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@olalaury

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Solo travel in my 30s to authentic places ✨🐚🌞🐑
📍Having a Balkan summer

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Lake Skadar might not be at the top of every Montenegro bucket list, but I think it should be. 🌿🛶

It’s such a beautiful, peaceful part of the country, especially if you love nature. Don’t miss a boat ride across the lake, where you can spot incredible birdlife and glide through blankets of water lilies.

I stayed in the cosiest little mirror cabin at @oblunresort and it was exactly what I needed: slow mornings with coffee in bed, yoga on the deck and reading in the hammock. Their farm-to-table restaurant, @odivarestaurant , is there if you don’t feel like cooking yourself, and you can even see their garden and help harvest something for your breakfast.

I was also lucky enough to see part of the process of how they make their own wine, which made the whole stay feel even more special. 🍇

So if you’re coming to Montenegro and love nature, don’t skip Lake Skadar. 🤍

#montenegro #lakeskadar #mirrorcabin by @olalaury

North Macedonia might be one of the most genuine places I’ve travelled to 🇲🇰✨

It felt so authentic, full of history and surrounded by beautiful landscapes. I might have taken over 500 photos because there was just something beautiful around every corner. 🤍

If I were planning the trip again, I’d do:

🌞 2 nights in Skopje: enough time to explore the newer side of the city, wander through the Old Bazaar and spend half a day at Matka Canyon, which you really shouldn’t miss.

🌞 3 nights in Ohrid: to actually slow down and enjoy the lake. A day trip to St Naum is essential: visit the Monastery of Saint Naum, take a little boat through the Black Drim springs and have lunch at the iconic Restaurant Ostrovo.

For the other days, wander through the old town and explore the churches: St John at Kaneo, Saints Clement and Panteleimon at Plaošnik and Saint Sophia are the most iconic ones, especially for the old frescoes and history.

Definitely walk up to Samuel’s Fortress too for the views over Ohrid and the lake

And honestly, you can hardly go wrong with the restaurants along the waterfront. Most have a similar menu and the same relaxed lakefront feel, so I’d just choose the one with the view and atmosphere you like most.

All of these photos were taken with my Fuji X100VI 🎞️It’s my favorite travel camera because it’s so lightweight that I can keep it with me all day and capture all those little moments along the way and as it has built in film simulations so there is no need to edit anymore.

North Macedonia, I really loved getting to know you.

#northmacedonia #macedonia #skopje #ohrid #fujix100vi by @olalaury

Reminder that earth is a magical place. In case you forgot ☁️✨ by @olalaury

My favorite day trip from Sarajevo ⛰️🤍

Lukomir is a tiny mountain village tucked away high in the Bosnian mountains at around 1,495 m. Surrounded by the dramatic landscapes of the Dinaric Alps, traditional stone houses and grazing sheep, it feels like one of those places where time has slowed down. 🐑⛰️🌿

The hike to reach the village was beautiful and not too challenging, with incredible mountain scenery and viewpoints along the way.

And then came my favorite part: the sweetest local ladies sitting outside with their handmade wool socks. 🧶🧦 I bought way too many because I just couldn’t resist, and they ended up being my favorite souvenir from the whole trip. 🥹

The food was also honestly some of the best I had in the Balkans: homemade Bosnian mountain food made with local ingredients, which tasted even better after hours of hiking. 🤌🏼

I did the hike with @meetbosniatours which was perfect since I didn’t have a car. They took such good care of us, and I loved meeting people from all over the world in our little hiking group. 🤍

#sarajevo #bosnia #balkans #solotravel

*not sponsored by @olalaury

If you only visit one building in Sarajevo, make it this one. ✨

I honestly had no idea what to expect when I walked into Sarajevo City Hall and it ended up being one of the most beautiful buildings I’ve ever seen!

It was built during the Austro-Hungarian period and opened in 1896. And if you’re wondering why it looks so Moorish even though it was built by Austria-Hungary: that was completely intentional. The building was designed in a Moorish style, inspired by Islamic architecture from North Africa and Spain.It later became home to the National and University Library.

During the Siege of Sarajevo in 1992, the building was shelled and set on fire, destroying around 2 million books! 💔

After years of reconstruction, it reopened in 2014.

Today it’s not just an insanely beautiful building to walk through, there are also exhibitions about the history Bosnia and Hercegovina, plus art exhibitions on the upper floors.

#Sarajevo #bosnia #bosniaandherzegovina by @olalaury

Kravica Waterfalls honestly felt magical 🦋

So many different falls, crystal-clear water and butterflies flying around everywhere. no photo really does this place justice.

It’s the perfect day trip from Mostar. If you have a car, go as early as possible before the crowds arrive. If youndont have a car, choose the earliest morning tour you can find and make sure it gives you at least 3 hours at the falls.

You’ll want time to explore, swim and actually enjoy it instead of rushing through somewhere this beautiful.

One little warning: there are snakes in the water. 🐍 I KNOW 🫠Apparently they’re harmless, though, and when I was there they weren’t in the main swimming area. And trust me… the water is way too beautiful not to get in. So don’t worry and swim anyway. by @olalaury

Favorite hobby: Tasting wine in a new country 🍷

Bosnia and Hercegovina surprised me with some really good wine - usually I prefer whites but this rosé was 👌🏻 by @olalaury

Only one day in Durmitor? Spend it on horseback. 🐴 ⛰️

I only had one full day in Durmitor National Park and wasn’t feeling fit enough for a full-day hike but I still wanted to experience as much of this wild landscape as I could.

If you’re short on time, take the 2 or 3-hour ride with Montenegro Horse Riding. You’ll see the wilder side of the national park, get some incredible mountain views and even have time to trot and canter through the open landscapes.

The horses were amazing, our guide was so lovely and friendly, and there were SO many adorable foals around the ranch. 🐴

Special shoutout to my horse Caki, who had the most beautiful blue eyes - almost the exact same color as the lake we were riding towards. 🧿

Definitely one of my favorite ways I’ve experienced Montenegro.

*not sponsored - paid myself by @olalaury

Pretty sure I gained 5kg in Bosnia & Herzegovina because how could I not 🥹🤍

So happy I joined a Bosnian cooking class and can *try* to make Bosnian food at home ✨ by @olalaury

Entering my E-Bike era if it keeps bringing me to places like this 🚲🌿

#montenegro by @olalaury

My kind of therapy 🌿 by @olalaury

I disappeared somewhere between mountains, rivers and the sea in Montenegro 🧚🏻 by @olalaury