Splendid Conference & Spa Resort Becici

... smoker-friendly than the USA in general, but Montenegro was even more extreme than the other European countries we’d been to. Employees were smoking while working (including the train ticket lady), people would light up a cigarette right next to you without even thinking about consideration, and people on the train were even smoking (ignoring the no-smoking symbols). It was so weird and so terrible. I’m sure we smelt ...

... was southeast over the rocky mountains to the previous capital, which consisted of generally unimaginative buildings, stocky and plain, and many people felt it was cold and inviting. Again, I had an opportunity to wish I was traveling on my ...

We actually intended on going to back to Croatia, to Dubrovnik, before heading to Budva, but we met some people in our hostel in Sarajevo who offered to drive us there in their VW Bus. How could we resist?<br><br>The drive was stunning. We followed along a river gorge, which was green and lush, until it opened onto a giant lake. Our road was tiny and deserted, which was good because it ran through a series of tunnels ...

... I found it interesting that so many old men were just hanging about the entrance to the apartment building drinking and just sitting there with seemingly nothing to do. They remained there throughout my entire trip. Even when Ratko Mladic came to see me on my final day in Serbia in full military regalia giving me a parting gift (a book he inscribed to me entitled Serbija) while Darko took pictures of Mladic with his arm around me, the men remained there merely looking like ...

... Euros (£1.30). Niksicko is Montenegro's most popular beer and packs a punch at around 6% strong. It's actually a fantastic drink and probably my favourite on the trip so far. Montenegrins seem to make better beer than they do cities, which is definitely a good thing. One of the barmen pointed at my shirt, which had photos of quite a few Lithuanian beers on it. "What is best Lithuanian beer?" he asked. "Svyturys Baltika" I ...

19/8-22/8 Our original plan was to stop at Budvar for two days, but like most plans this changed. We drove into Budvar and back out very quickly, it was absolutely packed full of people cars and high rise buildings. Instead we backtracked to a little place called Sveti Stefan. This place was gorgeous and it had a little island just off shore that before the war had been turned into an exclusive hotel. It didn't look like an ordinary hotel though and the buildings on the island were ...

... of buying land or property, or a business from one of the places we've checked out on the trip. Cambodia was ticking some of the boxes, and Montenegro certainly did too. More on that later. Once we'd bought van insurance at the border (most UK insurance companies don't cover some specific E. European countries), we stopped at the beautiful town of Herceg Novi, and continued on round the windy road that hugged the inlet that makes up the ...

... up to reception, which this one little girls aunt was working, and the aunt informed us that her hotel was full, but there was another option....The hotel we started at!!!! UUGGHHH! So, we thanked her for her help, and she pointed us back in the direction we came from, and we made it to the other hotel, beaten and with bruised egos, but desperate for a shower and place to lay our baggage. We paid the $60euro. for the 3-star hotel, which when compared ...

... as I see it is that Dubrovnik has become a major port for cruises and when you cram thousands of cruisers into a small old town like Dubrovnik I don't think it is a good mix. Now, having said that, the walk on the city walls was cool, and walking around at night the second night I got a much different impression of the city. The streets were not jam packed and instead everywhere was lit up and the ...

... then into the fjord where Kotor is. The Lonely Planet says it's the biggest and deepest in Southern Europe. I have to say the bus ride in was breathtaking. When we got to Kotor, we headed to the tourist office who found us a room with a family right in the old town of Kotor. The family were so nice. And a little crazy I think - in a good way. It's such a shame sometimes that you can't communicate with people because you don't know the words. But lots of smiling went on and we ...