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What to Do in Captivating Croatia

Irish playwright, George Bernard Shaw, said: “Those who seek paradise on Earth should come to Dubrovnik.” We completely agree.

Croatia was a dream come true. The coast line, the history, the people – simply amazing. It’s not a far stretch to say we would move there. So glad that our friend, Greg, was able to meet us there and experience with us. Here are our favorite things we did and recommend to anyone visiting.

Dubrovnik

Old Town is where we spent most of our time. Our favorite restaurants were Bota Sushi, Klarisa, and Komarda (this place offers traditional Croatian cuisine and is to die for). We had the most fun at the Gaffe Irish Pub – because any Irish pub always bring the party.

Revelin night club is a must do if you’re into to going out and doing a little drinking and dancing. It’s literally hidden in the walls of Old Town. It almost feels like you’re not supposed to be there, which adds an element to your night out that’s indescribable.

Take a boat ride from the dock. For a one hour tour, around the island with a guide, it’s only 75 Kuna (about $12 US).

The Dubrovnik Cable Car ride costs 140 Kuna and offers the most stunning views of the coast. The Utvrda Imperial fort is at the top, along with the Križ landmark which is huge stone cross. Do it for the gram.

You can walk the Old Town walls all the way around for 150 Kuna. It offers a different perspective and you can climb into some of the towers on the corners.

Banje Beach is just outside Old Town. It’s crystal clear water and great place for another IG photo op.

Old Town is super awesome for live music as well. There was someone playing each day. Not to mention the NYE fireworks display over the packed streets, which was incredible.

Zagreb and Split

We also spent a day in Zagreb and Split. We would love to go back to Split during the summer. It’s a gorgeous coast town that’s a hot spot for yacht week!

The observation deck in Zagreb gives you a 360 view of the whole town. It’s especially magical in the winter at Christmas time. There’s delicious charcuterie and beverages to enjoy with the view. If you’re there in the winter you can enjoy some outdoor ice skating in the middle of town. Don’t forget to walk around the underground halls and pathways. They are decorated incredibly at Christmas time too FYI.

Our short time in Split was spent walking around old town and eating. Pizzeria Bokamorra is on the water and is delicious. Terminal F has the best, outrageous milkshakes to go with their live music and outdoor fire pits.

Montenegro

Do yourself a final favor and take a day trip to Montenegro. Our guide drove us to Pesart, where we took a boat ride to Our Lady of the Rock, which is an island made out of ship wreckage because locals found a painting of Virgin Mary on a rock in the water there in the 14th century. Ships give gifts to the church on that island in return for protection while at sea. From there we went to Kotor and hiked up the old ruins. We ended the day trip with a delicious dinner at Budva Jardan on the beach and a walk around town. On the way back to Dubrovnik we took ferry across the bay at sunset. Truly underrated and undiscovered, but that won’t last long. Go before word gets out!

Croatia is on our top 5 list of places to visit. Take the trip and enjoy the ride!

Justin and Lindsay

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Top Things to Do in Singapore

Singapore has our hearts in more ways than we thought possible. Spending 12 days there was amazing and we got to see and do so many fun things. Here’s our top things to do in each area!

  1. The Bay
    • There’s so many fun and interesting things to do around the Bay. Here are some of our favorites.
      • Merlion Park houses the famous Merlion Fountain. The body symbolizes Singapore’s humble beginnings as a fishing village and its head represents Singapore’s original name, Singapura, or ‘lion city’.
      • LeVel 33 Brewery is the highest urban brewery, located on the 33rd floor of what looks like an office skyscraper. Unexpected, but delicious beer and food, with the best view of the Bay that you can find. Ask to sit outside.
      • Mankansutra was one of the top street food recommendations we received from a local. The satay skewers did not disappoint.
      • Mischief is a fun open air bar with games like shuffleboard and beer pong.
      • Marina square and Esplanade for shopping and buying souvenirs.
      • Not to mention the free light and fountain show every night and free live music at the amphitheater most nights of the week.
  2. Marina Bay Sands
    • The infinity pool on the 57th floor is incredible. Floating high above the bay is a site you need to see. You do have to be a guest in order to swim, but you can visit the rooftop observation deck any time.
    • Spago is part of Wolfgang Puck’s dynasty and they have a great happy hour from 4-7pm Monday thru Thursday. Drinks are inventive, food is yummy, and their staff is the best we’ve encountered, friendly, helpful, and FUN! Shout out to Earl, Christian, JV, Hermes, and Glynn!
    • Gardens by the Bay has got to be on your bucket list. The outdoor gardens are free, along with the light show on the famous Supertrees. The two domes have a small fee, but are totally worth it. So many beautiful flowers, sculptures, and experiences.
  3. Chinatown
    • Ba Dao Guan is in the heart of Chinatown. Make sure to swing in and get the black pepper crab
    • Check out the Thian Hock Keng temple while you’re there too. Love seeing traditional architecture in the middle of a modern city. 
  4. Boat Quay (pronounced “key”)
    • Hans Im Glück has amazing drinks on the water in an unusual setting, Their entire patio is like sitting in an aspen tree forest.
    • Izakaya Shindi sushi is fresh, delicious, and has a great view of the river and skyline.
    • Aburiya is known for their Japanese wagyu beef. We also recommend getting sake because they let you pick your own sake glass. A nice bonus.
    • Free fitness classes are provided by Team Axis and the government, with multiple locations across the city. We stumbled upon the Zumba class in Boat Quay.
  5. Clarke Quay
    • Popular for its night life, with lots of variety and choices of things to do. We opted for Jumbo, which serves fresh seafood dishes and a river boat cruise.
  6. Bugis Street Food and Market
    • A bargain shoppers dream, lined with shops, food, tradition, and fun! Get some fresh juice for only $1 and a traditional crispy pancake – we really enjoyed the banana and peanut.
    • There are two temples you can visit as well. The architecture is massively impressive.
  7. Sentosa Island
    • Take the cable cars over the water to the island. Round trip tickets are extremely affordable and you can get around the whole island that way.
    • Mega Adventure Park is where thrill seekers collide. We went with our new friends (Jo and Ben – shout out to the UK) to zip line at over 35mph onto a beach and jump off of a 4-story platform.
  8. Singapore Zoo and the world’s only Night Safari
    • Must dos if you want to get up close and personal with some wild creatures. They let the orangutans swing free over your head, the foot tall bats are within an arms length, and the deer will cross your path, so look both ways before crossing the road.
  9. Windsor Nature Park
    • Free fun here that includes a 3 mile hike through the jungle with monkeys, monitor lizards, and roosters leading to a tree top walk on a suspension bridge.
  10. Little India
    • Blue Jaz on Haji Ln. for a delicious dinner and live music everywhere. Also has some great shopping!
  11. Changi
    • A lively neighborhood by the airport where we found Little Island Brewing Company. Get a prepaid booze card and have fun sampling their in house craft beers. Fun island atmosphere with knowledgeable brew staff.

