This is a tour that should have occurred in July 2020, but as we all know, covid railroaded us. We are starting out in Dubrovinik, where we arrived at dusk, and the city was lit with the sunset still glowing with an orange colored hue amongst the mountainside and the ocean. The drive to the hotel was about half an hour along a two-way roadway. It some what reminded me of driving in the countryside in jamaica. The hillside seemed heavily populated and created a beautiful picture with the lights at night.

We were staying at the Valamar Argossy hotel, a 4-star hotel with amenities to suit your individual interest. The breakfast is an elaborate buffet with a bit of Mediterranean style. If you are a coffee drinker and want decaffeinated coffee, there is a charge since it has to be specially prepared. The hotel is located at a site that offers a beautiful view of the Adriatic Ocean, the mountains, and the Franjo Tudum Bridge. It offered all the amenities of a luxury resort with parking spaces. A few minutes walk through a small park brings you to what I would describe as a mini mall.

There were many hotels in the area as you walk down the small hill from our hotel towards and along the promenade. There were several places to eat depending on your choice whether to stop for refreshments or to have a full course meal. Our tour leader from OAT, Overseas Adventure  Travel, was Antonia, a native of Croatia, who offered many suggestions to the group. On this end of the city you can bathe in the ocean but there are no sand beaches. You are able to walk down towards the water and bathe in the ocean, while there are areas for sunbathing. While dining in the evening, you get a beautiful sunset across the water where a lighthouse stands on one of Croatia’s forty eight islands.

The walk along the promenade can be long for some. You simply have to know your limitations and take it in strides. Depending on the hotel you are staying in, if you walk to the end, you do have the option of taking the bus back as we could. In order to take the bus, you need a ticket; be aware that one ticket is valid for one hour, so if you are expecting to be a while longer whenever you need to take the bus, you will need to purchase 2 tickets. You are also able to purchase 3 day ticket passes.

I had the pleasure of dining at the restaurant Levanat with a lovely view of the ocean and sunset. The service was excellent and the food was great. They served a complimentary portion of tuna pate with fresh bread. It was really good, and I ate it all by myself. As my fellow group members went further along the promenade. They asked that I share pictures of the meal, so I did.

We were fortunate that our hotel was located in walking distance from where the public bus route started when heading to visit Old Town Dubrovnik; bus number 6. The bus gets really crowded as more passengers are picked up at several stops along the way, and the road is winding in some parts of the journey.

We met our local guide in the square outside of the main gate of the old town. First, you have to understand there is a lot of history in this region. I will not be going into the details of the history, but I am sure we have heard of the Balkan war. The war changed a lot of lives, and Yugoslavia now no longer exists, but history continues. My impression is that although the war was impactful in many ways, there was no evidence of animosity towards the Serbs. This is merely my observation in hearing from the natives and guides who lived through the war.In addition to our main tour leader, we also had local guides as we explored different experiences in each town and country.

The Old Town in Dubrovnik is enclosed by a wall that runs almost the entirety of the town. It stands over 80 feet high and a little more than a mile.

We entered the Old Town through the main gate. The best way to describe the old town is as an enclosed city. The main street is called Placa or Stradun, with streets branching off and parallel where one will find stores, churches, restaurants/cafes and historical buildings and monuments.The highlight of a visit is climbing the one mile length wall, which offers a view of the city and surrounding neighborhoods below. Walking the wall requires climbing a number of high steps. The sun can be very hot, so be  mindful of your individual limitations and to use protection such as a head cover and sunblock. It is your choice to walk the full length or portions of the wall.

Although I did not take the trek up those steps in the Old Town, unfortunately, i developed tendonitis just before leaving on this trip, but was able to capture the site on our visit to Fort Imperial on Srd Mountain 1,371 feet high. Access to Srd Mountain is by hiking, biking, cars, and cable cars. This site was very important during the war as some of the fiercest fights occurred here. In the museum you are able to view some of the historical data to include pictures. Our lead guide pointed out a picture with her dad. Being able to converse with people who experienced the war and to get their perspective post war was quite humbling.

We were able to leave the bustling city behind heading to Konavie for an afternoon of discovery and learning. The views from the bus were spectacular as we meandered along the coastline and countryside.

We visited this family owned homestead where we got an insight on the process of making olive oil. We also gained insight on determining how to purchase quality olive oil. The family also prepared various fruit preserves and wines. After a sumptuous meal, we had fun being entertained by the owner and local musicians. Returning to the city was a beautiful night view.

We had a day excursion to Montenegro which required passing through border control. We were fortunate that crossing these borders did not take as long as it sometimes took based on the choice of which border crossing to take by our leader and bus driver. Of course, passports were needed and checked at both borders. Fortunately, our group was 14, so passport checks did not take long. As our bus headed out of Dubrovnik, these were some of the views we had. The streets are in very good condition but seemed narrow and only two lanes. There was always heavy traffic, but I was amazed at how the large buses were able to maneuver.

After passing through the border controls, we made a stop in Sutorino for bathroom break and leg stretching. These were public toilets and as I stood there cars pulled up for passengers to use the facilities.

Heading into Perast we continued along the coastline.

As we approached Perast there were people swimming and sun bathing. I did not notice long stretches of sandy beaches, but when there was no sandy area, folks were out on the concrete areas bordering the sea, with umbrellas, chairs, etc. We boarded a boat from Perast sailing the Bay of Kotor to the city of Kotor.

The predominant religion practiced in this region, Croatia and Montenegro, is catholicism. Dining is not an issue as there is seafood, meat, poultry, and vegetarian. If you require a gluten-free diet, there is no problem. Fresh vegetables are in abundance, and most meals are served with soup. If you are traveling with a tour group and have special dietary needs that should be conveyed to the organizers in advance so proper accommodations will be arranged.

After a great visit to Dubrovnik and Montenegro, we are saying goodbye and heading to Bosnia and Herzegovina. A beautiful place, clean and friendly people with a lot of history. Something that is often asked about was drinking water; it is safe to drink tap water but bottled water is available.