Daniela Pinčević

Our trip to Croatia was amazing! The scenery is awesome and the people are so friendly and with a crime rate the lowest in Europe, what's not to like?

Roberto and his team could not have been better, keeping us informed and providing updates throughout our stay. The Accommodations were great and the site seeing went without a hitch. In particular I'd like to thank one of Roberto's guides Marco. His time with us was memorable and he could not have been nicer. Definitely an asset to the team.

Daniela and Robi created an unforgettable experience.

We lost our passport. Daniela and Robi immediately jumped, contacted everyone and had the hotel staff look for it, and got the driver to bring the passport to the airport!! From the time we alerted Daniela on the What's App within 10 minutes the superior staff at Hotel Marul (Maia) and our driver (Simon) found the passport and had Simon back on the road driving the passport to us. Unbelievable assist and save.

The What's App group chat between us and Daniela and Robi was fantastic. I can't express how awesome this communication tool was for our trip but I will try. I downloaded our entire group chat of 1 week's time into Microsoft Word (without photos or links) it became a 34 page document. 34 pages !! (9,000 words, for context this review is 823) That's 5 pages of fully written out directions, recommendations, questions, answers per DAY. And it doesn't include all the photos or links, the links were so easy. BAM I have the address and the walking/riding/biking/driving directions instantly.

As I try to describe this level of service, all I've come up with is highest end / white glove / concierge service. Daniela and Robi had our every concern and acted more like family or friends. We cannot thank them enough.

Daniela crafted a perfect trip. That isn't fair. Daniela crafted a dozen perfect trips for us as we kept changing our minds until we settled on an itinerary. Even then small additions were added and dropped day by day depending on our energy level. Daniela took the time to get to know what we wanted and the trip really proved how much effort she put in.

Robi was our tour guide on several occasions and translator on several occasions. I'm semi-famous for asking hundreds of questions (note the 34 page What's App group) and Robi handled each historical fact, each TV reference and more over and over. He also gave me some great video links to watch for more info. My personal highlight was learning about Ston, walking the walls of Ston and the fresh out of the sea oysters at the oyster farm. Incredible. Our day at Plitvice Lakes was my second favorite, a 37,102 step day for us on our Fitbits. BTW I tried to talk my wife out of doing Plitvice but she begged and Daniela urged we go, so glad we did.

Gordon, dropped our car off and picked it up from us. Made life very easy. Company was Lutar I think and they gave us a wonderful car.

Steve, apartment rental via Marul Hotel. Poor guy, I needed help at midnight and he drove over to help.
Simon, security and driver at Marul Hotel. Drove us to the airport and then drove back and forth again to drop our missing passport.
Maia at Hotel Marul, found the passport within 9 minutes of Daniela calling her. Thank you !!

Other notables. Šibenik, we walked the 3 fortresses. Western history would have been very different if this battle went another way. Dubrovnik what can we say, it's a must see for a reason. Split and Diocletians Palace was my wife's favorite, I loved it as well. If we go back we would like more time in Split.

Hard to explain. We had the country to ourselves. Roads were sparsely used, getting meals was easy, the worst crowds were very modest and often we felt we purchased some exclusive package. For example, our cooking class is normally 20. In April, it was just the 2 of us. Another example, I drove into the automated toll booth lane which I could not use and spent 2 minutes figuring out the problem. (btw, Daniela had warned me about this as I reviewed my notes) Normally by now there would be 10 cars behind me trying to get thru the toll. Nope, I merely went 50 meters in reverse and went into the next toll lane. The highway was empty, go ahead and drive it.

Language: Everything, and I mean everything was available in both Croatian and English, every sign, every menu, everything. We only met 1 person who spoke limited English the entire trip and he ran the Oyster Farm and we had Robi with us to translate. Although, honestly even here we could have gotten by.

Hotels. Location, location, location. Perfect, everything was within walking distance. The Hotel Marul and the Hotel Degenija and its nearby restaurant (Plivitice) both stood out as high end experiences. Hotel Skradinski buk was cute and we loved the staff and the perfect walking distance to the boat to Krka. Probably our favorite breakfast as we got to interact with other guests if we wanted to and we did.

Airports Split and Dubrovnik so easy, so empty, and everyone speaks English.

Could I say more, yes, will you read it, no. So that's it....

We had the best time on our honeymoon in Croatia. Daniela did an amazing job planning and making an itinerary that hit all of the places we had on our list. She made great recommendations for dinners, hiking, places of interest and general tips for every location in addition to points of interest along the way. She was available throughout the trip for any questions and was very helpful. Everyone we interacted with in terms of tour guides, drivers etc. were very professional and kind. Matej picked us up from the airport when we arrived and delivered our rental car to us the next morning. Mario provided a very interesting and fun city tour of Zagreb and Pero did an amazing job showing us all around Diocletian's Palace in Split. We enjoyed our experience with everyone and they all added positive experiences to our trip. We would definitely book another trip through KimKim and loved working with Daniela.

