5 days in Dubrovnik, Croatia

The best thing about having sisters is you're guaranteed best friends. You have a built in buddy to talk crazy with and accompany you on wild adventures. Lucky for me, my big sister and I finally had some time to make one of our wild adventures happen. So after some spur of the moment planning, we were on our way to Europe. Our first stop... Dubrovnik, Croatia!

If you're heading there, here is what you absolutely must see, do and experience during your vacation.

Where to Stay. Hotel Kompas Dubrovnik is a chic 4-star hotel overlooking the Adriatic Sea with minimalistic rooms, a spa, an elegant restaurant and rooftop lounge. On the shore, Hotel Dubrovnik Palace is a sophisticated 5-star hotel with large, modern rooms, and most importantly, a swim-up bar. Check out Grand Hotel Park if you're watching your dollars but still want a fabulous stay. You can step out on your balcony to enjoy ocean views and it's only a 10 minutes drive to Old Town.

Where to eat. If nothing else, make your way to BOWA. It's a secluded restaurant housed in earthy cabanas on Sipan Island. You can lounge, grab a cocktail from the bar and enjoy some elevated local cuisine. It's only accessible by boat so make reservations for the restaurant and with a boating company before you go. For a solid meal, head to Peppers Eatery. It’s a cheerful homey eatery with quality ingredients from domestic producers. If you're near Old Town but want to escape the tourism inside the walls, make your way to Banje Beach Restaurant. It's an upscale seafood restaurant on Banje Beach that turns into a nightspot with DJs, a private pier & beach.

Where to grab a drink. For a unique happy hour, venture into the trendy Cave Bar More which is housed deep inside a natural cavern. For amazing views of the whole city, jump on the cable car to the hill of Srđ and grab a spritz at Panorama Restaurant & Bar. When you're in need of a glass of vino, go explore Old Town and then drop by D'Vino to peruse the extensive wine list and find the perfect glass.

Where to beach. Banje Beach is closest to Old Town, and you can rent lounge chairs at Banje Beach Restaurant or just lay a towel down a few meters away from the beach club. If you're dining at BOWA, you basically have a semi-private beach. You'll have gorgeous views, privacy, crystal clear water and cocktails on demand. If you're closer to Lapad where a majority of the bigger hotels are located, walk over to Lapad Beach. You'll see kayakers, small boats, lounge chairs and perfect water to enjoy. *Watch out for sea urchins, they are everywhere!

What to see & do. Explore Old Town. If you're a Game of Thrones fan, there are multiple tours that unveil the secrets of show. Once you walk out of the Old Town Walls, head to the Dubrovnik Cable Car to go to the top of Srđ. You can rent buggies at the top and explore the hill that overlooks the whole town. For a short day trip, catch a ferry to Lokrum Island and hike through gorgeous olive and cypress trees and explore the Benedictine Monastery ruins.

How to get around. Rent a scooter to get around town. There's no Uber or Lyft, so plan your activities and hotel location accordingly. Your hotel can call you a cab, but also grab a taxi's number that you like and personally call on them.

Lessons Learned.

It's not a town filled with young people. We mostly saw families with very young children and an older generation of locals hanging around town. Also, they are not overly friendly, they will be helpful but won't spend too much time indulging you in conversation. Also, you only need about 2-3 days here. We were there for 5 days, and while we enjoyed it, could have kept moving after day 3.