Hi Tia and Mirela:

Thank you for providing us with such an amazing experience. Everything was perfect and first class. We truly had one of the most memorable trips of a lifetime. I cannot imagine that we will not go back one day!

Thank you so much for all your assistance and advice.

Tia: You truly picked the right places for us to stay and I would be happy to discuss particulars if you are interested.

Thanks again. I am so glad I found your company.

Hvala,

Steve Love

Steven & Jeanie Love – Studio City, CA, USA
July 28, 2025

Thank you Tia and Mirela for an awesome trip to Croatia! We had a great time!

Your bookings and recommendations were excellent – hotel was outstanding, wine experience was so good (we love the wine and bought 6 bottles) and concierge service was great and responsive.

It was a pleasure working with you.

Cheers,

Rudy & Trini – Camas, WA, USA
July 16, 2025

Dear Wanda, Tia and Mirela,

Now that we are back home and have had a little time to deal with all the usual re-entry rush after such a long trip, Nancy and I want to say thank you for all of your efforts. We had a fantastic trip. All of the arrangements worked perfectly. Hotels were all wonderful. You were right about the Esplanade in Zagreb. Spectacular. We also really enjoyed our time in Zagreb – and we did get to attend the opera and see “Ero from the Other World”. Even though it was with a house full of grade-school students, it was still an incredible performance.

All of the guides and drivers were also great. We especially want to mention Livio Karavanic in Istria and Asmir Piralic in Bihac. Livio not only was a wonderful and incredibly knowledgeable guide, but when he heard about Nancy’s family roots in Skočaj, he went out of his way to uncover some online information about the village and translate it from Croatian.

Of course, the highlight was our visits to Skočaj itself. Asmir had done a great job with preliminary research. He was also an amazing bridge to the villagers there, who were incredibly welcoming. Within a few minutes of our arrival, a woman walking by offered to get a key to the church so we could go inside.

Then we found ourselves invited to a rakija distilling party nearby. Asmir had already visited and located a couple of people with Tićac connections (we found the name generally spelled that way and not Tičać as in the old records we had found). And, when word quickly spread about our arrival, another woman who was born a Tićac surfaced. All were incredibly hospitable and invited us into their homes and shared coffee, cake and rakija with us. We also found a number of Tićac gravestones in the cemetery. On Sunday, we were able to attend mass in the Skočaj church, which led to an invitation into yet another home with no apparent family connection.

While no one’s memories were long enough to establish a direct connection with Nancy’s grandparents, we are sure it exists. At Asmir’s suggestion, we intend to contact the Diocese of Gospić–Senj to see if they have any records. The church in Skočaj was burned in the Homeland Wars, but we were told that any records were earlier moved to Gospić. We were surprised to find no gravestones in the cemetery predating 1900. Apparently, they have all been replaced by more recent burials.

Thanks again to you and Tasteful Croatian Journeys for making our visit to Croatia so memorable! It was an incredibly memorable experience and we hope to return. And of course we will recommend you highly to friends or anyone who wants a first-hand review. Again, our thanks and appreciation.

Sincerely,
 
Richard & Nancy
 

Some more wonderful tour guides on our trip:

Richard & Nancy Wines – Jamesport, NY, USA
November 10, 2024

For anyone planning to visit Croatia, Italy’s Friuli-Venezia Giulia or Slovenia for the first time or wants to return for a deeper and more meaningful discovery of those countries, you must work with Tasteful Croatian Journeys! My first trip to the region was back in 2003 when Wanda Radetti, the company’s President, prepared an itinerary which included Croatia’s Split, Dubrovnik, and Peljesac Peninsula. Delighted by our first Croatian adventure, we wanted to return the following year and heeded her suggestion to explore Croatia’s islands of Hvar, Korcula, Mljet and Vis. Again, Ms Radetti’s team executed superbly. Our transfers from air to land to sea were seamless and the captain and crew made our day sailing and island hopping comfortable and exciting. This summer we reached out to her again. We visited Croatia’s Istrian region and its neighboring Italian city of Trieste. We savored the local dishes and wine, reveled in Istria’s Tuscany-like scenic beauty and Venetian-like hilltop and seaside towns as well as Trieste’s Liberty style architecture. But it was the insight we gained, from her passionate and well-informed professionals, into the region’s contrasting and fascinating historical context which made the trip extra special.
 
Louise Belulovich – New York, NY, USA
October 30, 2024

Dear Wanda,

We had a fabulous trip to Croatia. Your notes and advice were very helpful. I loved seeing so much of the country. We were able to get all of our accommodations and tours booked on short notice. We were lucky that it was near the end of the season. The weather was fantastic and we even enjoyed a couple of dips in the Adriatic.

Thanks again for your help.
 
Laura S. & Nancy L. – Spring, TX, USA
October 29, 2024

Dear Wanda,

I loved this trip – everything about it. The hotels were stunning with the exception of the hotel in Saravejo. Perhaps that was the best hotel in the city, however, in comparison to all of the other hotels, it was very commercial – the staff was distant and we made no connection with any of them. The restaurant seemed more like an establishment designed for a business traveler. Since the other hotels were so inviting and their atmospheres were warm and comfortable, the difference was jarring.