We also loved each hotel we stayed in. Village Hotel At Changi, Marina Mandarin, and the Park Royal which has an amazing spa – the St. Gregory – Balinese and Indian massages and Skyline fitness classes with a view of the bay. We tried the aqua yoga and had a blast!  All hotels can be booked on our website – www.EndlessTravel365.com.

As an added bonus, the Star Island show for NYE was one of the most incredible things we’ve ever seen. Fireworks for over an hour and a half, lights, music, and fun! Cheers to 2019!

Enjoy the Ride,

Justin and Lindsay

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A Forever Love in Verona

Verona is a dream come true. One of the most romantic cities we’ve ever been in, you can really feel the passion of the people.

We highly recommend Maria Pia Tours for this vibrant city. We took two tours with her and it was incredible. She is so knowledgeable and entertaining. A lovely Italian sprite. Our first tour was the story of Romeo and Juliet (or Giulietta if you will). We stopped by their houses, the place where they supposedly met, stood on Juliet’s balcony, regaled in the dreams of the most romantic story ever heard, and even got to drop a love lock off at Juliet’s house. There’s a statue of Juliet outside the house and if you touch her right breast, it’s supposed to be good luck. The locks are on panels and once they are full they are taken down only to be put in a museum. If you keep track of your panel number you’ll be able to go see the exhibit and find your lock once it’s completed in about 5-10 years from now. Glad we took a photo of our panel number, otherwise we would searching for a long time at the exhibit.

Our second tour with Maria Pia was a night walking tour. She takes you on a journey with stories of architecture, pointing out how takes pride in making  new buildings around old ones. You can see old ruins in walls, on walkways, below the street, fossils in walkways. Our favorite part of this tour was when Maria told us we were going shopping and took us into this clothing store. We both looked at each other like, what the heck are we doing, this is supposed to be a history tour. We weren’t sure what she was talking about until we went downstairs. The entire bottom floor of the store is built around old ruins. So cool!

Our next stop was a walk through Castelvecchio, a most spectacular medieval edifice in Verona, telling stories from centuries ago. Castelvecchio was constructed on the banks of the Adige by Cangrande II della Scala in 1354 in order to defend Verona’s people and also to have a possible escape-route northwards where his Austrian relatives lived. The Scala family ruled Verona during the time of Romeo and Juliet and it is rumored that the two met at a Scala party.

Maria Pia is a true gem of a tour guide. And hilarious. She left us with her number and said if you ever need anything you have a friend in Verona. Our hearts were so full after spending the day with her.

The next day we took a tour of the Arena di Verona! This is a site to see. It’s older than the Coliseum in Rome by 50 years! It used to be twice the size until an earthquake destroyed half of it in 1117. The Arena is still in use today for concerts, operas, plays, and tours. It is our intention to come back and see a show here. We spent hours walking around, taking photos, and putting on a boomerang clinic in the center of the Arena – see our Instagram for that mess. We also walked around their market outside of the Arena and took in some glorious people watching around the square.

We then, took a trip over to Juliet’s tomb. This is where Friar Laurence’s church was where she sought advice and refuge during the tumultuous family rivalry between the Montagues and Capulets. The tomb is where she was said to have killed herself after thinking that Romeo had died. This story is truly powerful and you can feel the energy at this location.

We can’t wait to visit Verona again. One of our favorite stops on our two month tour of Europe!

 

Enjoy the Ride,

Justin and Lindsay

 

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P.P.S.S. One thing we learned was that it costs an extra €1.50 to call a taxi from your hotel instead of hailing it off the street. Just a little nugget for you.

P.P.S.S. You can book your own discounted travel on our website – www.EndlessTravel365.com!