Experience Dubrovnik 4 ways

Experience Dubrovnik 4 ways

“If you want to see Heaven on Earth come to Dubrovnik.”

George Bernard Shaw 

 

As a full-time travellers since March 2016, I’ve learnt many things from my Travel teacher. One big lesson is being honest about what we experience on the road; for better or for worse. We are privileged to be able to explore the world so intimately and we have come to appreciate all faces that Travel reveals. So let me say it out loud; we are not great city fans. As introverts we find their size overwhelming, their structure claustrophobic and their presence often intimidating. We though, at the same time, accept that city life draws its own unique perspective. And this, in its own right needs to be relished alongside the things that we love most about our explorations.

 

So when the prospect of a visit to Croatia’s southern city Dubrovnik teetered on the horizon, we faced it with inevitability. Of course we would go, it is iconic and it is one of those places that needs to be ticked off the list, given its reputation for being one of the finest cities in the world. It certainly wasn’t though on my Bucket List, like our visit to Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina had been. Yet I have learnt to face all my adventures with a sense of curiosity with which comes a humility for all things. And that is how I embrace cityscape visits these days. 

With a little research it became clear that there were a number of ways to experience Dubrovnik. I wanted to be sure that if this was a ‘one and only’ visit, to make it as 3D as possible. I realised that it would be an investment as, with most cities, a trip to their inner sanctums brings with it a price tag. We are tourists after all. There was though something about Dubrovnik that subtly gave me permission to make that investment, given all that the country and her neighbours have endured over the last thirty years. Of all places in which I am happy to spend my hard-earned cash, it would be in these western Balkan lands. 

I googled Dubrovnik’s highlights, being cautious not to feed my FOMO – Fear of Missing Out. Yet I soon concluded that it would be far richer an experience if we just trusted our instincts once we arrived. From a practical point of view though, we did make some conscious choices about how best to experience the city. My sense was that seeing it on arrival from the sea was going to be one special aspect that we couldn’t miss. Especially given I am a water baby. Then wandering within its city walls another. And surely a bird’s eye view was on the cards? 

View of Dubrovnik

 

Before we launch into how best to experience Dubrovnik, let me reveal a little secret; I completely fell in love with this southern belle. Of all the major cities and capitals we have visited, it will feature in my Wall of Fame alongside Ljubljana, Bratislava, Zagreb and Seville. It can proudly sit shoulder to shoulder with these other compact and characterful cities that haven’t lost their souls to commercialism.

From the minute we approached this iconic Games of Throne film set, I fell in love. There was something embracing, warm and homely about this walled settlement that subtly drew me in. After five hours exploring, I can honestly say that Dubrovnik has a place in my soul and I felt her heart-beat in every alleyway and around every corner, despite clusters of tourists compliantly following those Holiday Rep flags. With this affirmation I find it easy to now write practically about how to make the most of your visit here and share my passion for this resilient and courageous city. 

 

A historical context

Let me offer a brief backdrop to Dubrovnik’s canvas, by sharing a little of her historical landscape.  After all, it is not on UNESCO’s list without good reason.

Dubrovnik was founded as Rugasa in 600 AD by a group of refugees from Cavtat, just 40 minutes away by boat. From that point it grew in importance thanks to its oceanic position. It was its sea-faring trade that put the city on the map. As a medieval settlement Dubrovnik has grown from strength to strength. Despite a fire that burnt it to the ground in 1296 and the 1667 earthquake that destroyed most of its important buildings, its resilience has surged. Add to that the tragedy of the seven month Dubrovnik Siege that attacked the very heart of the old town from October 1991 until the end of June 1992. Knowing just a little of its backstory you can begin to feel the soul of the city beyond the facade that awards its oohs and ahh from its visitors. 

Now we can begin to focus on how best to introduce yourself to Dubrovnik and get the best experience from your visit here. 

