In praise of Bosnia!

[Carol]

We are just back from two weeks in Croatia, part of which we spent in Bosnia. It is a beautiful, under-populated, sunny, cheap, amazing country! I would heartily recommend it, especially Sarajevo.

[Carol]

As a place to sell real estate to foreigners, I suspect Bosnia would be an even harder living than Croatia. Moreover, the huge amount of work and cost involved in setting up an agency in a new place would disincline me to ever do it again.

But I wasn't writing about doing business in Bosnia (which I bet would be very difficult indeed), I was only saying that its a beautiful country and a lovely place to visit, which IMO it emphatically is.

I went to see the pyramids around Visoko too. They were amazing and I feel lucky to have seen them before they get "discovered" in the tourist sense.

[kesterj]

"As a place to sell real estate to foreigners, I suspect Bosnia would be an even harder living than Croatia. Moreover, the huge amount of work and cost involved in setting up an agency in a new place would disincline me to ever do it again."

Agree, Carol, 100%.

"But I wasn't writing about doing business in Bosnia (which I bet would be very difficult indeed), I was only saying that its a beautiful country and a lovely place to visit, which IMO it emphatically is."

Agree, Carol, 100%.

But only in the sense that you have to be a visitor/tourist of a certain bent, viz you are an adventurous type, someone who does not expect all mod-cons and 5* treatment. In other words, you are flexible.

Because foreign tourists are not too common, the people are very friendly and helpful - if you are the type that allows that. If you just want to get on with your holiday with your family in a very private way, you might as well go to a mass hotel in Dalmatia.


"I went to see the pyramids around Visoko too. They were amazing and I feel lucky to have seen them before they get "discovered" in the tourist sense."

Not seen the pyramids, but Sarajevo is one of the most interesting places in Europe to visit in my books. And the drive from there to Jajce (another great little town to visit) and on to then to Banja Luka is just great - although probably very dangerous if you are in a hurry. (ditto a lot of Bosnia. The road up from Dubrovnik that goes close and parallel to the Montenegrin border simply fizzled out into a track at one point when I did it in 2009.)

There again, the non-promoted parts of Croatia also appear very hospitable and friendly - though I've not had enough time to do what I want when I've been there. I'm talking about Slavonia and .... what's the area between Varazdin and the Slovene border called - Zagorje?. And places like Slunj look really interesting to visit.

But not for your average package holiday punter, I suspect. Far too much uncertainty, no baked beans on the menu and no Guinness available in ex-pat bars, indeed, no ex-pat bars in such places, etc etc.

But for doing (legal) business? Hmmmm, probably better off in Slough than Slunj or anywhere within 200 miles of the place.

kesterj