Tag Archive for: coliving

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All You Need To Know – MindfulSelness Women Retreat

The year 2023 marked the inception of our remarkable WOMEN ONLY retreat so let us provide you with more insights about it:

THE NAME

Our Women’s Retreat, known as #MindfulSelfNess, encapsulates its core promise to participants in its very name. It is more than just a vacation; it’s a transformative experience where you embrace the present moment, fostering kindness and openness to yourself and your close connections.

WHAT TO EXPECT?

Crafted for women seeking awakening, genuine self-love, and self-reflection, our retreat offers a unique experience within a supportive women’s circle. Immerse yourself in nature healing and live in the moment, leading to a profound reconnection with your inner self.

FEELINGS, EMOTIONS & TAKEAWAYS

What feeling you can anticipate at our retreat? The most significant takeaway is self-love, coupled with an appreciation for life’s small joys. Our team is dedicated to imparting valuable lessons in time management, embracing the presence, and fostering deeper connections with family and work associates. Post-retreat, expect practical tools like a mindfulness map and ongoing mentorship.

WHAT IS THIS EXPERIENCE ABOUT?

It’s about positive transformation—an enhanced version of yourself, primarily for your benefit and subsequently for those around you.

WHAT IS INCLUDED?

  • 5-night stay (shared apartments, 3 women per apartment; max 6 participants)
  • 3 plant-based meals per day (with a touch of vegetarian)
  • Daily yoga classes (movement, breathing, silence)
  • Daily workshops
  • Nutrition classes
  • Hiking
  • Time-management techniques.

Click the link to learn more & contact us to secure your spot!

DATES AVAILABLE – 2024
May 1-6
July 18-23
Sept 26 – Oct 1
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2023 Blog Stories Recap

We were productive this year, and we crafted a blog per month in 2023. The December one is dedicated to the recap of all the great stories we had during this year. Let’s dive into them and thank you for the inspiration!

January – HERITAGE DEPICTED IN LOVING PIECES – YOUR EASY PATH TO LEARN ABOUT MONTENEGRO

February – AN UNEXPECTED DIGITAL DETOX AND HOW TO SURVIVE IT – RURAL COLIVING IN MONTENEGRO

STAYCATION-FITCAMP-MONTENEGRO

March – STAYCATION & WORKATION AT FITCAMP MONTENEGRO

April – THE DEVELOPMENT GOALS OF FITCAMP MONTENEGRO

May – HIKING ADVENTURE WITH MY DOG TO NOZDRA AND GOLIJA IN CENTRAL MONTENEGRO 

June – GUIDED STARGAZING EXPERIENCE IN MONTENEGRO

July – WELL-BEING HOLIDAYS: THE HEALING POWER OF NATURE & TRAVEL AT FITCAMP MONTENEGRO

August – HOW WE GAVE BIRTH TO “WOMEN WHO PLAY” OFFER

September – CO-LIVING IN THE FITCAMP COMMUNITY

October – 6 REASONS WHY FITCAMP MONTENEGRO IS A GREAT SPOT FOR SOLO TRAVELLERS & DIGITAL NOMADS

women who play and enjoy nature on women's retreat

November – 6 REASONS TO JOIN A WOMEN’S RETREAT IN MONTENEGRO IN 2024

Thank you so much for your trust! We will do our best to share more amusing moments through stories in 2024! Happy holidays and best wishes for the upcoming year!

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6 Reasons Why FitCamp Montenegro is a Great Spot for Solo Travellers & Digital Nomads

Solo travel or nomadic lifestyle is an adventure that allows you to explore the world on your own terms, rejuvenate your spirit and connect with nature. At FitCamp Montenegro, we understand the value of this experience and offer a unique place for solo travellers seeking self-sustainability, nature healing, and a memorable escape. Let us give you some reasons why:

1. A Commitment to Self-Sustainability

At FitCamp Montenegro, we’re dedicated to living in harmony with nature. Our commitment to self-sustainability is reflected in our eco-friendly practices. We’re on a journey to switch to solar and wind energy for electricity production and utilise rainfall to supply our facilities. This winter, we are starting a small recycling yard for our nearest community. 