 

1. A watery perspective

Armed with a rough plan, my camera and a steadfast protection for my introverted personality, we put Phase One of our Dubrovnik Sightseeing Strategy into action. Based at Camping Kate in Mlini, we decided, with the weather pretty calm, to head by water taxi. Our dues paid, a mere £6.80 (€7.95 or $8.37) – we excitedly boarded our vessel. 

There’s a certain thrill for me about being on the water, whether pootling on my paddleboard or speeding towards some exciting destination. The views of a place from the water are always so different from a land-based perspective. So like an eager child I sat up at the front of the taxi watching intensely, as this stunning Riviera coastline passed before my eyes. First was the haunting view of Kupari’s Ghost Town, bombed and left to rot after the Homeland War in 1991. Next the captivating azure bays, lined with pine trees and their craggy bedrock beaches still attracting sun worshipers even in October.

Within 30 minutes, the horizon offered my first glimpse of Dubrovnik’s old town, a scene I am sure must have featured in Games of Thrones more than once. As we inched ever closer towards the harbour, the city walls enveloped us. Surrounded by boats of every shape and size buzzing around the nearby islands, this city loomed large. It was fantastic to see it from the sea and imagine what it must have been like for historical sea-farers entering the city in their galleons.

Click on our Gallery below.

 

2. Walking through the city’s soul

Having witnessed our first glimpse of Dubrovnik intimately from the sea with no more than 20 people, we were suddenly thrown into the masses.  Like ants, suddenly there were people everywhere. Yet we had primed ourselves for it, so courageously set off. Most unlike me, without a route map, we just wandered, finding as many back streets as we could, to feel the city’s soul. 

Ladies sat with their lace and crochet, children played football like the genius that was, Pele and, being a Monday, washing hung out between the alleyways. We caught a side of Dubrovnik that is not on most people’s itineraries; watching cats lazing, dogs guarding and through the open windows, dinners simmering. What a privilege it was to see the city this way. Private, personal and every day life being played out in front of us. Behind the security of the towering walls around us, we strolled up and down the steep and shiny limestone staircases that have been climbed by hundreds of generations before us. This was a fabulous way to experience a tourist destination and, once again felt like a private tour, removed from the route of the cruise-liner visitors. Although it would be inevitable at some point that our route would bring us into the main hub of the city.

The cultural epicentre of Dubrovnik offers you some iconic views; Sponza Palace, the Cathedral, Onofrio’s Fountain and the devastated and iconic Stradun Street. It was here we were greeted with throngs of visitors and it was a matter of skilfully dodging the crowds in order to maintain our soulful edge. Which was I can tell you a bit of a challenge. Yet you cannot miss this part of the city as it holds so many memories, tells so many tales and, reborn from the embers of war, is as much a fibre of the city as its back streets. 

Click below for our Street Gallery.

 

3. A bird’s-eye view

There are two arial perspectives on offer in Dubrovnik. 

The first is to encircle the Dubrovnik hub by buying a £28, (€35, $35) ticket to walk the magnificent city-walls. An intrepid tootle of around 1.2 miles, which is just short of 2km, rewards you with a priceless Dubrovnik experience like no other. Whilst it is without doubt expensive, we saw it as an investment; both in ourselves as explorers and to the Croatian community. We have a philosophy that if the price we pay for something is good value and reaps a special or unique bounty, then it is not an ‘expense’. This is how we felt about touring Dubrovnik’s walls. It is such a different way to see and feel this incredible city and we loved it. Even Myles enjoyed it, despite nurturing his vertigo in some places where the tumbling cliff falls away seemingly beneath your feet. 

Being able to scan your eyes across the rooftops of this historic city, the first thing you notice is the contrast between the old and new. Destroyed buildings that have yet to be rebuilt, are clearly evidenced by their darker orange roof tiles and pallid facias. Whilst the newly loved properties and historic real estate have a vibrant makeover in both the clean, cream brickwork and the iconic orange roofs. This is a stark reminder that whilst the battle is won and independence secured, the war still leaves scars for all to see.

