June. Before the cruise ships take over and the lanes fill up. That is the version of Kotor you want. Eat at the waterfront. Grilled octopus, fresh cheeses, Balkan pastries that are flaky in a way that should be studied. Nothing complicated. Everything good. The hidden move is the upper village paths above the old town. Most people queue for the fortress climb. You skip it, find the lesser-used paths, and get the panoramic bay views without the crowd. Worth every step. One full day looks like espresso and early wandering before anyone else is out, a boat ride across the Bay of Kotor by midday with seafood lunch on the water, hidden alley photography and a little boutique shopping in the afternoon, and a slow dinner by the water as the mountains catch the last of the light. Money tip: Stay inside or just outside the old town walls. Guesthouses in that area come with balconies, homemade breakfasts, and views that would run you three times the price at a resort. Book there first. Kotor looks like somewhere a filmmaker would invent. It is real, and it is waiting. 🌺🏾

Y'all. Albania is the kind of place nobody talks about and everybody should. 🏔🏾 May is the move. Pleasant temperatures, green mountain scenery, and a fraction of the visitors you would find in peak summer. The town has room to actually show you what it is. Three things worth your time: - Walk the stone-roofed streets and look at the Ottoman-era architecture. This whole town is a UNESCO World Heritage site for a reason and you feel it in every alley - Eat byrek pastries, slow-cooked regional dishes, and local mountain honey. Nothing rushed, nothing imported, everything made the way it has always been made - Skip past the main castle area and find the upper neighborhoods. Panoramic valley views open up around nearly every corner and almost nobody makes it up there One full day: - Morning: Traditional breakfast overlooking the valley - Midday: Tour the castle and the historic old town - Afternoon: Wander the stone alleyways and browse artisan workshops at whatever pace feels right - Evening: Dinner at a terrace restaurant as the mountains fade into twilight - Money tip: Book a family-run guesthouse in a restored stone home instead of a larger hotel. It feels more authentic, the breakfasts are generous, and you walk away with local insight no hotel concierge could ever give you. Drop a 🍯🏾 if Albania is going on the list.