All our visitors can join us in following simple rules that help us reach self-sustainability and learn how to be a responsible friend to the environment. 

We love learning from you, too. Don’t hesitate to share and apply your knowledge and experience.

2. Nature Healing for Mind and Body

In today’s fast-paced world, the importance of reconnecting with nature for overall health and well-being cannot be overstated. FitCamp Montenegro’s mission is to guide you on a journey of nature healing. Solo travellers and/or nomads can experience the rejuvenating effects of nature, with our programs designed to help you unwind, recharge, and rediscover the joy of missing out (JOMO).

3. Tailored Programs for Personal Growth

Our programs are carefully curated to help you embrace the present moment and explore the beauty of Montenegro. Solo visitors can delve into activities guided by experienced instructors and coaches, allowing you to reconnect with your inner-self and find joy in life’s simple pleasures.

Don’t worry, we do individual programs too. With us, you don’t have to worry if there are enough people who applied, we can organise our programs just for you if you prefer that. 

4. A Mediterranean Secret

Montenegro’s breathtaking landscapes, pristine beaches, and charming villages are among the Mediterranean’s best-kept secrets. As a solo traveller, you have the opportunity to explore this hidden gem and create lasting memories while improving your lifestyle in a natural environment.

5. Consciousness of Health and Mental Wellbeing

Our facilities and the serene natural setting offer the perfect setting for reviving your consciousness of health and mental well-being. Our team can teach you how to escape the stresses of modern life, unwind, and recharge your energy levels.

6. A Vacation to Remember

FitCamp Montenegro’s goal is to elevate your vacation experience. You’ll not only enjoy the serene beauty of our location but also immerse yourself in a community of like-minded individuals who appreciate the value of nature and conscious living. 

Join us in making your vacation unforgettable.

FitCamp Montenegro is more than just a destination, we share our values with you and it is great when these align with your aspirations. You can embark on a different journey, leaving with cherished memories and a renewed connection with nature and yourself.

Ready to experience the joy of solo travel and nomadism at FitCamp Montenegro? Contact us to book your stay and start the adventure of a lifetime.

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Co-living in the FitCamp Community

Co-living at FitCamp Montenegro is not just a regular stay where you rent an apartment and live on your own. It is, actually, much more fun as we take the word ‘coliving’ for granted. We can only be happy with our experiences so far, so we decided to share more with all of you out there seeking your new home abroad.

Common Sense 

Sharing is caring, in the full meaning of that phrase! Not that we only share our house with you; the sharing is the least material here. It starts when you step your foot on our estate and never ends. The common sense that we are sharing is just one of the characteristics that make us, hosts, and you, guests, close to each other. And when the brainstorming on this topic starts, the ideas are inexhaustible. Nobody can stop us!

The most emotional part is seeing how you care about our progress, compassionately offering all your help and knowledge. This brings us to your…

Home Abroad 

…and FitCamp it really is. That is how we feel with all of you who stayed with us so far – our house is your house! We take care of it together, we share ideas for improvements, we support each other in hard and beautiful moments, we explore, we create, and we produce… All is possible when the right people choose you! And there isn’t anybody more grateful than us for this fact. You attract what you radiate – we guess.

Thinking of all the requests we received so far, and only a number of these turned out to be reservations… But, all that turned into stays were indeed special experiences. For these people, FitCamp Montenegro will always have its door open, and we hope to rank high among your favourite homes abroad.

Friendships 

Not only our guests, but also our volunteers are out-of-this-world people, and we are so happy that they choose us. Somehow, we ended up being friends with most of them, and we keep in touch, share important moments of life, and check upon each other. We can’t be grateful enough for all the great things they did for us during their stay. Even our dogs had their furry companions joining us and it was immense happiness.

What comes very true in our adult years is that friends simply recognise each other. Even when you lose some of your childhood friendships, these compensate quite a lot and, in reality, show you what conscious friendship means. Additionally, it is so beautiful to share our lifestyle with all-around the world visitors and see our similarities.