Your 360º experience of Dubrovnik old town, the coastline and the islands will leave an indelible mark on your heart with complementary colours of rich golden hews, sparking blue seas and a mountain backdrop that holds it all together in a seamless canvas of delight. Looking down at the city you can see figures scurrying along the cobbled streets like something out of a Lowry painting. The enormity of Dubrovnik’s scaling steps hits you as you see them from a whole new aspect where puffing people steadily climb their unforgiving ascension. Then in the blink of an eye the chimney pots shape the horizon as a replica Schooner sails into the iconic port.

Life above Dubrovnik’s beating heart, is truly a magical and addictive experience and well worth the entrance fee. 

Click on our Gallery below.

 

4. The view from heaven

The second arial view-point you can take is in the Cable Car. You can find this just five minutes walk outside the main Ploče Gate on the main road. The pods run regularly, taking you up 778m up to the gods for what must be a stunning view on a good weather day. There is a restaurant up at the top, which on good authority is meant to be excellent. We decided not to take the Cable Car as with the investment of Water Taxis, buses, the walls and lunch, we thought that the cost was one step too far. After a good four hours in the city, to adding this to our one day visit would have been been too overwhelming. If you are in the city for longer than a day, then you could add it to your second day itinerary for sure. 

 

The Motoroamers’ Top tips for Dubrovnik

  • Plan your visit in one of three time periods; 1. Go early whilst the cruise-liners are eating breakfast. 2. Go around lunchtime as most cruise goers want to return to the ship for their all-inclusive lunch. Or 3. Go after 3pm when many of the cruise boats will be planning to set sail for their next destination.
  • If you have budget constraints, choose either the Cable Car or the Walls. They are both the same price and will give you an arial view. We would recommend the walls over the Cable Car, if only because the weather can turn quickly and your view could be hampered by clouds or even worse cancelled because of an incoming Bora Bora wind (depending on the season). Of the two we chose to do the walls which gave us a great perspective. I know the views are incredible from the Cable Car, although if you had to choose, then the walls would win every time for me. It has an intimacy that just let me feeling so connected to the city. 
  • If you have mobility issues then Dubrovnik is not very user-friendly given all the steps. And the walls are also not great if you suffer from vertigo or need a walking aid, as you have to climb steps to reach the wall walk. The Red Cross do offer some support if you need a walking aid and access to their details can be found here.
  • Dogs in Dubrovnik. We did see pets both on the Water Taxi and in the city. Our only thoughts would be to watch the crowds and your low-to-the-ground pooch and of course, keep a watchful eye over their deposits.
  • Eating in Dubrovnik. Like any city, there are plenty of eating options with an extensive option of styles catered for. You are though, a captive market, so the prices are not cheap. We spent £34 (€40) on a pizza, beer, water and a salad. So not out of the question budget-wise, depending on your constraints, you just need to shop around. Restaurants will be vying for your business so don’t feel obliged to eat if you are only looking at the menu.
  • There are lots of accommodation options. If like us you are with your camper, then there are a few options. You can stay at Camping Bambo in Slano which is 21 miles (36km) north of Dubrovnik to which you could catch the bus. Alternatively Camping Kate at Milni, which is where we stayed, open from April to the end of October allows easy access to the city. You have the water taxi and the number 10 bus or both if you fancy taking the route we did. Otherwise there are plenty of hotels, AirB&B’s and guest houses in the area so you really are spoilt for choice.
  • If you  are staying around Dubrovnik for a couple of days, then it is worth considering the investment in the Dubrovnik PassIt entitles you to up to 50% discounts on many Dubrovnik attractions and public transport. You can buy either a one, three or seven day pass which is an investment of between €35 and €55 depending on the duration. With the discounts you receive, the card will have paid for itself. We found out about this too late, although it is worthy of passing on to you. 

 

Check out our YouTube video where we capture the best bits from our short visit to this remarkable city.  Click on the image below. 

