Coast to Coast

The good thing about visiting popular tourist destinations is that they are popular for a reason. They’re beautiful, you can always find amazing restaurants, and there tends to be a lot to see and do. The bad thing (besides the times you have to fight your way through the crowds) is almost always the price. The more popular a place becomes, the more expensive it tends to be. This meant we would have to get creative if we wanted to spend almost three weeks traveling between the Amalfi Coast and the Dalmatian Coast in Italy, Montenegro and Croatia.

Our first view of Positano

Before we sat down for an incredible meal at Tre Sorelle in Positano (where Christina and her mom went 7 years ago!)

Piano di Sorrento port

Villa Cimbrone Gardens, Ravello

Gorgeous stop along our hike up to Ravello

Our go-to strategy for pricey travel destinations has consistently been to stay a little outside of the center of town so that we can find more affordable accommodations. We have also tried our best to find rentals with a kitchenette so we can save money and avoid eating out for every meal. Public transportation has been both our best friend (when it comes to our wallets) and our worst enemy (when it comes to Christina’s motion-sickness tendencies).

Looking down over Minori

Stopped to have lunch by the water and enjoy the Amalfi views

Ballet Dancer Statue in Budva, Montenegro

Taking a little break in Budva

On the Italian coast, we split our time between Piano di Sorrento and Minori. The public buses and the local ferries on the coast are easy to navigate and from there we were able to visit Sorrento, Positano, Ravello, and Amalfi. One of our favorite days on the trip was when we hiked from Minori up to Ravello. We were practically the only hikers on the trail and the views were absolutely stunning. On the flip side, we stayed in one of the worst accommodations to date while we were in Minori, so budget traveling definitely has its tradeoffs!

Outside the Old City walls of Kotor

In the 90 degree heat, we made the climb up to Kotor’s Castle Of San Giovanni

Kotor Bay

We took an overnight ferry from Bari, Italy to Montenegro (side note, the air on board wasn’t working and our cabin was 95 degrees all night through the 10 hour journey) where we spent eight days between Budva and Kotor. These were two, beautiful coastal towns with rocky beaches and quaint city centers. Both places had the same, laid back vibe and we enjoyed a relaxing week of hiking, exploring, and taking several water taxi rides.

The truffle gnocchi at Dalmatino in Hvar

The view from above Hvar Town

Boats docked in the Hvar port

The spectacular Hvar sunset

From there, we headed north up the coast to Croatia. We spent the first four nights on the island of Hvar and finished up with four nights in Dubrovnik. Besides exploring the Old Town city centers in each of these places, there is a lot of opportunity for water sports, island-hopping, hikes, and relaxing beach time. The highlights of the week for us were watching the sunset over the Hvar harbor, taking a day trip from Hvar to Mlini Beach and swimming in the crystal clear water, and indulging in one of the best meals we have had on the trip so far at Hvar’s Dalmatino restaurant. We also enjoyed another day trip from Dubrovnik to the nearby island of Lopud.

Day trip from Dubrovnik to Lopud island

One of the most popular things to do in Dubrovnik is to walk along the city walls

We spotted a dalmatian on the Dalmatian coast!

We’re finding that even in popular, “luxurious” destinations, it is still possible to be a budget traveler. All of the bumpy bus rides, crowded train stations and cramped accommodations were worth it to be able to visit these beautiful coastal towns.

Next up, we’re heading south of the equator to Tanzania for a safari in the Serengeti!

-The Morts