Helping Hands 

Our co-living guests and volunteers weren’t just friends who supported us verbally. They were our helping hands on the spot, for anything we needed in that moment. 

From nursing our Sivi, a crazy little dog who got hit by a car, through grape juice making, wood collecting & cutting for our winter stove heater, marking a hiking trail, fruit picking, jam making, housesitting, to snowstorm survival and constant snow cleaning, these people showed their big hearts and their consciousness of the local community they belonged to for a while.

We will never be able to forget our exciting game nights, wine tasting, movies, dinners together, and many things we shared with all of you. So, this is an ode to you all, expressing our enormous gratitude.

At the same time, it is a call for all of you out there who have these above-mentioned goals when finding a remote home for a short or long time.

Our co-living season has just started, and we can’t be more ready and happy to welcome you! Get your quote at this link. Welcome!

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Hiking Adventure with My Dog to Nozdra and Golija in Central Montenegro 

One feels so beautiful by being accepted and creating connections with complete strangers around the world. Montenegro has a big soul, ready to heartwarmingly welcome you at any moment! Let’s check the story from our coliving guest Lisa, who was that kind to write the story for our website and share it with all of you! 💚

FitCamp Montenegro Hosts

Going hiking to the remains of the old Ottoman Fortress and back to FitCamp – that was the plan. 

In the morning, I packed my small backpack with some food and water for me and our dog Bailey and we took off. The first bit of the hike I knew already from the previous walks. I was super excited to go again, and this time even further to explore the fortress.

The weather was absolutely amazing – summer feeling in the air. For Bailey it was a bit too warm, so we were faster in the beginning to reach the higher peaks of the mountains as I already knew there was a little pond, and I planned to take a break, mainly so that Bailey could cool herself down by swimming.

And so we did. After the break, we made our way through the stunning landscapes with a bit of wind. While the first part was more rocky, we soon passed to a beautiful valley, with grass and trees all around. We passed a few old farmhouses (katun), some presumably still in use during summer. Once in a while, there were small ponds with water for the cattle, which Bailey also happily used.

After approximately 2,5 hours of walking, we could have seen the ruins of the fortress high up in the mountain above the valley. If we wanted to make the way up to reach the ruins, we needed to leave the hiking road and do a short walk up the mountain. I decided not to walk there as I already had a wild idea in my head. I wanted Bailey and me to save our energy for the adventure ahead. 

Enjoying the beautiful weather and curious as I am, I called my partner. I quickly introduced her to my idea and was super happy to hear that she agreed to help out. Instead of turning to the fortress, I decided to go on, curious to see more of this beautiful mountain area. I wanted to dive deeper and enjoy this energy, nature and remoteness. Of course, previously, I checked the map that said it was possible to continue on the same hiking road for about 13 km to reach the main road again. From that point to FitCamp, there was about 21 km and I knew we couldn’t walk that distance on the same day, so that is where I needed my partner’s assistance. We were planning to meet on the main road that evening and the pick-up was with our camper van. After planning it all, Bailey and I took a break, ate some snacks and enjoyed the sun.

Heading on, the landscape was changing again and again, from rocky, to small forests and then a beautiful, wide and open valley. I could see that Bailey loved this just as much as I did, as she was bouncing and running a bit in front and around me. I could not believe that there was no one around, just us. 

Walking on, we reached another valley with a huge flock of sheep. So, we were not alone in the end… 

Slowly making our way towards the flock, I was looking for the shepherd. Also, I could not see any dogs, even if I was sure that there must be some. The sheep were all over the place. 

There weren’t any other options to pass further, but going directly into the flock. So, I took Bailey to my side and went slowly straight on. One moment, as we came closer, all sheep looked at us, forming a half circle. This was impressive. Even more impressive, when Bailey and I continued and I realised that the sheep were closing the circle behind us. I felt Bailey’s tension and was so grateful that she is such a calm dog, in most situations. On the other hand, I was not used to sheep and having them walking behind and around us, so I just wanted to get through the flock and out. 

