Tivat
We had heard about Montenegro from family and friends and had never really thought much about it. It wasn't until we started watching reels and researching undiscovered gems of Europe that we agreed on visiting this country.....and what a decision it was. Montenegro boasts some of the most beautiful natural scenery in Europe (in our opinion of course) with crystal clear waters lashing against countless wholesome swimming spots and beaches, alongside beach bars and hikes which provide stunning views over the entire country. If this doesn't wet your appetite already then make sure to visit all of our posts about Montenegro and experience the tranquility for yourself.
Our journey began at Manchester Airport which at present is the only major airport in the UK travelling to Tivat (Birmingham is in talks about opening links too), and a relatively smooth journey followed apart from an unknown tube of toothpaste appearing in our bag during security! A flight from Manchester to Tivat took around 2.5 hours which is a good amount of time and the flight itself does provide some amazing views if you get the window seat.
Tivat Airport is absolutely tiny with 1 passport control gate and maybe 2 luggage retrieval belts. It takes only 20 minutes to get through and on your way to your holiday but this is where our first bit of advice comes. Be prepared for the wave of taxi drivers to throw themselves at you offering the 'cheapest trip' to where you need to go. No public buses run from the airport so if you are travelling onward to anywhere from Tivat airport you will need to grab a taxi and make sure you have Euros on you as they do not take card. We were travelling to Tivat centre from the airport and we managed to get a trip for €20 despite another driver offering a trip for €30, make sure to get the best price!
The journey to the centre of Tivat was around 15 minutes and that was with a short cut due to long traffic jams. Traffic is bad in summer so be ready for that. But once there we wandered towards the water and were amazed!
We arrived at the water's edge and were greeted with shimmering water set beneath rolling green mountains and to top it off there are bars and restaurants dotted all along the water. There are also free spaces where locals stripped off and went for a swim, a truly wholesome moment to see local people enjoying the benefits of living in this beautiful place. Continue your walk past the seemingly endless restaurants and the clinking of Aperol Spritz glasses and reach another mesmerising visual...Porto Montenegro!
We got the sense that this area of Tivat was dripping with money and it wasn't until we reached Porto Montenegro that we realised why. Row upon row of €1 million yachts were parked up and the hotels surrounding them matched the valuation of the boats. Beautiful balcony views and pool bars are found here, if you are into luxury travel then please look here because it is absolutely stunning
We continued to walk some more before grabbing some food at KLM Tivat, a cute little restaurant within walking distance of the bus stop which would take us onto Kotor.
Food at KLM is stunning and reasonably priced, we both tried the 'traditional style steak' which was actually a pork steak covered with prosciutto ham and cheese served with chips and salad, it was amazing!Our food was brilliant and we also happened to spot across the restaurant another dish which looked divine, chicken nuggets and chips! It sounds simple but this dish looked so good and well presented that we almost said we made the wrong choice, but our food was definitely worth it!
After a nice time exploring Tivat it was time to get the bus to Kotor. We found a bus stop just down the road from KLM and waited there for the bus to Kotor.
After much deliberation we decided it was best to board the bus to Kamp, this was simply due to the location or our hotel but this route is perfect for anyone wanting to get to the centre of Kotor from the centre of Tivat. It cost €2 each for over an hour on the bus which is amazing value and the journey was amazing (more below). However there was one thing that inconvenienced us slightly, the bus is not always on time. We arrived at the bus stop at around 1:50 ready to board the 1:55 bus, however we did not leave Tivat until around 3:15! Thankfully we were in no rush to arrive in Kotor but this is something to bare in mind if you have tight schedules during your trip!
If you are even thinking about visiting Tivat, even if for just a couple of hours whilst waiting for a bus to Kotor, we thoroughly recommend it! Plenty of bars, a small public beach for a quick dip, restaurants galore and hugh end shops if you fancy a shopping trip, Tivat is a truly magical place!
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