TULUM55 - One visit Tulum55 is the perfect bistro place to while the afternoon away whilst enjoying quality cocktails, people watching and a beautiful and comfortable atmosphere. Definitely, a people-watching place that is great for the late afternoon listening to great tunes and bustling with locals. If you are a cocktail lover and fancy an aviation, then this is the place for you. A varied menu with a range of dishes from around the world. We opted for a pizza to soak up the cocktails, and it was excellent. A fun menu full of quirky quotes to brighten up your day. Tulum is a popular meeting spot for the locals, and we found it easy to spark up a conversation with fellow guests. It is located on a cobblestone street, very elegant with a European feel, one of the prettiest streets in Belgrade. The staff are very welcoming and very accommodating. Tulum55 is a perfect place to enjoy your afternoon listening to tunes and devouring cocktails in a Hawaiian theme bistro.

Smokvica (Smokvica - Kralja Petra) -Two visits Upon arrival into Smokvica, you are welcomed with warm, friendly and bubbly service from the lovely team. Whether sitting inside within the cosy and clean interior, with a Mediterranean feel or outdoors in the leafy courtyard perfect for a long lazy breakfast, lunch or afternoon cocktails. The exposed kitchen allows you to watch your meals being prepared with love and passion. The freshest of ingredients, farm to plate dining, large serving sizes and top-quality dishes. We enjoyed a long lazy breakfast soaking up the Autumn sunshine. Smokvica has a family feel, always busy any time of the day with a very satisfying menu. There are Smokvica's scattered around Belgrade, all of the same standard and located in the most beautiful buildings accompanied by a relaxing courtyard and garden.

Royal Putnik Hotel - Four nights Royal Putnik Hotel in Vranje, Serbia is five stars all the way, a perfect introduction to Serbia. Upon arrival, you are welcomed with open arms. The staff are incredibly friendly, full of smiles and helpful in every aspect. We booked the suite with a terrace, and it was beautiful, very spacious, and the detail was exceptional, very luxurious and modern. The bed is heavenly, great blinds and extremely quiet to allow you to sleep in for as long as you wish. The terrace has a wonderful view over the valley, and you are surrounded by all the green trees and nature of Vranje. The room is fully serviced every day, no matter what time. It was a nice surprise to experience a full service, which has been few and far between during our stays in Macedonia. You are spoilt with a fantastic restaurant and bar on the rooftop, with indoor and outdoor dining. Serving amazing food, an excellent wine list and cocktails were also a treat. The staff were all incredibly professional and we loved chatting with them, listening to their story and all their travel tips for Serbia. We dined most days and were delighted with every meal, the dishes were on another level, we thank the lovely chef for taking us on an adventurous and delicious food journey. The meat dishes were mouthwatering. The breakfast is a la carte with a great selection of dishes to experience. We were very impressed and the serving portions will keep you satisfied well into the afternoon. The location is just off the main street but still in the heart, so you are on the doorstep of the city. Definitely recommend Royal Putnik Hotel for your stay. It is simply the best hotel in Vranje.

Gradska Meana - One visit The restaurant that transports you back in time, an authentic Serbian restaurant in Vranje located in a historic townhouse. Meana is the most visited restaurant in Vranje and a favourite amongst locals and travellers. It truly has the most tranquil garden dining area. Recommend to book, as it fills up very fast and due to the nature of the restaurant being a place for families and friends to gather and socialise, the tables do not turn over fast. We were fortunate to arrive just before the lunch crowd gathered and were seated on one of the last remaining tables. As this is a local restaurant, they only have one menu in English, and very little is spoken amongst the staff, so you truly have a unique experience. The staff were charming and welcoming. The menu is pages of traditional dishes, and the wine list was also extensive, full of Balkan treasures at excellent prices. A fantastic array of grilled meat dishes, which were on top of everyone's list, is their speciality. We enjoyed the tasty food, and be sure to try the delicious homemade bread. Best to order your dishes up front, as the kitchen and staff are bustling and service is impacted due to the restaurant's popularity. We did wait for over one hour for our main dish. Therefore we recommend putting all your orders through on arrival. We generally like to order one dish at a time. A beautiful dining experience, one that needs to be on your list when visiting Vranje.

Tesla Central Lux Main Street View - Two nights The location was excellent, in the heart of Niš, you literally walk out and into the city center. We travel full-time, therefore we are looking for our Airbnbs to become our home, this is ideal for very short stays. We initially booked three nights but shortened our stay to two nights, we were there during the middle of summer and with no air-con in the bedroom, it was quite difficult to sleep. You do experience street and neighbour noise, the soundproofing was limited, which impacts the quality of your sleep. The balcony is unusable, definitely hasn't been cleaned recently and the chairs were not very inviting. The bathroom was very pokey and the shower was very interesting with no doors, and quite small, which made it difficult to shower due to the water leaking surrounding the shower. The kitchen was basic, therefore you are best to dine out, which you are in no shortage of due to the location, although it is well equipped should you desire to cook. The apartment is a smoking apartment and there is signage, stickers, and instructions absolutely everywhere, which makes it feel like a transient stay, and we love to feel at home. Unfortunately, this Airbnb wasn't for us and didn't meet our expectations based on the pictures. Credit to Dusan, the host, he was a pleasure to deal with and easy to communicate with.

