Europe 2026

We didn't really know where the Waterfall Rafting Centre was, but as you drive north along the Piva River canyon you can't miss the sign on the road, so we turned off the road down a rough stony track.
After about 1.5km we came to a parking area and a steep stepped track to a building we could see below by the river. The vehicular track was blocked by a chain at that point, so Pat left Tracey, the car and the luggage and walked down and got the ok to drive down to drop the luggage at our cabin.
Driving back up the track to the parking area, the hire car started to make a very disturbing screeching noise. Unable to see any obvious cause, Pat decided to walk back up with Tracey in the morning to investigate before deciding what to do next. Although we had paid the hire company's full insurance which included roadside assistance (22€/day, not a hard decision to make in the Balkans), and had permission (+50€) to drive into Montenegro, we were a long way from Tirana and down an unauthorised gravel track. Happily when we walked up to investigate in the morning the noise had fixed itself. Whew!
The Waterfall Rafting Centre is all on its own in a beautiful shady clearing next to the Piva River, with a small waterfall right across the river. The cabins are small but adequate. The off grid power stops at midnight.
After we checked in and got settled into our cabin, we sat outside to sip our complimentary firewater. Pamela, an American woman travelling with her two young children, joined us for a long chat.
Waterfall runs on a very late schedule, with dinner supposed to be at 8, changed to 9, actually 9:30, and breakfast from 9:00, and rafting briefing and equipping (wetsuits, boots, helmets) at 11.
We were driven about 20km to Brstanovica where we launched the rafts. The guide in our raft was a Serb called Lazar, the lead rafting guide who had studied law but chose to work as a rafting guide, and had rafted all over the world. The other four people on our raft were an American family (very anti Trump).
We travelled about 13km down the beautiful Tara River, with crystal clear blue water, steep forest-covered hills on both sides, and went through numerous grade 2-3 rapids. It was beautiful and great fun.
After a very late (~3:30) lunch we hit the road for Kotor.Читать далее