ANTHONY+SABINA
July 14th 2017
Gusinje
MONTENEGRO
SCHEDULE & ACTIVITIES
.
​
.
.
​
.
.
.
.
​
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
We are very excited for you to experience the village and invite you to join in with the family activities listed below. We will be available via text/email/phone to answer any questions or to organise meeting up for activities in the village.
​
Below we've also listed a range of activities that are available in the area.
See locations on our map.
​ACTIVITIES
​
Lake in Plav 9.5km from Gusinje (kayaking, fishing)
Hiking (2 to 8 hours) Various Mountains & National parks, etc.
Day trip to Albania (12km away, 25 min. drive, bring passports) Have a farmstay lunch
Springs of Alpasini (Alpasini Izvori) walkable 4km from Gusinje.
Oko Skakavice/Waterfall (9km from village) take taxi or car to trail head. Restaurant/bar near waterfall entrance. (Waterfall is small)
Nightlife in Gusinje and Plav - There is a very bustling nightlife in both towns which comes alive from 10pm and goes until the early hours.
 Kayak, swim and fish in Plavsko Jezero aka Lake Plav |  Hike one of the many mountains in the Grebaje National Park |  Have a farmstay lunch. Fresh trout caught then smoked while you relax with an Albanian brew |
|---|---|---|
 Alpasini Izvori - Drink from the mountain and enjoy the view from this easy walk from Gusinje |  Oko Skakavice aka 'The Eye' |
THE
WEDDING
​
A guy from Sydney, a girl from Dallas and an engagement in Cambodia. Both world travellers and lovers of the great outdoors. It was only natural we would choose to be surrounded by nature for our wedding at the base of the majestic mountains in the beautiful village of Gusinje, Montenegro. We chose this location after we fell in love with the area and greatly appreciated the culture of where Sabina's parents grew up. We knew it was the perfect place to say 'I do'.
We would love for you to plan your 2017 European trip around our wedding with countries like Italy, Greece & Croatia a short flight away. We recommend staying in or around Gusinje for a minimum of 3 days. The village is small but there are plenty of adventures to be had, a list of activities along with our travel plans will be sent to all guests attending. We hope you join us for this unique wedding experience.
Dress code: Mountain Chic
WHEN
WHERE
Friday July 14, 2017
Wedding Ceremony: From 4:00pm
Wedding Reception: 7:30pm
Ceremony: Grebaje National Park, Montenegro
Post Ceremony Drinks: Maja Karanfil, Grebaje
Reception: Aqua hotel, Plav, Montenegro
(Transport will be provided between locations)
Email us to RSVP:
Below is a map of Montenegro that we've marked out with places of interest, including:
Podgorica airport
Gusinje
Plav
Budva
Hotels
Brady & Pjetrovic Houses
Wedding location
Reception location
ATMs
Places to eat
A few areas to explore
​
This map is easily viewed on a desktop/laptop.
For the phone, it's recommended to OPEN IN GOOGLE MAPS
*** Download the google map app onto your phone first ***
​
Alternatively, click here for the direct map link that will open up in your browser (requires internet but is more functional)
​
Using Google maps without having the internet
​
'Offline Google maps' are a very smart way to travel in areas with limited internet.
It displays all details that Google maps have without access to the internet.
Click here to see how you can create an offline map.
​
A quick guide for map below.
Phone users should open in google maps as shown here
PLACES OF INTEREST
If you can't see the map, try another browser.
INFORMATION
​
TRANSPORT
FLYING
​
The best airport to fly into is Podgorica airport.
The most frequent & cost effective flights are from the following cities:
Paris, Rome, Vienna, Frankfurt & Istanbul.
​
Montenegrin Customs / board control - This is a third world country and as such has more corruption than we experience in our day-to-day lives. For example, at the airport and land border crossing you may be asked for money to "pass through". This is illegal for them to do. They may also ask to check your bags where they'll be looking for clothing or items that have tags or are packaged new (unwrapped electronics, etc.). If found they are legally able to get a percentage of the item as "entry tax". Please ensure none of your clothing or items still have tags or are newly packaged.
We advise that you calmly deal with border control (no cursing, threatening or yelling), as it isn't worth the trouble and knowing your rights most of the time will result in being let through.
GETTING TO & FROM THE AIRPORT
​
Gusinje is located approx. 3 hours away from the airport.
Depending on your budget, hiring a car/4WD will be the most convenient way to get around.
TAXI
Taxi travel costs will depend on the size of the group.
Medium sized car ( 3 to 4 people) - €110 per car
Van (8 - 10 people) - €140 per car
Keep in mind, the car is medium size and your luggage will need to fit
Please email us your travel itinerary at anthonyandsabina@gmail.com
HIRE CARS
Hire cars are available at the airport. These can be pre booked online (recommended)
Having a car will make exploring a lot easier. For those adventurous types, a 4WD will get you to some pretty cool locations.
If you do plan on renting a car you must claim (insurance purposes) what countries you will visit, we suggest a day trip to Albania as it closely borders Gusinje. You will be asked for the paper work at the Albania/Montenegro border and any other borders you plan to cross on your trip (i.e. Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia)
There is also another hire car place in Berane (€30 taxi ride and 45min drive from Gusinje)
​
BUS
​
There is one bus that runs each day (approx. €10 per person). This website (Rome2Rio) is great for not only working it out but MOST travel world.
​
Please do you research if you plan to travel between countries
DRIVING
The recommended route to Gusinje from Podgorica is located on the map provided above. This is a single lane highway for almost the entire trip. The roads can be windy and you'll be sharing the road with large trucks, local drivers and buses. The driving style for locals is quite aggressive. This meaning sitting on your tail or overtaking when you probably wouldn't. We recommend using caution while driving and be aware of their style of driving.
