Montenegro 2019

Discovering Montenegro: Sun, Sea, and Submarines

We were lucky enough to be introduced to Montenegro by a friend whose family owned an apartment we could rent. It turned out to be the perfect way to experience this stunning country. Montenegro was absolutely beautiful — especially from the water. We quickly fell in love with travelling by sea, whether it was by kayak, speedboat, or even a submarine.

This was our first hot-weather holiday as a family, and it brought a few new challenges — like constantly reapplying sun cream and adjusting to the intense summer heat. But the experiences far outweighed the discomfort.

One of the highlights of the trip was hiring a private submarine — yes, a real one! — recommended by a friend (Montenegro Submarine). We toured the historic old town of Perast and visited the beautiful island church of Our Lady of the Rocks. It was such a memorable day that we booked another tour with the same company later that week, this time on a speedboat. That second trip took us to the old submarine tunnels carved into the cliffs and then on to the luxury marina at Porto Montenegro.

We also hired a car during our stay — something we soon regretted. Dave is a very capable driver, but the narrow, winding roads with sheer drops (and no barriers!) were made even more stressful by oncoming buses that always seemed to have the right of way. We had requested the smallest car available, on a friend’s advice, but were given a much larger one as it was the only vehicle left, despite prebooking. A small note: the airport was incredibly tiny and crowded when we visited.

Overall, we really enjoyed our time in Montenegro and have always planned to return to explore more of the surrounding areas. So far, other destinations have taken priority for one reason or another — but it’s still on our list.

Please note: this trip took place in summer 2019, so some things may have changed since then.