Dubrovnik

Day One: Oct 22, 2023

After a long but incredibly scenic bus ride from Split (which you can read about here), we arrived in Dubrovnik in the afternoon. Finding our apartment was a bit tricky, as the winding streets can get confusing, but after a quick message to the apartment owner, a lovely elderly lady popped out of a nearby house to greet us. She was so welcoming and gave us a map of the area with some helpful local tips.

Once we unpacked and settled in, we decided to explore the neighborhood and headed down to a nearby beach. As soon as we saw the water, we were absolutely blown away! The blue, crystal-clear waters were unlike anything we had ever seen. It was truly breathtaking and the perfect way to start our Dubrovnik adventure.

Bob was particularly excited to be in Dubrovnik, having been a fan of Game of Thrones for years. He’d finished watching the series with a good friend, so being in the same city where parts of it were filmed felt surreal.

After spending some time soaking in the beauty of the beach, we headed back up the steep path to the apartment and decided to grab a meal at a nearby restaurant. Bob ordered a deep-fried, breadcrumbed cheese dish with fries and salad. It was similar to something he had in Prague, and the olive oil offered as a condiment on the table was a nice touch—something we don’t often see back in the UK. Tammy, of course, went for pizza, her go-to!

Later, we stopped by a supermarket to stock up on a few essentials (including razors because Bob’s beard was getting a bit scruffy). We then headed back to our cozy little apartment, which was small but homely, and spent the rest of the night watching a couple of movies. It was the perfect way to unwind and prepare for the next day’s adventures.

Day Two: Oct 23, 2023

On our second day, we headed to Dubrovnik's Old Town—or as Bob liked to call it, "King’s Landing." Taking a very crowded bus to get there, we were amazed by the beauty of the town but equally surprised by how touristy it had become.

Our first stop was to grab a fridge magnet, something we do in every new city to remember our travels. As always, we got chatting with the locals, who were as friendly as ever. We also treated ourselves to some Croatian ice cream, which was incredible! The lady serving us was so lovely, and we were once again reminded how consistently amazing the Croatian people are.

Although the Old Town was beautiful, we quickly grew tired of the dense crowds of tourists. While we were talking, a couple from England overheard us and asked if we could take a photo for them—they seemed to enjoy the busy tourist spots more than we did!

Looking for a bit of quiet, we ventured away from the Old Town and stumbled across a peaceful beach. Dubrovnik is truly beautiful, but it’s clear that the rise in tourism has started to change its character a bit. Tammy was feeling tired, so she rested on a wall while Bobby went for a walk, determined to find a more authentic side of Dubrovnik. He wandered down a mile-long street and found a quieter, more rural area that felt worlds away from the bustling tourist spots.

After some time, with his phone dying and Tam getting worried, Bob made his way back. We stopped by a shop to pick up some beers and snacks, as well as another bakery for more Burek—along with Cevapcici, it had become one of our favourite treats in the Balkans!

With our snacks in hand, we took another crowded bus back to our apartment so Tammy could rest her legs. Later that evening, we decided to grab dinner. Interestingly, the restaurant we had visited the night before had completely shut down, and we could see people moving things out. Looks like we were the last customers! We found another restaurant nearby where Bob had a meat platter, and Tammy enjoyed a pasta dish.

After dinner, we returned to the same beach we had visited the previous day and sat there for the rest of the evening, watching the water gently lapping against the shore with the distant twinkle of lights from the town in the background. It was a truly magical moment, one we still look back on fondly.

With the day winding down, we headed back to our apartment where Bob finally had a much-needed shave before we packed up our things, ready to catch a bus to our next destination—Bosnia—the following morning.

Day Three: Oct 24, 2023

On our third day in Dubrovnik, we set off for the Old Town once again, this time to explore its stunning cathedrals and churches. Bob found a cozy café with a view overlooking the vibrant streets, perfect for some editing. It was surreal for him to edit content in a place he had seen so many times on Game of Thrones!

As the day progressed and time started to slip away, we made our way to the bus station. Before catching our bus, we stopped at a nearby shop to stock up on snacks and drinks for the four-hour journey ahead.

Once we arrived at the bus station, we waited patiently for our bus to arrive. However, little did we know that our trip to Bosnia would soon lead to some unexpected issues.

To find out more about what happened next, check out our video or read about it here!