When I started planning my 10-day Balkan trip, I knew I wanted to begin somewhere in the central of Balkan. When I zoomed into the map, my eyes immediately stuck on a familiar name: Sarajevo.
Sarajevo is a name that I had heard a lot in my childhood days. Back then, watching TV was part of my daily routine, and I often saw the words “Sarajevo” and “Bosnia” appeared on the news — paired with disturbing visuals of war. It was circa 1995-ish if I am not mistaken. So sorry to remember Bosnia and Sarajevo this way, but little did I know, this country would later be home to some of the loveliest people I’ve ever met.
Fast forward a bit, and there I was — boarding a Turkish Airlines flight to Sarajevo via Istanbul. After a long 8-hour layover, good to know the final leg to Sarajevo would only take two more hours.
SARAJEVO
This trip started with a bunch of luck — I had two flights, and both times the seat next to me was empty! I couldn’t hide how excited I was when the plane door closed and the seat beside me was left empty. The guy sitting by the window in my row turned to me and said, “I hope no one suddenly shows up and takes it,” and I grinned back, “I knowww righttt!”
We ended up chatting for the rest of the flight. Turns out, he’s a Bosnian coming home to Sarajevo after months of nomadic life in Vietnam, to celebrate Christmas with his family.
When we landed, he kindly helped me order a taxi via phone call to Bascarsija — Sarajevo’s old town. He said airport taxis weren’t always reliable, and there’s no online ride-hailing service in the city. Thanks to him, I scrapped off a potential hassle. What I didn’t know then was that this would be just the beginning of the kindness I’d experience from Bosnians.
The taxi driver we met was also funny and kind. Despite the language gap, he did not hesitate to start a conversation with us and recommended us bunch of places to eat in Sarajevo, that we took a note of. He also warned us not to take specific taxi brand as we might encountered a scam, the safest way to order taxi is through a phone call – just like the guy from the plane told me. Hm, so ancient yet interesting.
I chose to stay in Bascarsija — Sarajevo’s old town — because it’s the center of everything I wanted to see, and I only had 17 hours to explore. With such limited time, I had to prioritize the old town and had to skip a few places on my list like the Yellow Fortress, the War Tunnel, and Trebević Mountain. These are places that could bring you back to their depressing war history.
Upon arriving at our Airbnb, we cleaned up a bit and got out immediately. We strolled through Bascarsija Market, took a peek at the iconic Sebilj Fountain, walked down Ferhadija Street, crossed the Latin Bridge, and ended at Vijećnica (the old city hall). Surprisingly, we covered all of this in less than two hours — everything was so close and walkable!
We had dinner at Ćevabdžinica Petica – Ferhatović that is proudly recommended by our taxi driver (confirmed by my internet notes). He said that we must try Bosnian Cevapi here – and he was absolutely right. The restaurant was just conveniently located from where we were so we could get there just in time as the dinner queue started to gather. Lucky us, we did not wait long for the table as it was freezing outside.
The restaurant was warm, busy, and loud of laughters and chatters – the kind of place with a strong local vibes. When we were confusedly staring at the menu, two women approached us and asked if they could share our table. Of course, we said yes. They ended up helping us to read and order the Cevapi.
They turned out to be a mother and daughter — the daughter, Adisa, lives in Sarajevo, and her mom was visiting from their hometown in Bihać. This was their favorite Cevapi restaurant, and somehow we got lucky enough to share a meal with them. Adisa was full of stories. She told us about Bosnia & Herzegovina fascinating history, people and culture which I then understood about main ethnic groups that live side by side in the country : Bosniaks (mostly Muslim), Croats (mainly Catholic), and Serbs (primarily Eastern Orthodox). The country even have 3 Presidents that represent each of the ethnicity, they took turn to rule every 8 months! What a cool arrangement!
Out of curiosity, I asked her if people from different ethnicity could marry — and she held up her hand to show off her engagement ring.“Well,” she smiled, “I’m Bosniak, and my fiancé is Serb. We’re okay — our families are okay — because we love each other.” She explained that while some still hold close-minded views, in general, people live together peacefully here.
Oh this is what I always love about travel – to get to know the uniqueness of a place from its very own people!
We ended the dinner and said goodbye to each other. Me and my friend continued to wander around Bascarsija and closed the day with some hot chai and a few puff of Bosnian hookah because the night were cold and the mood was just right.