Holding Bailey and walking, I talked aloud to calm down both of us. We speeded up a bit and finally made it out and turned away from the flock. 

I was super happy we made it and then I heard dogs and saw a shepherd approaching us. I waved and greeted him in my few, newly learned Montenegrins words, saying „Dobar dan“. 

He waved and greeted me with a big smile, obviously surprised to see us. He went on talking, gesturing – I tried and wished I would have learned more Montenegrin. Anyway, I just smiled and followed him as he was inviting me towards the house nearby. Meanwhile, Bailey and his dogs had also greeted each other. 

Bailey stayed outside while I went inside, following the shepherd. There was one room. Simple but cosy, with a bed, couch, basic stove and cooking area. We sat down, continuously trying to talk to each other. He even tried to call a few of his friends to help out translating. Unsuccessfully, but it was nice of him to try his best. He offered me what I thought was water and Fanta. I decided to go for the water but a few seconds later I realised when he was serving it in small glasses, that this was no water. This was rakija. Later, at FitCamp, I learnt that this is a typical alcoholic drink from Montenegro, usually made of grapes (but it can be made of other fruits) and intensively strong.

I remembered I had a muesli bar and offered him half. Then I slowly packed my bag and signalled to him that Bailey and I need to go on. He wasn’t happy as I believe he thought we planned to hike to Bosnia with just a small backpack. That was my guess, at least. Trying to communicate that everything was just fine – I thanked him. As a memory of this adventurous moment and this hospitable and welcoming shepherd, he left me to take a picture – both of us smiling and then waving goodbye.

I checked on the map and saw that we had about 1 hour of walking left. We took a small break, enjoying the beautiful views. After a while, I could already see the spot where the hiking road was intersecting with the main road, down the mountain. Pivoting down, we passed a few houses, reached the main road and then relaxed on the grass while waiting for our ride back home. 

The whole day and this hike turned out to be absolutely what I did not expect. And yet, this was just the perfect thing to happen that made this hike even more precious and unforgettable for Bailey and me.

Hvala Montenegro!

About author

Lisa Lützen is an Access Bars Facilitator, nature lover and adventurer. She spent a month at FitCamp Montenegro as our coliving guest, and we enjoyed the time with her, her partner and their lovely dog Bailey. We were amazed at how well they got the idea of our coliving concept and are more than happy to have made new friends. We are enthusiastic to welcome them again! To learn more about Lisa, click here.

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The Development Goals of FitCamp Montenegro

Being a crazy ant is not an easy job. All of us crazy ants know it, but we usually wouldn’t do anything different even if we could turn back the time. 

‘…most of the ants in the nest are creatures of habit (workers). They mark their routes with scent trails and only follow routes where another ant once walked. So they obediently finish their work list. They will mainly work harder and harder but do nothing structural about the problem.

Fortunately, there are always several crazy ants (scouts) in a nest. They deviate from the fixed routes and, therefore, find new places that the ant people need to survive. The crazy ant is the one who will find a new place. But how does he convince the other ants to help him move the entire nest?’

Read the full story about the crazy ant here. 

Lagant.nl

As many in our surroundings characterised us as crazy when we left the coast and headed up to the Adriatic hinterland of Central Montenegro to develop FitCamp, we wished to write this blog and explain our reasons, or better say goals!

GOAL 1 – Local Community Involvement & Development

Seeing the potential and optimal growth in rural tourism development of Montenegro, one of the leading thoughts of our business idea was to include the local community in all that we do. 

Offering only local products to our guests and visitors is what we crave, but taking in mind that our production is not that big to cover all the needs yet, we saw an opportunity for everyone in the village producing anything from fruits and vegetables to cheese, meat, marmalades, juices, rakija, wines and similar. 

This goal includes long-term effects that are equally positive to our business development as to the city’s economic empowerment, a larger tourism inclusion and better rural product placement. 

We frequently hear how the city of Niksic, where we are located, is not touristically developed, so we want to motivate people from this city to understand the potential of the area and plan their agricultural and other activities following all the possibilities that the modern market offers. 

