Things to do on a weekend in Lagos, Portugal

Lagos was my second stop after the Chicks On Waves retreat since it's the closest main city. I had big plans for the city until it started raining heavily and continuously. Online guides and other posts all mention the sunny days of the Algarve. A lot of them failed to mention that the Spring here has a strong chance of rain. On the one hand, April is very quiet in the city and there are only a handful of people around, but on the other, people aren't there for a good reason! The rain in Lagos doesn't play, it's serious and heavy. If you are going to Algarve in April at least pack a rain jacket or an umbrella. Thankfully, I got some dry hours of sunshine and it was glorious. Lagos was actually one of my favourite parts in the Algarve. All the cliff photos that you see in adverts about Algarve come from Lagos. My only regret was not staying there longer! 

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Things to do in Lagos

Explore the architecture of Lagos

The first thing I noticed coming into Lagos was the stone city wall. During my walk, I went to the two main churches there: Igreja de Santa Maria and Igreja de Santo António. They follow the traditional Portugese style of architecture and have some lovely geometric tiles inside of them. Another place I visited was the Forte da Ponta da Bandeira, which is the stone building facing the harbour dating back to the late 17th century. 

Ps. There are some nice walking maps online. I downloaded an offline walking map of Lagos from GPS my city. 

Spot the Graffiti

One thing that I enjoyed about Lagos was all the cool graffiti they had on offer. I spotted a few really cool pieces when I was there walking around the old centre. 

Join a yoga class

Thankfully, right next to my guesthouse was the InLight yoga studio and they offer various classes daily, so the walk in the rain wasn't too bad for three minutes. It was nice to pop down to a session and use my time wisely rather than staying in the guesthouse the whole day. 

Inlight Yoga & Massage Studio

Walk around the cliffs from every side

I saved the best for last. This was my absolute favourite activity in Lagos and it is really worth the hype. The second, the sun came out, I headed there and because beginning of April is still the off-season, I had the cliffs for myself. I led myself from the old town to the further one and I started from the beach all the way up. It took me about four hours and I could have stayed longer, but I didn't want to be alone in the middle of cliffs at night. There are so many fun options to do kayak and stand up peddling. Sadly, the weather was not on my side and could not do either, so please do it for me and tell me how it is!   

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Where to stay in Lagos, Algarve? 

I happened to stay in the cutest little guesthouse in the old centre of Lagos. Having various spaces gave me a good way to spend my rainy morning indoors. I think I would have suffocated if I was staying in a hotel room. I cooked breakfast in the kitchen and stayed there reading from the balcony. The other thing I loved that this guesthouse is located in the middle of old town, which meant that everything was close by. The only down side was that the old town is full of bars and party spots and it meant some loud noises at night. 

Dinas Guesthouse

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Vegetarian Food in Lagos

I LOVED the food in Lagos. Although, I didn't find any halal options, I really enjoyed the vegetarian options they had! Below are the restaurants that I ate in because they were a walking distance from me and they had good reviews.  

• Nah Nah Bah Restaurant (website)
• Beats & Burritos (website)
• The Garden Restaurant (website)

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Silves: Tracing the Islamic Heritage in Algarve, Portugal

Silves: Tracing the Islamic Heritage in Algarve, Portuga

When I finally got some sunshine in Lagos, I decide to go on a day trip to Silves to trace the Moorish heritage in the area. The main thing that is left from that heritage is the castle walls that you can see standing with all their might in the middle of the city. Not much else is left of it though, but it is still good to go and see their influence that is clear through the little chimneys on top of the houses and the tiles inside and outside buildings.

I tried to find the mosque that appeared in Google maps, but after a log walk all over, I came to a regular locked house. It could be the mosque sight, but who knows. I asked some of the locals, but no one knew either. 

How long do you need to see Silves?

The total time of the trip including public transports, sights and a sit down lunch was five hours. 

How to get to Silves from Lagos or Faro by Public transports?
There are two ways from Lagos to Silves: by bus, which is cheaper and stops you closer to the sights, but it takes longer. The other way is by train, which is the way I used. 

The Lagos train station is on the other side of the old town and there is a pedestrian bridge over the marina you can use to cross. I bought my return ticket from the counter at the train station for €5.90. The journey was about 40minutes. It is the same train line coming from Faro, so you can come from Faro to Silvas by train as well, but it will take a little longer.

Ps. Note the time of your returning return because they are every two hours. 

The train station in Silves is 20-30mins walk from the beginning of the old town depending how fast you walk. I did not see any taxis outside the station. There was a bus stop, but I didn't the timing, so I walked. The walk from the station is near a highway/Motorway, but it wasn't too bad. There weren't many cars and I walked by the side on the little pavement. There were other people following the same path so we all walked in one line. 

