European country named one of the most underrated in the world has £31 flights and its own Niagara Falls
The best underrated countries in the world have been named – and one of them is Montenegro.
According to US News, the Balkan country flies under most travellers' radars, especially in comparison to its neighbour Croatia.
But the small country, bordering the Adriatic Sea, is home to tranquil beaches, medieval villages and rugged mountain terrain.
Highlights in Montenegro include rafting through the Tara River Canyon, which is the deepest canyon in Europe, lounging on pebbly Sveti Stefan Beach or hiking in Durmitor National Park.
Meanwhile, the historic towns of Kotor and Perast on the UNESCO-listed Bay of Kotor boast exquisite Baroque architecture.
And tycoons can often be found sunbathing off the coast on gigantic superyachts, the result of billions spent on gleaming marinas and the five-star hotels from some of the world's most exclusive chains that have sprung up along the beaches.
Montenegro also has its very own Niagara Falls, called the Cijevna waterfall.
The natural waterfall is just a 10-minute drive from Podgorica and, the falls are at their dramatic best in the summer, and Lonely Planet says you'll find locals taking a dip in their somewhat depleted depths in early summer.
The hottest months to visit Montenegro are July and August, when the temperature hits 28C.
But June and September are also warm with temperatures reaching 24C.
MailOnline found Ryanair flights from London Stansted to Podgorica in June for as low as £31 one way.
Meanwhile, Jet2 has flights for £71 from Birmingham to Tivat, and easyJet flies from Manchester to Tivat for just £74.
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The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
A power cut delayed our flight – can we still claim?
Q We were booked on a package holiday in May with to Mallorca, flying from Manchester airport to Palma with Ryanair. There was a power cut at Terminal 3, which caused a delay in refuelling. Eventually the plane moved to a different terminal to refuel. The whole performance took so long that the crew couldn't fly us as they would have been over their legal working hours. A new plane and crew was found, but we eventually took off at 2.30am, about six hours late. Ryanair are saying it's the responsibility of Lastminute, and vice versa. How can we get compensation? Katy L A Sorry to hear about this dismal sequence of events. I imagine that instead of arriving at your hotel by around midnight, you reached it at dawn. In terms of strict liability: Ryanair should have provided a meal while you were waiting to depart. If for some reason vouchers weren't provided, and you had to fork out, then if you have an itemised receipt you will be able to claim from the airline. After that, though, I am afraid that your entitlement is rather more opaque. Under air passengers' rights rules, you would be entitled to £350 in delay compensation if you can demonstrate the problem was of Ryanair's making. But the initial trigger for the delay appears squarely to reside with the airport's inability to sustain the power (albeit to a far smaller extent than Heathrow in March). What happened thereafter can be traced back to the original issue. A lawyer might mount the following argument: that the first flight crew could have flown to Mallorca within their legal hours; the fact that the plane would have had to spend the night at Palma, with the return flight heavily delayed, is irrelevant. But Ryanair would riposte that finding a new aircraft and crew was an example of excellent resourcing, and the solution that caused the least possible delay for passengers as a whole. I sympathise with that argument, and I think a judge might do the same. So I reluctantly suggest you put it down to experience. You might also consider a claim against for the loss of a night of your holiday, but I fear that might prove a waste of effort too. Q I am booking Eurostar from London to Brussels at the end of July for the family: two adults and two children, aged 15 and 13. We'll be staying for three nights in total. Is it best to stay in Brussels or in Bruges, Ghent or Antwerp? The kids want to visit Paris for the day, too. Debra S A On the Belgian options: please cross Bruges off your list right away. While it offers top-grade culture packed into a superbly preserved medieval city, your teenagers would rightly point out that the Unesco-listed historic centre is full of older tourists and offers little for people of their age. Ghent is livelier and only half an hour by train from Brussels. You might all enjoy a spin on a bike around one of the two excellent velodromes. Antwerp, an hour from the Belgian capital, has still more to offer. Illusion Antwerpen is a particularly fun collection of illusions (upside-down rooms, weird mirrors – that sort of thing). Chocolate Nation, claimed to be the 'largest chocolate museum in the world', is an excellent counterpart to the Flemish frites-with-everything cuisine. I recommend Antwerp as a day-trip from Brussels, rather than a place to stay. The capital itself is