ABOUT US
Undiscovered Montenegro is a UK-registered adventure travel company founded in 2008 by British husband and wife team and Montenegro residents, Emma and Ben Heywood.
Between us, we have travelled to over 50 countries worldwide. We like to think that when it comes to taking the road less travelled in search of untouched, natural beauty, we’re hard to impress – so when we first saw Montenegro – and Lake Skadar in particular (a place we later made our home) – our immediate impression was disbelief that such epic, African-style natural beauty had been hiding on our own doorstep in Europe.
From that moment, came our inspiration to bring a taste of safari to one of Europe’s wildest countries. We started out in 2008 by renovating our own property – Villa Miela – to become our ‘Activity Base’ for week-long hosted holidays at Lake Skadar – and have since branched out to cover more of this incredible country and even into Albania and Croatia with the help of our small team of expert guides, some of the best company you could hope to keep and with unrivalled knowledge and passion for the lesser-known gems.
Living as locals with our growing young family, we have been committed from the beginning to bringing a responsible, sustainable approach to tourism to Montenegro’s national parks. Our small group activity and nature holidays are high impact in experience but low impact on the environment – and also, crucially, are designed to give back to local people and wildlife. Undiscovered Montenegro actively supports local pelican conservation, environmental action and community regeneration, so when you choose us, you’re giving back too. Read even more reasons why to choose us.
Come on our amazing adventures and we’ll introduce you to a world undiscovered!
MEET THE TEAM
Emma
A seasoned backpacker, Emma’s itchy feet have taken her across Africa, Asia, Australia and America in search of adventure and new experiences. She worked as a conservationist in Zambia, a press officer for the British Government and for the US oil industry before deciding her future lay in sustainable tourism in the Balkans. Inspired by Lake Skadar’s incredible, ever-changing scenery, Emma is able to indulge her love of travel, yoga, art and photography to the full running Undiscovered Montenegro’s adventures. In her spare time she volunteers her publicity skills to local conservation projects and initiatives and enjoys strong Turkish coffee. She speaks English, Serbian/Montenegrin and French.
Ben
Born in Scotland, raised in Venezuela, Germany, the UAE and the UK, Ben speaks English, German, French and Serbian/Montenegrin, and is a BCU qualified kayak coach. Prior to setting up Undiscovered Montenegro with Emma, Ben spent a 15-year career in international publishing. The renovation of an old stone house on Vis Island, Croatia and a round-the-world trip to Asia, Africa and Australia with Emma convinced him that the world had more to offer than just an office. The result was the conviction that he could have a career based around his passions for hiking, kayaking and home-cooking with some of the finest organic ingredients and wines in Europe!
Vuk
Vuk is a man of many talents – radio show host, voice-over artist and committed eco-phile, he is one of the very few locally qualified kayak guides in Montenegro. His passion for the outdoors also extends to his origins in the north of Montenegro, where he helps to run our hiking and multi-activity adventures in Biogradska Gora & Durmitor National Parks. Vuk speaks excellent English and of course Serbian/Montenegrin.
Bojana
Bojana might well be said to have written the book on sustainable tourism in Montenegro! Whilst working for the CSTI (Centre for Sustainable Tourism) and various NGOs she helped to define Montenegro’s reputation for organic gastronomy as well as having a hand in creating some of the national park’s hiking trails. She speaks Serbian/Montenegrin and English.
Gigo
