then called it a night.
Day 5: Zagreb
Spoiler: Zagreb is one of the most enjoyable cities I’ve visited. It’s a big city, yet easy to walk around. There’s a wide variety of good quality food. There’s history and culture. The people are nice. The streets are clean.
Morning started with espresso. We then walked a couple miles through town to visit the Nikola Tesla Technical Museum. On the way there, we passed by beautiful buildings and got a sense of the city vibes.
We spent almost two hours inside the museum. I enjoyed seeing old engineering feats like fire trucks and bunker gear.
There was also an entire exhibit featuring aviation, wartime vehicles, locomotives, and even a submarine!
After the exhibit, we walked through a public park and ate one of the quickest lunches of the honeymoon at a fast food place called Good Food.
We then got back to the city center and had dessert at Slastičarnica Orijent. Bonita uttered dismay that I, for the billionth time, ordered a white colored dessert.
We then walked through old town again – this time during daylight, and enjoyed the historic vibes.
We arrived at Noel for a 6pm reservation. Over the next four (FOUR!) hours, we had a wonderful and bizarre experience with their testing menu.
We first sat down in a lobby where a waiter took our drink order. After a few minutes of sipping on our drinks, we were then led to our table. A stamped envelope was on the table for each of us to open, and it contained the menu.
We were fortunate enough to have a view of the kitchen, so that we could see the assembly line of chefs hard at work preparing all the dishes.
Beetroot. So sweet.
The snacks itself took nearly an hour to serve. We weren’t even 1/4 way through the menu!
The carrot was one of my favorite fishes of the night.
I honestly don’t remember what the middle picture was. The bread was also forgettable.
As we finished this course, the lights suddenly turned off without any notice. No warning. No reaction from staff. After a few minutes of silence and confusion from other guests, a woman dressed in black with violin in hand slowly walked in. She was practically gliding.
She then played the violin for about 10 minutes. We did not expect this at all and couldn’t help but (discreetly) chuckle at how bizarre the experience was. Extra-ness aside, it was very pleasant and enjoyable. Noel must be working hard to 2 Michelin stars.
After that, dessert time!
The cherry with maraschino & orange blossom dish was cold, refreshing, and tasted naturally sweet. I unfortunately didn’t jot down the taste of the others and can only imagine they were delicious.
The experience lasted four hours, setting a new record for time sitting down in a restaurant. What an experience! Noel and PiNKU were my two favorite meals during our honeymoon and today are among my favorite fine dining experiences alongside Tairroir and Lazy Bear.
Pre-travel best practices
Essential pre-travel steps
- Global Entry / TSA Precheck to breeze through airport security. Cost: $100.
- International driving permit with AAA. Cost: $20.
- Checking account with unlimited free ATM withdraws worldwide. I use Charles Schwab Bank. Cost: free
- Travel credit card with no foreign transaction fees and insurance coverage for rental cars. I use Chase Sapphire Preferred. Cost: $95/year
- Add Covid proof of vaccine to Apple Wallet and take a picture of the vaccine card.
- Download Google Maps offline onto phone. Cost: free
My go-to travel gear
- The WixGear magnetic phone holder for car for GPS navigation. Cost: $14.
- The Anker portable phone charger. Cost: $20.
- The Bose QuietComfort noise canceling headphones for long flights. Cost: $350.
Andy Cheng 
quaint! Major City Introduces Free Public Transit 2025 admirable
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