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Balkans...8 countries..12 days
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  • Racquelle travels

Balkans...8 countries..12 days

A 12-day adventure by Racquelle travels. Read more
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  • Trip start
    May 9, 2026
    Racquelle travelsBalkans...8 countries..12 daysTraveler
    2

    Travel day 1. Travelling to Sofia xxx

    May 9 in England ⛅ 6 °C

    Well after a terrible start to the day of my phone not being able to make calls and not receiving messages. Thank god the taxi driver knocked on the door to let me know he was here..I was sweating like a bitch I tell ya.
    Now waiting in departures at Luton to travel for my first stop of 8 countries in 12 days..Sofia Bulgaria.
    Enjoyed a nice brekkie and now waiting for my gate to show xxx    Read more

  • Racquelle travelsBalkans...8 countries..12 daysTraveler

    First day/night in Sofia

    May 9 in England ☁️ 11 °C

    Well Day 1. Sofia, Capital of Bulgaria, I'm very impressed, went for a great walk earlier, saw many sights and have just been out by night with our tour guide for the Balkans adventure and a few of my tourmates. It's cultural, multi faith, clean, beautiful architecture, great history, a mix of everything!
    A nice welcome meeting, sounds like we are gonna see some beautiful places, and the group is a lovely number of 13! Could have been 40 so really pleased it's a small group.
    I think I shall sleep well tonight, tmw we move onto our next country 😊 xxx    Read more

  • Racquelle travelsBalkans...8 countries..12 daysTraveler
    3

    Day 2. Belgrade Serbia

    May 10 in Serbia ☁️ 25 °C

    Day 2. We have crossed the border to Serbia, Belgrade is a very nice city again, it's been a lovely warm day, tmw due to be warm again in our next country.
    Long travel day on the bus, I was knackered from arrival the day before so kept falling asleep, oh dear only 46 lol but still managed to get my next magnet and have a cheeky local sausage for lunch in a restaurant with a band moving around the tables.
    Am now showered and in bed updating here and drinking a choc milk whilst my roommate and few others go have a drink lmao xxx    Read more

  • Racquelle travelsBalkans...8 countries..12 daysTraveler
    1

    Day 3. Bosnia & Herzegovina

    May 11 in Bosnia and Herzegovina ⛅ 21 °C

    Well we crossed the border today into country number 3, on Day 3 of tour, Bosnia and Herzegovina, what a beautiful bus ride through the countryside it was.
    No wonder they call this 'The Switzerland of South East Europe'. The mountains and forests and lake are stunning, wth views u wouldn't imagine.
    And Sarajevo wow wow wow it's wonderful, after all that went down here with war in the 90's it's truly a beautiful place and the people so kind, they know how to be happy!
    It is also known as the Jerusalem of Europe what with a Mosque, Catholic church, synagogue and an Orthodox church all in close proximity.
    Our tour leader Simon was telling us of his own experience as he was 10 years old when it happened. And our local guide in Sarajevo..Ennis is truly magnificent, funny, warm and so knowledgeable it was a true experience in itself, I'm so glad to have come here.
    I've eaten lots but still time for some baklava before bed 😉 xxx    Read more

  • Racquelle travelsBalkans...8 countries..12 daysTraveler
    11

    Day 4. Balkans xxx

    May 12 in Bosnia and Herzegovina ⛅ 15 °C

    Ah so yesterday were on the the Bosnian side in Sarajevo, today we are on the Herzegovina side and went to beautiful Mostar.
    Well to start..the heavens opened thunder the lot, but then it became really sunny whilst the guide who was great again, showed us around.
    Legend has it that the Stari Most which means old bridge when it was first made, was made of lime, goat hair & egg whites and was built in the 16th century.
    The bridge was rebuilt between 2001 and 2004 after the original was blown up during the croat-Bosniak war.
    We all went for lunch together in a fancy restaurant with views of the bridge, had the most gorgeous crispy chicken, then went and looked around the gorgeous shops.
    Again..wow the the views on the way here, we went along the Neretva River for some way with stunning views and a canyon, an amazing place.
    Tonight we are staying in Trebinje before going to Dubrovnik in Croatia for the day tmw.
    Had a lovely evening sitting outside our next hotel with tourmates but now my evening travel update and bed, am enjoying seeing these lovely places xxx    Read more

  • Racquelle travelsBalkans...8 countries..12 daysTraveler
    1

    Day 5. Dubrovnik Croatia

    May 13 in Croatia ⛅ 19 °C

    Today I went to my 30th country 🎉 Dubrovnik in Croatia which means Oak Forest. It is surrounded by the Adriatic sea which is very salty so you can float, and in places was such a beautiful mix of bright blue and green, there were even fish near the harbour.
    I did a long walk around the city walls with magnificent views (some of game of thrones was filmed in this spot)
    It's a long way around of a couple of hrs with many many view points and lots of steps up and down but well worth it.
    We were very lucky with the weather it was so hot and sunny ☺️.
    The south-eastern part of the Adriatic Sea is very strong seismically and in the 17th century there was a big earthquake which destroyed Dubrovnik.
    All in all a gd day has been had xxx    Read more