If you want to visit Silves alongside other locations, it might be worth joining a tour that takes you to them like the Silves, Caldas and Monchique: Full Day Tour (setting off from Lagos)

It's also worth noting the other stops the train stops at in case you want to combine this trip with another city. My suggestion will be Portimão since a lot of activities and boat tours depart from there. You can even get a boat from Silves to Portimão . I was taking it easy on my trip, so I only stopped at Silves.

The benefit of walking from the train station is the lovely view you get of the castle and the cathedral. 

The lovely view you get of the castle and the cathedral when you walk from the train station

Five Things to do in Silves

Stopping by the Market in Silves

One of the first things to see when you walk from the train station is the little traditional market they have there. It was a cute little thing with fresh fish, fruit, flowers and some local produce. It took me five minutes to look and photograph the whole thing.

Going back in time and visiting the Moorish Castle

If you continue on walking, you will get to the town centre and start seeing the castle walls. It was only five minutes walk from the start of the old town. The only thing that remained is the walls and you can walk around them. They had three exhibition spaces; one with a few old objects, one about animals and one with black and white photos of the castle. I didn't like any of them and it would have been better to use the spaces with historic exhibitions that really transport you through time and gives the place an added value. It took me about an hour and a half to walk around the castle walls slowly and photograph the things I liked.

Wandering to Silves Town Hall

I did not even think much of the town hall and did not intend on visiting it but by chance I stood in front of it and was blown away by the tiles so I went in and loved the architecture of the main hall between the staircases. I must have stayed there for 20 minutes taking photos of the tiles any of myself next to them. The ground floor has the tourism information and a toilet.

Resting in the church

From the train station I saw the church in the skyline of Silves and I headed there to see how the inside is. It was a nice church and it took me 10 minutes to see every corner of it. It was good for a sit down and to see the religious symbols of the city.

Exploring the cute streets of Silves

Silves is a cute little town and the old town has so many little streets and alleyways that were mostly empty at 1pm in April. I was actually walking around to find the mosque, but it must have moved somewhere else without Google Maps being updated, but I just continued walking and photographing the tiled buildings.

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Eating in Silves

The old town is mainly touristy, so all the food spots I found were over priced restaurants and I had to eat in one because I was starving. The price of the fish was based on the weight, so check how much it is before it comes to your plate. Half of the Dorada fish I ordered was €17. If I knew, I would have had lunch back in Lagos and then came to Silves to see the sights. I would sugguest only having a beverage there and getting the train back if you are on a budget. If not, enjoy yourself! 

Budget for Silves: 

Train ticket return 5.90 euros
Activities:
Cathedral Entrance: 1 euro
Castle Entrance (student ticket) 1.40
Museum Entrance (student) 1.05
Lunch 20 euros (half fresh Dorada fish)

Books about Algarve and tiles you might like: 

Over to you: What are you planning to do in this destination?

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What to expect when you are going to Hajj for the first time?

What to expect when you are going to Hajj for the first time? 

Last month, I got a request from another travel blogger to contribute in a list he compiled about sacred walks and pilgrimages around the world. The request was to write a little paragraph about my personal experience to the Islamic pilgrimage: Hajj. When I was writing it, it occurred to me that I have never actually shared this on the blog. My pilgrimage happened before my travel blogging days and I just never thought of sharing it before. After writing the 200 words I felt like I still had so much left I wanted to write about to give more details about my experience. I know other Muslim blogger have detailed Hajj and Ummrah guide like the Muslim Travel Girl, but I think Hajj first timers or people curious about this Islamic spiritual journey might find this post useful.

Content: 

• How I went to Hajj
• Important Haj and Ummrah Arabic Terminology
• My Hajj story
• What to pack for Hajj? 
• Where to Stay in Mecca? 
• Useful Resources for Hajj and Ummrah
• Next Stop After Hajj: Medina

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How I went to Hajj

I went to Hajj back in 2009. I was coming out of a rough patch in my life. My mom wanted to cheer me up and reward me, so she and my uncles decided to gift me with Hajj. Of course I would not have gone at 21 years of age otherwise. One of the main conditions for Hajj is for the cost to be from savings and not a debt. It's God's way of making sure that we do it when we are truly able financially and physically. Funnily, earlier that year, I did think to myself "it would be nice to go to Hajj since it was going to fall in the winter months" and by Gods grace everything aligned for it to happen. I was truly blessed. Most people have to save up and plan for years before they get this privilege. The weather was not as nice as I hoped for because Mecca is located in a valley and the weather is consistent year round. Sometimes it rains, but that is not the norm. It is usually hot year round, but when I went that winter there was some nice breeze.

Even with the heat, the mosquito bites and the crowd, my soul was content and filled with comfort. 

Important Haj and Ummrah Arabic Terminology

Me wearing my Ehram. 

