Member-only story
It’s a natural inclination to believe that you aren’t like other travellers. That you are the one going to go “off the beaten path”, faraway from the ultra touristy destinations that many flock to during the European summer. I won't lie, I adopted this mindset during an 8 month trip through Europe in 2022. That I would steer clear of the French, Italian and Greek coast, and experience European countries that haven’t fallen to mass commercialisation. And at the beginning of my trip, I did, spending most of my time exploring the mountains of Bosnia & Herzegovina, Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro. Then, I got a message from a close friend of mine, Conor, who had a week off from work in the UK, and wanted to meet up. He told me he was pretty intent on wanting to go to Dubrovnik, and despite some initial resistance from me, I reluctantly agreed.
Having previously spent around $15–20 a night (Australian Dollars that is), on Hostel dorms for a majority of my summer in the Balkans, I realised early on in the planning process that Dubrovnik would be a different kettle of fish. Given I wasn’t working for the entire 8 months, I was rigorous with my budgeting, scarcely spending more than $45 a day. Unfortunately, Dubrovnik would be different. Attempting to book accomodation for early August proved a complete nightmare, with a majority of places requiring us to share a bed in a shared accomodation, given the demand in peak Summer season. Alas, we eventually found a hostel dorm for $60 a night, already exceeding my daily spending limit. But, I…
