I have a friend I used to play hockey with who lives in Zagreb. He is a doctor. I could get you in touch with him if you would plan to visit that city. (You probably will, you will probably fly into Zagreb.)
I was very briefly in Croatia during my last deployment to Bosnia. We escorted a convoy to the border. What I saw was a night/day difference in the condition of infrastructure. No matter what you hear, I would avoid going to Bosnia for a side trip. Unless things have radically changed, it could be a hassle to get in.
My buddy shares a lot of pics on Facebook and what I see is beautiful. As was mentioned, the beaches look awesome.
Email me if you want me to see if I can get you in touch with my buddy.
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