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Returning to Dubrovnik | Croatia Photo Diary


Those of you who follow me over on Instagram will know that I recently returned from a week in Dubrovnik! It's my second time in Dubrovnik and my third in Croatia, so you can probably guess that I love the place...


Dubrovnik seems to have become a much more popular holiday destination since I first visited, and it has definitely got more expensive. However it's still not excessively tourist-y and the fact it isn't part of the Eurozone (yet) means it's far cheaper than most European city breaks. We stayed at the Hotel Dubrovnik Palace, which is really lovely! It has a relaxing, not-too-busy pool area, several places to get lunch and lots of extra facilities like a spa.


The hotel was just a 15 minute bus ride from the Old Town but also only around a 15 minute walk to the town of Lapad, where there are plenty of bars and restaurants. Our favourites were the Atlantic Kitchen, a randomly Southern US-themed restaurant that was very reasonably-priced and the Cave Bar, a really cool bar set inside a cave with an outdoor area where you could watch the sun set too. Also close to the hotel was one of the best-rated restaurants in Dubrovnik according to Trip Advisor - Pantarul, which is great for an authentic Croatian meal. Croatia is situated between the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe, and this is definitely reflected in its food. Being by the sea also means there's plenty of seafood, which is perfect for me as I'm a pescetarian!


As we did it last time, we didn't repeat the City Walls Tour in the punishing 100 degree heat! If you've never been to Dubrovnik though I really recommend it to learn a little about the history of the city as well as to see some amazing views. We did, however do a very fun Game of Thrones-themed tour around the Old Town, as much of the show is filmed on location in Croatia.



The Old Town has plenty of independent shops, interesting buildings and places to eat and drink. We re-visited a restaurant we went to three years ago on our first trip to Dubrovnik; Poklisar, which is by the harbour. Again, there's a lot of seafood available and they do the best ice cream! 



I'm not the best at sea, however we did go on one boat trip to Lokrum, which is just 20 minutes off the harbour in Dubrovnik. It's a beautiful, relaxing place with a monastery and an amazing lagoon you can go for a swim in.


A quick bit of beauty and fashion, of course! These were some of my favourite products during the trip, which you can read about in my Summer Beauty Edit. I also loved my really comfy but cute snake-print sandals from ASOS, as well as these pleated shorts I found from years ago I think I originally got from Republic. They were the perfect length, a flattering shape and just went with everything. I also have to mention two gems I got from good old Primark: the £6 pom-pom trimmed cami top and the faux-leather fringed bag that was the perfect size to take out in the evening.


As silly as it sounds, going away for a whole week was a bit outside my comfort zone; I genuinely can't remember the last time I did! However I had such a lovely time I'm so glad I did, it has definitely been a highlight of my year so far. It was the perfect balance of relaxation and doing things (I do sometimes find it hard to fully switch off!) I'm already itching to go away again. I think I will go back to Croatia in a few years' time as I'd love to go around to a few different cities and islands.

Have you ever been to Croatia? How did you like it?


 


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36 comments

  1. what a gorgeous sun set photo, looks like an amazing place x
    Hannah | Heyitshannaah

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  2. Gorgeous pictures.Love to go to Dubrovnik.

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  3. I was lucky enough to go to Dubrovnik a few years ago and I LOVED it! x

    Heather | Of Beauty & Nothingness x

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  4. Looks beautiful! Dubrovnik has been on my travel wishlist for a while! xx

    Beautylymin

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  5. It looks like you had such a fantastic time, the photographs are incredible! Definitely one to add to my list of places I'd love to visit!

    Heather, PorcelainBeauty xx

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    1. It really was lovely - I hope you can go someday :) xx

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  6. Your photos are so lovely! Croatia is at the top of my to-visit-next list, it looks so beautiful.

    Lucy | http://lucycynthia.blogspot.co.uk

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  7. I have the feeling the Bourjois healthy powder has been a staple of all of us during the hot summer ;). I never been to Croatia but my parents went recently and a lot of my friends too and i heard its amazing. I can't remember when i had last time a full week off during the summer but i think if i ever have that again, this might be on the list.

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  8. I went to Croatia with my boyfriend a couple of years ago and we loved it! We went to Zadar though because I was desperate to visit Plitvice Lakes National Park, which I recommend :) We want to go to Dubrovnik one day though!

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  9. What a lovely holiday! Your pictures of the views are lovely, seems like a perfect destination as you have everything, sun, sea :)

    Velvet Blush

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  10. Your photos are lovely Jasmine and seems that you had lots of fun! Xx

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  11. Sounds like you had a lovely holiday and your photos are great. I've been to Dubrovnik once (years ago when I was inter railing) but would love to go back x

    Beauty with charm | Zoeva Giveaway

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  12. i was so close to go there this year but at the end we couldn't make it. dubrovnik looks so old and nice! i can't deny my main reason to go there, was for game of thrones shah! anyway i'm glad you enjoyed<3

    xx from Italy
    Cate ღ kate/idoscope | youtube

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    1. Game of Throne is a very good advertisement for it as it really is that pretty! xx

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  13. Awww you look like you had such an amazing time and you look very relaxed and chilled. I totally feel like going on holiday just by looking at the stunning photos!!! Thanks for sharing with us....xx

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  14. Amazing pictures, love these kind of posts. And your makeup looks soo beautiful just like you.

    Sam || Beautydetour

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  15. It has been on my wish list to visit but I have yet to get around to it, looks stunning though :)

    Pams Stuff and Things

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  16. It is lovely to see that you had a lovely time in Croatia and in Dubrovnik. Coming from Croatian heritage it is nice to see others talking about the country that I love. Croatia as been an underrated holiday destination by a lot of travelers as other European countries are more recommended when booking a holiday. I recommend on your next visit to go to Split, Zadar, Hvar (Island) Plitvice Lakes National Park just to name a few, I could go on. Great pics xxxx
    www.alleluiatobeauty.com

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    1. It really is underrated! I visited Split and Hvar last summer but next time I go to Croatia I'd love to travel around a bit and see the national parks :) xx

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  17. Wow, that looks like a gorgeous vacation! I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. You look so glowy and happy in the pictures. Lovely to see a part of the world I haven't seen a lot of. xx
    http://www.lipstickisalife.com/

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    1. Aww thank you, I had such an amazing trip :) xx

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  18. Croatia is definitely on my list of places I'd like to go - it's where my family is originally from. This looks so beautiful.

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  19. I really enjoyed seeing your holiday snaps, those mixed holidays with a bit of relaxing and a dash of exploring is are the best kinds of in my opinion!
    Iqra |The Blushing Giraffe x

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  20. Lovely photos. I've been wanting to go to Croatia for years now, as it looks like an amazing place to visit. Also love your fresh makeup look on the pics. :) xx

    Renata | Speaking Beauty UK

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  21. Thank you for your comments! Just looking back at this post makes me wish I was still there! xx

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  22. Come to Slovenia, haha only one country up! :D

    Glad to see you enjoyed Croatia, I love our Neighbour's food <3

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  23. Gorgeous pictures - I stayed in Lapad last year on a trip to Dubrovnik and loved it! The Cave Bar was a favourite I must say. Definitely going to have to go back now x

    emilyclairewrites.blogspot.co.uk

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  24. Croatia looks so pretty! I would love to go there one day and your pictures make me want to go there even more!

    Nicola | www.thebeautymonologue.blogspot.com

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