Part 2: Best of the Balkans (Top 5)

This post is continued from Part 1, so backtrack if you haven’t seen it already. The following destinations were chosen based on roughly the same criteria I used for my Top 10 Destinations in South East Asia. In short – charm, girls and fun; I aim to be objective is this regard. So let’s go…

Naughty Nomad’s

Top 5 Destinations in the Balkans

5. Belgrade, Serbia

Belgrade by night

What’s its Charm?
Belgrade has some really nice pedestrian streets and a stroll up to Kalemegdan fortress is truly romantic, especially under snow fall.

What’s Fun?
The drinks are cheap and the nightlife is legendary throughout Eastern Europe.

And the Girls?
There are more blondes here than other parts of the Balkans. If that’s your thing here’s the place to be!

Bottom line: A walk around Kalemegdan and the famed nightlife gets this place on the list.

😉

4. Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina

Not as peaceful as it seems...

What’s its Charm?
Old town rocks!!! The Muslim influence is very visible.

What’s Fun?
Just hanging out, smoking sheesha and soaking up the atmosphere of Stari Grad (old town). The nightlife here is insane, the weekend’s here are actually too crazy. See link below.

And the Girls?
Varied, in a good way. See my Sarajevo city guide for a full breakdown.

Bottom line: One of the coolest cities in all of Europe.

😉

3. Hvar Island, Croatia

Port side

What’s its Charm?
It’s a beautiful island on the Dalmatian coast, need I say more?

What’s Fun?
This is the NUMBER 1 party spot on the Adriactic. Expect to go to bed when the sun comes up. There is also plenty of watersports and things to do.

And the Girls?
Expect to get laid. Check out my Hvar Island guide for a full breakdown.

Bottom line: Avoid in low season. Come here is want to seriously rip it up. I loved it.

😉

2. Skopje, Macedonia

More than meet the eye!

What’s its Charm?
A cute old town, cheap beer and friendly locals.

What’s Fun?
Everynight here is an adventure! Weed and women are plentiful.

And the Girls?
I love Macedonian girls, easily the friendliest in the region.  See my Skopje city guide for a full breakdown.

Bottom line: Macedonian girls will make you want to stay. I’ve been here twice and it’s still the first place I’d go back to in the Balkans.

😉

1. Montenegro

A view from Kotor fortress

What’s its Charm?
Move over Tallin, Montenegro shits over anything I’ve seen in Europe. To try and describe the beauty of places like Kotor and Budva is futile. You need to come here. This country had me speechless.

What’s Fun?
Not only is Montenegro visibly awesome, a trip to Budva will have you raving. This an Eastern European party mecca! Click link below.

And the Girls?
Wow. Girls from all of EE come here… Like Hvar, take your pick! Quality is even better here. Check out my Budva city guide for a full breakdown.

Bottom line: It’s Naughty Nomad’s number 1 for a reason. GO! On that note, I suspect low season might be a bit sedated if you’re looking to party.

😉

Here’s a list of ALL my Eastern European city guides:

Athens, Greece

Bucharest, Romania

Budapest, Hungary

Budva, Montenegro

Chisinau, Moldova

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Hvar, Croatia

Kiev, Ukraine

Minsk, Belarus

Ohrid, Macedonia

Pristina, Kosovo

Riga, Latvia

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Skopje, Macedonia

Tallinn, Estonia

Tirana, Albania

Thessaloniki, Greece

Zadar, Croatia

Snapshot: Ohrid, Macedonia

Snapshots are mini town/city guides for smaller places or cities I have only experienced briefly. Here’s a little snapshot of Ohrid.

What are one’s first impressions of Ohrid?

Ohrid by night

Purty. Ohrid’s old town and lake view provide quite a splendid backdrop for a few days of leisure. It’s a tourist town so the population fluctuates dramatically depending on the time of year. September was a nice time to visit, but I would say peak season is electric in terms of nightlife.

What are the women like?

There are loads of tourists here and a large proportion of them are local.  I have nothing but good things to say about Macedonian girls, but Ohrid hosts it’s fair share of posers from other countries. Regardless, most of the women here are still hot and super approachable. While I had some success here, all in all I much prefer Skopje for girls.

Where should I go at night-time?