If you get pulled over and ticketed for speeding, etc. often times the Police will try to collect a bribe (€10-€20 generally). Our suggestion is pay the bribe as it is much easier to deal with then having to go to the local court house and delay your trip.
THE BASICS
The village Gusinje is pronounced (Goose-Scene-ye)
The capital of Montenegro, Podgorica is pronounced (Pawd-gaw-ree-tsah)
​
The popular beach town of Budva (Booed-vah) is where we are heading after the wedding.
​
The main language is Serbian. English is spoken by most businesses but be prepared for some moments where they don't understand English at all.
​
Montenegro translated in Serbian is Crna Gora. Which means black mountain.
​
The climate will be at the peak of summer, however, it is mountain weather.
During the day it can get warm (27-35° Celsius) but at night the village temperature drops significantly to approx. 10-15° Celsius.
They do experience rain during summer as well, so be prepared for a variety of seasons. We urge you to bring a coat/jacket for the evening as the temperature drops. A raincoat & hiking shoes/athletic shoes are also suggested for activates around the village.
​
The main currency is Euro. All businesses are cash only so you'll need to keep this in mind.
There are ATMs (serveral in Plav and only 1 in Gusinje which is often not working)
​
Wifi is available at most cafes/restaurants/hotels. SIM cards are also available for purchase at local newsagents in the villages. When asking at a restaurant, wifi is pronounced "wee - fee". If you say that and show the waiter your phone, they will help you with the password.
Always agree on the cost prior to any purchase , rental or activity.
HOTELS
​
As Gusinje / Plav are small villages, lodging options are basic.
Tourism in the villages is fairly new, so you may need to have patience with the booking process.
See our map for locations.
Note: This is not a 5 star kind of village.
​
City Hotel - This hotel is a 5 min walk from the Pjetrovic/Brady homes. In the heart of the Gusinje and will be noisy at night
Hotel Rosi- approx. 8 min. walk to Pjetrovic/Brady homes. near the heart of the Gusinje
​
Eko Katun Rosi - approx. 8km from the Gusinje
Bungalows Katun Maja Karanfil - approx. 9km from the Gusinje
Holiday Park Aqua Resort - 8 km from Gusinje and is the location of the wedding reception. This location is in between Gusinje & Plav.
Hotel Kula Damjanova - approx. 8km away from Gusinje and 1.5km from Plav. A beautiful hotel on the lake, wooden & rustic.
​
There are more options available, however, if you have any trouble contact us and we can assist.
EVERYTHING ELSE
Taxi rides
Plav to Gusinje are only approx. 2-3 euro’s. Always organise the cost of the ride before jumping into the taxi. Hotels will also be able to assist with taxi rides. To get around the village and to the local sites (excluding airport & outside of Plav) should only be 1-10 Euro’s tops.
​
Cafes/Restaurants
Always ask for a receipt/bill often times in the village and other places in or around Montenegro, when you pay they will simply tell you an amount, we suggest you ask them for the printed receipt as it would be itemized and there is less chance of being scammed.
​
Gypsies
In the village during the summer months (busiest time) there is an influx of gypsies that beg on the street, please do not give them money. As terrible as their situation looks, it will not go towards their food. If you see children begging on the street and guilt kicks in give them food or drink instead. They are pretty persistent even after you say no, they may hang out for a few minutes and eventually leave you alone. If you do give them money expect to be tailed by several of them your whole trip.
​
Food
In Gusinje there are 2 main grocery stores that sell produce, pasta, cheese, etc. a butcher and a bakery. There are not many restaurant options in the village but the options that are available in the city are a treat.
Most of the Menu's are in English, here is a list of some of our favourite restaurants and their best dish and food options:
Portobello's (restaurant)
Located in Gusinje - Located in the center of the city, across from the local bakery, this restaurant is most known for their Pizza and Hamburgers. Pizza can be topped with mushrooms, meat, or plain cheese. We suggest trying a cheese pizza with dried meat/jerky (In Montenegrin Suho Meso, which is pronounced - "Su-ho Me-so").
Swiss Doner (restaurant)
Located in Plav - Their Gyros are to die for! We suggest the chicken gyro, which comes in a small and large size and their secret "white" sauce.
Located in Gusinje and in Plav - There are a few "Cevapdzinica's", which are the "Mcdonald's" of Montenegro. These fast food hamburger deli's sell Cevapi (pronounced Che-va-pey), a delicatessen in Montenegro. Ćevapi is a grilled dish of minced meat, a type of skinless sausage, are usually served of 5–10 pieces on a plate or in a flatbread often with chopped onions, sour cream, kajmak, ajvar, feta cheese, minced red pepper and salt.
​
Common phrases you can familiarise yourself with:
Hello/How are you? - People often greet each other with the term "Ciao". You can greet people respectfully with this, but if you want to submerse yourself in the culture, we suggest you familiarise yourself with "Kako si?" - which is pronounced the exact way that it is written - "Ka-ko - see". This is "How are you?" in Serbian. One will often answer this question with the phrase "Dobro, Ti?", which translates to - "Good! You?", to which you would respond "Dobro".
Bathroom is referred to as 'WC' which is commonly used around Europe for displaying where restrooms are.
WC is pronounced "veh-ceh" in Serbian.
Water is called 'Voda', which is pronounced exactly as it appears, "Vo-da".
​
REGISTRY
While we don't expect anything,
if you wish to buy us something a contribution
towards our dream honeymoon
would be appreciated, there will be a
Wishing Well at the reception.
 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |
 |