richly rewarding for families. The city centre is eminently walkable, with an implausibly high density of excellent places to eat. The Comic Art Museum celebrates the Belgian comic strip tradition. The splendid Atomium, outside the city centre, is a 1958 version of what the future will look like. In the impressive Parc du Cinquantenaire, Autoworld Brussels is an amusingly retro car museum. Finally, if you want to combine Brussels and Paris, the sensible way to do it is an 'open-jaw' itinerary. Take the Eurostar train out to Belgium and stay a couple of nights. Then catch another Eurostar (the continental version, formerly known as Thalys) to Paris in around 90 minutes for an overnight stay. Return next day to London on the direct Eurostar. But personally, I'd stay in Belgium every time. Q I made an error booking a flight with a Greek airline, Sky Express. I realised my mistake immediately and tried to cancel without penalty, but got nowhere. Should I be able to cancel within 24 hours? Kaz T A Having made a few online errors when booking flights, I sympathise. I now try to ensure that someone is looking over my shoulder while I buy, double-checking my every move. If that isn't possible, I read out loud the reservation details to myself to try to ensure the trip is exactly what I intended. (When booking through a human travel agent, they should ensure I get what I need.) Travel vendors are generally unforgiving about online booking errors. If you book through an online travel agent, any subsequent changes are likely to be extremely expensive once you click to pay. Even booking directly with an airline, the default is that you get no leeway to change or cancel your booking free of charge. If you need to cancel a Sky Express booking because you have inadvertently booked something completely unsuitable, the airline says 'only airport taxes are refunded'. It does, though, allow changes for €35 (£30) plus any increase in fare compared with the original ticket. The best free cooling-off opportunity is provided by British Airways. If you book a BA flight direct, you can cancel for a full refund within 24 hours of purchase. This offers the chance of saving money, incidentally; sometimes you may find the fare has fallen overnight; if this happens and you are still within the 24-hour window, cancel and rebook at the lower price. The two largest low-cost airlines, easyJet and Ryanair, have slightly different policies. EasyJet allows cancellations within 24 hours of making the booking for a fee of £49 (if done online, £6 more for speaking to an agent). Ryanair has a 'grace period of 24 hours from the time of your original booking to correct any minor errors you may have made' free of charge. What constitutes a 'minor error'? Dates or times of the flight (though if the new one is more expensive, you must pay the fare difference), and even booking flights in the wrong direction, eg Dublin to Manchester rather than the other way around. But these airlines are the exception rather than the rule.
Times
an hour ago
- Times
18 of the best Croatian islands to visit
Somewhere along Croatia's long coastline, you'll find an island that will make the ideal getaway. That's not so hard considering that of its 1,244 islands, islets and reefs strung out in the Adriatic only a mere 48 are inhabited, and all benefit from an Adriatic microclimate that provides nearly 3,000 annual sunshine hours. You can lose yourself in nature among olive groves, pine forests and lavender fields, or kick back in smart beach clubs by the water's edge. Hike and cycle through wooded trails, swim and snorkel in incredibly clear waters off pebbly coves and long sandy beaches and dine on freshly caught fish and homegrown food. Explore beautiful Venetian towns and villages, and find rustic hideaways where life takes on its own pace. Read on to discover the best Croatian islands to visit, and where to stay. This article contains affiliate links which may earn us revenue Best for that castaway feelingThe sailing set and day-trippers from Hvar will know about this little archipelago in full view of Hvar Town. Clubbers in particular will be on the taxi boats going to and from the island outpost of Carpe Diem club on Marinkovac, one of 16 islands in this archipelago. The biggest is Sveti Klement, home to a handful of hotels and holiday rentals, secluded coves and a patchwork of olive groves and vineyards. Follow rocky footpaths to bijou harbours and waterside restaurants serving just-off-the-boat fish. Choose one of four luxurious suites — all with their own pools and/or hot tubs — at Zori Timeless Hotel, in a sheltered bay in Sveti Klement. • Read our full guide to CroatiaBest for car-free daysTake the 30-minute ferry from Sibenik and you're in Zlarin's three square miles of laid-back loveliness. No cars are allowed here, just two feet and two wheels. It's the place to wander through olive groves, orchards of figs and almonds, and cypress-studded slopes. Hike up to its highest point, Klepac, at about 169m (550ft), to admire the views of the Sibenik archipelago and the hovering Velebit mountains. Rent a kayak or paddleboard