It was time for us to move on, and it ended up being a nervy last-minute decision. We had initially planned on taking a cabin up in the mountains, but the internet wasn’t strong enough. With just under a week left before we needed to check out of the apartment and no suitable options found on Airbnb, Booking.com, VRBO, etc., Rach reached out on Facebook. It had worked for us in Mauritius, and fortunately, it worked for us again, although we hadn’t seen the place beforehand.
We’ve been using Radenko as our driver since we arrived, so we arranged with him to take us to Herceg Novi, our next destination in Montenegro. Herceg is about 30km from Donja Lastva on the other side of the bay, so we took the ferry across, turned left and made our way up the coast, which took a further hour and a half. However, Radenko faced a long journey back due to heavy traffic on the road leading to the ferry. This was caused by the mass exodus of Albanians heading back to Albania from Northern Europe, with the ferry route serving as their way home. This traffic, combined with ongoing construction around Tivat, makes summer travel a bit of a nightmare – useful information for our trip back to the airport.
Our apartment is a bit tired, having only recently changed hands, with renovations planned for winter. However, it’s perfectly situated with amazing views across the bay of Herceg Novi on one terrace and views over the Adriatic on the other. Herceg Novi is a small town, and we’re a 10-minute walk from the old town, with its restaurants and interesting walkways. We’re also about 60 meters from the water – or should I say 251 steps, including the 73 in the apartment, as there is no lift. Initially, these steps were quite challenging in the heat, but after being here for nearly three weeks, they’re a breeze.
We’re loving our morning routine here. I’m up early to enjoy the view of the bay before my morning exercise routine. Then we head down to the beach around 8:15 am, where we both swim until around 9-ish. After that, we chill until about 11:00 am before heading back up to the apartment to escape the midday heat. I’ve been indulging myself in all the summer sports, which has been great. When the sun goes down we’ve taken to strolling along the promenade, which stretches some 7km’s and comes alive at night with busy bars and restaurants and people enjoying themselves.
We haven’t ventured too far as Rachel is pretty busy with work, and we’re content to take it easy in this very relaxed corner of Montenegro.
Dream Chasers 