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TravelVacation

by Dara Morgan

Escaping the Heat: 5 Reasons To Visit Montenegro This Summer

26 May 2025

Photo: JinHui CHEN

It is getting hot. Not the cute, rooftop iced latte kind of hot. The sort of hot that makes you question every life choice involving concrete and sunlight. If you are currently Googling "summer escapes not overrun by influencers", then allow us to interrupt with four syllables: Mon-te-ne-gro.
This Balkan beauty remains one of Europe’s better-kept secrets — though we are admittedly being a bit selfish just calling it that. Montenegro combines all the perks of an active holiday with the chic of a luxury escape, without the usual crowds. Think rugged mountains, serene Adriatic beaches, and towns that look like the setting for a spy film, minus the chase scenes.
And just when you thought it could not get better, SIRO Boka Place opened its doors in the polished enclave of Porto Montenegro. You may know the name from its slightly more corporate cousin in Dubai. Well, this one has a sea breeze and is here to redefine your summer.
So before your inbox hits boiling point and you start to melt, consider this your sign: Montenegro is calling, and no, you really don't have to pack light.
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Source: kerznercommunications.com

How to get there

No direct flights from Dubai to Tivat — tragic, yes — but not the end of your holiday dreams: just catch a connecting flight via Istanbul or Belgrade. Round-trip fares hover around 2,700 AED, which is honestly a small price to pay to escape being slowly roasted alive.
And if Istanbul is your layover stop, we have a guide that turns that pause into a prequel.

Do I need a visa?

If you are a UAE citizen, good news: you don't need a visa for Montenegro. Stay up to 90 days in a 180-day period without so much as filling out a form.
You will need:
  • Proof of accommodation (a hotel booking will do).
  • A return ticket.
That is it. Visa-free and worry-free.
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Photo: Alex Chernenko

Why visit Montenegro? 5 solid reasons

1. The climate: Summer of your dream
If you come to Montenegro in summer you start to realise why connection flights are worth it. Think long, golden days where the sun warms but never scorches, and evenings where a light breeze off the Adriatic means you can actually enjoy a dinner outside without melting into your grilled octopus.
From June to September, the weather stays gloriously consistent — highs around 28°C, sea temperatures so pleasant they feel edited, and not a sandstorm or humidity wave in sight. It is the sweet spot between Mediterranean glamour and Balkan wildness, ideal for everything from paddleboarding to power lounging.
In other words, it is summer, but without the heat-induced rage.
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Source: kerznercommunications.com

2. SIRO Boka Place: For the welness-obsessed, spa-enthused, sleep-deprived traveller
Let's get one thing straight: SIRO isn't just a hotel. It is a hyper-modern temple to biohacking in designer leisurewear. Boka Place has traded suits for swimsuits (though the attention to detail and gold-standard service remain deliciously intact).
Accommodation: Each room is essentially a stylish sleep lab disguised as a luxury suite. Think thermoregulating mattresses, blackout curtains that would impress a vampire, and a “pillow menu” (this one is actually impressive enough). Want to do a quick yoga flow before breakfast? There is a mat, a wall bar, a balance ball, and even a meditation cushion, all included — namaste indeed.
Active vacation: Fitness at SIRO is not a suggestion — it is a lifestyle. The 1,600 square metres Fitness Lab features every possible permutation of movement: HIIT zones, Pilates reformers, a 25-metre outdoor pool, and something called the Experience Box, which is basically a nightclub for your glutes. Signature classes like Power and Sculpt are led by trainers affiliated with AC Milan and boxing phenom Ramla Ali, so yes, you may cry. But stylishly.
Mindfulness & Recovery: Enter Recovery Lab, which is part spa, part science experiment, all magic. Cryotherapy chambers, IV infusions, compression boots, and a Zen Room with a Himalayan salt wall so calming you will want to lick it (please don’t). Add in yoga, breathwork, guided meditations, and custom stretch sessions, and suddenly you are healed from that stressful airport transfer and your last breakup.
3. The food: Where the Balkans flirt with the Mediterranean
If your summer diet plan involves phrases like “clean eating” and “portion control,” you might want to skip this section. Montenegro’s food scene is deliciously indulgent — think hearty Balkan flavours (grilled meats, creamy cheeses, flaky pastries) meeting fresh, zesty Mediterranean ingredients (olive oil, seafood, sun-drenched veg).
At SIRO Table, the wellness spin gives it all a 2025 twist: chef-designed menus that somehow balance anti-inflammatory goals with actual enjoyment. Expect dishes like grilled octopus with quinoa tabbouleh, pasture-raised lamb with local herbs, and chickpea panna cotta that sounds suspicious but tastes like a hug. The Refuel Bar offers smoothies and snacks that could double as spa treatments — collagen-packed, adaptogen-enhanced, and, of course, Instagrammable.
And yes, you can sip something refreshing on a terrace with a view that makes you consider giving up ambition entirely.
4. Outdoor adventures: Montenegro, but make it cardio
At SIRO Boka Place, “active holiday” is not a gentle suggestion — it is practically a lifestyle manifesto. This is Destination Fitness in its most Instagrammable form: Montenegro’s rugged beauty becomes your outdoor gym, complete with personal trainers and views that will ruin your local park forever.
Prefer your exercise land-based? Start with canyoning through dramatic gorges, or hike trails that weave through pine forests and past centuries-old monasteries. For those who enjoy a bit of pain with their scenery, trail running, mountain biking, climbing, tennis, and even padel are all on offer — yes, padel, in case you still miss Dubai.
If water is more your thing, the sea is your playground. Kayaking, paddleboarding, sailing, rowing, or hopping on a powerboat for the slightly lazier among us — there is something deeply satisfying about the breeze. And for the thrill-seekers? Montenegro doesn't disappoint: e-foiling, wakeboarding, wind foiling, water skiing, and the ever-iconic fun tubing (because nothing bonds a group of adults like being flung from an inflatable).
What makes it all even better? SIRO Boka Place kits you out like an elite athlete on a Netflix documentary. Backpacks are packed, electrolytes at the ready, and expert guides lead the way — leaving you to focus on your form (and your selfies). Whether you are training for a triathlon or just trying to outrun your inbox, Montenegro turns the outdoors into your most inspiring gym yet.
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Source: kerznercommunications.com

4. Sightseeing: Tivat’s old town is the quiet luxury of the Adriatic
Skip the selfie sticks and cruise ship chaos. Tivat’s old district is all about slow, scenic wandering through streets that still whisper Venetian secrets. White-stone buildings, bougainvillea-covered balconies, and churches older than your ancestors — it is charming in that unbothered, quietly elegant way.
Stroll along the pine-lined waterfront, grab a gelato in a family-run café, or explore local art galleries nestled between 15th-century façades. History lovers can dive into the story of Porto Montenegro’s naval past, while the merely curious can people-watch from sun-drenched patios.
And for the overachievers, Kotor and Perast are short drives away, offering even more Baroque charm, island churches, and stories about pirates. (Yes, really.)
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Photo: Anastacia Dvi