for a leisurely exploration of the island's hidden coves. For a change of scenery, take the little ferry that shuttles across to neighbouring Prvic, which is even more laid-back. Stay in Zlarin village at the self-catering House AnaDora, which has its own pool hidden behind a stone wall. There's one bedroom plus a sofa bed in the lounge. Best for wineAll those lovely things that are summoned up by thoughts of Adriatic coast holidays — sun glare, beaches, sapphire seas, crisp white wine — come together on Croatia's Lumbarda peninsula. Vela Przina beach is 365m of biscuit-coloured sand and blue shallows. Behind it grows a unique grape from antiquity: grk. Flit between the beach and tastings of dry white in informal family vineyards — Bire and Zure are excellent. Enjoy views of Korcula old town from the pool, huge terraces and bathing platforms of Aminess Younique Liburna Hotel, which is about a ten-minute walk for sleepy villages and pebbly covesQuite how visitors manage to miss this island that sits directly in front of Split, yet is often ignored in favour of Hvar and Brac, is a bit of a mystery. With its sleepy fishing villages, craggy coastline, pebbly coves and acres of olive groves and vineyards, Solta gives a delicious flavour of slow-paced Dalmatian island life. Make your way from Maslinica on the west coast via the ferry port of Rogac, and end up in Stomorska's harbour, facing a giant plate of seafood at one of the rustic waterside restaurants. Soak up the history of the Heritage Hotel Martinis Marchi, a 300-year-old former palace in the pretty port of Maslinica with a pool and gorgeous for the feelgood factorWhen the 19th-century Habsburg emperor Franz Joseph inhaled the herb-scented air of Losinj, he fell in love with this long thin island in the Kvarner Gulf. Losinj is as relaxing and healing as ever, with the fragrance of wild thyme, pine, rosemary, juniper and helichrysum inducing a welcome sense of bliss. Wander past the baroque sea captains' houses of the main village, Mali Losinj, and its Venetian-style near neighbour, Veli Losinj, before going for a swim in the emperor's favourite Cikat Bay. Feast on lamb from the neighbouring island of Cres on the waterside terrace of Lanterna Grill after a bike ride on the pine-scented footpath that rings parts of the island. You'll be in the heart of beautiful Ciktat Bay when you stay at the regal Hotel Bellevue, with its large swimming platform and enormous for silver screen momentsThe cast of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again danced and sang on Vis's beaches. Now it's your turn, and my, my, how can you resist Stiniva? It's a natural amphitheatre formed by cliffs, with just a narrow channel open to the sea. The pebbles are smooth, the air clear, the water calm, and lunch is octopus salad in a fisherman's shack. Boat tours from Hvar pull up by noon, so arrive early. Or go exploring — thanks to Vis's indented coast, endless dreamy wild coves wait to be discovered. The family-run Hotel San Giorgio in Vis Town is just a few yards from the waterfront, and has a delightful courtyard garden and restaurant surrounded by for golden sand Rab is an island of sand in a country of shingle. Stuff that's fine enough for making castles lies all along the bays of the Lopar peninsula in the north of the island. Rajska beach is over a mile long and has shallow seas and a lot of snack bars. The name means paradise, but unless your version includes children you'll prefer Livacina (cooler, livelier) around the bay, or Sahara (wilder, nuder and only accessible on foot). Arbiana Heritage Hotel in Rab Town is an elegant 1924 villa with a lovely outdoor pool terrace and fabulous sea for postcard-perfect picturesThe finger of golden shingle framed by cerulean shallows that you've seen on countless tourism posters? That's Zlatni Rat, a Croatian cape near Bol on the island of Brac. This pin-up of Croatian beaches is beautiful, obviously, but also busy: crowds are heavy in peak season and the prices high. Unless you've come to windsurf, sort out your tan at Murvica beach, wedged between trees two and a half miles to the west. Babin Laz, on the north coast near Supetar, is another stunner. Hikers can follow the rocky trails that lead to Vidova Gora, which, at 780m (2,559ft), is the highest peak on the Adriatic islands. The adults-only Hotel Milna Osam is in the laid-back port of Milna, with superb views of the harbour from its outdoor pool and sprawling swimming platforms. Best for partyingUnlike most destinations in Croatia, for nine months the island of Pag is as silent and magical as a desert. Then from mid-June until late August, Zrce beach in Novalja morphs into a Croatian Ibiza with tunes from the nightspots Aquarius, Kalypso, Noa and Papaya and beautiful people sipping cocktails at beach bars. The action starts at about 4pm, before which you'll be stretched out on the beach. But there's also the quiet side of the island — Pag Town is a completely different world, with a family-friendly beach and a string of waterside restaurants. If you want a change from party-mad Novalja, chill out in Pag Town at Hotel Plaza