No issues. Everything was as promised
Harvey Elliott is a superb representative for your company and someone who I rely upon for his expertise.
Superb trip. Flawless organisation.
Absolutely stellar service from Fraser - yes there might have been a missed call at one point, but that was on me for rescheduling. He was friendly, did quick work, within our budget, and the holiday recommended (and booked) was PERFECT.
Kieran was amazing - he put together a perfect package with a car. Hotels were lovely, with good food and friendly staff
Exceptional service by Kirsty Farmer et al. When we were left stranded by EasyJet at Rome airport - DialAFlight got right on it to sort it out.
Thanks Michael and DialAflight for another successful trip. Booking is always one of ease, efficiency and cost friendly. Have already recommended your services to friends I was away with. Speak soon to arrange more future trips.
All went very well. Thanks to Harry.
Great job, as always!
Nicholas Brew was great throughout. We had a few problems our end (my son lost his passport and we had to change some of the names in the group) but all was OK.
Please don’t use the car ferry again from Split to Hvar! It was dirty, dangerous and took 2 hours. Two lots of friends took the smaller ferry which only took one hour and they ran more frequently, hence their journey time was shortened considerably.
Yet again Keely Papworth booked us some excellent hotels and everything was amazing. Five stars all round
Very good service as always
As always ... great locations, brilliant service and THE most marvellous team in Neil and William.
Everything was handled properly. I had a nice experience.
Amazing holiday in Croatia, we definitely want to go back! 2 Bed Seaview apartment & hotel was great, beautiful view. BA flights all great. Thanks for all your help Jenson!
Great service - Robbi sorted all flights. Will definitely come back
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Excellent service as always
Great support, that's why I keep returning.
Molly and her colleagues did a great job. First class service, even though we travelled economy
Another outstanding holiday booked by Kennedy - everything had been booked exactly as requested. I wouldn’t book with any other company. True professionals
Kennedy spot on as usual!
The return transfer had to be chased twice. Basically if I had not chased, we would have been forgotten about!
Excellent service from start to finish - keep up the good work!
Great service from Gavin as usual
As usual Taylor and his team were highly profesional. Thank you very much and well done.
Hotel was lovely, will definitely go there again. Croatia itself is beautiful.
Excellent communications and support.
Perfect trip, thanks very much for your very knowledgeable advice and guidance.
Croatia is increasingly popular for British travellers, and we decided to jump on the bandwagon. But rather than head for the Dalmatian coast islands, we opted for the intriguing peninsula in the far north, known as Istria.
There are regular flights from the UK to the region's capital, Pula, where you quickly pick up the Italianate feel, thanks to its well-preserved Roman amphitheatre, Italian menus and elegant architecture left behind by 450 years of Venetian occupation.
Venice is less than three hours away on a high-speed ferry these days but Istria very much has its own identity.We stayed close to the town of Sveti Lovrec, a 40-minute drive north of Pula. It's a beautifully preserved example of a medieval fortified town. Within its walls, the cobbled streets are deserted and silent but for the tolling of the church bell, while a couple of mini supermarkets, bars and an excellent pizzeria lie outside the ramparts.
Don't be fooled, though - Sveti Lovrec erupts into life in early August when the town holds its annual Beerfest - a bit like a huge, unruly wedding.
The peninsula's rugged coastline means that the beaches tend to be small, pebbly affairs. If you're looking for golden sands, head to Dalmatia and the islands. But the geology here throws up far more interesting features. Take the Limski Kanal, for example: a spectacular six-mile, fjord-like estuary that cuts inland a few miles south of Sveti Lovrec. You'd think such an enormous channel would be hard to miss, but on our first attempt by car we overshot the turning and ended up in the port of Vrsar, with my partner Nick squinting into a map on his iPhone.
While negotiating a three-point turn, we were struck by the number of naked families in front of us and it became clear that we had driven into Koversada, a huge nudist colony.
We quickly returned to Vrsar to get on a boat instead; trips run all day every day from the harbour and will take you on a cruise along the Kanal and also to the beautiful town of Rovinj. The town juts out into the sea, a stunning cluster of Venetian houses clinging to a rocky isthmus, crowned with the spire of St Euphemia's Basilica at the top.
We disembarked and ascended the picturesque cobbled streets, enjoying wonderful sea views from outside the Basilica and the cooler air within it. We also discovered the joy of cevapcici (sausage-shaped 'burgers' served with raw onion and pepper sauce) outside a bistro halfway up the hill.
Later, the boat dropped us off to inspect a pirate's cave allegedly used by Captain Morgan and now conveniently housing a bar. From here we enjoyed views of the calm waters and densely wooded banks of the Kanal, and also views of naked pensioners in speedboats: it seems enthusiasm for naturism is everywhere.
Along the northern bank, restaurants serve up beautifully fresh seafood and it isn't ridiculously expensive. The same goes for most of Istria's restaurants; high quality, low prices. There are treats for the meat-eaters, too: with suckling pigs roast on spits at roadside grills. Another great boat excursion is to the Brijuni islands. This little archipelago, a couple of miles off the coast, has a long and fascinating history.
The Venetians quarried the stone here to build their own city; then, in the late 19th Century, an Austrian entrepreneur turned the islands into an exclusive beach resort, which, after the Second World War, became General Tito's private summer residence.
On Brijuni he entertained everyone from Fidel Castro to Elizabeth Taylor. A little museum houses a terrific exhibition of photos of Tito with his glamorous guests. Tito's parakeet Koki is still alive too and available for a chat in his aviary.
It's once you leave the coast and drive inland that you realise why Istria is often dubbed 'the new Tuscany'. We headed north to hook up with some of Nick's friends, and were stunned by the endless sublime vistas.
One such town, Groznan, is reached only by a winding dirt track and is a haven for artists and musicians. The sound of a cello echoed through the empty streets as we went to meet Mike and Marijana, and sat on a hillside terrace sipping prosecco and gazing at the preposterously beautiful town of Motovun a few miles away.
Later we visited a wonderful restaurant, Konoba Mondo, in Motovun, and had a terrific evening enjoying Istrian produce that inspires its comparisons with Tuscany - first-rate olive oil, world-class wine and truffles galore. As we devoured plates of pasta, we could actually hear the truffle-hunting dogs in the valley below.
Istria is hospitable, charming, a bit off the beaten track and very much on the way up. Tuscany had better watch out…
First published in the Daily Mail - April 2016
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