 

 

Whichever of the four perspectives you choose to take of Dubrovnik, you will be spoilt with its quiet charm, its low-key vibe and its deeply entrenched history. This is so much more than a city Tick List. This is a full on adventure that takes you into the past whilst leaving your present changed by the soul of this beautiful, resurgent city.

 

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Touring Bosnia by Motorhome

Touring Bosnia by Motorhome

A Guide to Bosnia by Motorhome

 

With a three month autumn tour of Croatia pre-Schengen 2023, we had our sights on Bosnia and Herzegovina at some point during our trip. This was, in part because it was so close it would have been mad not to. We also wanted to prolong our Croatian stay and thereby our Schengen Shuffle allowance by dipping into a country not in the gang. A double whammy opportunity. So sat in Omiš after a wonderful family week we decided, now was the time.

In this brief guide, we want to share what we experienced both in the lead up to crossing the border, our entry experience and some of our flavours from what was a ‘mini tour’ of this much unknown country. Our hope is that it will give you the inspiration to dip your intrepid toes into BiH waters and put fear and uncertainty behind you. 

The Lead Up 

We waved goodbye to mum and Bob who were heading back to Dubrovnik via Herzegovina’s Mostar region, and we began deliberating our next steps. Mostar is one of BiH’s hottest tourist destinations and has been on my bucket list for ages. Yet my sights had been so focused on arriving in Omiš in time for Bob’s Birthday celebrations, that I hadn’t even looked beyond this point.  So thanks to their trip, we were inspired to put our BiH intentions into action. With Omiš just 2 hours from Mostar the plan was hatched. 

With the help of Google, a few phones calls and at bit of route-mapping, within 24hrs we were good to go. The blogs I read about BiH excited me, so we knew this mini tour was so much more than Mostar.  I love travel’s variety; some days simply feel normal when you work, clean the van, shop and all those other mundane tasks. There are others when you do something special with family and friends who share your travel experiences with you. And then there are times when you do something that stretches you out of your comfort zone inducing what I call my ‘excityscared’ emotions; that fusion of anticipation, excitement and nervousness. Such a tumultuous mixture of feelings that are like a kaleidoscope of butterflies doing an olympic workout. Bosnia and Herzegovina represented that for me.

I’ll be honest, I know so little about Bosnia and Herzegovina that I had concerns about its safety; after all we wanted to do more than just Mostar. Like so many, the media plays a huge role in shaping our perceptions. After the war in the early 90’s, Sarajevo’s destruction, the devastation across this country and its neighbours, those memories stay with you. Yet travel always my educator and guide, continually shows me the truth behind a country’s culture and history, not what the media choose to show you.  It didn’t take long for me to move beyond my fears and look to the awaiting adventure just a mere 33 miles away. 

 

Our Top 10 Planning Checklist for Bosnia & Herzegovina

Once Bosnia and Herzegovina was on the agenda, I initiated a checklist of essentials that ensured we had the necessaries to be safe and have a memorable trip. We wanted to share this with you as you consider whether Bosnia could be on your road-trip list.

 

1. Covid entry requirements

It looks like we are through the worst of the pandemic with most countries having now lifted their entry requirements. Although after such an intensive period, it leaves you hyper-sensitive about travel. So I did a quick check to investigate if there were any restrictions or vaccination proof requirements. At the time of writing all restrictions are now lifted.

 

When you plan your trip, just check in with this website or your country’s own Government website to assess the latest information about Covid or any other topical issues that might affect your trip to the country. 

 

2. Vehicle Insurance 

There was some debate on our Motoroamers’ Chat Room about whether our UK insurance would cover Bosnia and Herzegovina. We are with Comfort and I had a sneaky suspicion they didn’t cover the country and I struggled to find any information to give me peace of mind. So I started researching buying insurance at the border. There was nothing definitive about where we could buy it and how much it would cost. 

So I put a quick call into Comfort where they confirmed that we were in fact covered and that we have breakdown cover there too. Happy days. That was one big tick off my list. They just recommended that we print our on-line documentation so that we had everything to hand if scrutinised by Border Control. The campsite helped us with this, so that was a breeze. 

