About us

Hello and welcome (or should we say dobrodošli!) to Undiscovered Montenegro, your go to adventure travel specialist in the Balkans.

We’re Ben and Emma Heywood, the adventure-loving husband and wife behind this operation, and we’re thrilled to have you here with us in Europe’s most unexplored corner. 

When we landed in Montenegro in 2008 as frivolous travellers without kids, this beautiful country stopped us in our tracks. Its jagged mountains footed by blue and green lakes could easily be mistaken for the Canadian Rockies while miles of unspoiled wilderness resemble an African game reserve. 

Having visited more than 50 countries worldwide we’re not easy to impress, so you can trust we’ve selected only the most breathtaking locations for our holiday activities, with the help of our expert local guides. 

You won’t find big, brash resorts and double decker tour buses on our trips. We do small group travel, community tourism and family-run establishments – including our very own Villa Miela, where it all began. Sitting at the heart of Lake Skadar National Park, it’s the base for several of our holidays, from yoga retreats to kayak safaris.

Like our family, our holiday offering has expanded. We now run tours in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo and Serbia through our sister site Undiscovered Balkans.

We pride ourselves on being a small business and we personally handle all bookings, so rest assured you will never be on hold to an operator when you get in touch. 

When you travel with us, you’re officially part of our ever expanding Balkan family and as a family, we take care of one another. That’s why a percentage of our takings go back to the communities we work with. You can learn more about that here.

We look forward to seeing you in the Balkans soon!

Ben and Emma


Meet the team

Emma, co-founder

A seasoned backpacker, Emma’s itchy feet have taken her across Africa, America, Asia and Australia 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 this region’s incredible, ever-changing scenery, Emma is able to indulge her love of travel, yoga, art and photography to the full organising adventures in Montenegro. In her spare time, Emma volunteers her publicity skills to local conservation projects and initiatives and enjoys strong Turkish coffee. She speaks English, Serbian/Montenegrin and French.


Ben, co-founder

Born in Scotland and 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 and Undiscovered Balkans with Emma, he spent 15 years in international publishing, Following a round-the-world backpacking trip with Emma., Ben ditched his desk job for Lake Skadar’s incredible backdrop where he can indulge in his passions for snowboarding, kayaking, occasional carpentry, and organic home-cooking (in between organising adventures for others).


Milija – Tour Leader, Montenegro

Milija comes from a family of adventure enthusiasts who live and breathe the outdoors. Whether biking, hiking, kayaking or skiiing, you’re in good hands. Milija speaks fluent English and Montenegrin/Serbian.


Aldo – Tour Leader, Albania

The further away from the crowds, the better, according to Aldo. A former Albanian Military Officer, Aldo began working as a guide in 2015 and particularly loves hiking, climbing & mountain biking. Aldo speaks excellent English as well as his native tongue Albanian.

Arben – Tour Leader, Albania

Arben‘s enthusiasm for his country and outdoor pursuits is infectious! As one of Albania’s most renowned licenced guides, there’s nothing he doesn’t know about Albania. Arben has travelled all over Albania, but Tirana, the capital, is his hometown.  Arben speaks superb English.


Robi – Tour Leader, Croatia

Robi is a highly qualified, highly knowledgeable tour leader with more than 15 years of experience. Robi calls Ston, a settlements on the beautiful Pelješac peninsula, home but he has travelled Croatia extensively. Robi speaks fluent English and Croatian.

Skender – Tour Leader, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Skender has been guiding groups around Bosnia for over a decade – and has built a reputation as one of the funniest and most quotable tour guides there. He speaks near-native English as well as Bosnian.


Vera – Tour Leader, Montenegro

Vera is one of the most respected hiking guides in the country. Like us, she loves being outdoors. In fact, the more remote the area, the higher the chances of spotting Vera. She’s particularly passionate about her roots in the north of Montenegro. Popular with parents and children alike, Vera speaks excellent English as well as Montenegrin/Serbian.

Nenad – Tour Leader, Montenegro

Nenad is an outdoor adventurer who is happiest when biking, hiking or kayaking –  a natural fit for Undiscovered Balkans! He speaks excellent English and Montenegrin/Serbian.

Ana – Tour Leader, Montenegro

Ana has over a decade guiding tour groups under her belt – and most would agree she is very witty. She speaks near-native English as well as Montenegrin/Serbian.


Semir – Tour Leader, Montenegro & Albania

Semir is a qualified mountain guide and is probably the most knowledgeable tour leader in the entire Balkans. We dare you to find something he doesn’t know about the region. He speaks superb English and Albanian as well as his native language Montenegrin.


Fatos – Tour Leader, Kosovo & Albania

Fatos is our most experienced guide with more than three decades of guiding behind him. He is a qualified mountain guide who loves caving, canyoning and hiking. He speaks superb English as well as his native language Albanian.

