Croatia is one of Europe’s brightest shining gems, though not so hidden anymore. It seemed fairly free of American tourists, but there was no shortage of western Europeans and Russians. Geographically it is a long narrow strip of land hugging Bosnia on the east side, and the Adriatic sea on the west. The coastline is peppered with 718 incredible islands. We found the country to be different than the Balkan neighbors we visited, but largely due to the heavy tourism industry. We were there in July, but I’ve heard that if you can do it, September is the month to go. The striking scenery of both the mainland and the islands is enough to sell the experience, but Balkan food and culture is a rich and beautiful terrain of its own right. We found the typical picturesque cities to be amazing, but we also loved the capital Zagreb, which doesn’t see the same hoards of tourists. Prices in Croatia are higher than the rest of the Balkan countries we visited, and in fact they’re probably more comparable to those in western Europe. We only got to visit one island, Korcula, but next time we intend to make it to more. For those familiar with Greek islands, the experience is comparable, but unique enough to be totally worth having.