The essence of expat life is the guarantee that once a year you get to go home, be a tourist in your own country and spend time with family. Covid-19 plagued the world last year and travel plans had to be cancelled as the world went into lockdown; 2020 was officially declared "The Year of No Travel" for me.
For the first time in my life (and most of my expat friends), being trapped in the UAE with no visibility of when we could visit family or go back home, felt like a horrible nightmare. By June we were fed up of daily / weekly Zoom calls, online gatherings, virtual events and depressing news. After 4 months of hard curfews and being trapped at home, Abu Dhabi eased restrictions which meant we could step outside of the house and go about our lives. It took the Emirate nearly 1 year to open up to the world though and at that point - it had been 2 years since I left the country and since I saw my family. TWO YEARS of time lost with my loved ones mainly my grandmother - who basically lives just to see us 2x per year.
Fast forward to July 2021 - I was on the plane counting the minutes until I touched down on Serbian soil. Forget the flight delays, wearing masks for 9 hours straight, turbulence and manic children running up and down the aisle ... the moment of being welcomed by my fellow countrymen nearly brought me to tears. This feeling was further amplified the moment I saw my family - I felt my heart slowly mending.
So how do you spend 3 weeks of holiday after being stuck in a desert country for 2 years? Nature. Greenery. Forests. The only desire apart from spending time with my grandma, was to spend it surrounded by trees. Living in the UAE is hard on the physical and mental system; we constantly live with the A/C's on, breathe poor quality air (mainly caused by regular sandstorms), and don't get me started on the humidity levels which can reach 90% during the summer months.
DISCOVER, EXPLORE, IMMERSE
This year we decided to explore Western Serbia, a region known for its rolling hills, stunning national parks, wildlife and plenty of greenery. We booked a 4 day trip to Tara National Park: the lungs of Serbia. The park covers 220sq km of forests, ravines and waterways, with its highest point reaching 1,500m above sea level. We also happened to visit Tara during the only week that Serbia's heatwave took a break - and enjoyed an incredibly fresh temperature of 18 - 23 degrees Celsius with delightful rainstorms.
The journey by car from Belgrade took about 4 hours including several petrol station stops. We opted for a scenic route through the mountain range, which featured a couple of slithering twists through the serpentines, however the journey was SO worth it for the beautiful views. A rainstorm slowed us down and it was a bit dangerous as the road was slippery with lots of falling rocks, but that added to the thrill of our adventure.
THINGS TO DO & PLACES TO VISIT
PERUCAC
Our base was in a tiny lake town called Perucac (pronounced: peruchatz) which has about 350 residents (yes you read that right). We stayed at the Garni Hotel Vila Drina - a charming hotel located next to the Drina River and encased by the Serbian and Bosnian mountain range, the Dinaric Alps. This town is perfect for nature lovers looking to disconnect from the digital world and connect with the natural world.
Two rivers flow through this town: Drina, which is 346km long and creates a natural border between Serbia and Bosnia; and Vrelo, which flows 365m (that's metres, not kilometres), making it Europe's shortest river. A restaurant called "Vrelo" (after the river), was built above the waterfall where this river flows into the Driva, creating a magical woodland retreat where we enjoyed breakfast every day.
Perucac Lake is located 10 minutes by foot uphill from the town centre. It was created in 1966, by damming the Drina river as part of the Bajina Bašta hydroelectric power plant project. It is a beautiful to relax, no matter the weather. Super Café (I know couldn't they have come up with a better name!) offers great refreshments to complement the views. Visitors can swim in the makeshift "lake-pool" as I call it, enjoy a river cruise to neighbouring Bosnia through the scenic Drina Canyon, or rent boats and kayaks.
BAJINA BASTA
This mountain town is located about 10km from Perucac and is very similar in offering. It is another great option to stay when exploring Tara National Park. The House on the Drina is a key attraction in this town, although it doesn't offer anything in terms of experience. The story goes that over 50 years ago a bunch of kids built a cabin in the middle of the river so they could enjoy the summer days. As the Drina River's tides rise and fall, each year the house gets knocked down and re-built as an attraction. National Geographic published an image of this house in 2012 and it gained popularity ever since.
BANJSKA STENA VIEWPOINT
Our journey to Banjska Stena Viewpoint started with a 10 minute scenic drive up the mountain where we enjoyed picturesque views of Perucac Lake. We parked the car and set off into the forest on foot, and what a delight it was!
The luscious scent of nature, fresh air and the cool breeze was simply intoxicating. We walked through a countless shades of green and a rocky terrain filled with a variety of plants. It was so peaceful, all we could hear was the whirling of the wind and our own heartbeats as we hiked to the top. Then I realised, we were in the middle of Brown Bear Country and any encounters were possible. Tara National Park is home to Serbia's largest population of brown bears - all protected and roaming free :)
Several walking trails are set up from this point depending on level of intensity; we chose a light one as our goal was to get to the viewing deck. At the top, the view was unfortunately obstructed by scattered clouds, however once they cleared it was totally worth it! We could see Perucac Lake, the Drina River Canyon and the region of Osat in neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Directions for the parking can be found here.
