Get creative
Organize your art supplies and get to crafting. Consider painting Kotor Bay, learning a traditional Montenegrin folk dance, or coloring a sketch of Montenegro’s historic streets.
Need more inspiration? Check out this virtual reality video of beautiful landscapes in Montenegro.
Pick a documentary or film
Watch a movie or documentary that relates to your destination. Some ideas for Montenegro include:
- Montenegro – Wild Beauty (2013)
- BBC’s The Death of Yugoslavia (1996)
- Casino Royale (2006)
Study some history
Dive deep into the history of specific sites you’ll visit on tour. Study Montenegro’s medieval past, the island of Sveti Stefa (a historic fortified village turned into a 5-star resort), or one of UNESCO’s most beautiful sites: Kotor. Then, browse through the National Museum of Montenegro through this virtual tour.
Choose a book
Read and discuss a book that takes place in your destination or describes the local culture. Pick from titles like:
- Realm of the Black Mountain by Elizabeth Roberts
- The Full Monte: A Fulbright Scholar’s Humorous and Heart-Warming Experience in Montenegro by Paul Dishman
- Berlitz: Montenegro Pocket Guide by Rudolf Abraham
Fill up your plate
Arrange a potluck and encourage your friends to bring a traditional dish from your destination. Know a chef? Hold a virtual cooking class with your travel group, or support a local restaurant that offers delivery/take-out of your destination’s cuisine. Try buzara (shellfish in a red or white sauce), ispod saca (slow-roasted meat and vegetables), or black risotto.
Learn the language
Call up a friend or set up a group video chat and practice your language skills. It helps to make flashcards with common sayings to use on the phone or throughout your travels (think about ordering at restaurants, buying souvenirs, and chatting with locals). Learn more about the link between Montenegro’s language and identity here.
Did you know?
Montenegro is home to one of the last three rainforests in Europe, called Biogradska Gora.
Meet Your Partner in Travel
Tylo first went to Montenegro on an Explorica trip and it unexpectedly became one of her favorite places in the world when taking her first steps in Kotor. After traveling to Montenegro and other Balkan countries, Tylo went on to pursue European Studies in college and write an undergraduate thesis on the breakup of Yugoslavia.