Stambolijskis Restaurant - One visit Truly magical, a New Balkan cuisine restaurant located in a 143-year-old home in Nis, Serbia. The staff were incredible, we had a fun lunch with our lovely waiter and loved the warm welcome we received. The atmosphere was very relaxing as you dined in the garden outdoors, imagine fine dining in your backyard, this was the ambience, surrounded by beautiful trees. A wonderful wine list of the very best wines from the Balkans, with a small sample of fine Italian wines. We were recommended a Serbian Pinot Noir '2012 Aleksandrovic Trijumf Noir' to complement our lamb, it is definitely now on the top of our list. Excellent value at $50 AUD. The food was exceptional. We started out with a very fresh Caesar Salad, followed by a lamb risotto full of flavour, we couldn't pass up the lamb and were grateful we didn't, it was very tasty and tender. If you are in Nis, then don't miss your chance dining at Stambolijskis Restaurant, you will be taken on a food and wine journey to remember.

Café Lagano - One visit Lagano is a vibrant cafe and bar in the heart of Nis, beautifully designed with a wonderful team. We enjoyed a fun night at Lagano meeting the lovely owner and locals, it was very warm and friendly with a great vibe. Cocktails are impressive and an excellent range of top-shelf drinks is available. The resident puppy is adorable and definitely adds to the atmosphere. Lagano also has a very comfortable indoor and outdoor space with very attentive service. If you are looking for a great establishment to feel the local vibe, listen to tunes and enjoy drinks then Lagano will not disappoint.

Restoran Mokum - One vist Restoran Mokum is a rooftop restaurant with beautiful views over Belgrade including Sava River. Located on the 7th floor in Hotel Amsterdam, it has a funky design and plush furniture. The excellent wine list is accompanied by a great menu. The salads were full of flavour and very fresh. The pasta dish we chose was mouthwatering. The staff are an absolute delight, and very attentive, overall a great atmosphere. We really enjoyed our lunch at Mokum and definitely recommend it.

Max Luxury Apartments 12 - Three nights Max Luxury Apartments in Belgrade are absolutely stunning, in every aspect. The architects should be incredibly proud of this magnificent apartment, the best use of space and design. The furnishings are luxurious, extremely comfortable for your stay, short or long, we wished it was available to extend, it would have been ideal for a few weeks. Five stars for cleanliness, it was spotless. The location is perfect, a few steps from the Republic Square Belgrade, providing you with an abundance of dining choices, shops and sightseeing, a beautiful pedestrian street to stroll along as well. You are also a 10-minute walk from the Sava river, where you are spoilt for more dining and nightlife. Aleksandar is an absolute delight, he is so welcoming and accommodating, he will make sure your stay is perfect. Very responsive and easy to communicate with, also flexible on check-in and out times, which was a blessing. You are surprised with some treats on arrival, along with bottled water. The apartment is fully equipped with everything you need to cook at home too, there is also a washing machine neatly tucked away in the bathroom. The apartment is fully air-conditioned to help you escape from the hot summer days and for a peaceful sleep during the nights, the apartment is also very quiet with no disruptions from neighbours or the outside world. You also get to enjoy the evening sunsets from the apartment over the city, which absolutely ticks every box, especially with the bonus of a lift to ease the stress of delivering your luggage. Definitely, one of the best Airbnbs we have been fortunate to stay in during our four years of travel.

Saint Sava Temple - One visit Magnificent monument with the most remarkable architecture. This church surprises you from all pockets as you explore the city. It is perched upon the Vračar plateau in Belgrade, Serbia. The Church of Saint Sava (also known as the Temple of Saint Sava) is the largest Serbian Orthodox church. It is the largest Orthodox place of worship in the Balkans and one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world. It is believed to be the location where the remains of Saint Sava were burned in 1595 by Ottoman Grand Vizier Sinan Pasha to break the Serbian spirit. Construction started in 1935 and only completed the mosaics in the temple in 2020. They are still working on the temple today, completing the interior. Its total height reaches 82m, with the dome 70m high. The main gold plated cross gives it an additional 12m. The central dome weighs 4,000 tons and took 40 days to lift. More than 49 bells in the tower and over 18 gold plated crosses on the dome. The Temple can receive an amazing 10,000 people at any time. It is wonderful to hear the bell chimes during the day throughout the city, and we have been blessed with views from our balconies where we have stayed.