Activity Review

Explore Plitvice Lakes National Park

Croatia

My mother and I had an awesome time in Croatia, and everything was well communicated and organized by Daniela and her partner, Robi in advance, and during the entire trip! With every step of the way, Daniela or Robi were in touch to check in and give information about guides, pick up times, restaurant recommendations, and everything was clear and comprehensive. They were also available for questions and suggestions, which made the entire trip connected and collaborative. I especially loved the arrangement with guide, Goran where we travelled from Korcula to the Peninsula, and Elaphiti Islands where we travelled along the mountains and Adriatic, and visited local, family-run restaurants. This part of the trip felt very special and memorable. We then had the opportunity to meet Daniela, Robi and family in Ston, which also was delicious and memorable. Highly recommend connecting with Daniela and Robi-- absolutely lovely and memorable, all around! Thank you!

Daniela and Robi planned and executed our amazing trip to Croatia. We visited Split, Hvar and Dubrovnik. Robi gave us a personal tour of Ston and several wineries in the Pelješac peninsula. The hotels they booked were spectacular. Every detail was planned and executed to perfection from the catamaran transfers to the excellent restaurants they recommended and booked. We were in great hands! Thank you Robi and Daniela!

First of all, we would like to thank Robi and Daniela Pinčević in helping us develop the trip itinerary and in managing our stay in country. In particular, the total attention to detail and helpfulness of Robi throughout our travels was invaluable and greatly exceeded our expectations! Robi even took the time to meet with us in our travels (Thank you!). We spent 2 weeks driving through Croatia and fell in love with the history, the variety of architecture and (yum!) the food! We did quite a bit of research before the trip and had a good idea of what we wanted to see. Daniela helped us with some specific sights to see. Croatia is a beautiful and very clean country and the people who live there are the most hospitable people we have ever encountered (we have traveled to over 30 countries). We began the trip in Zagreb and our wonderful guide, Bruno, showed us the city and spent the following day with us as we toured castles and an open air museum of late 19th/early 20th century rural buildings & homes. From Zagreb we drove ourselves to Istria and visited several towns (including Motovun, Groznjan, Oprtalj, Porec (3rd century Euphrasian Basillica )and Pula where we loved the Roman amphitheater, visited the olive oil museum and did the olive oil tasting (very informative). From Istria, we drove southward, staying at several cities (Zadar, Split, Hvar Town in Hvar Island, Ston, and Dubrovnik). Along the way, we visited Krka National Park and Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina). For every location we visited, Robi was kind to guide us to the closest parking places, ticket offices, ferry offices, etc. Our favorite city was Rovinj – it was thoroughly charming! For the best foods, it was Zagreb’s LaStruk for their delicious strukli, the homemade pasta and the creamed risotto, both with black truffles at the Konoba Mondo in Motovun, the black risotto (with several types of seafood) at Kapetanova Kuca in Mali Ston, and the slow roasted octopus with vegetables dinner for two at the Jerolim in Hvar Town. In Split, Robi recommended we dine at Bajamonti where we enjoyed a delicious seabass dinner for two. We drank local wine every night for dinner and enjoyed them all! We had great fun winetasting at the Madirazza Winery on the Pelješac peninsula where the pours were generous and hostess very charming. In Dubrovnik, we had a wonderful Bosnian meal at the lovely restaurant, Taj Mahal. We had excellent private city guides in Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik who also recommended places to visit such as the Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb or the oldest continuously operating pharmacy in Europe (Dubrovnik). Aside from learning the history of those places, we learned about the people of this terrific country. We visited museums, cathedrals, and country roads with vistas. In short, we packed as much as we could into a two week driving tour. Because of our age, we asked for car parking and ground floors or elevators at all the hotels (they were all very good hotels; most with wonderful breakfast selections!) The only recommendation we would make is to have is a little primer on how to use Croatian gas stations (pay after pumping) and the different nozzle sizes (large diesel nozzle is for trucks, not cars). Almost all parking lots require payment and some places you pay first, some places when you leave, and sometimes you need your rental car license plate number (take a picture with the cell phone). Speaking of cell phones, it was a breeze communicating with the Kimkim team via WhatsApp. We walked about 141,000 steps – what a blast! April and May was an excellent time to visit! Thank you Robi, Daniela & Kimkim!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Marul

Split

Room was comfortable but outside noise was annoying at night. Breakfast was very good. Staff friendly.