which has an infinity pool and terrace overlooking two beaches. Best for a time capsuleThe protected marine Eden of Telascica Nature Park, little more than two hours by ferry from Zadar, is a living time capsule. Among 25 coves and six inlets dangling on the claw-like southern edge of the island of Dugi Otok, you'll find evidence of human habitation dating back beyond the Romans — who built lavish villas and planted olive trees and grapevines on the hillsides — to the earliest humans who left flint tools scattered about the place. Today visitors come for much the same reason: to feel the sun on their face, listen to the breeze stir the branches of Aleppo pines and holm oaks, and to plunge into the vivid waters of the saltwater lake Mir, meaning 'peace'. Surrounded by olive groves and with dreamy sea views from the pool, the ultra-luxurious Villa Nai 3.3 has eight suites dug into the hillside à la James Bond films. • Best hotels in Zadar• Best places to visit in Croatia Best for greeneryThere's something about Mljet's luscious greenery that instantly puts you in a mellow mood. Almost half of Croatia's greenest island is home to Mljet National Park, where you can wander or cycle through pine forests past two saltwater lakes and up into the surrounding peaks. Take the dinky little boat that chugs across the larger of the two lakes to the monastery on St Mary's Island. Afterwards, head to the southern side of the island and join the locals jumping off the limestone cliffs into the blue depths of the Odysseus Cave — if you're brave enough. The immensely stylish PineTree Boutique Apartments overlook Saplunara Bay and its sandy beaches. There's also a pool and one of Mljet's best restaurants, Kod for hedonistic funPartygoers in search of throbbing beach clubs descend on Hvar Town, turning the ancient streets into another Croatian version of Ibiza. But if you prefer peace to partying, there's so much more to the island. Stroll through the laid-back Venetian streets and cobbled squares of Stari Grad, and breathe in the heady scents from the lavender fields that cover so much of the island. Step back into ancient history just outside the town, where the Unesco-listed Stari Grad Plain still has the vineyards and olive groves created by the Greeks more than 2,000 years ago. Carry on eastwards if you want to kick back in the relaxed villages of Jelsa and Vrboska, where pebbly beaches are backed by cooling pines. In a prime harbourfront spot in Hvar Town, Adriana Hvar Spa Hotel has one of the area's best people-watching restaurant terraces and a rooftop pool. • More of the best hotels in Hvar Best for room to roamCres is tied with its Kvarner Gulf neighbour Krk as Croatia's largest island, but with more sheep than people there's plenty of space to go round this long, strangely shaped island. And with all those sheep, it's not surprising that you'll find some of the best lamb in Croatia. The biggest settlement is Cres Town, a pretty little place of Venetian houses sheltered in a deep harbour with laid-back waterfront restaurants. If you want quiet, pebbly beaches, you're in luck. Some, such as Kruscica on the eastern coast, need a bit of effort to get to, but Lubenice and Valun are easier to reach. Pop into the tiny wildlife sanctuary near the village of Beli and catch glimpses of rare griffon vultures. The Isolano, Cres, Autograph Collection is a luxuriously chic addition to the otherwise sleepy Cres Town, with an infinity pool, spa, excellent restaurant and direct beach access. • Best luxury villas in Croatia• Best beaches in CroatiaBest for charming villagesIt's easy to reach Krk, thanks to the bridge that attaches the island to the Croatian mainland. Most visitors head to the south to Baska beach — lots of sunloungers, water sports and beach cafés — along with slightly quieter spots including Stara Baska. Get a sense of the island's long history by strolling around Krk Town's Venetian-style marble alleyways past medieval fortified towers. If you like your wine crisp and white, visit the charming village of Vrbnik, which produces the indigenous zlahtina wine from its neighbouring vineyards. Vrbnik also has the dubious distinction of having one of the narrowest streets in the world, Klancic, which at just over 40cm wide is probably best avoided after a heavy lunch. The family-run Hotel Villa Margaret is on Malinska's waterfront on the northern coast, and features a pool, spa, bathing platforms and home-grown produce in the for seclusionBy the time you reach far-flung Lastovo, you're practically on your way to Italy. It's actually on a regular ferry route from Split and Korcula, but this small island does make you feel as if you have pitched up in the back of beyond, in the most agreeable way. Home to fewer than 1,000 people, the entire island, along with its archipelago, is a nature park. The idea here is to walk the forested trails around the island, stopping at small coves for a refreshing dip, maybe hiring a kayak and going over to one of the scattered islands for a bit of snorkelling. It's barren but beautiful, a rugged place where tiny mountain restaurants will serve you