TIVAT

Finding my beautiful Montenegrin base for three weeks was a happy accident, given how unfamiliar I was with Montenegro before arriving. I knew I didn’t want to be in the thick of Kotor’s tourist crowds, but aside from that, deciding where to stay was very much a "choose an Airbnb that looks good and hope for the best" situation.

As it turns out, Tivat was perfect. Bustling enough to stay interesting, relaxed and rustic enough to experience the Montenegrin philosophy of "samo polako" (which means "take it easy" or "go slowly"), and central enough to easily explore the rest of the bay. I’ll admit I was a little worried I’d regret it once I saw the other towns and villages, but getting to know these other places actually made me appreciate my choice that much more! Budva was a city next to a citadel and more of a nightlife destination, Perast was spectacular but small enough to see thoroughly in an afternoon, and Kotor is where the tourists flock and the cruise ships dock. Tivat, with its mix of old and new, friendly locals, and a whole community of digital nomads, turned out to be exactly what I needed.

Lavish Cafe became my daily haunt. Mere footsteps from the water, filled with remote workers on their laptops for the day, and run by a manager who was an absolute angel and made me feel so welcome (plus, the most divine hazelnut milk iced lattes). At sunset, the walk up towards Lepetani, a small residential village near the point of the peninsula, never failed to WOW me with the most stunning golden hour across the bay.

What I’ll remember most, though, is how cared for I felt here by locals and expats alike. A local business owner paid for my dinner on my very first night. My grocer kept sneaking vegan cookies and locally grown olives into my shopping bags for me to try. And one Sunday, the cafe manager shouted my coffee because I’d so quickly become a regular. It really is the people who make a place, and those I met in Tivat are the reason I would gladly return.