Glamping in the Montenegrin Mountains

Planning our trip to Montenegro was like putting together a puzzle ... with a mountain adventure being the final perfectly fitting piece.

May 2022

Riley - 11, Lucas - 7

Having done a long trip through Croatia years prior, we knew Montenegro had the potential to be "pack up and go" every fews days and our goal was to avoid that at all costs - three different accommodations max. After some initial research, the Bay of Kotor had enough small towns and activities that we knew we could set up a home base for six days. Since we were flying in and out of Croatia and driving across the border, we knew we preferred to stay two nights in Croatia on the tail-end of the trip.

So that left two days to fill. Should we visit the capital, Podgorica and some wineries? Was Cetinje worth two days? Maybe see the southern coast and stay in Ulcinj? Albania was on the table for a short while, but we ruled it out as being too far for only two nights. Then Bob became very intrigued by the Tara River Canyon, the second largest canyon in the world after the Grand Canyon, and that's how we found Marko and his company Active Travels Montenegro.

Active Travels Montenegro specializes in allowing its guests to explore the beauty of lesser known areas of Montenegro whether it's a single day of activities or multiple days.

Marko is from Serbia, lived in England for a stint and now resides in Herceg Novi, Montenegro from where he can either bring you up to the mountains or meet you there. Since we had two children on the younger side, the Standard Break was the perfect options for us, but there are much more active options which look amazing! Our Standard Break was an all-inclusive experience that included white water rafting on the Tara River, a casual 4 mile hike down to Piva Lake where we hopped on a short cruise over the crystal water and two nights full board at the Etno Selo Izlazak village which included all our drinks and meals (not including alcohol - we were able to get beer, wine and schnapps and received a bill at the end of each day for it).

Since we had a car, we decided to meet Marko at the Etno Village (even though he provides transfers from Boka Bay) and this gave us the afternoon to explore the gorgeous little village and its surroundings. The scenery was significantly different than the bay, but just as beautiful and jaw-dropping.

Upon arrival, we checked into the most adorable stone cottage that had all the facilities we could ask for - minus a kitchen as our meals were included at the restaurant a few steps away. We did a mini hike (more like a walk) of our own and then the kids bonded with some of the domestic animals the roamed the premises.

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Dinner was nothing short of spectacular either. While we were used to a lot of seafood on the water, this was probably some of the best food of the trip - beef, lamb, and veal all cooked to traditional Montenegrin, Konoba-style perfection. And our adventure hadn't even started...

The next morning, we met Marko for the first time at the village for breakfast. It is definitely worth mentioning my communications with Marko up until this point was fantastic. After breakfast we left for white water rafting. Not only was Marko super knowledgeable and informative about all things local, he was very in tune with the kids to keep them engaged. It was a decent length drive from the village to the rafting facility, but Marko had Riley and Lucas counting tunnels and explaining how the roads we traveled on were built.

We rafted for approximately 2 hours on the crystal clear rapids of the Tara River which serves as the border between Montenegro and Bosnia. While there could have been opportunities for swimming, the water was still quite cold in the middle of May so none of us dared. We did stop for a short visit to a waterfall on the Bosnian side of the river. This was the first time Riley and Lucas went rafting and they had a blast!

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After rafting, Marko took us to Restoran Sočica in Pluzine with a view of the water. We were more than happy to have him select our meals for us, and it did not disappoint! This lunch was also included as part of our package. We arrived back to the village late afternoon, took a rest, then just hung out outside admiring the wonderful views.

The next morning, we met Marko for breakfast, then left on our 4 mile hike right from the village down to Piva Lake. Once again, Marko provided us with tons of history and information about the area and the locals as we casually hiked down to the water. When we arrived at the lake, a boat was waiting and we took about an hour tour on the water.

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At the boat drop-off point, the owner of the Etno Selo Izlazak was waiting and drove us all back up to the village. We enjoyed another lovely lunch with Marko overlooking the lake, checked out and continued on our way to Croatia.

This was such a wonderfully unique experience for the whole family and everyone had their own favorite part. While it was the first time trying anything like this on vacation, I can guarantee it will not be the last time!