Before I go into more details about my Hajj, I wanted to tell you a few basic terms that you might have heard of or read when reading about the subject. I will be using some of them through out this post too just because the English equivalent is usually an explanatory sentence rather than a word. 

- Miqat ميقات is the geographical location where you make your intention to do the Hajj and where you start the journey. 

-Ehram إحرام is used as a verb and as a noun in Arabic. The person who intend to do hajj is entering a state of Ehram. The clothing worn during Umrrah and Hajj is also refered to as Ehram.

- Tawaf طواف is one of the actions of Umrrah and Hajj, where a person circulate the Kabba seven times.

- Sa'e سعي is another action of Umrrah and Hajj and it is the walk between the two mountains, Mount Safa and Mount Marwa, seven times. (Only a tiny bit of the mountains remain now though)

- Taqseer تقصير is the last action of Umrrah and Hajj that indicate cutting the nails and the hair after everything is completed. 

- Hajji حجي A man who has been to Hajj. 

- Hajjiah or Hajjah حجية/حجة A lady who has been to Hajj! So, yours truly here is a Hajjiah. 

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My Hajj story

Photo of Kabba taken in 2008

I headed to Hajj from East of Saudi with an organised group specialising in Hajj by Bus. The journey was almost two days of driving and stopping for food and bathrooms. The bathrooms on the roads were absolutely appalling. I tried to sleep most of the time even though the lady who sat beside was not pleased that I was not chatty. It was the first time I met the group of ladies, but in between the stops, I started getting to know them until we become friends by the time we arrived to Mecca.

Most people make their journey faster and more comfortable by flying directly to Jeddah Airport and taking a car to Mecca. Going by bus meant that we were going to stop at the Miqat in the city of Taif to make our intention for pilgrimage and to change from our black abayas into our white Ehram. In East of Saudi, the ladies usually get their Ehrams sewn especially for the journey. I got two made and switched between them. Although, I wished I had a third one with me! 

We finally arrived to Mecca and I parted ways from the friends I made on the bus because we all had shared room previously assigned for us. There were three other ladies that I shared the room with. I felt a little awkward the first night, but then we all hit it off the next day and I am still in touch with those ladies. I call them my Hajj sisters.

The first task was to do the Ummrah, which is a ritual part of Hajj and can be done on its on year round. I was with a very big group, but we were split to smaller groups of less than 8 ladies and were accompanied by a male and a female helpers that guided us through it all and made sure we preform the tasks correctly and comfortably. Preforming Tawaf, Sa'e and the short prayer took us about three hours. Thankfully, we did it after midnight when the weather was cool. It really makes a difference when the sun is not blasting its heat fully. A lot of the Ummrah and Hajj tasks come from the story of Prophet Ibrahim, his wife Hajar and their son Ismail, which I find very fascinating. The Sa'e comes from the walk that Hajar did looking for water between the two mountains.  

Main Sights during Hajj. Usually Buses transport you in between most of them rather than walking. 

On the 9th day of the 12th Arabic month "Thu Al Hujah", the challenge started when we headed to Mount Arafat to spend the day in supplications and prayer. All I remember now is my feeling towards it all. The group organisers took care of all the logistics, which gave me and the ladies with me all the time to focus on getting closer to God. 

After sunset, we all headed to Muzdalefah, which is another sight that pilgrims must stay in and spend the night there. The floor mattresses were set there and the time was spent between worship and socialising. There were a few fans in the tents, but it was really warm, so I started getting quickly agitated. One of the conditions of Ehram however is to stay as calm as possible because arguments can break the Ehram. It was a real test! 

Zam Zam Water when it used to be good back in 2008 and 2009

The next morning on the 10th, we walked to the Mina area to do more Hajj tasks such as throwing rocks at three columns. This is another action that we are reacting from the Prophet Ibrahim's story. The devil showed up three times to him at three different locations and the prophet threw rocks at him. This part was the hardest part for me hands down. I think I even cried a little. The area of each column is sort of small even with the new rebuilt area and the crowd was TOO MUCH, but by the grace of God and help from others I managed it. The following ritual was to do the sacrifice. Females give this responsibility to the group organisers and it's usually done for us. The sacrificed animal's meat is given to the poor. This also follows a story from prophet Ibrahim. He dreamt that God told him to sacrifice his son and although he was terrified he was willing to do it for the sake of God, but God sent a sheep to him to be sacrificed instead. There are so many donation programs to insure that the sacrificed animals go to people in need. There are also rules to ensure the well fair of the animal before this is done.

The last ritual is Taqseer, where we cut our nails and tiny bit of hair. Everything has to be done in that specific order. When all of this is done then that's it. The Ehram ends and Eid celebrations start.

It felt AMAZING! It went by really fast and although a little tiring, but I got a surge of spiritual energy that kept me going for months. 

