Montenegro – The New Bird Watching Capital of the World
I bet when Montenegro is mentioned, one never thinks of it being a haven for birdwatching… well that’s all about to change as the new Monticola Agency has opened in Montenegro, offering packages and guided excursions throughout areas such as Šasko Lake, Ulcinjska Solana, Skadar Lake, Biogradska Gora and Durmitor.
I bet when Montenegro is mentioned, one never thinks of it being a haven for birdwatching… well that’s all about to change as the new Monticola Agency has opened in Montenegro, offering packages and guided excursions throughout areas such as Šasko Lake, Ulcinjska Solana, Skadar Lake, Biogradska Gora and Durmitor.
A popular hobby, bird watching is quickly becoming one of the fastest growing branches of tourism, and Ivan Bakić, who is the Executive Director of the Monticola Agency, along with his colleague Bojan Zeković, will be taking enthusiasts on tours and bird-watching outings. They go on to say that ‘From the outset they wanted to use a bird species in the name’ as Monticola represents both the common rock thrush and the blue rock thrush, but they also wanted to highlight the ‘hidden corners of Montenegro that are waiting to be discovered’ as Monticola also means mountaineer, a man of hills and mountains.
According to the latest figures 349 different bird species have been registered in Montenegro and Zeković says that this figure is more than likely to increase, because ornithologists are increasingly present throughout the country. Ivan Bakić goes onto add ‘The advantage of Montenegro in the foreign market is our biological diversity. In a very small area we have exceptional dynamics of landscape, and thus habitats, and following on from that, species’.
What both Zeković and Bakić do know is that there is huge potential in the market to further develop this type of tourism, and each of the packages they offer differ depending on which country the visitors come from, and what their interests are, and though the offers are available to everyone their big focus at the moment is on the Mediterranean and Western Europe, such as the UK & the Netherlands.
Of course, using a successful and experienced guide, is always the best way to go, as they will introduce you to all the important plants and butterflies you see plus the mammals whose tracks you come across. They will also provide information about conservation of the habitat, its function, threats and its beauty, so it’s an all-encompassing experience.
Currently - a visit to Lake Skadar costs €1,100 normally, or €900 with the reduction, whereas bird watching in the north of Montenegro - on Durmitor, Biogradska Gora and Prokletije, cost €1,500 or now €1,200 euros, with the discount.
Whilst you are here you can also discover the other areas of Montenegro too, such as Budva & Kotor, and make it an all-round trip so you can fully embrace the Montenegrin experience. It’s not like you’ll need to add weeks onto your existing trip either, just a few more days will do the trick!
For further information have a chat with CMM Montenegro, we’d be delighted to help wherever and however we can!
Credit to Vijesti for the original article on Total Montenegro
24.08.2020