Montenegro:PEOPLE are so well travelled these days. You can flick through half a rain forest of brochures and still not come across somewhere that little bit different, special or enticing.
That’s especially so in Europe where, within a few hours, you can be just about anywhere basking in sunshine or soaking up the sights.
So, when you discover a destination just a short flight away which tickles the travel tastebuds then it’s well worth spreading the word.
Such was my experience with Montenegro.
Part of the old Yugoslavia and working hard to get back to the forefront of the tourist radar, Montenegro takes its name from Black Mountains, but there is nothing dark or foreboding about this jewel of the Adriatic.
The base for my group – hosted by Saga Holidays – was Becici, a bustling resort with something for everyone and ideally placed for exploring a gorgeous coastline, and also for venturing into an intriguing interior packed with mountains, lakes and fabulous scenery.
While the beach at Becici is alluring enough for some lazy days, you are just around the corner from beautiful Budva, a walled city where ancient churches sit alongside a wide variety of shops, restaurants and bars and there’s a different attraction down every narrow, shady alleyway.
We meandered there for a while, and around the picturesque little marina which emulates Monte Carlo, until our friend Frances suggested a trip along to Przno for a bite to eat.
On any holiday you are desperate to find good food and in Montenegro, you won’t have to look very far.
Strolling down to the waters edge, we opted for the inviting Restaurant R and were not disappointed.
Lunch started at just gone 1pm and we were still there, telling the tale and quaffing the excellent local red at 5pm. Some lunch!
Smoked ham and cheese are the specialities in this part of the world – along with fresh fish – and the Restaurant R starter which incorporated these with octopus was truly mouthwatering.
My beefsteak which followed, oozing with cheese, ham and herbs, could be described in exactly the same way, and a few more glasses of the red put us in merry mood for an evening back in Budva.
Not before a quick wash and brush-up at our splendid Hotel Montenegro and a visit to the Saga Lounge, where drinks of all colours, shapes and sizes were freely available and ready-poured on the bar.
“Those will take some shifting,” I remarked to Peter, a seasoned Saga traveller from Tunbridge Wells.
“Don’t count your chickens,” came his reply, “wait till the Saga-louts get tucked into them!”
It was a comment which summed up the fun they had all holiday.
We had more fun, too – a beer will cost you two euros (or an Espresso one euro if you’re trying to recover!) and there were some sore heads the following morning when our trip to Cetinje, the old capital, got under way.
But this was no ordinary trip. Instead of taking the more direct route, we were pointed in the direction of the Three Saints Road, nicknamed locally as ‘Serpentine’ because of the 20-plus hairpin bends on the way to the top.
The bonus for taking this nerve-jangling climb of almost 1,000m – one of our group, Sally, couldn’t even bear to look over the edge! – is that you get magnificent views over the Kotor fjord.
The old town of Kotor nestles into the mountain and is a wonderful day out in itself, but we were heading inland.
Cetinje came and went in a trip round the old summer home of King Peter – and it was back to Becici for some days on the beach, with trips to spectacular Sveti Stefan, Petrovak and the monastery at Rezivici to add to the enjoyment.
A visit to Kotor and a trip around the fjord – Perast is a beautiful little village – rounded off an excellent holiday and only one thing is certain: I’ll be back.

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