Sadly, the cost of Hajj has doubled since I have gone and I am not sure I will be able to afford another one any time soon, but I would love to go again especially that I am older and I have a stronger appreciations for many things. It's a once in a life obligation, but we are allowed to go again. The Saudi government is trying to make it fair for other nationalities as well and limiting Saudi nationals to go to Hajj every five years.          

What to pack for Hajj?

When I was packing for Hajj, I had so much advice from relatives, who have been to hajj, but I still wish I packed a few more essentials, so here is a list that can help you plan your luggage better. Keep in mind that you would need two main, light, white outfits, good footwear, a water bottle and scent free toiletries and creams. Most importantly, you have to take some mosquito repellent, but please the Islamic ruling about this. It might not be allowed. All I remember is that the mosquitos really feasted on me when I was in Mena! You also need some seriously comfortable socks or stick on soles or something since you won't be able to wear your shoes inside the mosque and holy areas espically during Tawaf and Sae.  

Where to Stay in Mecca?

If you are going to Hajj, chances are that you are going with a group or a caravan that would have arranged this for you and it's actually better to let them take care of accommodations and transportations. Even Saudis themselves go with a group that arranges it all.

If you are going to Ummrah however, this can be done on your own. My mother and I have done it multiple times and we just booked a hotel that is a walking distance from the "Haram" Kabaa court. It is easily done on Booking.com, but sadly like any other place, there are busy seasons such as Ramadan and the Hajj month. The off season is much cheaper, but you can only do that for the Ummrah. 

Booking.com

Useful Resources for Hajj and Ummrah

Please note, different branches of Islam, might have different rules and slight variations, so double check the sources you need. The Islamic Mobility online library gives you free books and articles to download Duas website have lists of other relevant information and supplications.  

Next Stop After Hajj: Medina

Coming all the way to Mecca usually means a quick visit to Madinah, the city where the prophet is buried. It is super crowded after Hajj because everyone has the same idea, but if you visit it outside of the Hajj and Ramadan times, it's a little quieter. It's never empty especially in the ladies section since they are usually given a smaller section than the men, but it always warms my soul going there. My mother and I usually stay in close proximity to the prophet's mosque and walk from the hotel to the mosque. You can watch the video below of the last time I went two years ago.   

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Over to you: Are you planning your first Hajj? Have you been to Umrah? Tell me about your experiences in the comments below! 

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Albufeira in one day

Albufeira in one day 

I heard mixed reviews about Albufeira some people really enjoyed it and other friends of mine completely hated it. It is one of the most mentioned cities in Algarve, so I decided to go check it out anyway for the day just to see it for myself. Let's just say that after visiting it, I won't be rushing back there. It really depends on the type of traveller you are and your purpose going there. If you just want to go for beach and resorts then this will be so much fun for you. 

I found it extremely touristy and very built up. Going around it needs a car or an uber. The buses within the city take ages to come and I got really confused with the stations. It I a big place not like all the cute smaller towns I visited in the Algarve. 

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From Faro to Albufeira by Public Transports

I took the train from Faro to Albufira for the day and the return ticket was just over €6. You get a cheaper ticket if you are younger the 26 and have an ID with your age on it. The train station is far away from the old town and the marina, so you can either get a taxi from outside the station, book an uber or get the bus. 

I got the bus from outside the station since it was only 15 minutes away. I knew this from the nice old man who was sat outside. I still cannot understand the bus times and stops. The station bus takes you to the main bus station and you have to get the bus from platform 17 (though check on the day) and that will take you close to the old part of town. I was following the direction

On the way back from Albufira however, I took an uber from the Marina to take my train on time and it was over €12

Things to do in Albufeira

There are a few things that can be done in Albufeira a lot of them involve relaxing on the beach since they have so many beautiful sandy beaches. On the one day I spent there I didn't have time for that and I am glad that my beach day was not there because there were too many people. I got to try a few other things though that you might like!

Walk by the beach 

After spending few days in Algarve and seeing the half empty beaches further up the coast. The beach in Albufeira was a bit of a shock because it was the most crowded that I have seen on my trip. Getting to the beach was difficult to figure out just by using Google maps, but I got there at the end for a little walk. 

Visit the church 

There is something lovely about Portuguese churches and there was one on the way between the old part of Albufeira and the beach. I went inside to cool down as well! It was small, but pretty especially the blue tiles. 

Get some lunch

I found a nice halal Indian restaurant called Indian Night Tandoori that is a short walk from the beach. The food was very tasty and I liked resting in a nice air conditioned place for a little bit.  

Walk to the Marina

It took me half an hour from the restaurant mentioned above to the marina. The walk was really pleasant and quiet. You can see the ocean from above. 

