About us
Hello and welcome (or should we say dobrodošli!) to Undiscovered Balkans, your go-to activity holiday specialist in the Balkans.
We’re Ben and Emma Heywood, the adventure-loving husband and wife behind this operation, and we’re thrilled to have you here with us in Europe’s most unexplored corner.
When we landed in Montenegro in 2008 as frivolous travellers without kids, this beautiful country stopped us in our tracks. Its jagged mountains footed by blue and green lakes could easily be mistaken for the Canadian Rockies while miles of unspoiled wilderness resemble an African game reserve.
Having visited more than 50 countries worldwide we’re not easy to impress, so you can trust we’ve selected only the most breathtaking locations for our holidays.
You won’t find big, brash resorts and double decker tour buses on our trips. We do small group travel with local guides, community tourism and family-run establishments – including Villa Miela, where it all began. Sitting at the heart of Lake Skadar National Park, it’s the base for several of our holidays, from yoga retreats to kayak safaris.
Like our family, our holiday offering has expanded. We now run tours in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia and Serbia.
We pride ourselves on being a small, independent British business. We personally handle all enquiries and bookings, so when you get in touch, you’re talking directly to us or our small team, not a salesperson or call centre. Once you’re in destination, everything is taken care of by our trusted local hosts and partners.
When you travel with us, you’re officially part of our ever expanding Balkan family and as a family, we take care of one another. That’s why a percentage of our takings go back to the communities we work with. You can learn more about that here.
We look forward to seeing you in the Balkans soon!
Emma has spent the last 20 years living and adventuring in the Western Balkans, exploring the region on foot, by kayak, and occasionally behind the wheel of a Land Rover Defender. She designs and promotes our trips across the Balkans, favouring wild landscapes, local knowledge and a more authentic way of travelling. A keen hiker, yoga lover, photographer, advocate for nature – and mum of three – Emma brings energy, experience and a deeply personal love of the region to everything she does. She speaks English and Serbian/Montenegrin and loves a strong Turkish coffee.
Emma HeywoodCo-Founder
Ben brings nearly 20 years of experience of Montenegro to our operations, having spent much of that time living at Lake Skadar with Emma and their young family. These days he is based in the UK, but his connection to Montenegro remains as strong as ever.When he’s not helping guests plan their trips, you’ll find him kayaking, swimming wild in lakes and rivers, cheering on Norwich City and falling in love with beautiful but unreliable motor vehicles. He speaks fluent Montenegrin, German and French and has even played international cricket for the country he calls his second home.
Ben HeywoodCo-Founder
Camilla is the writer who powers our blogs, newsletter and social media — helping people find us and make that trip happen. A freelance travel journalist who has spent years living in and writing about the Balkans, she is passionate about all the region has to offer, from trumpet festivals in Serbia, to sipping coffee in Sarajevo's kavanas, to hiking in Kosovo's rugged canyons. Her writing has appeared in publications including the Financial Times, The Guardian and The Sunday Times.
Camilla Bell-DaviesContent Writer
Vera is one of the most respected outdoor enthusiasts in the country. In fact, the more remote the area, the higher the chances of spotting Vera. She’s particularly passionate about hiking and her roots in the north of Montenegro. Popular with parents and children alike, Vera speaks excellent English as well as Montenegrin/Serbian.
Vera Adventure Leader, Montenegro
Milija comes from a family of adventure enthusiasts who live and breathe the outdoors. Whether biking, hiking, kayaking or skiiing, you’re in good hands. Milija speaks fluent English and Montenegrin/Serbian.
Milija Adventure Leader, Montenegro
Ana has over a decade’s worth of experience guiding groups around her country, and has earned her reputation as one of the funniest and most quotable licensed guides in Montenegro! She speaks near-native English and loves leading our family adventures!
AnaAdventure Leader, Montenegro
Arben‘s enthusiasm for his country and all outdoor pursuits is infectious! As one of Albania’s most renowned licensed guides, he has stupendous historical knowledge and seems to have visited every corner of Albania! He lives in Tirana and speaks superb English.
ArbenAdventure Leader, Albania
Dino is one of the most knowledgable and experienced mountain hikers in the country. A native of Gusinje, there's very little he doesn't know about the amazing Prokletije, straddling Montenegro and Albania. He speaks excellent English, fluent Montenegrin and also Albanian.
DinoAdventure Leader, Montenegro/Albania
Aurora is a native of Shkoder in North Albania who has over twenty years of experience guiding guests around her favourite places in the region. A qualified biologist, she is actively involved in many different wildlife conservation efforts and intimately knows the mountains of the Prokletije in both Albania and Montenegro. She speaks superb English, as well as her native Albanian.
AuroraAdventure Leader, Albania
Skender has over a decade’s worth of experience guiding groups around his country, and has earned his reputation as one of the funniest and most quotable licensed guides in Bosnia & Hercegovina! He speaks near-native English.
SkenderAdventure Leader, Bosnia & Herzegovina
Aleks and Philomena are a brilliant Serbian/Australian couple who have been leading groups around Serbia for years. We’ve now teamed up with them to offer you our first week-long activity holiday in Serbia, with more to follow! They speak fluent English and Serbian.
Aleks & PhilomenaAdventure Leaders, Serbia
Ston native Robi has over 15 years’ worth of experience guiding around his country – but it’s the Pelješac peninsula that he considers his home. You could not be in more knowledgeable hands! Robi speaks fluent English and has full adventure guide qualifications.
