Slovenia customer reviews

Biggest shout though has to go to the rafting company who ran the canyoning, rafting and ziplining sessions. They are superb. Very professional, friendly but, more importantly, safety conscious. We had a blast on each single activity. We also loved the truffle hunting experience which was ran by a lovely family – please send more people their way. They do things in a very artisan and environment-conscious way – we were very impressed (and the truffle pasta they made for us was exceptional).

Particular highlights from the prebooked trips were the team who ran the horse riding, who were super kind and thoughtful, the team on the dolphin trip who were professional and skilled and the bike hire centre which felt high tech and well organised. It was all so reassuring. Another highlight was the private transfer to the airport at the end which was luxurious and the driver had impeccable time keeping – it felt like a real treat to conclude the trip. The car hire firm were also very good and welcoming.

In terms of locations, we absolutely loved Bohinj. Bled is beautiful but very busy and commercialised. Bohinj had a good vibe and was rustic, rugged and attracted a different type of person. It was hard not to be entranced by the scenery around Bohinj. Whilst staying in Bohinj we walked the Vintgar Gorge (early on our first morning) which was busy but absolutely beautiful and a lovely first trip. We were very glad to have done it. We didn’t make the gorge at Bohinj but saving that for next time. We also went to Savica waterfall which was pretty but a short activity and you pay heavily for parking. Just hanging out by the lake, swimming, paddling, fishing was pure delight.

Piran has a good vibe. It was so hot when we were there that it was a bit hard to get the best out of our stay. Two days was definitely enough, but one would have been too quick. It’s touristy but lovely with it. The hotel was a large hotel with little personality but very functional. We had adjoining/connecting rooms which was great as we felt like we had a bit more space. The rooms were clean, good size and really nicely done. We looked straight out to the sea and felt like we were on a cruise. The main areas were roomy, smelt delicious and tidy. The pool area was clever with access straight out to the sea too.

On to Croatia: Cres and Losinj islands are lovely. Really beautiful and the Croatian people are warm and friendly. We stopped in Cres for lunch on our drive down and had a super meal in Luna Rossa (probably my favourite meal of the trip). Cres town seemed really nice and had we had more time we would have loved to have returned there.

The hotel was really special and lovely. The vibe is brilliant – super chilled. The staff were attentive but respectful. It was clean and relaxing. They had nice touches like an endless supply of flavoured water using the herbs and fruits from their own garden, and a well stocked honesty bar. The pool was small but beautiful and perfect. The bay was beautiful and only a few hundreds yards away. We had a fab morning using the (free to borrow) Galboka SUPs in the bay.

The centre of Nerezine was quite cute and they have a really nice deli/smart shop in the centre. Mali Losinj has a great vibe in the evenings- quite busy but felt fun. Veli Losinj is quieter but also felt really lovely and a bit more personal. We enjoyed Boca Bar for food in Veli Losinj after the boat trip.

Ljubljana in Slovenia is lovely: Really funky and fun. A great city to just wander around. It felt safe and friendly. The hotel was absolutely gorgeous. Small, boutique and incredibly personal. The breakfast was the best of the entire trip and we probably wished we had 2 nights there for the hotel and breakfast alone.

Overall, it felt like an excellent adventure. A balance of fun activities, varied places to stay with awesome scenery. We had enough things booked in to give us structure but plenty of scope to be flexible. We loved it – thank you so much. We are already thinking where we might like to explore for our next big trip: exciting times – and we will be in touch.

In Logar Valley – Katya at the pension was very welcoming and accommodating of A’s non meat diet! We ate there both nights and enjoyed local food as well as their homemade beer and elderflower cordial which were great. We did the walk to Klemenci Jami – it was a really hot day so didn’t make it any further onto the ridge but going up and back by the different routes was good. We also went to Rinka Falls and enjoyed playing in the stream below it.

Our guide in Ljubljana told us about Slovenian bee keeping traditions – A in particular was really interested as she does bee keeping at school so he recommended we stop off at the Museum of Apiculture in Radovljica which we did en route between Logar and Bled – it was excellent and the small town was nice to explore and made good lunch stop – highly recommend!