Get on a boat tour

Going on a boat trip was my main motive to go visit Albufeira. I really wanted to go into the caves, so I booked a seat in the coastline and cave boat tour , which didn't turn exactly as I hoped. It was on one of those massive boat tours with at least 70 on board. It was a comfortable sail, but the number of people made it difficult to see some of the sights and we only spent 2 minutes or less inside the cave. It should be called glance at caves tour. I think the tour as an idea is really worth it, you would just have to do some research and go on the smaller boats because I think they would be more rewarding. In April there is a risk of not seeing the inside of the caves all together because of you

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One day itinerary in Podgorica, Montenegro

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When I was researching the capital of Montenegro, Podgorica, most posts advised against going. When I was in Kotor, I asked a few locals about Podgorica and they also confirmed what the blogs have written. I had to go there anyway to catch my flight back home. I took my sweet time in Kotor and didn't leave it until 5pm because I wanted to arrive with some sunshine left just so I find my hotel and not get lost in the dark. I arrived to the capital with zero expectations and with planning to just work from my laptop that evening. 

• How to Pronounce Podgorica?
• Getting from Podgorica Airport
• Is Podgorica Muslim Friendly?
• Things to do in Podgorica in a day
• Where to Stay in Podgorica?
• Packing for Podgorica?
• Podgorica Budget

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Getting from Podgorica Airport

Podgorica airport is a tricky one. The train station near by was not working in April 2018, when I was landing and they don't have any other forms of public transports there. The only option is to get a taxi. Luckily, booking my flight with Ryanair gave me the option to book a transfer with them online. I just went to my "manage booking" page and paid £4 extra to book a car from the airport to the main bus station. On the way back, I got a car booked for 7euros via my hotel.  

How to Pronounce Podgorica?

I didn't even bother to learn how to say the name of the city because I didn't think I would need to since I wasn't planning to spending any time there, BUT when I got there and saw wha's on offer I learnt it!

Say it with me: Pod Go Reista repeat slowly a few times then you will get it! 

Is Podgorica Muslim Friendly?

I was a little unsure what to expect being a Muslim in Podgorica, but I was very pleasantly surprised on how lovely everyone was. I also liked that Podgorica had halal food options and two mosques right in the centre of the city. I didn't see any ladies wearing a scarf, but I was only there for a day. From that limited time, I was very comfortable and I would love to go back there again. 

Things to do in Podgorica in a day

Thanks to the lovely ladies at the hotel reception, I was given a map of the city that had the main sights, which by the way exist! Even though, most of the people in Kotor told me that the current capital has nothing to offer. I had to pack everything in a few hours, but I managed to see a good number of things. It was annoying that I had to rush, but I can at least share some highlights with you on here!

⁃ Hike up "Avanturisticki Park" & See Podgorica from above

I started my morning very early, so I can make it to the Gorica (Go Rista) hill, where the park is located. That is where the name of the city comes from and I loved it. It was like a mini forest with a paved road in the middle for walking and cycling. I spent two hours there trying to reach the view point to see the panoramic view of the Podgorica. I was just walking following my intuition rather than an actual route and due to my limited time, I had to leave before actually arriving all the way to the top. It was still worth it and it was a nice way to see a lot of the locals in their morning routine. A lot of elderly and middle aged couples were working out together and they were so cute! Many people were also walking their dogs. All of which were well behaved. It was a really nice atmosphere and I really enjoyed all the fresh air there. 

⁃ Visit "Crkva Svetog Dorda"

Right outside of the park, there is a lovely stone church, Crkva Svetog Dorda I found it charming with its simplicity and it was good to go and see it on the inside and walk around it. The metal lanterns inside were my favourite. It only took me 10 minutes to see it and photograph it all. It will be good to join it with the park. 

⁃ Walk on the Most Milenium (Millennium Bridge)

On the little walk to the park, I managed to pass by Millennium Bridge. It was really busy that part of the road, so I saw the bridge from a distance. It wasn't anything out of this world, but it was cool to see and walk next to. 

⁃ Explore the Islamic heritage

I was very surprised to even see any Islamic heritage left from the Ottoman times especially that Montenegro used to belong to Serbia and let's just say they were not friends. A lot of cruel history from both parties that lead to the loss of many precious human souls. It is important to know the historical background no matter how sad it is. Back to the architecture, in the few hours I spent I the city, I managed to see two mosques: Starodoganjska Mosque, Osmanagic Mosque. The Starodoganjska Mosque was built in the last 15th century by Skender Chaush. It used to be the only mosque until 1582. The Osmanagic Mosque was built in the 17th century in the old part of Podgorica. 

Both mosques were really nice and small on the inside. I enjoyed going in and spending few minutes in each one. The people I met in there were very friendly and welcoming. 

⁃ Take in the turquoise Moraca river view and stop by Sastavci

I was so mesmerised by the turquoise colour of the river and I could have spent half of the day walking around the river and just picnicking there. I think that alone is enough reason to go to Podgorica. 