peka — meat and vegetables cooked for hours over flames in a pot with a bell-shaped pan lid — while waterside cafés offer local lobster. The guesthouse Augusta Insula has smart rooms and apartments in the yachtie hotspot of Zaklopatica Bay, where there's a pool, large terrace, wonderful views and a for lazy ramblesWhile day-trippers from Dubrovnik pile into boat trips that cram in all three of the inhabited Elaphiti islands in a day, visitors in less of a hurry will stick to just one and feel time slow down for a while. That's what you get on Sipan: although it's the largest of the trio and the only one that allows cars, life here is hardly rushed. Hire a bike to cover the three miles between the two villages of Sudurad and Sipanska Luka, passing olive groves and vineyards. You should spot some of the ruins of the 15th-century palaces built by Dubrovnik nobility in search of an island bolt hole. They had the right idea. Set into a pine-covered slope near Sudurad's ferry port is Hotel Bozica, whose outdoor pool and restaurant overlook the sea and swimming for boat tripsIf you've been paying attention to Croatia's dance music festivals over the past couple of decades, you'll have seen the Garden Tisno pop up regularly as the host of everything from SunćeBeat to Defected Croatia. But cross the little bridge from the festival site and you'll come to the chilled-out island of Murter. Away from the dance crowds you'll find cute little villages and pebbly beaches, as well as a museum revealing Murter's proud heritage as an island of shipbuilders. It's no surprise, then, that it's a popular launching point for visits to the mesmerising islands of the Kornati National Park. Ultra-modern Zakan's five apartments are stacked like white cubes opposite Bettina harbour. All have terraces and sea views, and the penthouse has its own hot for beachesLopud island, an easy ferry ride from Dubrovnik, is home to some of the finest beaches in Croatia, which considering that the country has a coastline about 3,700 miles long, is no mean feat. The serene arc of Sunj to the south of this peaceful island rivals the wild sands of Nin near Zadar for beauty and peace. RMH Lopud Lafodia rises like twin cruise ships divided by cascading gardens and is a 20-minute walk from Sunj beach. Pools, a huge spa, bathing platforms and five restaurants and bars will keep you entertained. Mary Novakovich is the author of My Family and Other Enemies: Life and Travels in Croatia's Hinterland (£8.99; • Best things to do in Croatia
Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Flight attendant reveals real reason why you should never swap seats
By Switching seats on a plane is always controversial. And now a flight attendant has taken to social media to warn passengers not to let another holidaymaker switch seats with them. Leanna Coy, a cabin crew member based in the USA, posted a TikTok video titled ' Why you shouldn't switch seats on the plane'. The flight attendant explains that she was recently asked to switch seats with a passenger on a United Airlines flight. Leanna says that the woman asked her to swap her aisle seat for another aisle seat in a different row. She reveals: 'Normally, I am absolutely 100 per cent against changing seats. Your lack of planning should not constitute me having to move.' But on this occasion, Leanna explains that she decided to swap seats. However, the flight attendant quickly regretted her decision. The cabin crew member says that if the woman did anything against the aircraft's rules, such as smoking in the bathroom, her behaviour would be associated with Leanna's seat number. And there's another reason that Leanna says she was left 'anxious' by her decision to trade seats. 'I realised I'm flying United,' explains Leanna. 'If you know anything about United's service, if you want to buy drinks or anything, you have to put your card onto the app ahead of time, which I've done before.' This means that the passenger who swapped with Leanna would be able to access her card to pay for items. Leanna claims that she spoke to the flight attendant who confirmed that the passenger would be able to use Leanna's card to order items to the seat. She adds: 'Now, do I think this lady was trying to scam me out of money on my card? No. But that's just something to be aware of. 'I fully support you if you don't want to switch seats. You are entitled to the seat that you chose.' In the comments, TikTok user and cabin crew member 'FAWN' says: 'I always ask people their last name when they buy a drink to verify it's the saved card. 'Honestly I don't ever charge without verifying because I'm always scared I'll charge the wrong person.' And another flight attendant agrees, saying: 'Usually we ask for last names for inflight purchases'. But a user who said they worked as a United gate agent, also warned passengers not to switch seats on the plane. 'Molly' says: 'Please never switch up seats without telling the gate agents/flight attendants, for the exact reasons you said and we can get in trouble.' A flight attendant recently revealed why crew are required to carry two flashlights at all times.