The drivers were extremely professional and were delightful to have conversations with during the drive. They gave us tips about the next location we were visiting and helped us understand the culture and history.

The restaurants recommended were great and ones that left a lasting impression.

My favorite places were Trieste, Slovenia and Croatia – I would go back to them again. While I was very interested in seeing Bosnia Herzegovina and being there had an impact on me, I am not that interested in returning.

The people were amazing and were helpful to us and interested in our enjoying their city/country.

Tasteful Croatian Journeys is truly first class – I have already recommended my trip and your travel services to several friends.

Thank you very much for arranging such a fabulous travel experience.
 
Suzan Garabedian – Baltimore, MD, USA
October 20, 2024

Dear Tasteful Croatian Journey Team,

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for the outstanding service you provided during our honeymoon in Croatia. Hannah and I had a truly memorable experience, and the countless memories we created will remain with us forever.

Your team’s dedication and attention to detail did not go unnoticed, and we appreciate all the effort that went into making our trip special. We will gladly share our positive experience with friends and family and highly recommend The Tasteful Croatian Journey to anyone planning a visit to Croatia.

Thank you once again for everything.

Warm regards,
 
Phil and Hannah Steinberg – New York, NY, USA
October 10, 2024

Dear Wanda,

We had a truly amazing vacation planned by Tasteful Croatian Journeys.

We spent one week along the Dalmatian Coast, and it was something that we had been looking forward to since before COVID.

In spite of this long term planning, the weather did not cooperate, and the part of the trip on the water had to be changed on the fly. In spite of this, Mirela, our local contact, always made sure that we were taken care of. We were able to change plans with minimal disruption or stress, and without losing anything significant.

We loved the private yacht for a day-snorkeling and lunching in Korcula.

Would recommend skipping Krka Falls and doing the private ebike tour around Dubrovnik instead. Both feature a working mill but the bike tour was more authentic, there is a great lunch included, and it is much less crowded.

Thanks for everything!
 
Lawrence Platt – Racine, WI, USA
October 9, 2024

Hello, Wanda

My family and I just returned from a fabulous trip to Croatia as my wife and I celebrated our 49th wedding anniversary. This was our first time the six of us have visited this beautiful country and we leave with memories that will last a lifetime!

The landscape and sea are beautiful, the country has an interesting and rich history, city buildings and ruins are unique and fabulous, people are friendly and helpful, and the food and wine was outstanding! Even the weather cooperated! We could not have asked for more.

Our itinerary took us to several cities and islands, including Split, Sibenik, Korcula, Hvar, Orebic, Ston, Cavtat and Dubrovnik. With this came a great deal of necessary travel planning and coordination — flights, hotels, transfers, guides, a yacht and water taxi. In addition, the hotels selected were fabulous – great locations, clean and beautiful views! I want you to know that we clearly selected the right organization to help us — Tasteful Croatian Journeys. Our trip went flawless and we couldn’t have done it without the expert planning and assistance of your team.

As a business owner, you know that the people who work for you are the face of your company in the eyes of the public. Wanda, you have assembled an outstanding team of people, and I would specifically like to recognize both Tia and Mirela. The two of them were instrumental in designing and executing our wonderful Croatian travel itinerary. They are insightful, communicative, prompt to respond and extremely helpful in offering suggestions. They were both truly wonderful to work with!

In addition, the on-the-ground team Tia and Mirela assembled in Croatia were top-notch and a joy to work with during our trip. We would especially like to recognize several of these people, as their competencies, communication skills and sense of humor set them apart:

•  Ajlin – our witty and entertaining guide for the Split city tour
•  Iliana – our guide when touring Krka National Park
•  Damir – our driver from Split to the National Park who had a great sense of humor
•  Josip – our wonderful driver in Korcula and Orebic, who also has a beautiful signing voice!
•  Toni and Cherry – the captain and energetic first mate on our yacht from Split to Korcula
•  Fr. Simon – the Franciscan Fryer who performed our wedding vow renewal
•  Niko and Paulina – our gracious hosts for a lovely Garden to Table lunch experience
•  Nikola – our knowledgeable Game of Thrones specialist guide for the Dubrovnik city tour

Our trip was awesome — only filled with highlights! Once again, Wanda, we want to thank you and your team for helping to design and execute a terrific trip!! We will be certain to recommend your company and team to people we know who may be traveling to Croatia in the future.

All the best,
 
Randy and Mary Kay Pearce – Minneapolis, MN, USA
September 14, 2024

This is the second time we have used Croatian Journeys. On both occasions, their assistance has been thoughtful and their execution superb. They understood and carefully implemented our wishes. Although both trips were centered on Croatia, their addition of the magnificent Austro/Hungarian Trieste was an inspired treat and not to be missed.
 
John Pattillo – Dedham, MA, USA
July 15, 2024