 

Check your insurance policy for country exclusions and if in any doubt speak to your insurers to get up to date information. If you don’t already, ensure you have a printed copy of your documentation and Green Card just in case. My research suggested that many of the main tourist borders will specifically ask for your paperwork. And the official line is that online copies that you may have downloaded to save paper, is NOT sufficient. 

If your insurers don’t cover Bosnia, then you will need to get third party cover at the border. Bear in mind that not all borders are tourist crossings so may have nothing other than a Control Booth. We crossed at Aržano and it is not classed as a main Border so no insurance purchase looked to be available here. 

This interactive map might be helpful to find the borders around Bosnia. 

 

3. Travel Insurance – Health Cover

Of course travel insurance is an important companion and whilst we have our GHIC that offers basic cover  that for many countries may well be sufficient, for others, you may want some extra protection. With our exit from Europe, some countries might have travel insurance as an entry requirement. Although this hasn’t been the case for us in the last two years, other countries might have a different policy.  So we secured health cover through True Traveller, who we used for our trip to Morocco in 2020. This can be done on line or over the phone in an instant. 

 

If you are already travelling and have not purchased a UK-based policy, then you can use companies like True Traveller, Big Cat or World Nomads who will give you cover whilst away from your home country, subject meeting certain criteria. True Traveller covered us for 7 days for £66. For additional information, here is the UK Government’s website that shows what is covered under the reciprocal health agreement. 

 

4. Internet and International Roaming Charges

Whilst this wasn’t formally on my list – it should have been and I could have saved myself £50. Whilst I knew our Spanish Lobster card wouldn’t cover Bosnia, I foolishly thought we could use our 02 travel package. Wrong!  Travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina will initiate International Roaming Charges. It isn’t until you have no internet that you realise how much you rely on it. I couldn’t check Park4Night, use my Google Maps for navigation, get Google Translate or download my Bosnian maps on Maps.me. (Another school-girl error). So it is worth getting this sorted the minute you arrive.

Have no fear, if Bosnia and Herzegovina is not included in your allowance, then immediately search out a garage, convenience store, newsstand, post office or a cafe and ask for a Pre-paid SIM card. We bought a 20GB card for 7 days that we popped into our MIFI. It cost 20 BAM – £9. Given we work on-line, use a lot of data for our blogging and Myles’ investments, we simply bought a second card for 15GB for 10 days, so we could feel at ease about the internet situation. 

 

Check with your phone supplier to see if Bosnia and Herzegovina is covered. If not you will get a text from them saying that you will be charged for minutes of calls, text and data. Ours was £7.20 per MG up to 50MG capped at £51.50. I continued to use my internet to check where we could buy a SIM and in just 30 mins I had reached my cap! SO BEWARE.

 

5. Navigational Maps

As with our recommendations for Morocco, we suggest checking your membership with Park4Night is up to date to use their off-line option. This will save important data. If you have maps.me remember to download Bosnia and Herzegovina maps whilst you have ‘free and cheap’ internet. I didn’t and needed to wait until we had our SIM card to download my maps, which of course also used a chunk of my allowance up! Lesson learnt. 

 

6. Overnight Parking Options 

I did a lot of research on where we could stay and wild camping rules. I couldn’t find anything definitive from the Bosnia and Herzegovina Government although it seems that there are no laws prohibiting going off-grid. Of course, the normal rules must apply. Be respectful, be tidy and be discreet. No one should ever know we had been there. 

There are two big issues going off-grid in BiH; the first is the risk of land-mines from the war. So never go anywhere where the land hasn’t been tended to or that doesn’t have asphalt roads to them. There are signs warning of mines, so always take heed, however beautiful the location may be. The second challenge is that many reviews we read suggested that guys would turn up in the evening asking for payment on a seemingly free spot. They may not always be official parking attendants, so be mindful of this during the high season. 

