As a business, we don’t often sit back and look at how far we’ve come in the last 15 years. But the return of our very first guest to Villa Miela a couple of weeks ago took us on a trip down memory lane.
In case you haven’t read our story, we started out as a husband and wife duo running holidays out of our Lake Skadar home and we’re now a multi-destination operation with a stellar team of guides and staff.
Jillian Dingwall has witnessed our transformation and it’s been humbling to hear what she has to say. We’re thrilled to see that despite growing and evolving over the years, offbeat adventure is what we strive—and are known—for.
Then…
Jillian travelled with her sister and their partners to Villa Miela in 2011. Having been to Croatia, they were looking for somewhere a little more off the beaten path and something adventurous—enter: Undiscovered Montenegro, our sister site.
“Seeing that Ben and Emma were British, we thought it would bypass some of the language barriers and avoid us flailing around the unknown,” says Jillian. “I had no idea we were their very first reservation and there was no hint of that during our stay either—everything ran so smoothly. We did so much: hiking to a bat cave, wild swimming, kayaking on the lake, a safari, wine tasting, and then on a fancy yacht trip off the coast.
“It was such a memorable holiday, I spent the next decade telling everyone I knew to go there. We really didn’t know what to expect and the natural beauty of Montenegro just blew our minds.”
“It was such a memorable holiday, I spent the next decade telling everyone I knew to go there.”
Until now, Jillian had been quietly keeping an eye on us and recommending us to her friends (thanks Jillian, feeling the love!) She returned to Villa Miela in June with 10 others to celebrate a family friend’s 60th birthday. “She’s an adventurous, active and fun-loving lady so I said, ‘I know just the place’.” UB co-founder Ben flew out specially to meet her and catch up. “It was like meeting up with an old friend,” says Jillian.
Now…
“Our family and friends are spread all over Europe so we don’t get to see each other much. Sitting round the terrace table every night over dinner and wine, we just laughed non-stop and cried happy tears.”
It’s good to see our hiking and kayaking offering were highlights again for Jillian and the group. They hiked to Orahovo Polje (Walnut Valley) and ate a local lunch, and kayaked on Lake Skadar to island monasteries and convents. “I could really see that [Ben and Emma] had learned about the area over the years and have hunted down the best of the best,” says Jillian.
Another difference was the presence of more staff. “The first time we visited it was literally just Ben and Emma doing the tours, but this time we had a local guide—Nikola, who was just brilliant. He was essentially charged with herding cats (we are quite an excitable group) and he did it effortlessly.”
“The group arrived not knowing what to expect having never been there before, but I was quietly confident (some would say smug), because I knew they were going to have an absolute blast—and they did.
“I’m incredibly proud of Ben and Emma for what they’ve achieved since I first visited. It takes a lot of courage to throw everything into a project like that in a country that at the time, was really not known in Western Europe for tourism. It was a serious punt, and to watch the business take off over the years and be featured in so many reputable newspapers, magazines, websites, has been an absolute joy.”
“I’m incredibly proud of Ben and Emma for what they’ve achieved since I first visited.”
“Selfishly, I’m also glad that as the first ever reservation, I get to be a tiny part of that history (I think I should get a plaque or something?) I definitely won’t be waiting another 14 years to visit them again, they’re not getting rid of me that easily.”
Ahh shucks, Jillian. We can definitely look into that plaque!
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