Lake Bled was very busy and had lots of wasps but we enjoyed the scenery and views from castle and trip to the island. Kayaking and swimming on Lake Bohinj was great. Biking in Kranjska Gora was fun – we enjoyed the novelty of crossing into Italy – the boys made it to the Italian lakes – the girls didn’t quite as it was very hot but really enjoyed the flat paths along the valley.

The accommodation in Soca (Bovec) was amazing and it was great to be able to self cater for a couple of nights after lots of restaurant food – and also good to have a washing machine at this point! The river in Soca was beautiful and we enjoyed walking and paddling there. We loved the rafting and zip lining.

In Piran we enjoyed the views from the hotel rooms, castle walls and bell tower. We hired SUPs from the hotel which was fun. We also ate some delicious seafood. Our final day was great – the castle and caves exceeded our expectations – despite the caves being very busy!

Overall it was a really memorable trip – thank you so much for all the organisation – it was great to have everything pre booked and everyone expecting us! I’d love to do another trip with you – will discuss with the family…

When I asked the kids for their highlights, S picked the Logar Valley and K picked zip-lining and Portorose and the days at the pool.

Ljubljana – such a beautiful little city, we basically did the classic things like the castle, wandering the town, went to Tivoli Park. Two nights was enough and the hotel was fab, in a brilliant location, with very friendly and helpful staff. Useful tips: Lots of restaurants by the water with all manner of cuisine and no bother finding tables.

Logar Valley – stunning, peaceful, we went for a couple of the recommended hikes (Rinka waterfall and the Strelovec Ridge). The hotel was lovely, not new and shiny, but immaculately clean, friendly and helpful staff and the view from the bar / restaurant was just amazing. Useful tips: entry to the Valley is 10 euros and the receipt was signed at the hotel so we could go in and out (later in the day there wasn’t even anyone checking).

Lake Bled – beautiful, just like the pictures, more of a holiday / seaside kind of vibe than I’d expected. Three nights here was good, meant we were able to relax a bit, soak up the atmosphere, walk the lake, swim the lake, and the kayaking on Lake Bohinj was fun. Useful tips: you can pay to go to the swimming area below the castle but there’s also free swimming spots further round the lake if you don’t mind sitting on the ground. We took the boat to the island first thing in the morning (about 10) when it was cooler and quieter. Visiting the castle later in the day was also a good bet, and it was worth the visit for the views. At Lake Bohinj there’s paid parking in the shade pretty close to where you pick up the kayaks and there’s lockers to store stuff too, you could go on afterwards and go to Vintgar Gorge the same day though we chose not to. Hotel location here was fab, breakfasts were good and the pool was great (again no ball games, relaxation pool), but it was a bit soul-less. Restaurant recommendation (for meat eaters at least) – The Oldest Bled Cellar was excellent, beautifully presented and cooked dishes and great service.

Soca Valley – again, beautiful part of the world with breath-taking views around every corner. We probably could have done two nights here rather than stretching over three and done ziplining and rafting in one day. Activities were well organised and run with all guides friendly and knowledgeable. Useful tips: On the drive from Lake Bled we stopped at Kranjska Gora and went on the summer rollercoaster there – fun, though quite pricey and the chairlift up took ages. You can very easily go to Austria and Italy within 30 mins if that floats your boat (we did for giggles). The Vršič Pass has incredible views but the day we drove it was incredibly busy with cyclists, motorbikes, campers, and more, making it a pretty hair-raising drive that we hadn’t fully anticipated. The apartment was beautifully appointed and very well equipped, the staff were fab, there was a shared sitting area and they had a BBQ you could use. Parking in Bovec can be a challenge but we found free parking just down and right from the hotel, there are lockers there for valuables which say you need a Euro but we just asked for one.

Portorose – nice seaside resort to finish and the Tolmin Gorge stop was good, could have spent more time on the coast and maybe seen a bit more round and about the town. Useful tips: Postjama Cave is definitely a viable day trip from here and I’m so glad we added it, a definite trip highlight. You can get buses into Piran easily from Portorose, 2 euros each way or walk in about an hour.

Many thanks, sure we’ll be in touch for future holidays!

I’m glad we decided to travel to Lake Bohinj to go kayaking, as I loved that.

We really liked the Soča Valley hotel too, and its location next to the river. We had a lot of fun white water rafting, and our guide was brilliant.

I was a little sad not to be going back to Ljubljana on our final night, but we ended up having a really nice time in Skofja Loka. It’s a lovely old town and we spent longer than expected in the museum!