⁃ Eat traditional food from Montenegro

One of the happiest moments for me in Podgorica was finding the Pod Volat restaurant. It's halal and they had my beloved Civapi, so I was over the moon. Not to mention that my three dishes and juice were just £8! It was a huge difference compared to the Kotor prices. 

Where to Stay in Podgorica?

I stayed very close to the main bus station in Podgorica in Hotel Terminus In fact, the hotel was almost in the buses parking! Which was great because I arrived from Kotor at night by bus and just walked two minutes to it. It was also a good distance from the old town of 10 minutes walk. The service was great and the amanitas were basic and clean. I really enjoyed it.

Breakfast at Hotel Terminus

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Packing for Podgorica? (Modest Clothing Ideas)

Podgorica gets really warm in the summer. Even hotter than Kotor especially that it's landlocked and does not have the sea breeze. I went it end of April and the weather was getting warmer. The morning was breezy and lovely, but the day kept getting warmer. If you want to pack modest summer clothes then I would suggest light maxi summer dresses with a cardigan and really light shirts and trousers. Of course taking comfy shoes with you there. 

Podgorica Budget

• Plane from London to Podgorica £64.92
• Hotel in Podgorica (One Night) £31
• Dinner in Podgorica £8
• Transfer from Podgorica airport to Podgorica Bus Station £4
• Transfer from Podgorica Bus Station to Podgorica airport 7 euros

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Over to you: Have you considered Montenegro before? What would you like to see?

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Two Days in Kotor, Montenegro

Two Days in Kotor, Montenegro

Kotor is the first city I heard of in Montenegro. When I was in Bosnia and Herzegovina, I got a message from one of my Instagram followers telling me that I should pass by Kotor because it's a gorgeous little city. My trip was already packed, so I couldn't add any more stops to it, but the name stuck in my head ever since! Fast Forward two years later, I booked a quick trip to Montenegro and mainly to see Kotor. The beauty of Kotor and the areas around it is undeniable. Every time I visit a new area in the Balkan, I love that part of Europe even more!

The time I chose to go in April was really good as well especially for walking and hiking. The water was still cold for a swim. Two days were not enough to fully explore everything, but it didn't give me a taste of the city and due to it's increasing popularity, I would probably go to other cities in the future. 

• Is Kotor Muslim Friendly? 
• Things to do in Kotor
• Where to stay in Kotor?
• What to pack for Kotor? (Modest Clothing for Kotor)
• How much money do you need in Kotor? 
• Recommended Reads for Montenegro

Is Kotor Muslim Friendly?

Before we get into any details about Kotor, let's talk about everyone's attitude towards Muslims because that is important when planning a trip. I want to go somewhere, where I feel welcomed to enjoy myself. Short answer is YES. I was only there for two days, so it's not a huge amount of time to assess, but I felt so welcomed there. Everyone I met from the locals and other travellers was really nice. No one stared at me funny because of my head-wrap/hijab. 

The city itself does not have any mosques or halal restaurants. It's a small place, so you can easily get back to the hotel for prayer. Regarding food, there are plenty of sea food and vegetarian options. 

Things to do in Kotor

Kotor is small and the things you can do there are somewhat limited. The suggestions below are good for two days, but I would advice you to actually venture outside of Kotor and visit the other towns and cities of Montenegro because they are so stunning and less crowded. Most of the tourists go to Kotor and Budva. Thankfully, when I was there in April, it was not as bad. However, the horrible gigantic cruise ships that were parked on the Kotor Bay brought a lot of tourists in during certain hours. Plus, the cruise ruined the sea view! 

- Explore old town (Kotor)

The old town also known as Kotor is so lovely! There are so many little alleyways that you can get lost in. The main sights, churches and museum are there too. You can spend half a day just walking around and taking photos especially of all the green doors that they have there. You can easily figure out the walking route and Google maps works fine there too. They have a few free wifi points, but if you need assistance you can go for a free walking tour , a quick paid walking tour or a full on informative walking tour . My time there was so limited, so I just did it myself.

- Go all the way to the top of Kotor

One of the highlights I loved in Kotor was climbing up St Ivan's Fortress and city walls. My advice is to choose your time wisely. I went in April when the weather was fantastic and I still got really sweaty, out of breath and over heated when I went half way up. I went an hour before sunset and I thought that was much better than going there when the sun was on full blast. However, I had to make sure I get back down before it was dark because I didn't want to be up there when it's dark. 

- Day trip by land

I was very lucky to do some good research online and find the 360 Monte tour guide especially that I didn't have a car and I really wanted to visit a few gorgeous places around Kotor. I did their "Great Montenegro Full-Day Tour" and I absolutely loved it. The location of the 360 Monte office was inside the old town facing the old town hostel. It was easy to find and I loved the tour guide lady. She was very sweet and chatty. The tour started with stopping by an old village to get breakfast. It's known for the smoked ham, bread and cheese. Thankfully, they had the option of a cheese and bread only sandwich. The drive continued on around gorgeous views and view points. My two favourite things on this tour were the hour we spent at the old royal capital, Cetinje, and the boat trip in River Crnojevica. The other people on this tour were a young crowd, so alcohol was served in the boat tour, but everyone drank responsibly and was respectful of me not drinking. There was an option to jump in the water on the boat trip, but the water was still on the cold side in April.

