Montenegro Holiday

Despite being in the travel industry for 35 years, I have just returned from a destination I had never been to before on a Jet2 holiday package, another first for me !

The destination was Montenegro, a relatively unknown area for the mass market and when people asked where I was going, I was often asked where it was !!

Montenegro was part of the former Yugoslavia, south of Croatia on the Adriatic sea. The airport is Tivat, a very small airport with only one terminal. There is no duty free but, on a plus point, it‘s less than an hour from most of the main resorts. We flew from Manchester, first time for many years. All was hassle free, from dropping the bags at the twilight check-in, the night before and then, the following morning, heading straight through security for breakfast.

The flight was excellent, crew very friendly and overall, a very comfortable flight.

On arrival, our luggage was collected and then we were off to find the rep outside We were directed to our taxi transfer and given our welcome pack, and she told us she would be visiting the hotel the next morning for a chat. So many companies have stopped this service, but for new destinations or people new to travel or nervous travellers it's a real bonus.

Seamless transfer (40 mins ) and check-in at the Hotel California in Sveti Stefan. This 5-star hotel, on a private beach with no rushing for sunbeds, offers plenty of room for all the guests staying at this 30-room property. No pool, but location was perfect for the daily sunsets. I would strongly recommend upgrading to the Premium Sea View room, worth it for the view from the balcony each day.

Sveti Stefan is quiet with a couple of shops and a few restaurants but offered all that we needed.

Breakfast was everything you could think of with freshly squeezed orange juice every day, coffee of your choice, cooked offering, cold meats, fruits, pastries, homemade bread, and cereals with all the trimmings !! Even better was the chance to eat on the terrace overlooking the sea!

After a good sleep, day one was a walk along a coastal footpath to the larger town of Budva. A two hour walk, but a great way to get a feel for the area and spot restaurants/locations you may want to revisit. Budva is very busy and built up, restaurants and shops galore and nightclubs. The centre was a little too busy for us but, walk further round and you are in the harbour and the old town, narrow alleyways with little shops and bars and restaurants to explore. (One thing to note - beaches here charge for the use of sunbeds, the nearer the sea the more they are!) After the long walk we took the boat taxi back to the hotel, with a little sightseeing on the way back to the islands and the Blue Cave.

Day 2 was a beach day, and a day to plan our next adventure. The hotel booked us 2 days car hire, delivered to the hotel the next day.

Day 3 we heading up the mountains to Citenje ( the former royal capital of Montenegro ) very steep mountain roads with so many hairpins I lost count. The rep said this was not to be missed and she was right. After a walk around and a drink in a little bar we headed further up into Lovcran National Park to visit the Mausoleum of Njegos, the highest at an altitude of 1749m and for us 641 steps to the top. The views on our journey up here were amazing! From the top you can see for miles - even Italy on a clear day. Time to head down the mountains, but in a different direction towards the town of Kotor. Again, hairpins galore but great viewpoints all the way down. Kotor bay from the mountains was stunning with the cruise ships in port in the fjord. It took a couple of hours to get down, so Kotor town was for the next day and an early start.

Day 4 Three ships due in port today ( there aren't many days from May to October when there are no ships and on average 6-7000 passengers disembark to visit the city ) Our aim was to be in the city 930 to park ! We took the direct coast road to Kotor, but we queued all the way down into the city- so busy with traffic and finally parked at 1000. Off we went to the medieval old town with its maze of winding streets and alley ( very like Budva old town but larger and much busier !) Romanesque churches and cathedral. We then took a walk to the sea side ( the town beach is very small and stony so not really recommended).After lunch we booked a speedboat tour of the bay, 20euro for one and a half hours or you can do the 3 hour options for 35 euro. We wizzed off to the Lady of the Rocks Island for a stop and then to Peraste a small village on the bay for a stop too. Great value trip into the Fjord. We then went back to the old town for dinner ( most of the cruise passengers were back on board !) so it was so much quieter .

Day 5 and 6 - just days to relax and plan our next visit and what to visit that we missed!!

Day 7 Home day - taxi pick up on time! One check-in area at the airport so very easy, then we went back outside for a drink, until the security/customs area opened. Tip don't queue too early for security, its one desk - and once you are through no there are no shops just seats and the toilets ! Top tip...As there are no shops you can take your bottles of water through security! Flight home excellent - but if you think you may need food then pre order your meal - they ran out of sandwiches !

On time, and 35 mins from disembarking to the car!!