ZAOVINE LAKE
Our next stop was Zaovine Lake which is located about 20 minutes from our base. The artificial lake was created as a result of damming the Beli Rzav river - however it is one of Serbia's most popular natural retreats. It is located in the tiny village of Zaovine which was made famous in 1875 by famous biologist, Josif Pancic who discovered a new tree species of spruce and named it Pancic Spruce (Picea Omorika).
What makes Zaovine truly special is that 50% of Tara's flora and 15% of the entire country's flora are found here (just think more than 600 varieties of plants). Our journey through the serpentines of the national park was quite easy and very scenic. 28 tiny villages made up this area - all dotted along the mountainous terrain; just close your eyes and image the opening scene of Sound of Music :). We stopped at Restaurant Tarsko Jezero which had jaw dropping views of the mountain range - see for yourself because my words won't do it justice :) We then drove across the Zaovine dam to enjoy closer views of the swerving lake and oh boy was it a sight! The location can be found here. We noticed some visitors rented kayaks which we will have to try on our next visit.
More info: www.tara-planina.com/zaovine
ZLATIBOR
Our next stop was Zlatibor, located about 1 hour away from Perucac. You can read more about our previous trip to the mountain town during the summer of 2015 here.
Sticking to our adventurous theme this year, we decided to summit Tornik, Zlatibor's famous ski centre. We enjoyed a ride on the open air ski lift which was slightly shaky and not ideal for the faint hearted (LIKE ME!) but the fresh air and beautiful green vistas made it worth the ride. We barely enjoyed a refreshment when a massive thunderstorm erupted on top of the mountain trapping us all in the chalet, waiting to be rescued. Sadly that adventure ended pretty quickly, as we had to take a mini bus down to the city centre considering the ski lift was not safe to operate during the rain. We'll have to try the Gold Gondola next time - it is the world's longest apparently!
Following our fiasco adventure on the ski lift, we headed to the city centre for a rewarding lunch. I haven't been to Zlatibor in 6 years and was surprised to see how much the little town had changed - so many new buildings were under construction and it was filled with tourists. We enjoyed a traditional Serbian lunch (grills), enjoyed a little stroll and then made our way back.
VISEGRAD
Višegrad is a town also located about 1 hour away from Perucac on the border of Bosnia & Herzegovina and Serbia, making it an ideal day trip once you've covered Tara National Park. The main attraction is the Mehmed Paša Sokolovic stone bridge - named after one of the most important Ottoman military commanders and Grand Vizier. He was born into an Orthodox Christian family in Bosnia but converted into Islam and was forced to serve in the Ottoman army; later climbing the ranks and becoming one of the last greatest Ottoman leaders. Please take a moment to read his fascinating story here.
This bridge is on UNESCO’s list of protected monuments and was designed by the famous Turkish architect Mimar Sinan (also an Orthodox Christian who was forced into Ottoman service). In 1961, Ivo Andric, Serbian author and Nobel Prize Winner (Literature) wrote about this very bridge in his major work, The Bridge on the Drina. We enjoyed a lovely al fresco lunch at the Hotel Visegrad, but unfortunately could not explore the town for longer as we hit terrible weather and had to drive back home.
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THE ESSENTIALS
Getting There
We drove by car from Belgrade to Perucac, taking the Miloš Veliki highway from the capital city. Once we got to Uzice, the smaller town roads slowed us down. We then turned onto the mountain road which took us right inside Tara National Park. As it was pouring rain, we slowed down even further to avoid slippage. It took us about 4 hours in total, but a shorter route is possible through Zlatibor. Perucac is a tiny town so my recommendation is to either drive or take a guided tour from Belgrade.
Accommodation
There is only one official hotel in Perucac, Garni Hotel Vila Drina, however several apartments and townhouses are available for rent. Here is a list of options on Booking.com.
You may opt to stay in neighbouring Bajina Basta which is a slightly larger town.
Currency
The official currency is the Serbian Dinar (AED 1 = RSD 23) at the time of publishing this post). Card payment is acceptable in most hotels and restaurants, however it is always advisable to carry some cash.
Safety
Tara National Park and its surrounding villages are considered safe for travellers, however please be mindful and use common sense (do not provoke Serbs and brown bears, or challenge them to drinking games).
Other Activities & Places To Visit:
Enjoy a day trip to Mokra Gora and take a train ride on the famous Sargan8
Visit Drvengrad (Wooden town)
Embark on the Drina River Canyon Cruise
Visit Raca Monastery and Solotnik Temple & Fortress
Helpful links:
xo,
Marina
Disclaimer: All views are my own and all photographs are © My Sweet Escapes, unless otherwise stated.
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