If you follow me on Instagram you will have no doubt been bored to tears with all my holiday spam the past month or so! Well, sorry guys, there’s just a little bit more because I have to tell you about the Clickstay villa we stayed in, in Croatia… Residence Monte. What a place! Myself and the other half of Break The Loop (plus the pups) arrived after a monstrous journey and gosh this place was a sight for sore eyes!! The villa was set over four levels, nestled in the lush green, rolling hills of Istria, looking out to the ocean.

Four massive bedrooms (all en suite) made up the villa along with two huge kitchens in the main house plus a third down by the garden, perfect for when you want to take dinner outside but don’t want to be running back and forth up the stairs. That being said, the restaurant offerings in Istria are so good that you’ll probably eat out most of the time. When you’re not eating out or lounging by the stunning infinity pool you should definitely spend a few hours in the spa… I’m a sucker for sauna’s and can spend forever in there – I swear I was built for much warmer climates than the one in which I currently reside.

Little tip – Ask ahead and get the owners of the villa to turn on the steam room and add essential oils etc. As we were there early season it hadn’t been used in a while and think it needed a blast through. The sauna heats up really quickly and the instructions are super easy to follow so no worries with that one.

We got so lucky with the weather so spent quite a bit of time horizontal by the pool, dozing off the copious amounts of local food and wine…

In short, if you’re looking for a holiday destination – I vote Croatia! Northern Croatia to be specific. Residence Monte, to be exact. Fill it with friends and then spend a week or so relaxing by the pool and in the perfectly manicured gardens, hiking in the hills or feasting on as much fresh truffle pasta as you can manage. Trust me, you won’t regret it.

Anyone visited Croatia? Any tips to share?