  • Racquelle travelsBalkans...8 countries..12 daysTraveler
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    Day 6. Kotor..Montenegro

    May 14 in Montenegro ☀️ 16 °C

    Day 6..and the first thing to do was leave Bosnia and get through the border for our next country Montenegro (later in the day Albania also) and the city of Kotor. Montrnegro means 'Black Mountains' and was named by the Venetians.
    When we got through the border we made a quick stop to take photos from high up because the views of the mountains were stunning!
    When we got to Kotor, unfortunately lots of cruise shops were parked there today but the water was still nice to see from a city walls walk.
    Our tour guide was called Vesna and she gave us a tour for an hour before we could explore on our own devices.
    I joined a couple from the group on a walk to find the Krempita, a beautiful vanilla cream cake slice, oh my gosh delicious, as u can see from the photos 🤣.
    Then did some souvenir shopping and also bought a delicious looking focaccia from a very pretty cafe which is huge and I shall enjoy later.
    Now on the bus again and heading towards Albania for the night, I can say I've been in 3 countries in one day 🙂 🇧🇦🇲🇪🇦🇱 xxx    Read more

  • Racquelle travelsBalkans...8 countries..12 daysTraveler

    Montenegro to Albania

    May 14 in Albania ☁️ 15 °C

    Day 6 now evening, the drive from Montenegro to Albania took much longer than we planned.
    Here at last. Got stopped by traffic police in Montenegro and the border to Albania was packed, happy to be in my own room, no snoring allowed 🙅‍♀️.
    Here's just a few shots from that journey, I shall eat my focaccia the size of my head and then get to bed xxx    Read more

  • Racquelle travelsBalkans...8 countries..12 daysTraveler

    Day 7. Albania

    May 15 in Albania ☀️ 19 °C

    Day 7. We have been to Tiranë for the day in Albania after leaving the most loveliest hotel in Shkodër.
    The flag is of a double headed eagle which represents Albania's geographical stare if where east and west meet.
    As usual when we got there we started the day with a lovely walking tour, the guide as always gave us sooo much information and so I wrote some down so can explain a few of what the pictures are. Then we were given our own free time, I went back to the castle district and had a lovely lunch in the sun and looked around the lovely shops.
    Then I had a wonder around the city before going up the Pyramid that was built in the communist era in 1988 as a homage to Enver Hoxha, he was a dictator who died in 1985.
    A nice little town and now heading to Macedonia for a Balkan night where we will be having dinner together and watching some traditional dancing xxx    Read more

  • Racquelle travelsBalkans...8 countries..12 daysTraveler
    1

    Day 7. Part 2

    May 15 in North Macedonia ☀️ 17 °C

    Day 7. Part 2! After driving outta Albania, country 6, we got to Macedonia no 7 on this trip and our hotel is by lake Ohrid. This is the 2nd largest lake in the Balkan peninsula and there are 19 different kinds of fish that live in there.
    Macedonia has more forests than Scandinavia and the mountains are all limestone.
    I must say I love their flag with a bright sun shining out with Sundays and a red background.
    When we got to the hotel I went for a lovely walk by the lake before we all headed out as a group to some food with traditional dancing and a great band.
    I even got up and danced and it was a really lovely end to the day xxx    Read more

