Bosnia and Herzegovina
The great thing about Bosnia and Herzegovina is that I didn't feel out of place with my modest wear. Lots of local Muslim females were dressed similar to me, which meant that everyone is used to it. It felt great. It's good to be accepted like that. Here are some of the outfits I wore there during early Fall in September. It was surprisingly warm! Hope they give you some ideas for your next trip!
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Fall 2016 was the first time for me to go to Eastern Europe and I am very happy I did. I have been speaking about my trip to Croatia and Bosnia for MONTHS! I recommend these two amazing countries to everyone I see. I originally only wanted to do one or the other, but going to both happened because of my Saudi visa requirements. I had to visit a country in the Schengen area (Croatia) to be allowed entry to Bosnia.
Zagreb (1 night) > Plitvice Lakes (1 night) > Split (few hours) > Dubrovnik (three nights) > Mostar (three nights) > Sarajevo (two nights)
I started with a direct flight from London to Zagreb the capital, which was fabulous. I only stayed there a night. I took the first bus from there to the Plitvice Lakes National Park. I spent the day at the park and then spent the night at one of the parks hotels. In the morning I headed to Split where I stopped to spend few hours before heading to Dubrovnik. I spent three nights in the very touristy but pretty old town of Dubrovnik.
old town of Dubrovnik.
After spending three nights in Dubrovnik, we got the bus to Mostar.
It was around three hours. It was a very rainy day and the bus was so crowded and even leaked a little. I stayed at Isa's family run Pension .
and really loved it. Such kind and hospitable people. It was a great location because it was ten minutes from the beautiful old town, but also five minutes from where the locals hangout. I wouldn't recommend eating in the old town because it's slightly over priced. I really enjoyed the food in Mostar. The first day in Mostar was dedicated to the old town tour, market and food. The second day, we arranged a trip with our host family to see three spots outside Mostar. You can just to the old town and find day trips from the tourist information desks. We wanted to take the train from Mostar to Sarajevo for the stunning views, but the train was in repairs, so we got the bus instead. The three days we spent in Sarajevo passed so quickly and I got to meet some Bosnian friends from Instagram and go on the free walking tour. There are so many things to do and see. Here are 15 things to do in Sarajevo.
Mostar
Hijab: I didn't get any problems travelling with my hijab in Croatia even when I was solo. People were very nice and helpful with me. In Bosnia, no one even glanced at me since it's a semi Muslim country and I was dressed like many locals.
Halal food in Croatia: there is only one halal restaurant in Dubrovnik and all the halal food was sold out by the time we arrived. There are so many vegetarian options though.
Halal food in Bosnia: Every restaurant I went to served halal meat. I trusted the owners confirmations.
Mosques in Croatia: I didn't actively look for mosques in the spots I visited Croatia. My friend found one in Dubrovnik. It was within the walls of the old town. It was tucked away with a little mosque sign. I loved how it fitted with all the other buildings. It was convenient having it because we just got to pray there during the day.
Mosques were scattered around Mostar and Bosnia. Friday prayer for women in Bosnia: My friend and I thought it would be a nice idea to join the Friday prayer in the mosque in the old town in Sarajevo, but since it's very busy on Friday, men occupy the whole mosque space. They even extend to the court yard. I spent a lot of time on buses, but it was still fun. I managed to take early buses and just slept there.
mosques in sarajevo
PS. I did Zagreb, Plitvice Lakes and Split solo. Then I joined my friend in Dubrovnik and we carried on to Mostar and Sarajevo together.
Mostar was a beautiful and an unexpected surprise.
I booked my bus online on Get By Bus from Dubrovnik to Mostar (East) on the Globtour bus. The trip was just a little over three hours.
Tip: Make sure you are there by the bus stop on time or even before time because the bus gets busy sometimes and if the seats have been taken you will just have to stand or wait for another bus. Also have some change with (1-2 euros) for your luggage.
When we arrived to the Bosnian boarders, the police came in to check the passports. The policeman took my passport and a few others with him for a check outside. I felt so unsettled when the bus moved without my passport getting back to me, but it turns out the policeman gave it to the driver and took few minutes till I got it. The very heavy rain outside made the bus leak on my head so that wasn't too cool, but other than that the trip was smooth.
I think everyone should at least stay two days in Mostar. I really wanted to stay longer, but my time was limited. Here are some reasons to inspire you to visit.
Reason 1. The old Bridge
I know this is the most obvious thing, but it is seriously stunning and feels like a view from a fairytale. It was first built in the 16th in the Ottoman period. It survived the second world war, but it was destroyed in 1993. I am so proud that the city managed to rebuild its old centre and the bridge after the war.
Photo Tip for Mostar: Go up to the mosque's minaret for a beautiful bridge photo and a 360 of Mostar.
Reason 2. The stunning views
As we walked around Mostar we enjoyed the nature, architecture and the turquious river.
Reason 3. Shopping in the old town centre
This might be the most tourist thing to do in Mostar and the first thing most people do, but it gets really quiet after the day-trippers leave.
The shop keepers and the touring offices are not pushy and they let everyone wander around without pressure or any comments. They are very helpful when I asked them for directions.
Reason 4. The Islamic Heritage
The Ottoman influence is still present especially inside the mosque and it's good to see it up close. I liked the colour combinations there.
Reason 5. The Delicious Fresh FOOD!
The first thing my friend and I did when we got to Mostar was EAT! The food was delicious and halal! (double plus!) Their baby kababs aka (civapis) were so fresh and just thinking about them now makes me hungry! I liked them much better in Mostar than Sarajevo.
We had most meals at Ašćinica Saray because it was just next to the place we stayed in Pension Isa. We also had amazing Cevapis at Grill Centar. It was amazing! The flavour was spot on and the meat was cooked to perfection. It was served with onions and bread. I got salad and fries with it but the locals had yogurt. This place was truly where the locals ate and it wasn't that far from the old town. Basically the places in the old town -where there is grovel- are too pricey, but when you go the opposite directions prices drop to half.
Reason 6. Visiting the Darvish house (Blagaj)
This is less than an hour drive from Mostar. There are groups in town that would take you for a day trip to all the spots around town. We were lucky and were taken by our host. We started with the dervish house.
Dress Code Tip for Blagaj: You have to dress decent to enter. Men have to wear pants and ladies have to cover their skin and hair (basic Islamic dress code). Don't worry if you aren't wearing that already because they have scarves and long wraps.
It's the burial of two popular darvishes that impacted the society in that area and helped the spread of Islam. It was a nice house and the river was so pretty.
Reason 7. Going up the fort
This one was a bit of climb to get up there, but the views were stunning! The stairs in the fort itself are super steep and some areas were really dark (in the middle of the day). So many gorgeous photo opportunities though.
Reason 8. Taking a dip in the lake under the waterfalls
The Kravica waterfalls were the most fun of the whole trip because there were three of us and everything was funnier and sillier. The water was freezing! But once you are fully immersed in the water your body gets used to it. I only swam for half a meter & I was too scared & cold to carry on.
Tips:
- There is a little changing curtain.
- Be carful of the rocks under the water.
- No halal food too eat there but there are overpriced fish options.
There are more things I haven't mentioned around Mostar. There are few museums and traditional houses to visit, but these were my favourite spots.
15 things to do in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia.
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