There are not many sites on SearchforSites, whilst Park4Night is prolific with all camping options. Just read the reviews carefully and make sure that someone has stayed at your desired spot recently without issue. However, if you are going to a spot that has no reviews at all, then just google camping on Google Maps and see what comes up. We found some wonderful campsites this way in both Poland, Bulgaria and Romania that weren’t on any portals. You’ll always find somewhere. If you are really desperate, I would also visit hotels, restaurants or monasteries and see if they are willing for you to stay on their land overnight in return for a donation or a meal. ACSI also have some campsites on their books – check out their link although bear in mind that a campsite’s own rates are likely to be cheaper than the ACSI rate. 

 

7. Preparation for the Border Crossing

Whichever crossing you choose to take, be ready with your paperwork in case you’re asked for it. Arm yourself with your V5, passports, travel insurance documentation and motor insurance paperwork. We were only asked for our passports. Main tourist borders do check paperwork more thoroughly so being prepared will reduce stress and time.

At our crossing we first encountered the Croatian Border. Thinking this was the Bosnian side, I asked to be stamped which he didn’t do automatically. Then half a mile further on was the Bosnian Control and again all he wanted was passports; and he did stamp. So we now have ourselves a bit more time for our stay in Croatia, given we are only allowed 90 days under their Visa rules. Once they join Schengen in Jan 2023, then a trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina will help you Schengen Shuffle prolong your travel time. Just make sure you are stamped to record you leaving and re-entering Croatia. 

 

8. Language Barriers

Before entering any new country, I always have a handful of basic phrases under my belt. I think it is so important to at least try. So many don’t and with Google Translate it is very easy. Even if your pronunciation isn’t great, it will be appreciated. Bosnia is almost identical to Croatian, so here are some go-phrases to have up your sleeve. 

  • Hello (literally Good Day)  – Dobar dan (pronounced dobradan) 
  • Do you speak English  – Govoriš (š is a sh) li engleski
  • Can I – Mogu li

          – buy – Kupiti
          – have – Dobiti
          – stay – Ostati
          – pay – Platiti

  • Night – Noć
  • Here – Ovdje
  • Please – Molim
  • Thanks – Hvala  (Puno ti hvala is thank you very much)
  • Bye – Dovidenja (pronounced Dovigenya)
  • Please – molim

9. Money and Currency

With the deftness of a flying Swift I found my answer to Bosnian currency; it is called BAM or Bosnian Mark or KM. My research told me though that they will take Euros – although after searching the depths of my purse unveiled €10 plus €9 in coins, which they are not fans of. Otherwise all I had was Croatian Kuna. And many establishments especially campsites don’t take credit card. So we checked with the Money Exchange to see if we could buy BAM or Euros – the answers to which were a firm negative. So we decided that if we had to, we would resort to using my Tescos Credit Card – not ideal because of the exchange rate, although needs might must right?

Although have no fear – Bosnian establishments will take whatever you have, after all, they say, ‘This is Bosnia!’ So when we urgently needed a SIM card, they were happy to take our Kuna. I’m sure the rate wasn’t in our favour, although at least we could buy what we needed before getting to a cash point.  Part of my planning was to check out the nearest ATM’s to our border crossing. Be aware though that there will be a lot of BANKOMAT cash points and they charge £5 for each withdrawal. Either go to a private bank where they will only charge you the standard rate of £3.95 or google ZiraatBank locations; they are the only bank in Bosnia that do not charge for withdrawals.

At the time of writing the currency exchange with sterling is 1BAM = 0.45p, so roughly halve the BAM price and you will know what you are paying. We also have XE.com as a back up exchange calculator, which can make life easier. 

10. Inform family of your travel intentions

It might sound an odd item for the checklist. Yet if your plans are last minute, like us, then letting loved ones know your travel intentions will ease anxiety. If you suddenly go out of communication it can be stressful for everyone. So I dropped mum a message to say that if we weren’t in touch for a while, not to worry. Telling her where we were going in case of a lack of internet meant, she could be restful in the knowledge we hadn’t dropped off the face of the earth. 

