7 Day Multi-Activity Holiday in Southern Dalmatia

We’ve just returned from a 10 day trip with UM and have only good things to say. We spent 7 days at the villa next to owners Ben and Emma’s home overlooking Lake Skadar and 4 days travelling around northern Montenegro with Bojana as our guide. Ben and Emma are wonderful hosts and the villa is absolutely beautiful and very comfortable. The pool was especially appreciated! Guided trips included hiking, kayaking and a raucous wine tour. We had 2 days given over to our own devices and Ben and Emma were very helpful advising of options and arranging taxis etc if required. Much as we loved our week at Villa Miela, the highlight of our trip was definitely our time in the north, in particular the days we spent in Durmitor National Park. The wild beauty of the scenery was just incredible and Bojana was a brilliant and informative guide. We did 2 awesome hikes, a rafting trip on the river Tara and an excellent canyoning expedition.

Everything about our trip was perfection. Ben and Emma are such congenial hosts that it truly felt like visiting family yet their knowledge and the way they’ve integrated themselves into Montenegro made it also feel like we were staying with locals. I was travelling with my 18 year old son and we stayed in Villa Meila with a family of 4 with similar aged children and two solo travellers. Choosing this type of activity holiday meant we automatically had a lot in common and we got on brilliantly; we ate out or cooked all together at the villa and spent our non-activity days hiking and heading to the coast. Ben and Emma were always happy to advise on the best beaches, hiking trails or restaurants. The villa is gorgeous and we made good use of the yoga deck. I’d hired a car which was nice to have but not a necessity as Virpazar is a 10-15min walk - albeit down a steep hill! All the activities were brilliant - a hiking and sightseeing tour, a boat trip on the lake, a kayak safari and a walk to a waterfall. These would have been excellent on their own but throw in wild swimming in a mountain stream, visiting caves, a Montenegrin buffet on the boat, sampling water chestnuts fresh from the lake, monastery visits, diving into rivers, swimming behind the waterfall and a full-on feast at Tania’s home (a local friend of Emma’s) and we truly discovered the undiscovered Montenegro that was promised! If you’re tempted, just book it as you won’t regret it!

A week's walking holiday in the Mountains of Montenegro at the beginning of June was a fantastic experience. The contest between the heat of Podgorica and the alpine climate of the mountains was just a starter. Our guide, Nenad was a great person to spend a week with, informative and passionate about the potential his country has and flexible with the itinerary when the weather curtailed some of our planned walks. It was a great holiday and an incentive to visit the country again.

We discovered Undiscovered Montenegro whilst searching for a holiday to meet our requirements of adventures in the great outdoors with relaxation too. We found that in Undiscovered Montengro. We spent our first week at the Villa Miela hosted by Ben and Emma. The countryside and scenery around the villa can only be described as mix of Africa, China and Austria rolled into one. Whilst we were not out adventuring, the villa's terrace provided us somewhere to relax and eat our evening meals with our fellow guests. Virpazar was a short walk if we wanted to go out and eat rather than cook for ourselves. Ben and Emma alternatively lead us on hiking and kayaking trips with a couple of free days for us to choose our own activities and discover Montenegro. Both Ben and Emma are knowledgable guides and took us to places that we would not have found on our own. From the first week our favourite activities were the Walnut Valley walk led by Emma and kayaking, on the beautiful and peaceful Lake Skadar, led by Ben. The walk was fantastic with refreshing stops for swimming in natural pools. The wildlife was exceptional with an abundance of colourful butterflies and dragonflies. The hike was topped off by a delicious lunch prepared by a local lady, Tanya. The meal deserved 5 stars and it felt as if the courses were never ending. Just as we thought we had finished dessert Tanya brought out homemade delicious ice cream, a welcome treat. We loved kayaking on the pure and tranquil waters of Lake Skadar. Before setting off Ben took us all through how to paddle. After this we set out across the lake which other than the wildlife we had to ourselves. A couple of hours of paddling, with a few stops for swimming, saw us landing on an island with a monastery where Ben explained its history. We then picnicked, admiring the expansive views across the lake, before paddling on to our another island housing a convent. Here we were welcomed with opened arms by the nuns and served delicious home made pomegranate juice. We were keen to have a two week break and took Ben up on his offer to extend the holiday with a three night stay discovering Albania. Crossing over into Albanian we were greeted by our fantastic guide for the next three days, George, an Albanian with exceptional English. George took great care of us driving over the mountains to a traditional Albanian village. Here we stayed on our first night in a chalet and were served a traditional meal cooked by owner's family. The next morning we were up early to hike to the next village, led by the elder son of the family. This involved a 1400 meters ascent over a ridge to the next village. Our guide, that day, having grown up on the mountain knew it like the back of his hand and paced the hike to suit us, providing interesting facts along the way and taking great care of us whenever we came to any challenging or slippery parts. Again, our guide's English was excellent. Whilst it took us about 6 hours to reach our destination, it took George 8 hours to drive around the mountain with our luggage. Our final day was spent in Shkoder, one of Albanian largest cities. Here we experienced city life, a real contrast from that of the countryside, and not disimilar to many large European cities, other than the fact that British tourists were few and far between. A fantastic holiday, where we felt privileged to have explored what must be some of Europe's best kept natural secrets.

