Hey, what’s up?

Welcome back to my Balkan trip that I went on last month! After all the trauma and joy of Albania (read all about it in my previous blog post), we’re now moving on to Montenegro!

We took a bus from Shkoder to Montenegro, which meant crossing the border between the two countries. Before departing, the bus driver collected everyone’s passports, and surprisingly, we didn’t even have to queue up at immigration. Not gonna lie, it felt a bit dodgy handing over our passports to a random bus driver, but thank God we got them back while still on the bus! For a moment, I genuinely thought I was about to become a permanent resident of Albania against my will.

Our first stop was Budva, a small coastal town with beautiful beaches. We decided to stay here overnight before continuing our journey. One thing you should know about Budva is that it’s quite hilly. I was practically fighting for my life trying to drag my medium sized luggage uphill to our accommodation. By the time I reached the hotel, I was completely out of breath. Who needs a gym membership when you can just travel around the Balkans with luggage? Honestly, I came here for a holiday, not a cardiovascular assessment.

As usual, the first place we visited was the Old Town. Personally, I think the Old Town here is way more beautiful than the ones in Albania (no offence, Albania). It was giving me a bit of Istanbul vibes because there were so many cats roaming around. At this point, I’m convinced that cats are secretly running half of Europe, and we’re just tourists visiting their territories. What makes Budva even more beautiful is that you’ve got the beach right in front of you and misty mountains in the background. The combination is just stunning. Honestly, the view was so amazing that I almost forgot how much my legs were suffering from all those hills earlier.

We then decided to walk from the Old Town to Mogren Beach. Along the way, we came across the famous Budva Ballerina statue. The statue was lovely, but personally, I think the coastal walkway itself was even more beautiful! You’ve got the gorgeous sea on one side and dramatic rocky cliffs on the other. Honestly, the ballerina was impressive, but I was more impressed by the fact that I could still walk after dragging my luggage uphill earlier. Give me a medal too, please.

I decided to go for a swim at Mogren Beach! I was expecting the water to be cold, but surprisingly, it was quite warm. I guess that was to be expected since it was still summer here. Nevertheless, it was such a refreshing swim, especially after all the walking we’d done earlier. After all, you don’t get to swim in Europe every day! Might as well enjoy it while I can. The only thing missing was a rich European wife waiting for me by the beach. Unfortunately, all I had waiting for me was my towel.

We then decided to go for a private boat ride. We opted for a small boat because, obviously, it was cheaper! I’m here to enjoy Europe, not to declare bankruptcy. It was absolutely amazing seeing the Old Town and Budva from the sea, as everything looked even more beautiful from a different perspective. Plus, we went during sunset, which made the whole experience even more spectacular. The golden sunlight reflecting off the sea, with the Old Town and mountains in the background, was just mesmerising. Honestly, it was giving romantic honeymoon vibes, except there was no wife in sight. Just me and my slowly disappearing bank balance.

The next day, we took a taxi to Kotor, our next destination in Montenegro! And my goodness, what a beautiful town! Yes, we decided to take a taxi instead of a bus because, quite frankly, the buses in the Balkans had already given me enough PTSD for one holiday. At this point, I’d rather sacrifice a few extra euros than sacrifice my remaining sanity. My mental health deserves a little luxury too.

As usual, our first stop was the Old Town. We decided to chill and explore the area since our Airbnb wasn’t ready until 15:00. Luckily, our Airbnb was located right in the Old Town itself, which made everything so much more convenient! There were plenty of little shops to explore, so we did a bit of window shopping while admiring the beautiful views around us. And by window shopping, I mean looking at things I couldn’t afford and pretending I wasn’t interested in buying them. Honestly, being broke in Europe is a whole different kind of sightseeing experience.

We decided to go for a hike in the evening before sunset. The trail is called the Ladder of Kotor. We didn’t make it all the way to the top because it was already getting late, and with barely any proper hiking gear, I didn’t think hiking in the dark would be a particularly brilliant idea. I came here for a holiday, not to become the subject of a search and rescue operation. Nevertheless, the view from above was absolutely stunning!

We made a few stops along the way, and one of them was an old church nestled in the mountains. It looked pretty much abandoned, which I guess isn’t too surprising. I mean, I can barely imagine people hiking up a mountain every Sunday for church when some people can’t even be bothered to attend one that’s just around the corner from their house! No offence to anyone, of course. Nevertheless, the church was beautiful and definitely gave off some medieval vibes. It almost felt like we’d travelled back in time, except with better shoes and Google Maps.

The next day, we went to the Kotor Cable Car, and my goodness, it was so high up! You could even see the Adriatic Sea from above, and the view was absolutely breathtaking. The temperature dropped to around 15°C at the top, which was quite a contrast to the warm weather down below. Even the vegetation had changed because of the cooler climate. It was pretty windy, and occasionally, clouds would roll in and completely surround us. Honestly, it felt like we’d entered heaven for a moment, except I was pretty sure I hadn’t done enough good deeds to deserve being there yet.

There were also a few hiking trails at the top, but we mostly spent around half a day just taking in the stunning views, enjoying the cold weather, and sipping coffee. Nothing too adventurous this time, just appreciating the beauty of nature. Sometimes, doing absolutely nothing is the best part of travelling. Especially when you’ve already paid for a cable car ticket to get there. Might as well make every euro worth it!

After that, we took a taxi to Perast, a lovely little coastal town by the sea. The Old Town was so small that spending just one or two hours here was more than enough to explore it. There wasn’t really much to do apart from strolling around and admiring the beautiful scenery, especially the misty mountains surrounding the bay. But honestly, sometimes that’s all you need! Just a peaceful little town with gorgeous views and absolutely nothing on your itinerary. Perfect for someone like me who occasionally enjoys pretending to be a retired millionaire, except without the millions or the retirement.

Overall, I think Montenegro is such a beautiful country, and I genuinely wish I had more time to explore it! If I ever return, I’d definitely love to do more hiking and discover some hidden gems. The scenery here is absolutely stunning, from the beautiful coastal towns to the dramatic mountains. I would definitely recommend visiting Montenegro at least once in your lifetime! Just make sure you bring comfortable shoes, a decent amount of money, and perhaps a little patience if you’re planning to take the bus. Personally, I think I’ve developed enough trust issues with Balkan buses to last me a lifetime.

Anyway, my next destination was Croatia! Another country, another adventure, and probably another opportunity to make questionable financial decisions. So stay tuned for my next blog post!

Alright guys, as usual, thanks for reading! See you in the next one, assuming my bank account survives this Balkan adventure!