If I was staying longoer in Kotor, I would have loved going on the other tours that 360 Monte had on offer.

- Sailing around Kotor Bay

For my second day in Kotor, I wanted to visit their small islands and caves, so I walked to the Marina and picked a three hour boat tour. I didn't really have anything planned like above, but there were a few offers by the marina and I chose the 20 euro tour for three hours. I felt like three hours were a bit much on the boat. There were two main stops by the artificial church island and inside the blue cave, but it wasn't mind blowing. I would advice going on the two hour trip instead. The sea breeze was really cold as well, so make sure you have a sweater with you. 

Where to stay in Kotor?

Most people seem to stay within Kotor, which is the old town area. I wanted to experience the local living and get away from the pricey options, so I choose a little guesthouse called No-follow Apartments Dakovic in Dobrota, which is the neighbourhood/area right outside Kotor. It turns out Kotor is not the name of the whole city, but only the old town, or at least that's what I was told. The place I stayed in was 20 minutes walk from the bus station, 15 minutes from the old town and about 5 minutes from the Marina. I wish I stayed there longer! I loved the view, the quiet and the privacy. The people I met there, who satyed in the old town told me how noisy their nights were. The only annoying thing was is that I was staying in Kotor for only two days, so there was a lot of going back and forth to old town.

If you want to stay in the old town and have a limited budget, you can try the Old Town Hostel . Most of the people I met on my tours in Kotor were staying there. I went with one of the girls to take a look, and it seemed decent and the bed had curtains. They had so many activities planned there as well. They did BBQ on the mountains and a dinner night each for 5 euros. I am not sure how comfortable, I would have felt because a lot of the activities revolved around drinking and I don't drink, but everyone was so nice.

Booking.com

What to pack for Kotor? (Modest Clothing for Kotor)

Kotor's main season is in the summer and most blog posts will tell you to pack bikinis and tiny summer dresses, but that's not usually helpful for the modestly dressed for personal or religious reasons. I have a few ideas that you might find helpful below. The must-haves are flip flops, comfortable shoes, a nice maxi summer dress, a cotton cardigan, jersey scarves, light wide leg trousers and a shirt. The objective is not to over layer and to make that one layer as modest and as light as possible. When it comes to swimsuits, I would either bring a modest swimsuit or a long sleeves swimsuit with water leggings paired together.  

How much money do you need in Kotor?

My experince in the Balkan has been good when it comes to money and spending, but since Kotor is a very touristy place, I spent more than I hoped especially for food! 

• Flight from London to Podgorica (return) £64.92
• Bus from Podgorica to Kotor (return) 14 euros (Around 7 euros each way)
• Hotel for two nights in Kotor (in April) £48
• Tours (360 monte tour was complementary, but boat tour was 20 euros) 
• Food £15 for one main and orange juice. I only had two meals out and made the rest of my meals at the guesthouse because groceries are much cheaper than restaurants. I spent 6 euros for a bag of groceries that made two breakfasts and two lunches. 

I didn't do any shopping there because the items on sale were on the pricier side. 

Recommended Reads for Montenegro

Over to you: Have you considered Montenegro before? What would you like to see?

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Keeping Fit Before and During Travel

Keeping Fit Before and During Travel

As you know, travelling is a big part of my life and I absolutely love it. A big thing that I do while travelling is walking all over the new city I am visiting. I love to walk for HOURS just seeing places and documenting everything. I also enjoy outdoor activities like hiking and walking up trails. Unfortunately, on my last two trips to Portugal and Montenegro, I felt a little embarrassed because I could not keep up with everyone. I got really out of breath, tired and flustered. The same thing happened to me on a local country walk too when everyone was breezing through and I was half dead going up the hill. I didn't like feeling like that at all, so I decided I have to build up my stamina and my level of activity because I want to be able to do all of these things without my own body holding me back.

Although I want to be fit, but I have to confess, I have a love/hate relationship with the gym. Even with my inner motivation, I always have to spend a while to convince myself to go and workout. When the convincing works and I go, I always feel SO GOOD. I am trying to be more consistent with being active, but I am also trying to mix it up with some gym, outdoors activities and even cycling now! Additionally, I am trying to be aware of what I eat too. Saying that, I still eat cake and have lazy days, but it's all about balance! 

In this post, I want to give you some reasons that can motivate your to stay fit (for travel's sake at least if anything), some possible ways for you to keep fit WHILE travelling and lastly some good gym related reads that you might find helpful too! 

