Montenegro

Despite being situated on the Mediterranean, Montenegro actually can be quite cold, with heavy snowfall in winter in the inland cities. The highlight of any trip to Montenegro is Kotor, an idyllic town on the Adriatic coast. This medieval old town has several ancient churches and some very cool architecture and wonderful restaurants. Loved Kotor … you will too!

Another must-see place is Sveti Stefan (St. Stephen) fifteen minutes away from Budva by car. It is a known favorite vacation spot for many celebrities and iconic figures, including Queen Elizabeth II and Marilyn Monroe!

The capital of Montenegro is Podgorica and the official language is Montenegrin. About 700,00 people live here. The dominant religion is Orthodox Christianity, divided between the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Montenegrin Orthodox Church. Islam is the largest minority religion.

Kotor as the sun is setting … breathtaking

The colors in this ancient city are spectacular

Tajikistan

To get from Turkmenistan to Tajikistan in '16 I had to fly to Dubai, endure an 6 hour layover and then fly 3 hours to Dushanbe. Tajikistan is the smallest of the “Stans” in terms of population and definitely the poorest. This country has recovered little since...

Iceland

At the Blue Lagoon Spa, 2015 Spectacular scene of waterfall on the Golden Triangle tour Country Information: The capital of Iceland is Reykjavik, a beautiful city with rooftops in various vibrant colors. About 350,000 people live here and the main language is...

Croatia

Beautiful Walled City of Dubrovnik, Croatia Kutrubes Travel planned an exquisitely complicated tour for me through "eastern" Europe, helping me to make the most of seeing the highlights of these countries in the most meaningful way, without just zipping through. I...