For a well-seasoned traveler, the greatest joy is stumbling upon a hidden gem. A place ripe for tourism, but unspoiled by the negative aspects of hordes of people descending upon an idyllic spot that taint and can destroy the very aspects that make a location great. Such is the case with Lake Skadar in Montenegro. Just an hour outside Kotor and Podgorica we were attracted by the natural unspoiled beauty of the lakes, rivers, islands and lily pads. However, it has the hospitality and kindness that matched the sights that made Lake Skadar one of our favorite stops.

Our journey there wasn’t direct. We were only an hour out of the way to hit Albania. It was cloudy and rain was in the forecast so we figured we’d take a nice countryside drive. We quickly ran into challenges as roads disappeared into construction pits. Apparently, they hired the same people that have been “fixing” 295 in NJ for the last decade. The drive was enjoyable otherwise with views of rural farm life and towards the end Lake Skadar itself. We crossed over the border, did a quick dress shot and had some Albanian soup before heading back over to Montenegro and Lake Skadar.

We stayed in an inexpensive guest house. Literally, $30 a night. The view from the room that was incredible.

However, there was little time spent in the room, instead when not walking along the winding (and very hilly) road to take in the beauty of the snaking river we spent our time on their sprawling patio soaking in the view and gregarious guests from all over the world (Brazil, Europe, Russia…) The guesthouse (Sindjon) was run by a family with Dusko and Lubica at your service. He used to own a restaurant and that was a skill he put to good use. We ended up ordering all of our meals from him on the patio. Why go elsewhere?

He was also your tour guide, aka boat driver as well as local moonshine producer. We hired him to take a boat ride along the river for three hours. The tour was complete with a spin down the river, a stop at a local monastery at the top of an island, the universal lubricant of his home brew and amazing bird life.

The actual vista that attracted us to the location didn’t disappoint either. Easily accessible from the side of the road, it matched the beauty of the USA’s Horseshoe Bend, just painted in hues of green instead of brown.

Anyone visiting Montenegro shouldn’t miss a stop at Lake Skadar.