GOAL 2 – Sustainable Environment

The mal-influence of tourism on the environment has become very clear, taking in mind massive movements, cruising travels increase and similar. Some of the greatest minds in sustainable tourism development are now finding a way to regenerate the travel market and decrease the poor effects of the travelling crowds that used to happen from the 70s of the 20th century up to today. 

From the very beginning, FitCamp Montenegro had a clear idea in mind – development in touch with nature! All our efforts to find a remote place and cultivate it further paid off when we landed to today-location of our well-being centre. We clicked with this area and saw all the small bits and pieces needed for the puzzle that we started to put together.  

Firstly, we were enthusiastic that the village where we are now located doesn’t have a city water supply system. Most of the people we work with and our partners told us – oooh, but the water might be a problem there. We nodded and made it one step closer to our vision.

Most of the people living here are collecting the rainfall and snowfall in underground containers from which they distribute it further to their barns, houses and gardens. The same is with us. Our property has a 44 m3 water container built underground in the backyard, and it is connected to the house by an electric water pump. So, when you are inside our premises, you can’t feel the difference as it seems the same as in the urban areas. In reality, it is not the same, as we take as much as nature has given us and reuse it in our daily life. The best about it is the reaction of our guests and visitors and how fast they learn to collaborate in saving water and protecting natural resources.

Furthermore, we started planning a sustainable irrigation system for our gardens, orchard and future cattle. We dag a pool in the valley of 150 m3 size that will soon be our addition to recreation on the FitCamp estate, as well as a secure water supply for all the produce.

The system is planned with a SMART addition so that we can control the water flow even remotely.

A solar plant is something we keep for the near future, but it’s been on our list since the very beginning. The reason for postponing it is the investment that it requires. That piece of the puzzle will close the circle of self-sustainability and give us the title of the possibly only self-sustainable place in Montenegro, especially in the commercial market.

Thus, nature will give us:

– electricity from the power of sun and wind, and 

– water from the rainfall and snowfall.

This will shape our small system as a perpetuum mobile. 

GOAL 3 – Diversified Travel Product   

As parts of our team have been working in tourism for years, we are aware of the clutter and fuzz that follows travelling. The effects of tourism on nature are not flattering, but luckily, the latest generations of travellers seem to see this problem and react to it. 

Even before the pandemic, FitCamp Montenegro’s idea was shaped around the fact that nature has a healing effect and that we should let that fact into urban lives that are stale and dusty. We didn’t want seasonal work or to offer the same services as everybody else in the rural areas of Montenegro, so it took us time to shape the whole program and system with our partners and friends. From 2018 up to today, we didn’t stop working on this idea and sharp-shaping it for the market in the best way we possibly saw it could go.

All our programs are based around the benefits and inspiration that nature gives us, and we invest ourselves in the best combination of silent time within the forest, hiking, swimming, outdoor adventures, yoga, fitness, healthy food & nutrition, and mindful workshops. We immodestly consider that we crafted a unique travel product for the Montenegrin market, and we are fanatical about the reality that our demand is responding so positively to what we created for them! That gives us further inspiration and motivation to never stop and always introduce novelties to our products and the Montenegrin travel market in general.

Avoiding the short seasonal work, our doors are not open only to travellers and our programs are not crafted just for short-term rentals. We are happy to share that winter 2022/23 was more than successful at our estate, with numerous digital nomads who have chosen coliving stay, entrepreneurs and MSMEs who have chosen our team buildings and workshops and last but not least – our volunteers, who help us and at the same time live the life with us, by applying the same set of rules and goals we crave for FitCamp.

We do hope to welcome you here and spread our love for nature and all it gives us with you, introduce you to our elderly neighbours and their delicious products and heal you by being one with our Planet Earth. 

Approaching Earth Day, we wish that this blog enlights you in your future travels and motivates you to only travel with purpose!