Sadly we had to leave Sarajevo the next morning, but since we wanted to make the most of our time, we got up early and made one last lap in Bascarsija, had a stop at Sebilj Fountain – legend has it, if you drink from it, you’ll return to Sarajevo one day. (So yes, I had a sip!)
We ended our brief Sarajevo morning with a breakfast at Ministry of Ćejf, a cozy little spot with an adorable Sarajevo vibes that covered by snow before hopping on the bus to Mostar.
MOSTAR
I had originally planned to take the scenic train from Sarajevo to Mostar — it’s famous for its stunning views. But for some reason the ticket purchase could not go thru which later I found out from Adisa that the train tracks were temporarily closed due to severe flooding in early 2024. Therefore we took the bus instead.
And honestly? No regrets. The view along the way was breathtaking — mountains, rivers, and valleys that looked like a perfect painting. It was so beautiful that it made my friend cried – well, she is a sentimental. Me? I loved it too, but no crying involved, I fell asleep — believe me, I tried so hard not to fall asleep, but the ride with that kind of view just too soothing for me.
Our Airbnb in Mostar is just the best! A simply pretty room with a balcony overlooking the river that makes me wanted to sit down there forever! The view just Out. Of. This. World. I think sitting in my Airbnb balcony is one of the highlight in Mostar. lol. I instantly wished I could come back as often as possible.
There is something about Mostar that gave off different medieval vibes, but not the typical European kind — more like an Ottoman-era fairytale with a sprinkle of European style. The town is small, but it feels authentic and rich with history. Again, I wish I had more days, would love to stay a couple more days just to chill around.
My absolute favorite moment? Sitting at a restaurant with the perfect view of Stari Most (Old Bridge), spending time just to stare at the gurgling river right below it was just so peaceful and calming.
PS : The name of the restaurant is Urban – taste of Orient.
Another cool fact I learned from Adisa : Mostar’s famous bridge was originally built to connect two communities — Bosniaks on the west bank and Croats on the east. But even today, the town remains quietly divided. It still has two electricity companies, two phone networks, even two universities — each serving a different ethnic group. Even some locals still believe they shouldn’t cross the bridge into the “other” side, a silent reminder of how deep some divisions still run. It’s strange, and a bit ironic — knowing the town has a strong peaceful impression.
BLAGAJ TEKKE
From Mostar, we took a short trip to Blagaj Tekke, just 40 minutes away by local bus. Even though it was already late in the afternoon – (because we were to swoon away with our balcony view), I’m so glad we made the effort, because the place is outrageously beautiful.
Blagaj Tekke is known for its Dervish monastery — one of the most sacred and ancient sites in Bosnia. It once hosted Sufi brotherhoods who came here to perform spiritual rituals and chants. The monastery is tucked right beside the emerald river, under a towering cliff, making the whole place feel more mystical and serene.
By the time we arrived, the sky was already turning dark, so we decided to skip entering the monastery and instead went straight for an early dinner at a riverside restaurant. And wow — we had fresh river fish that was absolutely delicious! The flavors, the fresh air, the sound of the water nearby — it all came together escalating the feeling! One of the best meals of the trip, hands down.
After dinner, it was already dark and cold though it was still around 6 PM, we still had to walk about 20 minutes back to the bus stop from the riverside restaurant. Blagaj is tiny and very quiet, so it felt a bit scary to walk back in the dark.
We stood alone by the bus stop’s sign, wondering if the bus was still running. The schedule on the sign board says there should be bus coming at 7 PM, so we waited there.
Some local passer by started noticing us who stood in the dark, and without us asking, they began helping. They walked past and paused, looking concern. Some checked the schedule on the signboard for us, then gave us a hand sign that seems like ‘don’t worry, there’s still a bus.’ We replied with smile and said ‘Hvala’ means thank you.
There was this one older woman who passed us by but then turned back. She stared at the schedule, mumbled something in Bosnian, and walked off toward the shop just next to the bus stop. Moments later, she came out and shouted to us : “Wait here! The bus will come. I have checked!”
Ohhh! how come these people are so lovely and caring! We hadn’t asked for help, but everyone made sure we wouldn’t be left waiting in vain. And when the bus finally arrived, the shopkeepers and the other customer stepped outside with a clapped, smiled, and waved us off.
I mean… CAN I STAY HERE? Bosnian are just the loveliest people I’ve met!!!