Thanks for doing such a great job organising our holiday, we will definitely be booking another holiday with you again.

As a family, we found the caves and Castle too commercial for our taste and in retrospect would have preferred to spend more time wandering in Ljubljana (although on Sunday, galleries etc were shut- a place for a mid-week visit in future!!) Driving around was easy too!

In short, we were sad to leave and would all go back again – always the sign of a great holiday!!

Thank you for all the organisation involved.

We would definitely recommend staying in Bohinj over Lake Bled to future travellers: just as beautiful and much less crowded.  We also loved the tranquillity of Logar Valley, with its small mountain huts to eat in.  The walk you suggested (which we didn’t do but did discuss with locals) is on a narrow track and so is not for the faint-hearted.  

The activities were all great fun, and I don’t think we can come up with a favourite.  There were some nerves beforehand, but everyone enjoyed them all, and they were all very well run, which definitely helped!

Thank you so much for putting this together for us.  We all agree it has been our best ever holiday.

The hike was more strenuous than we expected and scary for those of us with a fear of heights! But totally made up for by all the beautiful views! It was fantastic. And I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of lunch at the mountain.

Lake Bled had to be done, and the colour of the water was spectacular. We rowed to the island, some of us went on inflatables in the lake while the others cycled. But Lake Bohinj was the surprise hit here!! So huge and scenic and peaceful! And we didn’t have high expectations of being able to do SUPs but we all could and will be doing it a lot more in the future! Perhaps my highlight of the whole holiday but it’s hard to pick!

The cycling at Kranjska Gora – they didn’t have a small enough bike for G so gave him an electric bike which was perfect as it was extremely hot and he’s not terribly fit! The path was flat as you had described but my husband took us up a massive hill to a dry ski slope which I was not happy about at all!

The hotel in Bovec was awesome! White water rafting was a memory to last a lifetime and an experience that all 5 of us loved!  We had a couple of hours to chill out at the fabulous hotel pool before the canyoning. Eek! The scariest thing I have ever done?!?! I wish I had photographic evidence that I did it! Perhaps you could suggest to people that they bring a GoPro?

The caves were another big surprise! I have never seen anything like it!! But should come with a warning for those who are scared of heights! I was pretty terrified!

Piran was gorgeous and we enjoyed some relaxing time at the hotel pool.

Predjama Castle was well worth the visit despite it being an extremely hot day!

Ljubljana was great although might have been better as a first stop. We enjoyed our tour and our guide told us loads of interesting things we would never have known otherwise.

So overall we absolutely loved it and are recommending to all our friends and family that they also go to Slovenia! We are not an adventurous family normally and this holiday was a revelation to us – we would certainly book with you guys at Stubborn Mule again!

The hike was more strenuous than we expected and scary for those of us with a fear of heights! But totally made up for by all the beautiful views! It was fantastic. And I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of lunch at the mountain.

Lake Bled had to be done, and the colour of the water was spectacular. We rowed to the island, some of us went on inflatables in the lake while the others cycled. But Lake Bohinj was the surprise hit here!! So huge and scenic and peaceful! And we didn’t have high expectations of being able to do SUPs but we all could and will be doing it a lot more in the future! Perhaps my highlight of the whole holiday but it’s hard to pick!

The cycling at Kranjska Gora – they didn’t have a small enough bike for G so gave him an electric bike which was perfect as it was extremely hot and he’s not terribly fit! The path was flat as you had described but my husband took us up a massive hill to a dry ski slope which I was not happy about at all!

The hotel in Bovec was awesome! White water rafting was a memory to last a lifetime and an experience that all 5 of us loved!  We had a couple of hours to chill out at the fabulous hotel pool before the canyoning. Eek! The scariest thing I have ever done?!?! I wish I had photographic evidence that I did it! Perhaps you could suggest to people that they bring a GoPro?

The caves were another big surprise! I have never seen anything like it!! But should come with a warning for those who are scared of heights! I was pretty terrified!

Piran was gorgeous and we enjoyed some relaxing time at the hotel pool.

Predjama Castle was well worth the visit despite it being an extremely hot day!

Ljubljana was great although might have been better as a first stop. We enjoyed our tour and our guide told us loads of interesting things we would never have known otherwise.

