| 10 Things
To Know Before You Head Off To The Balkans |
| Discovering
The Balkan |
| By Rebecca Patrick |
| Roman palaces,
palm trees, dark lofty mountains, and fabulous beaches typically aren’t
the first things that come to one’s mind when picturing the Balkans-but
they should be! Ten years ago, the Balkan War was still raging and the
only people going in and out of Croatia and Bosnia were relief workers,
military personnel, and war journalists. But, the times are changing. Although
the tourists aren’t flocking back quite as quickly as they left, the tourism
industry is alive and well in Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia. The lure of
the Mediterranean Sea, the breathtaking Roman ruins, and the small, coastal
villages hold too much fascination for visitors to keep them away. |
|
|
|
|
|
And why shouldn’t
tourists return? There are no immediate threats in any of the countries,
and for the tourist that has tired of the Parisian crowds, high-priced
London, and the Americanization of Italy, the Balkans are a dream. From
Croatia’s mouthwatering exotic islands to Bosnia’s Turkish flair and Slovenia’s
Alpine magic, they are truly a sight to behold.
| Search
4Escape - The International Lifestyles Search Engine |
| -
4Escape is a search engine that searches our network of websites each of
which shares a common theme: International relocation, living ? investing
overseas, overseas jobs, embassies, maps, international real estate, asset
protection, articles about how to live ? invest overseas, Caribbean properties
and lifestyles, overseas retirement, offshore investments, our yacht broker
portal, our house swap portal, articles on overseas employment, international
vacation rentals, international vacation packages, travel resources,
every embassy in the world, maps of the world, our three very popular eZines
. . . and, as they are fond to say, a great deal more. |
|
|
After several
trips to the area in the past few years, there are customs, details on
the infrastructure, and general tips that I have discovered that have made
my time there more pleasurable. The following are a list of things to keep
in mind when starting your travels. |
|
|
| 1) Private
rooms vs. Hotels: For the traveler on a budget, the ever-popular private
room, or “Sobe”, is a Godsend. Normally basic, it’s cheap and it
gives you the added sense of immersing yourself in the culture. You almost
never have to worry about finding one since the proprietors will meet arriving
buses and trains. However, there are pros of staying in a hotel, too. The
amenities are more, such as having a television, a bar, a restaurant, or
even a swimming pool. And some people feel more secure staying in an actual
business establishment. Still, you will pay more for these luxuries. Don’t
expect to pay less than $120 a night at a small hotel in Dubrovnik, while
a private room will cost your around $10. Prices increase dramatically
in the summertime for hotels, but not so much for the private room. At
one particular boarding house that I like to stay at in Dubrovnik, I have
my own room and bathroom, complete with a kitchenette and kiwi covered
terrace. I pay no more than $12 at the most. |
|
|
Offshore
Resources Gallery
|
|
|
| 2) Transportation:
I have never rented a car in the Balkans and would seriously think twice
about doing so. While the roads are clearly marked and the countries seem
easy enough to get around, I have been on far too many coastal roads in
Croatia and mountain roads in Bosnia to feel comfortable being on the road
with other Balkan drivers. Driving seems to be the one thing that they
don’t take their time about. As a rule, I travel by bus. They are quick,
cheap, and comfortable. They also go to most destinations, while the train
service does not currently run down any further south than Split. The buses
can also be faster than the trains, the example being the Sarajevo-Zagreb
service. The train, which costs about $10 more, takes an extra two hours.
3) Croatian
islands: You have to visit an island at least once while you are in
Croatia. Whether you go to Hvar, Korcula, Bol, or Mljet (or any of the
other hundreds of islands) is your own personal choice, but there are still
some key things to remember. You definitely want to check the schedule.
Is it a daytrip that you want to take? Then make sure that the boat actually
returns that day. If it’s an overnight trip that you want to take, then
see if there is a left luggage facility in town that can hold your extra
bags. You don’t want to be lugging your entire luggage entourage on the
boat and off the ramp for one night. |
|
|
| Also, remember
that in the wintertime and early spring, boat service to the islands is
limited. Not only that, the tourism infrastructure on the islands can also
be limited. We found that in March on Mljet, there was only one restaurant
open on one end of the island-and that was the end where the ferry docked!
4) Restaurants:
While you will find many cafes and bars in Bled, Ljubljana, Sarajevo, Dubrovnik,
and Zagreb, it isn’t rare to walk about awhile before you stumble upon
a restaurant. Many guidebooks will tell you that it is not an “eating out”
culture, and so far in my travels I have found this to be mostly true.
