Ben is half of the brains behind our operation here at Undiscovered Balkans (the other half being his other half, Emma). We caught up with Ben to find out more about his life and travels before UB, why he fell in love with the Balkans... and why some locals call him Branko. Tell us a little bit about your life, work and travels before coming to the Balkans? Before making the Balkans my home, I spent 15 years in international publishing in London. It's safe to say that I prefer the work/life balance I have now! I've also been fortunate enough to travel extensively. I've visited every continent except Antartica and some of my most memorable destinations are Venezuela (where my mum's from), Tanzania, Madagascar, Burma and Indonesia. What was it about Montenegro that just made you want to stay? I've been to some of the world's most beautiful countries and yet I simply couldn't believe that such staggering, African-style natural beauty had been hiding on my doorstep just a three-hour flight away. There's no country I've ever been to that has a higher "cool-s**t-per-kilometre" rating! What's unique about the Balkans compared to other parts of Europe? The Balkans has always been the slightly exotic border of where West meets East - it's a real melting pot of cultures, with a fascinating history that covers a vast area. What are three of the biggest myths about the Balkans? Balkan people are not scary! They are welcoming and loyal Likewise, the spectre of war need not hang over the region any longer - we are already a generation past that conflict Lastly, Balkan people are NOT lazy - they just have life figured out better than the West does! Why do some people over there call you Branko? My
Ben is half of the brains behind our operation here at Undiscovered Balkans (the other half being his other half, Emma). We caught up with Ben to find out more about his life and travels before UB, why he fell in love with the Balkans… and why some locals call him Branko. Tell
