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
North Macedonia's food scene, explained: ajvar (now stocked in UK supermarkets), Decanter gold-winning wines, honey from mountain flowers, wild strawberries gathered on hikes and tavče gravče — the slow-baked bean stew better than beans on toast. ![]()
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We've been eating and drinking our way around the country, from Skopje's Old Bazaar to the sheep's cheese capital of the Balkans. ![]()
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Full food and wine guide is live now — lin#northmacedoniat#macedonianfoodo#ajvara#balkanfoodd#foodtravell#HiddenGemEuropev#undiscoveredbalkans#undiscoveredbalkans
The quickest way to become the coolest parent on holiday? Say "yes" to this… 🇲🇪 💦 😄![]()
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Canyoning is one of our favourite family adventures in Montenegro: cool, rushing waterfalls, zip wires, river-wading, cliff-jumping and plenty of laughs. This one hidden in a ravine near Bar has just the right level for beginners and younger adventurers, and it marks the start of a whole week of fun on our 7-day Family Adventure Holiday.![]()
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Today's day three, and our families this week are up at the Tara river for more thrills, whitewater rafting. We love seeing the way adventure activities like this bring families closer through shared challenges, thrilling experiences, and memories that last long after the holiday ends.![]()
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If this looks like your kind of fun, check out Montenegro and our Family Summer Adventure Holiday for next year! Find out more via the link in the comments. 👇![]()
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#undiscoveredbalkans #undiscoveredmontenegro
Five stars for a week of adventure in Albania! 🇦🇱✨![]()
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"The countryside is beautiful, the people friendly and the food amazing. All the activities went smoothly and enabled us to see Albania in all its glory.”![]()
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A huge thank you to Marianne, Roy & Rebecca for sharing their experience after exploring Albania with us, earlier this July.![]()
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From dramatic mountains and crystal-clear rivers to delicious food and genuine local hospitality, Albania has turned out to be the quiet super-star of our season, with more travellers than ever joining us here. We're proud to count knowledgable, passionate local guides like Alfie among our team, who turn the experience into something extraordinary.![]()
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Ready to discover Albania for yourself? Send us a DM or visit the link in the comments to learn more about our small group adventures here, consistently rated five stars. ![]()
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#undiscoveredbalkans #undiscoveredalbania
A country of wild mountains, ancient lakes and epic landscapes. ![]()
📍 North Macedonia is the kind of place that surprises you around every corner.![]()
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In celebration of our new organised adventure here, we’ve shared 12 fun facts about Macedonia on the blog – including why Ohrid was once called the “Jerusalem of Europe”, the secret behind Ohrid pearls and the surprising British connection hiding in Skopje.![]()
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Ready to find out more about this intriguing country? Read on… 👉 undiscoveredbalkans.com/north-macedonia-fun-facts/ ![]()
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📸 All footage taken on our inaugural tour this month![]()
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#undiscoveredbalkans
Europe has a secret. And it's called Macedonia. 🇲🇰![]()
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We've just returned from our inaugural Macedonia Activity Holiday, with travel writer @camillabelldavies joining us for the adventure. Our camera roll now looks like this…![]()
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Imagine waking early to hike dramatic karst mountains with panoramic views that could double for Vietnam (just swap the monasteries for temples), then kayaking an emerald-green river to reach one of Europe's deepest underwater cave systems, before ending the day in a remote mountain village where wild juniper berries are gathered to flavour some of the world's best-known gins.![]()
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And that's just the start of 8 days exploring this remarkable country. 😄![]()
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Over the week we rode horses across alpine meadows bursting with wildflowers, climbed spectacular mountain peaks, swam in glacial lakes perched more than 2,000 metres above sea level, explored centuries-old monasteries, paddled at sunset on UNESCO-listed Lake Ohrid, watched Dalmatian pelicans at neighbouring Lake Prespa, and enjoyed some exceptional food along the way.![]()
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It's impossible to capture it all in one photo dump, so consider this a preview. We'll be sharing much more from Macedonia over the coming days and weeks.![]()
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If you've never considered visiting before, it's high time you did. We'd love to introduce you to one of Europe's most underrated destinations alongside Vojislav, our wonderful local adventure leader. More details about our new offer here at the link in com#undiscoveredbalkansl#undiscoveredmacedonia in touch!![]()
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#undiscoveredbalkans #undiscoveredmacedonia
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Holidays
£100pp off!
7 Day Villa Activity Holiday Montenegro
Our original Lake Skadar adventure loved by everyone!
£100pp off!
7 Day Multi-Activity Holiday in Albania
Discover Albania’s lakes, mountains & sea on this multi-active adventure!
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!