So overall we absolutely loved it and are recommending to all our friends and family that they also go to Slovenia! We are not an adventurous family normally and this holiday was a revelation to us – we would certainly book with you guys at Stubborn Mule again!

Everything ran so smoothly with the pre-printed vouchers, for example for the paddle-boarding, rafting, canyoning, mountain-biking, ferry rides, caves etc. It made it all so easy and meant we could be sure we would be going ahead with that planned activity that day rather than turning up and finding it was all fully booked.

We also loved the fact that we had such varied types of accommodation and scenery. All in all it was a total success and we will definitely look to use Stubborn Mule again. Thank you for giving us a holiday we shall never forget. Meanwhile, we have recommended you to all our friends and family!

Special mentions must go to:
– the family who run the mountain lodge who were so warm and friendly – and that place had stunning views
– the guide for our canyoning in Bovec called Marco who was such a character and encouraged us all with humour and energy to do things some of us probably never thought we would do!
– the scenic drives

Thank you very much once again for all your organisation.

Best wishes

Then off to Veli Losinj in Croatia. We loved the hotel in Veli Losinj. The food was great, the hosts were friendly and we enjoyed the pool and the generally relaxed pace. Walking along the coastal path to quiet bays was lovely, and one day we took a boat to the three islands and enjoyed swimming off the side of it. This was our favourite place. I would happily have stayed for the rest of the summer!

The Skocjan caves were truly amazing! Incredibly huge and majestic. I highly recommend this visit to everyone who can manage it. (It does have a lot of steps so that’s worth bearing in mind.) Then we went to Predjama Castle, which was very interesting though absolutely jam-packed with people.

The hotel in Ljubljana was great – nice rooms, helpful staff, great breakfast and very well situated for all the sights. We took a ‘time machine’ guided tour of the castle with actors playing historical figures, which was a fun way of hearing about the history, and beyond that we wandered around looking at bridges and statues and eating at restaurants along the tree-lined river. It’s a beautiful city and we really enjoyed its relaxed atmosphere and excellent food.

Overall we really enjoyed both Slovenia and Croatia and would love to go back another time to explore more.

Car hire pickup was very easy with a lovely guy on the desk and the car was great with an enormous boot, which was very useful.  A map would have been really handy though.  Atet didn’t offer any and the car had no Satnav. Although we used our phones, it’s a lot easier to have a view of the bigger picture on paper to aid navigation initially.

Lake Bled was beautiful and we had the best ice cream ever on the island there.  The kids loved the public lido on the lake which was a really great facility with a slide and diving board and inflatables, especially since the area was so busy that finding a spot elsewhere for free swimming was pretty impossible.  Lots of Brit/Irish end-of-termers, though! Summer tobogganing was also a hit.

The free tourist buses doing circuits in both Bled and Bohinj are really great and worth making people aware to look out for.  The self-catering apartments were great too, very modern and nicely done, close to the free bus stop and a very short walk to the farmhouse for a great breakfast.  The area was lovely and a very doable 15/20 min walk through lovely countryside to town when we didn’t want to drive.  Great beehive educational session/honey tasting there too.

Bike hire at Kranska Gora was good – we cycled to Italy, had pizza and cycled back!  It’s fun to say now, but it was so hot I thought I would die!  None of us had any experience with electric bikes but as it turned out for the length of ride, it was a good thing, and I think electric bikes for all could be the way forward if we did it again. Why strain yourself on holiday?!

White water rafting was the kid’s favourite activity and the hotel was so handy for the rafting centre, only 500m away. We had a great guide and really enjoyed it.

Piran was a big hit with everyone – it’s such a beautiful little historic harbour town, and our hotel was the perfect place to stay.  It’s a lovely old hotel (no laundry option on the weekend though – frustrating) right on the esplanade and we spent the 2 days alternating between ambling through the streets of the town and swimming off the esplanade. We were in the sea 3 times a day and it was so convenient, stepping straight out of the lobby onto the esplanade and into the sea. 

We had beautiful interconnecting sea view rooms with a lovely balcony from one room and the most comfortable beds ever – perfect! There was a lovely atmosphere at night with live music in the harbour and a fabulous/controversial Russian yacht anchored in the bay for interest. The kids also enjoyed the breakfast buffet which featured puddings and cakes heavily! (?!)  We could easily have stayed longer in Piran, not least because I’d have liked to go to the spa at the salt pans, and the kids loved the sea swimming. 