Amfora Hvar Grand Beach Resort

Hvar

Excellent room and breakfast. Parking close in. Short walk to town.

Apartment Zicara

Dubrovnik

Spacious apartment with well appointed kitchenette and a washing machine, which we put to good use. Location just outside city wall so convenient to old city. The terrace and garden was a nice place to rest and relax. We were thankful we could store our bags there for several hours until we departed the city.

Palazzo

Poreč

Nice room, outstanding breakfast, and courteous staff. Had to park a short distance away but hotel provided shuttle service. (This hotel had the nicest breakfast and a beautiful view of the harbor).

Hotel Dubrovnik

Zagreb

Comfortable room, great breakfast, and very convenient to city sights and restaurants. This was the nicest hotel we stayed in.

Teatro Verdi Boutique Hotel

Zadar

Small hotel but friendly staff and comfortable room. The floral scent in the common area was a nice, happy surprise. Parking next to hotel.

Ostrea

Mali Ston

Room was a little small but comfortable. Breakfast was limited but the hotel had few guests at the time, so this was understandable. Breakfast attendant made us the best coffee in Croatia! (And she was very nice). Desk receptionist could have been more pleasant when we arrived. In all the places we visited and saw, she was the exception to great hospitality.

Activity Reviews

Zagreb - Arrival Day / Evening

Zagreb

Matej, our driver, was waiting for us at Zagreb airport. Great conversation with him as we drove into the city. Check-in was breeze.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Motovun, Grožnjan, Oprtalj - inland of Istria and overnight in Poreč

Croatia

Exploring the old city towns was interesting. Cobble stones and hills were a challenge though. Had one of our best meals in Motovun.

Visit to Zadar

Croatia

Interesting city with old churches and nice restaurants. By the harbor the Sea Organ and Sun Salutation Light Show (at sunset) were fascinating.

Leaving Hvar and drive to Ston & Pelješac penisula

Hvar

Short ferry ride back to the mainland and beautiful vistas on way to Ston.

Explore Pelješac Penisula and Ston - Triple Atraction

Ston

Ston is charming town with extensive walls and salt pans. Also some great wineries which we visited one, Midirazza, for wine tasting.

Dubrovnik Old Town tour, and the City Walls

Croatia

Old City Dubrovnik is a fascinating place with its buildings, restaurants, and wall. Excellent city tour to explain some of the city history. City wall walk was interesting but fairly difficult to walk in places (steps) and overpriced at 35 Euros. Speaking of steps - about 120 to get from old city to apartment. Wear comfortable shoes!

Goodbye Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Pick up and delivery to airport was great.

Visit to Rovinj and Pula

Croatia

Two of our favorite places, especially Rovinj with its charm and restaurants by the harbor. The Roman coliseum in Pula was amazing in its almost original 2000 year old state. We really enjoyed the olive oil museum and the olive oil tasting.

Explore Zagreb and City tour

Zagreb

We really enjoyed Zagreb with its buildings and history. Bruno, our guide, was excellent! Learned so much about the city, culture, history, and food! We also talked about schools, education, economy, etc. Bruno recommended an excellent restaurant, LeStruk; we enjoyed it a lot!

Zagorje region and castles visit and Zagreb overnight

Zagreb

Great day trip visiting two castles and birth place of Marshall Tito. Bruno went with us this day and gave us a lot of insight about Marshall Tito. He also took us to an excellent country restaurant where we had a huge lunch. The beans in this meal were superb! We really appreciated the time Bruno took with us.

Explore Split & Diocletian's palace city tour

Split

Lots of history in Split. Great city tour. Nice restaurants. We really enjoyed Split as the sun was setting; the crowds were less.

Mostar ( Bosnia and Herzegovina) 1 Day Trip From Ston- overnight Dubrovnik

Croatia

Day trip to Mostar. We enjoyed the old part of town and its renowned bridge but could have done without the large tourist crowds. Did have a nice lunch overlooking the bridge. We also enjoyed talking to the lady at the bookstore that Robi recommended. She gave us a concise, but excellent history of the events leading to the war and her experiences in the war. She humanized and brought the scenes we witnessed on television to life.

Explore Hvar

Croatia

Not a lot to explore in Hvar city but enjoyed a drink by the harbor and one of the best meals of the trip. We also visited the fortress on the hill for a great view of the town. There wasn't a lot to do, but that was due to the time of the year and weather being cool/overcast. Swimming was not feasible.

Krka National Park

Croatia

Nice boat ride to visit the beautiful falls at the park. Also drove to upstream portion of river to see other falls (not quite as nice). The signage at the park was limited and at one point, we did a lot of extra walking, and ended up at the cafe instead of water falls. The maps handed out by the park were pretty substandard (in detail for walking trails).