• Reasons to Workout
• Staying Fit While Travelling
• Good Gym Reads

 Why do you need to workout and stay fit?

We all know the short answer to this, which is to stay healthy, but let's go a little more into the reasoning because when my head is convinced, my body usually follows: 

Reason 1: You are preparing for your next adventure

A while back when I went on my Atlas Mountain adventure, I got tired after few minutes of climbing and I just dragged myself. I didn't get to enjoy it as much because I was so tired and my body was aching. I don't want the lack of my fitness and stamina stop me from enjoying physical activities on my travels. So, while I workout, I imagine endless hilly walks and fun hikes. That usually gets me going. 

Reason 2: You are giving yourself a break

With the amount of blogging, photo editing and writing I do, I could easily spend my whole day and night in the same posture staring at my laptop. I am not even kidding, I will even eat at my laptop sometimes. Getting up to hit the gym or workout gives me a much needed break. 

Reason 3: Better immunity for better travelling experiences

Working out builds your immunity and makes you stronger, which leads to better travelling experiences. Getting sick while travelling is the absolute worst.  

Reason 4:  More Energy for longer productivity  

I don't know if you feel this too, but some days I wake up with such low energy levels. I noticed that working out increases my energy. I always feel so awake and alert after a workout, which is win win because I get to be productive for longer. 

Reason 5: Great body

l mean hello? Who wouldn't want that and workout does help tone you up. Though a healthy diet is also needed. 

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How to keep fit while travelling? 

If you have a gym or workout routine before you travel, try to keep some of it up when you are travelling. I have a few tips that you might find useful to stay fit when you are travelling: 

- Have a workout session in your hotel or room  

Some of the hotels have gyms and it makes it so easy to stay fit by working out in the morning. Websites like Booking.com can even allow you to choose the "gym" feature while you are looking for a hotel. Unfortunately, most mid budget hotels and guest houses don't have that option. The other alternative is to bring the workout to your hotel room by either downloading workout apps or by just downloading a set of workout videos to have at hand offline. I find this really helpful because so many places don't have a wifi connection! 

- Find a sporty class in the new location

When I was in Lagos, Portugal earlier this year, I happened to find myself stuck for things to do because the weather was very rainy in April, so I found a near by Yoga class and it really lifted my spirit instantly and I want to keep this a habit if time allows when I visit a new city. The great thing is, you don't really need to pack anything up with. I had leggings and trainers anyway, so that was sufficient. You can pack a travel yoga mat if you are funny about these things as well and it shouldn't take that much space. 

- Include active ideas in your travel itinerary

One of my first things that I do in a new city is a free city walk and I LOVE IT! That's at least two hours of walking and it's usually at the start of the day, so that's a good way to get some exercise in. Another idea is to go see a city from the top of hill or get up the stairs of an old building to the city scape like I did all over Prague. I think it's a good way to see the city and keep fit. There are so many tours that offer cycling around the city and that can also be a great option to burn some unneeded calories. 

- Be aware of what you are eating on your trip

I get it food is amazing! I don't even disagree and when you are away on a holiday, I know it gets even more tempting to indulge. I hear this sentence a lot: "oh go on you are on holiday." The problem is that you pay for that moment when you are back from that holiday. Like my Portugal trip clothes from last summer don't even fit anymore. It must be the three Pastel De Natas a day. oops. I should have only one! It's good to try new things but there are common no nos like fried, overly creamy and sugary food. Don't say no to everything, but try to make it balanced. I like to actually have desserts in the morning because I know I will burn them during the day at least.   

- Don't Forget Your Greens

When I am travelling and having meals at restaurants, I don't always remember eating my greens and getting enough amount of veggies. I don't even make it restaurants and end up surviving on carb loaded street food! A good way to make sure your greens are topped up is to go to the grocery store and just grab some fresh vegetable and cut them up to snack on. If that's not possible, take some vitamins with you at least. 

Good Health Reads 

I find reading about fitness and food really useful especially to understand everything logically instead of guilt tripping ourselves all the time! Flat Belly Kitchen is one of the books I started reading on this subject and I found it really helpful because it talks about the sad reality of food and it does not talk about carbs like something evil. They tell you what is good and bad based on their own research then give you alternative. Another good food book is Women Code because it talks about food and hormones, which is something so many women overlook in their daily lives. Roar was my first fitness book that I read and I just love that it was written by a female athlete and it discusses a lot of women issues like working out during a period and the various stages of the cycle and how it affects the performance. It is a heavey read and packed up with research, so it takes time to digest, but it's a good one. The last book "Thiner Leaner Stronger" is the latest book I got and I am still making my way through it. A little skeptical because it was written by a man for women, but he gives a lot of good examples and steps in there.  

I hope you found these tips useful and please comment any more tips you might have! 

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