Ljubljana was lovely, such a pretty city. The hotel was good. It was quite well located, not too far a walk from the old town, so we were happy with that.  We spent the time mainly just wandering around – we went to the castle, took a river cruise and we also went to a ‘museum of experiments’ which the kids saw advertised which was quite fun. Lots of science type experiments to do and we spent about an hour and a half there. There were also food markets on Friday and some kind of food festival with loads of street food stands which was good.  We could maybe have had an extra night there, but I think we managed to get a good feel for the place in the time.

Other general observations for info – laundry is tricky to do!  There were very few launderettes (only in Bled but we’d have had to camp in there all day to get a machine) and the only places to offer laundry in-house were Boka (success), Piran (but weekdays only) and Vespera). The food in Slovenia was outstanding everywhere – very fresh and local, but quite pricey – more than the UK for sure. 

Thanks for all your help.

We loved the hotel in the Logarska Valley – one of our favourite places. We could almost have had an extra day just to relax and enjoy the stunning natural pool, with the most amazing views of the mountains in the background! 

Lake Bled was lovely, although incredibly busy!

The Zipline was in everyone’s top five activities – the company were really good and altered the timing so we could enjoy a beautiful sunset (as opposed to torrential rain at our scheduled time). The boys all loved it and would have done it again and again. Stunning views over rivers, and mountains – truly magical. 

We were a little unlucky with the weather for paddleboarding, as there was quite a bit of wind and the water was a little choppy, but nevertheless, it was a beautiful setting and with different conditions, I think the boys would have loved it. 

The hotel in Bovec was another favourite. The pool and views were lovely. Rafting down the river Soca was brilliant and we all enjoyed jumping in and having a swim at the end.

I think the kayaking was in everybody’s top three! Such stunning clear, blue water, beautiful views all around, and a mostly gentle journey down the river with a welcome challenge of a few rapids. We all had a kayak each and the boys had a real sense of achievement at the end. I must say that the company boss did take one look at O and was a little nervous about taking him as he’s only 8. Luckily the guide was confident he could support him, but I think it helped that we were able to say that O had done some kayaking before. 

We were quite awed by the Postojna Caves – it was incredibly busy when we arrived for our slot, and luckily Anja was able to explain to us to go to the fast queue to collect our tickets. However, the tour was well paced and the crowds didn’t take away from our experience.

A day with the bears was everybody’s top activity. The guided tour in the afternoon was really well informed, interesting and intimate. Probably quite long for the younger children, but it was definitely worthwhile. We were provided with a delicious tea ahead of our time in the hide, and luckily bread and apple fritters were also provided to cater for fussy children.

We made the best of the opportunity to train the littlest and chattiest child to practice being quiet for two hours on various days in the run-up to the hide! It was comfortable to sit in, and we enjoyed the boys having to be quiet for a couple of hours. We were incredibly lucky to see a male bear, 3 years old, and a mother with three cubs appear for us. The look on O’s face when the bear cubs turned up was quite a picture. A memory that will hopefully stay with us all. 

Croatia was wonderful and relaxing, we loved the hotel and the beach and it was great to have a couple of days of doing relatively nothing. A couple of learning points, however… 1) some borders are for EU citizens only! Our Sat Nav took us on the quickest route across the border.. only to discover that since leaving the EU we were not allowed to cross here.. and had to travel an extra 45 mins to the appropriate border crossing! We had left plenty of time to catch the ferry and so our crossing was not affected.

Finally – Anja was brilliant.. really helpful and responsive on the multiple times we contacted her with queries. 

However, my favourite activity here was the hike we did on the Soca Trail, crossing over the footbridges and with such amazing views of the river and the mountains. Honestly, it was incredible. (The trail was easy to follow too, which was a bonus!). Our farmstay here was lovely. The kids really enjoyed being able to go off on their own and explore and the location is beautiful.

We also really like Ljubljana. There’s not a huge amount to see, but it’s just a lovely place to wander around. We found an amazing restaurant here with loads of Slovenian specialties – the kids loved it as they had enormous mountain sausages on the menu, and P enjoyed the craft beer. I just enjoyed it all. Thank for you all your help and suggestions.