  • Racquelle travelsBalkans...8 countries..12 daysTraveler

    Day 8. Macedonia

    May 16 in North Macedonia ☀️ 14 °C

    Wow..what a day in Macedonia, we slept here the night before at Lake Ohrid so set off from there to visit Lake Naum Monastery and springs which was built in the 10th century.
    It's set in gorgeous surroundings and is very peaceful, apart from the peacocks lol. We were very privileged to be let in on a wedding, very special ceremony going on in this tiny church. We had free time to go look around, so I sat by the water and watched the fish and even saw a lake snake!
    After this our really lovely guide took us around the old town of Ohrid, we saw the bet place to buy pearls and learnt the process of how they are made. My god the jewellery is gorgeous, we even saw another bride in the shop before we could go in.
    We went to a paper making shop (which i later went back to, to buy something) and the process is very interesting.
    Then we did a big walk to church st John Theologian-Caneo which had the most stunning views! It rained on and off but it didn't spoil the day, which resulted in some hilarious times.
    We were walking back down from the church and the lake was getting ferocious..we even had to walk really close to where the waves were splashing up..then we were told we had to turn around by some other people as a bridge we were going to go over was flooded so our guide turned us back and we did an extra hike.
    Then a few of us exhausted and hungry went for lunch but the lake was even more crazy and the waves were getting higher!
    We sat outside freezing but having a laugh as everyone was getting soaked by the rain and waves of the lake...until it was our turn, were ran through pouring vicious rain, we were soaked but having such a laugh, when we got back to the hotel we were meeting at, they handed out towels and our guide leant me his jumper four journey to Skopje still in Macedonia.
    My shoes are still wet and it's been 7 hours!
    Anyways, this evening we have all gone to dinner together at the skyview bar at the hotel as tmw after a walk around Skopje we part ways. Some go back to Sofia for onwards travel, some home and some of us to Greece.
    Have also learnt tonight that the reason I have my own room is because our driver Deki comes from Skopje and has gone home for the night just for me..how amazing is that, I'm so so grateful!!! Might post some pics in 2 parts xx    Read more

  • Racquelle travelsBalkans...8 countries..12 daysTraveler
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    Day 9. Yah soo to Greece xxx

    May 17 in Greece ☀️ 17 °C

    Day 9. This morning we had a walking tour of Skopje, our last stop in Macedonia. This is where Mother Theresa was born although she left when she was 18 and came back only twice, she never got to she her mum and sister again, they had both died.
    The site of her house has a memorial now, it was not rebuilt after the last earthquake in 1963, and about 80% of the city was destroyed leaving thousands homeless.
    I must say I was quite impressed..it's quite funny with all it's monuments, and it's something of a joke here.
    After that, we said farewell as myself and an Australian couple John and Elizabeth headed off to Greece and the rest back to Bulgaria to either go home or start another journey somewhere else.
    We arrived in Thessaloniki just gone 3 and our guide took us on a walk to a gyros place where the size of the gyros was incredible, the pork inside it was delicious!
    Then I came back for a rest for a couple of hours before heading out to catch the sunset as our guide said it would be gorgeous.
    He wasn't wrong! Beautiful! It was really crowded in town, also I bought a large cake on the way back here lol.
    Tmw we form a group with people from Hong Kong who are arriving from touring the Greek islands xx    Read more

  • Racquelle travelsBalkans...8 countries..12 daysTraveler
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    Day 10, Meteora to Delphi

    May 18 in Greece ☀️ 16 °C

    Day 10, the trip is nearly over...sad times!!! But hey ho, closer to another adventure right?!
    This morning we had a small tour around Thessaloniki before leaving for a long journey to Meteora, oh my goodness I had no idea about this place. Supercool rock formations with monasteries and nunnery's sitting on the top.
    Although there are only a few of these now, the views are stunning before and after climbing many steps to get there.
    I would definitely recommend going there!
    After the visit there we went to a beautiful little family owned restaurant where I had crispy courgette and leek balls with tzatziki which were one of the best things I've ever had in my life, followed by a scrumptious traditional moussaka.
    Now we have arrived at our family run hotel in Delphi where I have a balcony with yet again the most wonderful views xxx    Read more

  • Racquelle travelsBalkans...8 countries..12 daysTraveler
    1

    Day 11. Delphi to Athens

    May 19 in Greece ☀️ 13 °C

    Day 11. Today we left for the ancient greek sanctuary of Delphi, which houses the oracle of Apollo.
    The ancient Greeks considered the centre of the world to be in Delphi which is marked by a stone monument called the Omphalus of Delphi, this means belly button in Greek.
    It's a very cool place, the stadium that is there is the most well preserved stadium in Greece and primarily hosted the gymnastics and track and field events of the ancient Pythian games.
    We had a very gd guide which showed us around and then also took us through the museum.
    Next our drive to Athens. Our guide who we've had for 3 days Yiannis took us on a small walk around to orientate ourselves. And then we watched the changing of the guards, they guard the tomb of the unknown soldier and happens on the hour.
    I shall post pics in a separate post part 2 as I can't fit any more on this one lol, I'm waiting to go in the Acropolis and to see the Parthenon. We have all now parted ways, I believe they think I am mad as I keep crying 🤣 xxx    Read more

  • Racquelle travelsBalkans...8 countries..12 daysTraveler
    1

    Day 11. Athens part 2 xx

    May 19 in Greece ⛅ 22 °C

    Day 11..Part 2 of Athens, I visited The Acropolis and The Parthenon which I have seen many many years ago but can't find pictures so was nice to see this before leaving tmw. It's amazing how i'd forgotten how magnificent it is!
    I stopped in town afterwards for some food, bloody hell they were massive portions!! Ordered my taxi for tmw 😭 Xx    Read more

    Trip end
    May 20, 2026