10/10 Excellent
Madeleine K., Kinsale Cork
Sep 9, 2019
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Stunning villa with excellent hosts
We loved our holiday at this villa. It is perfect for a family of 6 and very safe for kids. The pool area is beautiful and the sun loungers comfortable - the hot tub is a real treat. The patio dining area is perfect in the evenings and the view is spectacular. We cooked often on the outdoor oven. And ate courgettes from the garden. Mare and Zdenko even cooked us a stunning Peka dinner one night, and then dropped off a beautiful cherry cheese cake the evening we were leaving. The beds are so comfortable and we slept 9-10 hrs each night!
It's a 30 min drive down to the coast on bending winding roads. Being up in the mountains means you are cooler and there is a beautiful breeze so that was perfect. The village is not touristy however and is completely off the beaten track - it has one basic shop. We didn't actually go to the restaurant there at all.
There is a get pizza restaurant 15 mins down the mountain from the villa with nice river views.
Overall, we would say that Mare and Zdenko are some of the nicest people we have ever met! So helpful and accommodating - nothing was too much hassle and they take excellent care of their property. We feel we got to see both sides of Croatia - the everyday, village where people live and work and the touristy cultural side down by the coast.
Mare recommended beaches and we drove to them and then did boat excursions - one to the 3 islands (leaves at 9:30) and one to the Blue cave & Hvar (leaves at 7:30am). Both very different, both equally enjoyable. Parking crazy in Split so go in early or leave the car somewhere within a two min walk in to the city. We loved Split and would recommend exploring the old town there (though the value or quality of food is not good inside the old walls) - outside better. The sandy beach in Omis town is okay - we would recommend the pebble ones further down the coast.
A day trip to Krka National Park is worth it too - take the river boat entrance and plan to spend c. 2hrs Bring swimming togs too as you can jump in for a swim at the water falls. We explored the cities in the late evenings/nights as the heat was very intense during the days. Trogir is a beautiful town too and well worth stopping off in for dinner or an ice cream. And Ston is stunning and well worth stopping off at to eat amazing shell fish - Mare has brilliant restaurant recommendations for everywhere so definitely try what she recommends!! In Dubrovnik, the 1hr city tour is well worth it.
Madeleine K.
Stayed 14 nights in Jul 2019