That makes finding good, quality restaurants difficult. I suggest that
while you are out during the day; keep your eyes open for good places to
eat. Take note of menus, location, etc. That way, later on when you’re
really hungry you’ll know what to go back for. You won’t be searching around
on an empty stomach. |
|
|
Offshore
Resources Gallery
|
| Escape
From America Magazine - The Magazine To Read To If You Want To Move Overseas |
| - Began Summer
1998 - Now with almost a half million subscribers, out eZine is the resource
that expats, and wantabe expats turn to for information. Our archives
now have thousands of articles and each month we publish another issue
to a growing audience of international readers. Over 100 people a
day subscribe to our eZine. We've been interviewed and referenced
by the Wall Street Journal, CNN, The Washington Post, London Talk Show
Radio, C-Span, BBC Click Online, Yahoo Magazine, the New York Times, and
countless other media sources. Featuring International Lifestyles
~ Overseas Jobs ~ Expat Resources ~ Offshore Investments ~ Overseas
Retirement - Second Passports ~ Disappearing Acts ~ Offshore eCommerce
~ Unique Travel ~ Iconoclastic Views ~ Personal Accounts ~ Views From Afar
~ Two things have ushered us into a world without borders... the end of
the cold war and the advent of the world wide web of global communications
? commerce. Ten years and over one hundred issues! We're just
getting started - Gilly Rich - Editor |
|
|
| 5) Guided
Tours: I will be the first one to admit that I do not like guided tours.
I always feel as if I am part of a cattle herd. However, there are many
places in the Balkans where you might benefit from one. I certainly have.
The biggest case was in Sarajevo. Our guided tour not only included information
about the city center, but our guide told us personal stories about his
experience with the war and pointed out sites that I would have never noticed
on my own, or even with a guide book. He also took us to the Tunnel Museum,
which is nearly impossible to get to by public transportation, and to the
Jewish cemetery. For a three-hour tour we paid $10, and it was definitely
worth it. The owner of the boarding house that I stay at in Dubrovnik will
also give tours of the local mountains, as well as day tours into Serbia
and Montenegro. If you’re staying with a local family in a private room,
ask them. They may have a friend or know someone that could be interested
in showing you around.
6) Souvenirs:
My advice is to buy them as you find them. My problem is that I’ll stumble
upon something really beautiful and great but I won’t buy it because it
will be early in the trip, or early in the day, and I won’t want to carry
it around with me. Big mistake. As I have found out, many times an item
will only be carried by one store so when you leave that town, you’ll never
see it again. I found this to be true with a book that I am still looking
for called Dubrovnik in War. You don’t have to worry about this when it
comes to coffee sets or painted copper. You’ll find them everywhere in
Bosnia.
7) Wine
& Alcoholic Products: I love Slovenian wine. I also love Croatian
wine and Bosnian wine…but I have discovered a secret. When it’s time to
buy wine, or beer, to take home for the friends and family, you’re much
better off buying them at a local supermarket than in a tourist store.
It’s just cheaper. Besides, foreign grocery stores can be fun-they have
stuff there that we don’t have at home!
8) Mostar:
Maybe you’ve never heard of Mostar, but if you make it down as far as Split
(which you really should because there’s no point of doing a Croatian
trip and not including Dalmatia) then Mostar will eventually pop up.
It’s a small town in Bosnia, between Sarajevo and Dubrovnik that was literally
ravaged by the war. Perhaps you have heard of the famous Mostar Bridge
that was recently rebuilt. At any rate, most tourists use it as a daytrip
from Dubrovnik or Sarajevo, or as a stopover for a couple of hours. I encourage
you to spend the night there. There is one hotel, the Hotel Ero, but there
are also some great private rooms on the Muslim side of the river. The
town has a wonderful shopping section close to the Bridge, and fantastic
cafes. I think you’d be missing a huge cultural aspect to the town by only
giving it a couple of hours. Be warned, however. If you have a weak stomach
when it comes to war damage, you might want take a deep breath. Do NOT
let it turn you away, however. There is great beauty to Mostar.
9) Humor:
Please keep your sense of humor. I have especially found that Sarajevans
have a great sense of humor, even about the war. It’s also important to
remember that things WILL go wrong sometimes and you just have to laugh
about them. The pace of life is slower, and more leisurely. Enjoy it before
you come back to the “real world.”
10) Markets:
All I can say is one word-bargain! Never settle for the first price. It’s
like anywhere else in the world-if they know you’re a foreigner you’ll
pay higher. Hey, we would do it in the States, too. If you really want
something then don’t be afraid to haggle. But please do it respectfully.
To contact
Rebecca Click Here
www.rebeccapatrick.com |
|
 |
|
Articles
On Various Subjects Index ~ Balkans
Index ~ |
Copyright 1996 -
EscapeArtist.com
Inc. All Rights Reserved