Croatia is easy to love, and easy to do the obvious way — Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik, in the order everyone does them. It is worth doing differently. The country is beautiful in a way photographs undersell: a rich culture, stunning scenery, and wines that deserve far more than a footnote. The real pleasure is simply to drive, moving between the beaches and the mountains with nowhere you have to be.

And instead of Zagreb, Split or Dubrovnik, it was Rovinj that surprised me. An unexpected discovery — the kind of place where you can spend a very long time. None of it would have been the same without Suzy and Tomislav, my best buddies and my guides. Thank you both.

A narrow, weathered street of ochre and red houses stepping down to the sea in Rovinj A stone alley opening onto the Adriatic at sunset, with a small boat crossing the water, Rovinj
A cobbled promenade at sunset with a small lighthouse and a glowing lamp, looking out over the Adriatic from Rovinj

Streets that end in the sea, and an evening on the promenade · Rovinj · Photographs: Amit Chawla

I almost forgot to mention Slovenia, which is its own small miracle: you can be skiing in the morning and by the sea the same day.

And then Montenegro, and One&Only Portonovi — in Herceg Novi, at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor, roughly an hour from Dubrovnik, and One&Only’s first resort in Europe. It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and a must-do.

Instead of DubrovnikRovinj
Instead of one countryCroatia, Slovenia and Montenegro, together
Instead of sea or snowSlovenia, both in a day
Instead of the usual addressOne&Only Portonovi, on the Bay of Kotor

If you would like this route designed around you — at your pace, with the right people on the ground — we would be glad to.

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