We are now at Safari camping in Ulcinj in Montenegro. We have today rolled into Montenegro, from Albania. We drove across the border south of Lake Shkoder and the first thing we saw was a landscape with high mountains, narrow roads, luxurious villas and some vineyards. Now we have made it to a campsite by a long sandy beach.
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Montenegro - some history
Montenegro is a small, mountainous country with just over 600 000 inhabitants. It did not become independent until 2006, when it broke away from the state union 'Serbia and Montenegro'. When Yugoslavia broke up in the early 1990s, Montenegro chose to stay with Serbia, and when war broke out, they fought alongside Serbia in Bosnia and Croatia.
Montenegro of today
Today, the country's population consists of 44% ethnic Montenegrins, 30% Serbs and several other ethnic groups. Interestingly, the country actually uses the euro, even though it is not a member of the EU.
This is because in the 1990s 'Serbia and Montenegro' had the world's second highest inflation rate ever (at 3 million per cent!) and abandoned its currency in favour of the D-mark. Then, when the D-mark was converted to the euro, the country automatically became a euro country ...
Safari camping in Ulcinj
We rolled to the first campsite we found on the coast: Safari Camping in Ulcinj. As soon as we parked, we were welcomed by our Dutch camping neighbours, who recognised us from the previous campsite in Albania. We had a few glasses of wine outside their campervan and chatted for a few hours - very nice!
The beach in Ulcinj
The main reason to camp here in Ulcinj is probably to stand on a long sandy beach. The beach here is very nice, although perhaps a bit too "long and flat" for our taste. Or maybe we have been spoilt!?
There is also a restaurant here at the campsite, where you sit with a nice view of the sea. We have to get used to the fact that everything is more expensive than in Albania ... However, this does not mean that it is really expensive. If you come travelling from another place, it is very possible that you think it is cheap!
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BP says:
Beach as beach I was writing, but there are differences of course;-)
Yes, you will hardly find a cheaper country than Albania during the rest of your trip, I would guess. If you go on via Croatia, it will be even more "expensive".
But at least you still have great weather:-)
08 September 2015 - 21:40
Role o Carina says:
So many beautiful things to see on your trip with Adrian! ?
Take care and enjoy.....?
08 September 2015 - 22:04
Marina says:
So exciting to read your different reflections on the different countries. If nothing else, it can make it easier for the rest of us to prioritise 😉.
09 September 2015 - 3:31
admin says:
BP, I understand what you mean, but we like smaller beaches broken by rock formations, coves etc. Yes, it will be more expensive now, we are aware of that. The frequent restaurant visits are over now 😉.
Rolle and Carina, there is much to see, not least in the Balkans!
Marina, we share our experiences. Everyone thinks differently of course, but maybe we can contribute with some info from the different countries anyway! As for Montenegro, we have only seen a small corner yet...
09 September 2015 - 7:15
Lennart says:
We visited Monte Negro in 2011!
Also an exciting country!
Live well!
09 September 2015 - 7:27
Mr Steve says:
An exciting new country to get to know. Fun to meet familiar camping neighbours. More and more expensive and more expensive. Yes, that's how life can be sometimes.
09 September 2015 - 8:36
snort says:
A bit funny that the country has euros but at the same time also logical as you say! What a fantastic trip you are doing!
09 September 2015 - 9:37
admin says:
Lennart, glad you were here! Then maybe you have some tips for us? 😉
Steve, yes it will be more expensive now. But we will solve that with fewer restaurant visits and more home cooking 🙂.
Znogge, yes I was very surprised about the euro at first! But then it became understandable when I read the explanation 😉.
09 September 2015 - 9:45
Deciree says:
You are really tough to drive everywhere with the motorhome :) Just that with tunnels is a bit exciting, I think. What a wonderful trip you are doing 🙂
09 September 2015 - 10:47
Marie says:
That tunnel looks undeniably exciting, perhaps a little too exciting with a tall motorhome?
09 September 2015 - 11:34
admin says:
Deciree, tunnels can be a bit exciting and this one looked a bit cool and sort of "natural", but it was no problem at all.
Marie, sometimes it can be a bit exciting and in some cases you have to watch out for signs about the height. But it is not often that the tunnels are too low. Here it was no problem at all! (It can happen sometimes that they are too low, but it is usually if you turn off on small roads and so on, and it is usually clearly marked, often even before you reach the tunnel).
09 September 2015 - 13:10
Katta's Considerations says:
Lovely to follow your journey even though I have had less time to read and comment. You have really caught my interest in Albania ) Montenegro I am also interested in as I have only passed there with a short stop. Have a good time and continue to enjoy!
09 September 2015 - 16:22
Ditte says:
Understand that it is an adjustment with most things from Albania. And of course the beach looks "flat" and probably is. Completely agree that beaches where there is varied nature are more beautiful.
Personally, I don't like beaches with rows of sunbeds and parasols. But it's certainly practical.
You have a sea view! Always nice!
Nice to have neighbours who recognised you!
09 September 2015 - 17:45
admin says:
Katta, I'm glad you've discovered Albania. Really a beautiful country!
Ditte, we're not too keen on sunbeds in a row either. Especially if they take up the whole beach. A bit boring then. Here they don't, but I chose to photograph them to bring some life to the picture because it would be so flat otherwise 😉.
09 September 2015 - 18:30
Ama de casa says:
Perfect to bump into "old acquaintances" in that way 🙂 .
I "learnt" just recently (via some game) that the currency was the euro. But not why, so thank you for that information 🙂.
09 September 2015 - 18:39
Matts Torebring says:
Did you really get through that "loophole"? What terrible roads you are travelling on, but exciting of course. Be well.
09 September 2015 - 20:36
Inga M says:
Interesting to read your descriptions of countries and food in the Balkans. Much of this is unknown to us of course. There is also a beautiful landscape according to your pictures. Hope your colds go away, not fun then. Mine is in the second week and I'm crawling out of my skin with impatience, even though I can work and hold on a bit. Have a continued good trip!
09 September 2015 - 22:14
Discovering The Planet says:
Hope you did some hoarding in Albania. It's easy to get used to
at a luxurious life on a small budget 🙂
10 September 2015 - 0:24
admin says:
Ama de casa, we were surprised that it was euros, but then we got the explanation. You always learn something new! 😉
Matts, the roads were quite narrow, but there was no problem getting through the tunnel 😉.
Inga M, glad you like our descriptions of food and other things in the Balkans. It's been interesting to explore! We still have a cold, so we're taking it easy. Get well soon!
Discovering the planet, we should have hoarded more than we did... 😉 Yes, it's easy to get used to it! 😉
10 September 2015 - 7:51