Try avoid going to any club near the resorts, they are miles away. There are a few really good bars west of the town square. Check out Lizard, this is the place for girls. If it’s too crazy in there head to Jazz inn or Castros. The rules change in July and August as there are a lot more options. The Jazz café (different for the Jazz in) tends to open late and attract a more sophisticated clientèle.

Any other recommendations?

Take a stroll and get lost west of the town square. If you ascend some steps near the old church, you’ll eventually stumble upon an isolated run down balcony overlooking the Ohrid port and the lake. Light one up and enjoy the view.

The Bottom Line

A wonderful place to holiday. Go in the summer months.

Skopje City Guide

Old Town

Skopje in a word: Lovable.

Chance of Hooking up: 3.5 / 5
Quality of Girls: 4 / 5
Smoking tolerance level: 3.5 / 5

City guide ratings explained

Costs €$£

Beer: Around  €1.50 – 2 for a pint.
Bed: €20 for a private room.
Bud: €50 for 25 grams.
Board: €3 for a good meal.
Budget other: Go to the new age bar and shell out a few coppers for a communal Hookah and some yummy Macedonian wine, well worth it for under €15.
Currency Conversion

Overview

Admittedly, I have a soft spot for this place. Macedonia in general is one of my top 3 countries in Europe. I’ve been in Skopje twice, both in winter and summer and it just keeps growing on me. The city has plenty of character, the girls are amazing, it’s cheap and the nightlife is excellent. I see myself coming back here again and again. Enjoy this Balkan gem.

The Girls

Suzana Al-Salkini

Macedonian girls are something special. They are slim, sexy and chilled. Ethnic Macedonians are mostly brunettes but also get the typical blonde hair, blue eyed girl about. 25 % are of Albanian heritage if you like a darker, more Ottoman look. The great thing is the girls are more friendly than their Balkan neighbours in Serbia, Bulgaria and Albania. Day game and night game work equally well here and you can be fairly direct. The sex ratio is pretty decent in bars and clubs also and most girls speak English. Skopje doesn’t receive many tourists so locals are curious about foreigners. Frankly, it’s a relativity easy place to pick up quality women. If you want to see more Macedonian babes click here.

Nightlife Recommendations

I have two excellent recommendations for you guys.

New Age

From what I’ve seen, if I could bring a date to any bar in all of Europe, my first choice would be New Age. The seating areas are on cool wooden islands over a pond, covered in cushions. Inside looks like a derelict building with Arabic décor, Hookah pipes, local wine and chill-out music.  Not really a place to pick up, but the perfect pre-club bar to start your night if you are with friends. A must-see.

Club Havana

An open air fiesta with Cuban sounds, live music & cheap beer. The party vibe here is infectious and it’s wall to wall with cute girls. The clientèle are laid back and it’s really easy to approach as everyone is standing and it’s not too loud.  Arguably the best place in Skopje to pick up. Go Monday night.

Getting High

Nomad’s input : Bought 50 grams for €100 (just asked around in New Age). My friend got caught smoking a joint by the police, they let him off, didn’t  ask for money and even gave the joint back – gotta love this country!

Law enforcement: There is a special police unit called “ALFI” they drive old ventos golf 2 3 and always they roll in a pack of 3. If you get arrested with a small amount – let’s say 5 grams they may let you off easy.

Where to buy marijuana in Skopje: Best place to find weed here in skopje is just walk around find some group of kids ages 16-23 or so a lot of us smoke weed so the chance of you asking the right ones is 80%. Don’t give the money first.

Skopje marijuana prices: 2$ a gram, 230$ 1 Kilo. The prices get higher 500 denars = around 12$ for 2 grams.

My Skopje Experience

The first time I went here was in 2009 with a Norwegian girl. The locals treated us like family and wouldn’t let us pay for a thing. On my recent trip, the first night was incredible. I spent the night with a blonde bombshell I met on-line and took to New Age. The next day, the sweetheart even made me cookies, then took me on a picnic and lavished me with wine. The second night, I went to Havana and made out with three different girls, one of which I really clicked with. I also had numbers of two other girls I gamed before that night, but I didn’t even have time to see them. Needless to say, I got my flag and the next time I go back I’ll be a busy, busy boy. I love Skopje! South East Asia move over for South East Europe!