It was time to leave Istanbul and move on to somewhere new. After a few stops in Greece, in June 2023, Bayti arrived to Tivat in Montenegro
This country stunned us with its lush, green mountains that stood tall, overshadowing the villages below. There is limited flat terrain so homes, shops and businesses were dotted at the foot of the mountains. Driving on the sea-side of a narrow one-way road from Porto Montenegro to Kotor, we were surprised to see locals throw their beach towels on pebbled beaches to soak the sun, where the only separation between our car and them was a small pavement.
We hiked up a vertical path that led us to an old cathedral with stunning views of the bay of Kotor and the city. We were pleasantly surprised by the peacefulness of the country, its cleanliness, and the helpfulness of its people. Everyone spoke English and they spoke it very well. We were told by a local that the people of Montenegro strive to be helpful and are always eager to please. We definitely felt that; especially when catastrophe struck and the locals strived to support us. (More on that later)
We hired a car and visited Herceg Novi, Portonovi, Lustica Bay and Budva. We were based in Porto Montenegro in Tivat, this was to be our docking place even during the winter months. The marina is fabulous with a great management team and an active live-aboard community. They arranged weekly BBQ meet-ups for all the boat owners and actively organised fantastic events including fashion shows, design and technology displays and live music.