What a fantastic week! Wonderful walking in a great variety of beautiful mountainous regions. Bojana is an incredible guide and a wonderful person who worked tirelessly to make our holiday superb - from fantastic food and accommodation to unique experiences, such as an unforgettable lunch with mountain shepherds. We cannot praise Bojana highly enough - she is warm, knowledgeable and totally focused on keeping everyone happy and making every day special.

What an amazing experience! Peacefully kayaking through winding waterways and glassy lakes, surrounded by weeping willows, flanked by water chestnuts and the flash of turquoise from the elusive Kingfishers and multicoloured Bee Eaters. The scenery was breathtaking and Bens local historical knowledge added to the mystery of the scattered villages and island monasteries. Discovering cooling fresh water springs, rope swings into the river and learning bushcraft skills combined to make our first trip to Montenegro an unforgettable experience. Thanks Ben!

With my two teens we were lucky enough to experience the Family activity week staying in Villa Miela with Ben and Emma in August. We had an absolutely amazing week.. We saw parts of the country we would never have seen without our guides and we all did things out of our comfort zones. For me that was jumping off rocks, for the kids, taking the plunge into icy water (and loving it!). The week was a perfect balance of activities and rest days on which we could enjoy the view from the terrace and the pool at Villa Miela. Travelling on my own with two teenagers, it was very reassuring to have local experts on hand who speak fluent Montenegrin and who seem to know everyone in the area. I cannot recommend this week enough, it was everything we had hoped for and more, and have recommended it to all my friends. We hope to travel again with Ben and Emma, maybe branching out into a different part of the Balkans next year with their new tours. Thank you for such an awesome holiday 😊

The ultimate adventure holiday in Montenegro was by far the best holiday we have been on! My active 14 and 16 year olds enjoyed every single day. We did Kayaking, Canyoning, hiking, water rafting and mountain biking in the most beautiful surroundings. From turquoise green rivers and warm tranquil lakes to stunning mountain views, we were never disappointed. The accommodations just kept getting better as the week went on too, every time we arrived at the next place there was always a wow factor! Camp grab was definitely our favourite though right on the river with its chocolate box wooden cabins. The food on the trip was great too, the amazing intimate farmhouse lunch and dinners in Virpazar were very authentic, generous and tasty. The food in Camp Grab was an excellent standard for a camp site. I would definitely recommend this holiday for any family who has an adventurous spirit!

Seven years ago we enjoyed a fabulous week in August with Ben and Emma at Villa Miela. They were so enthusiastic about Lake Skadar, Montenegro and the Balkans in general, and told us about the delights of visiting in spring when pelicans can be seen in large numbers on the lake. We decided then that we had to return - but it turned out to be a bit later than planned what with the birth of two grandchildren and a pandemic in the intervening years! This time Ben and Emma devised an individual itinerary for us to include a pelican spotting trip on Lake Skadar, and also a six day cultural and gastronomical tour of Albania. The tour was excellent value, with a highly knowledgeable guide taking us everywhere and all accommodation and meals included. Albania is a fascinating country - beautiful scenery, interesting history and amazing food. Villa Miela itself was even better than before - now boasting a swimming pool and yoga deck. And some very friendly pets (missing you already, Coco!). The views from the veranda are just stunning and you are forever surrounded by birdsong. The pelican trip did not disappoint - even though numbers are down this year sadly as a result of poachers and bird flu. And we saw loads of other birds too. Ben and Emma are legends! They make you feel so welcome and special, and though they have led the various activities on offer so often, they are unfailingly passionate and inspiring. The Walnut Valley hike was an absolute delight - led by Emma, who pointed out lots of spring flowers and herbs such as orchids, wild asparagus, sage and rose garlic. Lunch with Tanya was epic! A second brilliant holiday in the Balkans thanks to Undiscovered Montenegro.

The multi activity holiday based at Villa Miela in Virpazar was amazing! From the moment we arrived at Villa Miela, we felt like we were home from home. Ben and Emma somehow manage to create a week of adventure where you feel incredibly relaxed whilst also being very active: hiking, cliff jumping, kayaking, monastery bell ringing, cycling, canyoning, swimming, swimming and more swimming to name but a few of the activities on offer. Their obvious love and pride for their home and the beautiful area in which they live is infectious. I especially liked being driven from one secret spot to another, often with no other tourists in sight, so you manage to swim in rock pools, explore caves, hike through the forest, eat a delicious meal at a local guest house, ride on the top of a jeep and climb up to a fortress to admire the view all in one day and be home in time for tea! We shared the villa with a lovely group of people. I really believe that this sort of holiday tends to attract people of a similar mindset and this holiday was no exception. Both my 9 year old daughter and I made great friends, we hung out together on "rest" days, ate together in the evening, shared stories and numbers and hopefully meet up again in the real world.... because that's what it feels like now I'm home, almost as if it was a dream.