Montenegro

Budva......

Montenegro's a beautiful country. I wouldn't want to pin myself down in a single location for the entire month, because it would limit my practical range for day trips. Just along the coast I'd want to see Herceg-Novi in the north and Ulcinj in the south. I'd definitely want to stay in multiple locations, probably including somewhere in the interior. I will say that I found the capital, Podgorica, fairly unattractive, but it is a good base for bus trips.

Most all of the country is within a 3 hour beautiful drive of Budva. I would prefer a week in Budva (beaches) and a week in or near Zablajk (mountains) and a week in Ulcinj (Albania and wildlife) with some overnight stays inbetween if I were doing it; but one place? Budva.

Contact for advice and maybe help

Dijana Krkotic
Executive director
Doclea Tours
Address: Bulevar Sv. Petra
Cetinjskog br. 79
81 000 Podgorica
Phone: +382 20 675 197
Mob: +382 69 277 749
E-mail:dijana@docleatravel.com
www.docleatravel.com

I was really disappointed with Budva. The old town is nice but that's it. And as soon as darkness falls, you'll hear the bah-boom, bah-boom of club music drifted up from the open-air nightclubs that line the shore. I know that some people like that but that's not really my cup of tea. I was glad my guest house had insulated windows and doors, or I wouldn’t have been able to sleep for the racket.

Kotor is way more scenic and cosy in my opinion. If you stay in Kotor then Perast and Tivat are nearby.

Zabljak is also a nice option to stay if you like the mountains. Nice hiking routes, mountain lakes, scenic routes,...

Although I preferred Kotor to Budva (while still liking the latter), Kotor is a cruise stop, and the character of the Old Town changes massively when one of those behemoths is in port.

Budva is very good and a perfect place to visit the rest of the coast from; and inland a bit as well.

Kotor is great if you have never seen Dubrovnik. But its a but remote from the rest of the country

Perast is the perfect romantic stop.

Zabljak for seeing the mountains and rivers of the north.

Kotor is a good first stopping point if you are coming in from Dubrovnik. But, as was stated above, cruise ships are often abundant in the harbor. But if you are staying in Kotor you can enjoy the town in the early morning or evening without the cruise ship crowds. From Kotor buses can take you to other destinations on day trips. Perast is a lovely place but now sadly is on the day trip agenda so it has also become quite touristed. If you stay a few nights in Perast, though, you will be able to enjoy it better. Now, as for Budva, also as noted above, it's somewhat of a party town with discos, night clubs, etc. August will be crowded. With the exception of Mogren beach (the beach closest to Old Town Budva, which is lovely) I find the beaches along the Budva Riviera (Slovenska Plaža) to be not so nice. The beaches in Bečići are much lovelier. From Bečići it is a 40-45 minute walk into Budva. (We live here for several months out the year, so we do this walk a lot.) There are plenty of private room / hotel / apartment options, depending on what you're looking for.

The mountains are also a wonderful destination. From Żabljak you can walk to look out points for the Tara Canyon. A walk around Crno Jezero (Black Lake) is gorgeous. Kolašin is also a pretty destination with Biogradsko Lake and National Park not too far away. Keep in mind that taxis are often an affordable option for getting to out of the way places if you don't have a car. Hope this helps!

Budva is really nice to visit but it's too touristy, I'd say - there are some beautiful and quiet locations, small towns around there - I and my family stayed in Rafailovici, that's a pretty affordable and marvelous place and Budva with all its sights within reach. We even took a walk to Budva - along a nice road with a tunnel even =) Beaches are also available from there as well famous Sveti Sefan.

Wound up staying on the edge of Kotor, booked for month long Airbnb. About a mile walk to old town, on the edge of Dobrota. Buses, supermarkets, beaches, restaurants all with in easy walk. I Like Kotor better than Dubrovnik & Split, even with cruise ships, a lot less crowded. Plan to take day trips to other spots, Tivat, Perast, Budva & mountain excursions. Mostly families in this location, I’m not into wild nightlife anymore, too old. We are resting up after 2 months of intensive hopping around & have a nice landlady who spoils us with homebacked goods.