We arrived at around 830pm to Pula on the bus and called the apartments owner who we met in a nearby bar. He was very friendly and spoke excellent english. The apartments are well equipped with a split system air conditioner in the kitchen/ lounge that flows through to the bedroom. The furnishings are Ikea and the bed was comfortable. The local was excellent, adjacent to the Roman arena. We would recommend this apartment to others.

We booked a short break to Pula in April and had to cancel due to the volcanic activity and rebooked for 4 nights in June. When I emailled the owner, Ratko, nothing was too much trouble for him. I was able to rebook easily and he even gave me a discount! I asked for a top floor apartment, if possible because I knew that the view of the Arena would be great - as advised by other members on t/a. We also arranged a pick- up from the airport and there was his partner waiting with sign in hand - it went so smoothly and stress-free. The apartment itself was in a beautiful old building and right next door to the Roman Arena!!! In fact, as we flew into Pula we were treated with a view of the Arena and knew where our apartment was!!!

The apartment was large, spacious and light. It was spick and span and had everything we needed and more! Large fridge freezer, washing machine and also looked like the apartment had been refurbished fairly recently and in good taste!! Separate bedroom which had a cute attic type window and comfortable bed - quite romantic! The bathroom had a good powerfull shower! Really lovely apartment with stunning views of the Arena from the windows - quite amazing! We could hardly believe we could find such a place at such a reasonable cost! Ratko's partner left us with a map of all the local places and Ratko himself popped in to see if we were happy with everything! Brilliant service!!!

The apartment itself, as mentioned was right next to the beautiful arena and across the road from the marina. We found it perfectly situated for a lovely leisurely walk along the marina to the little restaurants and bars in the "old" part of town and also the forum - a beautiful square with a Roman temple (also with lovely restaurants). Pula itself had all sorts of Roman remains and was interesting to walk around. The centre had a lively fishmarket and also a fresh, old fashioned market where we bought fruit and veg at amazing prices! We took a boat trip to Rovinji on the boat "Melissa" ( this was five minutes from the apartment) and had a fantastic day on the boat - even visiting a fjord - and had lunch cooked for us - fresh fish - with wine, water and juice included for approx £30 per head!!! Amazing value!!! There was also a bus station a few hundred yards from the apartment which had buses leaving for Slovinia and all sorts of places, so had it rained we would have been spoilt for choice on where to go!!!! We took a bus to Verudula - the beaches near Pula and stopped at the first place we came to - a beautiful little cove - everything was just so pretty! All in all, the Arena apartments were in a perfect setting with everything walkable - apart from the short ride to the beach. People were very friendly and the value for money was astonishing! We had a fantastic time and the heatwave as we arrived was very much appreciated!!!! Go - you won't be disappointed!!! The sight of the Arena lit up at night is not to be missed!

First thing you notice is the huge arena literally next door the apartments. It really drops your jaw with amazement!

We booked through hostelworld.com and this place is most definitely NOT hostel standards. It's much more: more like a well-furnished, ultra-clean aparment with a spectacular view.

Simply FANTASTIC!

We've just returned from a few days at the Arena Apartments in Pula. We were collected from the airport by the owner and taken to the apartment. It's well worth being collected (12 euros each way) as there aren't many taxis in the city. On the way there he treated us to a bit of a history lesson and he told us a bit about the area. We arrived at the apartment where he gave us a map of the town and showed us places to eat and places to visit.

The apartment is great - very clean, right next door to the ampitheatre and just a couple of hundred yards walk to the harbour. It couldn't be in a better location for sightseeing around the town and if you want to go further afield, it's just a few hundred yards walk to the bus station.

The apartment is well equipped - my only critiscism is that there is no kettle (there is a pan) and there are no mugs for that all important cuppa tea.

The only bad bit about the trip and it's nothing to do with the apartments themselves... Everything was closed. Apparently, tourist numbers are well down on last year due to the financial problems in the world which has meant that a lot of places either close very early or don't bother opening at all.

One day, we decided to go through to Punta Verudela which houses the marina, the aquarium and the beaches. The aquarium houses the sea turtle rescue centre, where they look after injured turtles before releasing them back into the sea. The aquarium is not great to be honest, but if you have a fascination with sea turtles like us, it's well worth a visit and it's cheap to get in !

Punta Verudela itself, resembled an old fashioned unkempt 'butlins'. Just masses of apartments overlooking a beautiful bay. Again, nothing was open and there were very few people around.

The beaches nearby were not bad at all. Think it says in the rough guide that they're man made concrete structures with pebbles plonked on top. Well if that's the case, they didn't look like it. Very clean apart from the odd piece of glass left behind by unthinking tourists / locals.

Places worth a visit
1. The ampitheatre - You can see it from the outside without paying to go in, but you just don't get the full impact on the size of the place from the outside, you need to part with your cash and go in.
2. The Fortress - the views from the top are great.
3. The restaurants around the forum at the Temple of Augustus.
4. The ice cream shop near to the Arch of the Sergians.

All in all, a good few days away - would I go back, probably not, only because there are plenty of other places in Crioatia and the rest of the world to visit.

Alison and Mark