The Park Hotel Odessos was very clean and had helpful staff, but the fittings were in need of constant maintainence, the emergency switch located within the shower area fell out and posed a threat of shock when my wife showered. She fell on getting out because the bath level was about six inches higher making it very dangerous to …
Read the rest of this post »
Posted in: Hotel Reviews
Bale is a small town in Istria, Croatia where Anja Mutic describes as one of Istria’s best kept secrets. It’s a medieval town of ancient cobblestone alleyways where nothing ever really happens…But it’s the stillness and magical atmosphere that makes this town so alluring. Anja soaks up this quiet ancient place and pops in to visit the Stone tales bar where she discovers that it’s more than just a bar it’s an open space for all who love performing.
Read the rest of this post »
Posted in: Destination Videos
Lonely Planet author, Anja Mutic explores the tastes and landscapes of the Istria peninsula in Croatia’s north. Italy, just over the border, has had influence on the area’s food and mentality, making Istria unique to the rest of Croatia.
Shot by Anja Mutic and Tin Ostres.
Read the rest of this post »
Posted in: Destination Videos
The hotel is extremely impressive to look at, and we found it lovely and clean. Our room was on the 9th floor with a pool view and it was really spacious! The maids came in everyday and the room was spotlessly clean. The restaurant is on the top floor, and quite a lot of people have complained about the lifts at peak times. We didnt have any problems, as we walked the 2 flights of stairs to the restaurant, unlike a lot of other fully able people! The food in the restaurant was lovely. Im a really fussy eater, so always worry when we go half board, but i found plenty to eat on 8 out of 10 of the nights we were there. I recommend sitting outside while you eat if you dont mind heights, absolutely stunning views! Only complaint would be the lack of cutlery! But the staff did their best to sort it when you told them. The pool is a really good size, and we always managed to find a sunbed in a good position. Wasnt too impressed about the charge however, although i have been elsewhere in bulgaria and it is common.
The hotel is slightly outside of the centre of sunny beach, the main street is about a 15min walk. There are plenty of bars and restaurants near the hotel though, but most of them had cheesy local bands on in the evening, which isnt particularly to our taste. We did enjoy the bacardi bar and the cocktails in the mexican bar were amazing! Both 2mins from the hotel. There is a little train which goes to the centre if u dont fancy the walk, although it is costly if you use it alot!! The centre is lively at night, lots of places to eat and drink there. We did eat out a couple of times, mainly due to it being so cheap! Everywhere we ate was lovely, didnt have a bad meal! We had a really nice chinese on the main street, and had lunch at the hotel a couple of days, cheap and cheerfull lunchtime menu! There is something for everyone, and you can find more traditional food if you look for it!
The beach is 5mins walk from the hotel, was fairly clean and the sea was lovely, however we did a runner at the sight of a jelly fish!!! We took a trip to nessebar, was a nice couple of hours walk around the ruins, but there isnt really much there. Would recommend catching the bus there and making your own way around, much cheaper than a taxi or organised tour!! We also went to the aquapark which was a really good day, plenty of slides for adults and kids! there is a free mini bus there from the bus stop as well!
All in all we had a fab holiday here!!! 
Read the rest of this post »
Posted in: Hotel Reviews
Balkan Holidays has been in the holiday business for 43 years as an independent tour operator. As part of arranging and planning holiday packages in the sun or snow, Balkan Holidays also offers value-for-money flights to Serbia, Romania, Slovenia, Croatia, and Bulgaria. In addition to that, customers can also enjoy several other properties and resorts affiliated with Balkan Holidays. The elderly can use the “Spice of Life” program that includes great accommodation, special events, travels extras, and hard-to-match prices. Summer Extras allows early bookings to obtain savings of as much as £160 for every couple and free child places as well as free travel insurance for the kids.
Customers who book online also get additional savings of £125 per person, which …
Read the rest of this post »
Posted in: Tour Operators
Tony Wheeler, one of the founders of Lonely Planet, explores the biggest of Croatia’s coastal cities, Split. The Roman ruins are one of the biggest and impressive sites anywhere in Europe. But amongst this historical place lives a vibrant shopping, cafe, restaurant and bar culture.
Read the rest of this post »
Posted in: Destination Videos
Tony Wheeler, one of the founders of Lonely Planet, shares his experiences of a restored post-war Mostar toration of Mostar after the war.
Read the rest of this post »
Posted in: Destination Videos
Posted in: Destination Videos
Posted in: Destination Videos