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1 day ago

Only five more days and our eco-lodge Villa Miela is finally opening its doors for the new season at Lake Skadar National Park🙌 We're so excited to be welcoming our first group of guests this upcoming Sunday. Nothing more satisfying than making every single corner of our 'home from home' look beautiful.We've not only prepared the entire garden area and planted new flowers and bushes, but varnished, power-washed, repainted and made a couple of DIY projects. 🔨 Not to forget clearing all of the hiking trails we're planning to use next week so they're just that little bit less overgrown (although we do love that wild feel!). 😄 Our saltwater pool is crystal clear and ready for some cold-water swimming therapy, the bedrooms are being tidied up to perfection and we're already putting together a tasty welcome dinner menu. To sum it up: looking forward to a brand new season with you. 😎 Jump aboard one of our Lake Skadar adventures this Spring! Visit the link below to find out more and book.👉 undiscoveredmontenegro.com/tours/mult#VillaMielah#ecolodgek#undiscoveredmontenegroa#season2024#undiscoveredmontenegro #season2024 ... See MoreSee Less
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6 days ago

Happy World Water Day!🌎Oraovštica (Or-ow-ov-shti-tser) is our favourite and the freshest river feeding into Lake Skadar. Can’t wait to take our first guests on the hike along the riverside. As an important part of our annual preparations for the season at @villamiela, we clean up the hiking trails and roads. In the last picture you can see yesterday’s result: a 120l bin bag full of rubbish! Today we internationally celebrate the importance of fresh water. We are grateful to have so many natural water sources in Montenegro, and even our own supply of fresh spring water. 💦#worldwaterday2024 #worldwaterday #cleanuptheworld #virpazar #lakeskadar #villamiela #montenegro #gomontenegro #undiscoveredmontenegro #cleanup #environment #river #naturelovers ... See MoreSee Less
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Hurray for Spring equinox! ☀️ From Wednesday, our days will finally be lighter for longer than they are dark. We celebrated the arrival of the sun back on Vila Miela’s terrace last month. We point north-east, which is perfect for keeping that little bit of cool in the hot, hot summer. It can feel like a long wait for those rays through winter, though.So for all you sun worshipers out there, here’s a few of our sun-kissed photos to inspire you with the beauty of Lake Skadar, Villa Miela Lake Retreat and Montenegro’s mountains. We can’t wait to share it with you 👉 www.undiscoveredmontenegro.com#undiscoveredmontenegro #villamiela #montenegro #equinox ... See MoreSee Less
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2 weeks ago

Calling you river fans out there!This is one you’ll really want to experience. Montenegro’s Komarnica is a gem for nature enthusiasts, and all lovers of the outdoors.We bring our groups here to experience the wild wonder of the Unseen ‘Nevidio’ Canyon with Komarnica’s clear waters trickling through. Early season, it’s especially good for packrafting and kayaking, both activities which go easy on the environment.Imagine, now, this beauty destroyed by a hydropower dam that floods the valley floor, destroying this unique ecosystem home to rare aquatic species, bear, wolf and more...There is much to lose. So if you're free, why not join us May 1st to 5th at the next at #SaveKomarnica protest and educational camp. Let's get the protection Komarnica deserves. Message us to find out more. 👆Photos by Gigo, our paddling partner#montenegro #savekomarnica #worldriversday ... See MoreSee Less
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2 weeks ago

All work no play? Not us! Not with a lake this beautiful. 🤩Our Lake Skadar team took a break from preparing for our first guests with a fun kayaking trip on Friday. And they followed it up with a day at Virpazar’s wine festival, catching up with some of our favourite local vintners (Miloš at Buk’s first ever champagne is ready! 🥂).As always, reminded of what a special place we chose to set up our main base. Even in the mixed March weather, the sun shone brilliantly for a while, highlighting the dramatic, white-capped mountains that rise up by the lake’s shore. No-one was around except for us, the odd fisherman, and of course the yellow-legged gulls hanging out on the enigmatic ruins of Grmožur island prison.Volunteer Ellie told us, “It was amazing to kayak on a lake so big you can see multiple countries from the water!” She also enjoyed all the stories Ben, Adel and Tobi told about the lake’s history and the local area.Our much-loved lake adventures start soon! Contact us to book April with £200 off per person for w/c 15th and 22nd based at @villamiela - full info at the link below.👉 undiscoveredmontenegro.com/tours/multi-activity-holiday-lake-skadar/#undiscoveredmontenegro #activityholidays #kayaking ... See MoreSee Less
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Holidays

Man enjoying Multi activity holiday swimming in a crystal clear, bright blue rock pool near Lake Skadar
£200pp off!

7 Day Activity Holiday at Lake Skadar

Our original adventure loved by everyone! Kayaking, hiking & wild-swimming...
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Moderate
Winter holiday guests snowshoeing through winter landscape to camp
£50pp off!

7 Day Winter Activity Holiday in Montenegro

Skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing on the alpine slopes of Montenegro!
Single centre
Moderate