What is Bosnia like?

In Part 2 of this blog, we will tell you more about our mini road-trip around Bosnia and Herzegovina. Although for now, here is a little taster of what we experienced.

The road up from Omiš was stunningly beautiful and our entire 42 miles following the Cetina Gorge guided us on a rollercoaster ride through the mountains. It took us about 90 minutes to arrive at our overnight stop at a beach beside a lake. What a great start that was.

As with most country borders, the cultures and landscape don’t tend to change in a flash; they mostly morph subtly and graciously. So for a while, Bosnia and Herzegovina feels as if you are still in Croatia. And then the reality hits you as you see political propaganda painted on walls and the ever-present bullet holes. These are a stark reminder of what has past, in our life-time. That is a sobering moment. Silence echoed around our van as we began to reflect on all that we remember from the news reels back in the day.  And then the landscape, for a moment soothes your soul as you wind around endless mountains, forests and plateau farmlands. Then the war memories are back, as in each village you see fresh graves from both the Muslims and Christians. The humbling moments are never far from mind.  And this makes Bosnia such an endearing destination and rich in its culture. Whilst a tragic moment in their history, it was their reality. As a visitor experiencing how this might have been for them, feels really important. 

Check out our gallery below.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is though a country that is rebuilding, with hearts and minds. We are greeted with intrigue as we drive through isolated mountain villages. We are not the sight most rural communities are used to seeing. And in truth we saw only a handful other vans ourselves whilst we were here. Soon enough more will arrive although for now, we are looked upon with a strange curiosity.

Camping here is easy and good quality. The local’s and campsite owners’ hospitality is second to none. We were treated to warmth, gifts and free drinks when we arrived at campsites. Like with Croatia, Auto Camps are popping up all over the place giving us a choice over where to stay. We paid between €10-15 per night all inclusive often with free WIFI too, although always very strong. Shower facilities were decent enough and whilst we could have gone more off-grid than we did, it felt important to put money into a community that needs our support.

The landscape is difficult to describe with a profound enough adjective. I had no idea that BiH was so utterly beautiful. It has a raw and untouched feel about it and for miles all you see are mountains, gorges, topaz blue rivers and forest.  So often we had to pinch ourselves and say, ‘We’re in Bosnia’.

The roads are generally good. There is a lot of new infrastructure connecting communities and much of the funding comes from the EU.  Some of the towns were quite industrial and scruffy with square, brick facia houses that look unfinished. Although what the new towns lack in character, the old medieval towns and landscape seriously make up for.  As with many Balkan countries, aside of Croatia, there is an animal welfare issue. We saw stray dogs, some with ear-tags, roaming the roads often in pairs, yet they all looked well nourished. So someone is looking after them, although they are not in homes being loved.  And sadly like Morocco, rubbish is a huge problem in Bosnia, which is such a shame. 

One of the many things that impressed us was that almost around every corner was a petrol station and virtually every one sold LPG. So you never need to worry about filling up. At the time of writing their Dizel was priced 3.16KM – £1.42  and LPG was 1.56KM – 0.70p.  And there are plentiful supermarkets around which are on a par with Croatia; so cheaper than western Europe for sure. Bingo is a huge chain of shop offering absolutely everything you can think of – other brands are of course available. Every town seems to have a market; we’re not sure if they’re daily although they sell all you need and of course you are putting money straight into the hands of the entrepreneurs. 

Touring Bosnia and Herzegovina in our motorhome has been a beautiful surprise and a sublime experience that has anchored itself deep within me. It has certainly left us both wanting more. We can’t recommend Bosnia enough. It is safe. It is beautiful. And it is full of history that will shock and humble you. And with Croatia now joining Schengen, BiH is going to be a winner in the Schengen Shuffle race for our travel attention. Bosnia, we are coming!

Check out our gallery below.

 

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