RobiAdventure Leader, Croatia
Fatos has over three decades of experience guiding guests around his native land. He is a qualified mountain guide, loves caving, canyoning and hiking and runs probably the most knowledgeable tour outfit in the whole country! He speaks superb English.
FatosAdventure Leader, Kosovo
Alejandro & Javiera are the amazing Adventure Hosts at our long-term partner Villa Miela in Virpazar. Funny, knowledgable and endlessly practical, they are the organisational dynamos behind our Lake Skadar Adventure holidays!
Alejandro & JavieraAdventure Hosts, Villa Miela
Connect with us
🇦🇱 Albania is a country that stays in your heart. We've been bringing guests to Albania for many years, and right now our thoughts are with our Albanian friends, guides and people here, who have always welcomed us so warmly.What began as a movement to protect Albania's precious coastal wetlands has grown into something much bigger. Young Albanians are calling for better education, more opportunities and greater accountability – and the chance to build bright futures at home.We stand with those calling for peaceful reforms, and hope their voices are heard.For anyone planning to visit Albania: the friendliness and hospitality Albanians show to foreign visitors remains unchanged. It is still safe to visit, but you must take care. With ongoing demonstrations and risk of clashes, largely in central Tirana, it is best for travellers to be cautious, avoid protest areas, keep up with local developments, and monitor your country's foreign travel advice (the UK does not currently advise against travelling to Albania). We've also updated our blog on travelling safely in Albania and the wider Balkans, with practical advice for visitors. Link in the comments.Sending love and solidarity to our Albanian friends. Me#albaniae#undiscoveredbalkans#undiscoveredbalkans
A library wrapped in a metal fishing net. A concrete church shaped like a ship. A skyscraper with what looks like a flying saucer on top. 🇽🇰🇲🇪🇷🇸 The Balkans can't all be old walls and medieval fortresses – someone's got to hold it down in a brutalist block!Yugoslavia was built in concrete, and the results are here to stay. From Kosovo's National Library in Prishtina to Serbia's iconic Genex Tower in Belgrade and Kolašin's memorial hall in Montenegro, these concrete giants are fascinating and the legacy of a bold new socialist state. 📌 Find out our favourites to visit in our new guide to Balkan brutalist architect#undiscoveredbalkansts #UndiscoveredBalkans
Inspired by Simon Reeve’s latest Wilderness series? 🌿You don’t have to travel to the ends of the earth to find truly wild places.The Balkans are home to primeval forests, free-flowing rivers, untamed mountainscapes and some seriously spectacular wilderness — much of it hiding in plain sight.We’ve picked 7 truly wild places across the Balkans that deserve a place on your adventure list.Discover them all in our latest blog (link in comments) 👉Which wild place would you most like to explore?#UndiscoveredBalkans
We're in Forbes for Macedonia 🇲🇰 and Serbia 🇷🇸! Our co-founder Emma Heywood shares autumn travel tips in an article out yesterday: "7 Unexpected Fall Trips To The Balkans, According To Travel Experts".Huge thanks to writer Emese Maczko and to Forbes for including us and for shining a spotlight on the region at an especially vibrant time of year.🌶️ North Macedonia"The red pepper harvest of early autumn means one thing in the Balkans; it's time to make ajvar," says Emma. Macedonia is famous for it, and a cooking class is the way to learn. Forbes also highlights our new North Macedonia trip, which pairs food with kayaking in Matka Canyon, hiking or horseback riding in Mavrovo National Park, pelican spotting at Lake Prespa and a visit to Pelister National Park.🍑 SerbiaOctober is when Serbians fire up the stills and make plum rakija (šljivovica) after the fruit harvest. Wander through a rural village on our Serbia activity holiday and you might be invited to join in, and to taste it straight from the new batch.It was a treat to see kayaking on Lake Skadar get a mention too. It's where our story began, and we had a group out paddling the lake's Montenegrin waters just this week (pelicans duly spotted). 💙Swipe for the article highlights including us, and to read Emese's full piece, visit the link in the comments (we've added our Serbia and Macedonia trip links too). #undiscoveredbalkans
We recently wrapped up our latest adventure in Serbia, whisking our guests off from buzzing capital Belgrade for off-beat adventures in the countryside. 🇷🇸 🌄And this being Serbia, the countryside was every bit as wild and untamed as their itinerary:From the sheer joy of wading along a beautiful river, to watching Griffon vultures swoop while peering over steep limestone cliffs 🦅, trying canyoning for the very first time at Tribuća and absolutely loving it – and stand-up paddling the pristine waters of the Drina River in autumn 🍂 – “prelepoooo” (too beautiful), as our Serbian friends would say.Bravo to Amir, Ansar, Kazim and Zulfiqar on a boys’ trip somewhere different, met by the warmest of Serbian welcomes.Find out more about our guided Serbia adventures at the link in the comments. #undiscoveredbalkans
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Holidays
10% OFF!
7 Day Villa Activity Holiday Montenegro
Our original Lake Skadar adventure loved by everyone!
10% OFF!
7 Day Multi-Activity Holiday in Albania
Discover Albania’s lakes, mountains & sea on this multi-active adventure!
10% OFF!
7 Day Multi-Activity Holiday in Kosovo
Discover the beauty of Europe’s newest and most fascinating country!
7 Day Winter Activity Holiday in Montenegro
Skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing on the alpine slopes of Montenegro!