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Staycation & Workation at FitCamp Montenegro

Travelling has become a lifestyle for many, especially for the new generation of wanderers who easily combine their working and living missions. These are digital nomads who live without frontiers, but also other groups of travellers and visitors who are seeking a long stay and combining vacations with their job – the so-called bleisure. 

Most of these people travel solo and seek secluded, intact spots, offering the luxury of staying in nature (or close to nature) but still connected to all the important living facilities. 

For a while now, Montenegro has been on the radar of numerous visitors, teams and nomads thanks to its lovely climate, friendly and hospitable people, intact nature and good connections. For us at FitCamp Montenegro, these groups of travellers were always important, and we created our idea having in mind their demands. We are happy to say that after the first working winter, we have had numerous digital nomads’ stays, and volunteers who helped us with numerous tasks that we have at the estate and we are looking forward to hosting some of our first team buildings during the spring season.

Why is FitCamp a perfect place for solo travellers?

‘Disconnect to reconnect‘ is one of the slogans that we use in our promotion, and it was built together with one of our former visitors who used our Coliving stay package. He was inspired to share his perception of FitCamp community living shaped in a simple sentence. 

Solo or in a couple, FitCamp indeed offers a cosy stay where you can be connected when you want or need to work, but at the same time, you can disconnect completely when needed, and enjoy the benefits of nature stay with or without additional activities.

The comments of our so far visitors show that our place is amazing for concentrating on important tasks at work as well, which makes it a great work-away location. 

‘As a business owner, I often find myself overwhelmed. In late October I decided to move away from my everyday routine and find an inspiring place to strategise and retreat myself with pure nature and fresh air. I chose FitCamp as my destination since it is 20 min away from my city, I’ve been there with my team for a workshop, and I felt that it was the right place for what I needed. I only stayed for 2 nights and managed to handle 2x a bigger workload than I regularly do from my home office. I don’t know what kind of magic they do, but I got inspired to write and create a strategy, and that was exactly what I came there for. Wine-tasting sessions in the evening definitely helped 🙂 I will definitely come back for more inspiration in spring! Thank you Andjela for being such a great host 💚 💙.’ 

– Bojana from Minuta do posla

When not working or cooking your daily meals, you have opportunities to hike or cycle to some of the amazing spots, unfairly neglected and forgotten but culturally and naturally beautiful. Our favourite for a short 1-hour walk is up to the Tower of Preśeka (Preśečka kula) which originates from the Ottoman Empire time.  

From that point on, continues a wide range of options, so you can either climb the mountain Golija, where you can see the famous Nozdra and remains of the Ottoman caravan settlements, or you can walk down the hill up to Krupac Lake – one of the lakes surrounding Niksic, also known as the Niksic Sea. During August, Lake Fest Rock Festival takes place here, in the forest, and a lot of water and nature outdoor activities are available from May to mid-September. This is one of our favourite spots to go swimming, as it’s only 15 min drive from FitCamp Montenegro.

yoga-in-nature-fitcamo-montenegro
Yoga in nature – solo travellers

Co-living Vibes

Living our dreams with FitCamp coming to life, we have the opportunity to host numerous visitors and volunteers from all around the world, spend quality time together and support each other in many ways. It’s a superb feeling when you know that your job can bring you new friends and that these can be connections for life!

Sharing our Community House with all of you for us means goals achieved and pure excitement. We are looking forward to every new visit and every new request, as we appreciate your understanding and support of our idea! The late autumn and winter time are amazing for the long stay for digital nomads.

‘We have spent a month in this amazing place, and it was a huge pleasure to share so many beautiful moments with people in Fit Camp. Beautiful nature and great hosts. The area is well-treated, comfortable, calm and inspiring. It is a perfect place to connect with nature and meet cool people. They are very welcoming and friendly, ready to support in any situation. The room is nicely equipped and furnished, cosy social area and funny pets. Quite close to the city, and a bike-friendly area. Looking forward to coming there again… and again.’ 

– Katerina, a digital nomad from Dortmund

Do you want to join our community? Contact us, we would be happy to have you!

If you are a volunteer who finds a bit of yourself in this article, find our profile on WorldPackers here.