WOW!!! This leg of the journey was a slight deviation off of our original route but we met some amazing people while staying in Dubrovnik-Croatia namely a woman named Carrie, who highly recommended going to Bosnia. So we followed these recommendations not knowing what to expect, but we were definitely pleasantly surprised and did not realise that this was going to be the best part of our trip so far. Let me begin with the hostel, this place was called Hostel Majdas and it was amazing! When comparing Hostel Majdas with all the places we have stayed in up until now, there was no competition, and they have definitely managed to set the bar high. This place was so good and as soon as we walked in the vibe of the place had us overwhelmed as the hosts were amazing and the social aspect was what we had been looking for. Once we were shown to our room we could hardly contain our excitement and as soon as our host had left the room we all shared an awkward three way chest-bump :P. We reunited with Carrie who we had met in Dubrovnik and who had recommended coming to Mostar in the first place, she took us for a walk to a place we could buy a cheap meal for dinner, only two dollars for a huge and satisfying meal. From day one Hostel Majdas was pact full of travellers who had so many stories to share. Even though everyone came from different walks of life, it was clear from the beginning that these people were going to become great friends.
The second day we took it very easy and just went for walk. As we walked it became more and more clear why everyone highly recommended Mostar. Once we made it to the Mostar bridge Ed and I were seriously considering jumping off despite Jahna’s protests. This is a locally important jump that the people of Bosnia considered to be ones right into manhood. Just to put out there some perspective, this bridge is roughly 25 meters above the river. We didn’t end up jumping, but now we have an excuse to go back and do it next time.
The third day we bravely signed up for a tour that was unique to this particular hostel and was run by the brother of Majdas, the host of our hostel. In all honesty, this tour made the trip for me, not only did I get to see a lot of Bosnia but I got to learn a lot about the war that was inflicted upon this country and the hard ships that these people had to endure from their perspectives. Thirteen of us including the guide squished into a van that was only equiped for ten. Bata (Our guide) asked for two brave souls to put up their hands for an adventure, I was one of them. Little did we know, he was going to make us sit on stools in the boot instead of a proper seat. Bata was one of the craziest people we have ever met, however this energy complimented the day and made it exceptional. I remember Bata kept saying he can’t figure out why backpackers keep coming to his country except for the fact that it must be because the people are so chill and relaxed. At first I thought to myself that the only reason I had come was the fact that it was so cheap and we could have saved some money, however he quickly changed that. He offered us a very personal view into Bosnia and what they had been through 2 decades ago.
This was truly a place that made me appreciate what traveling was all about and I highly recommend anyone traveling in the area to pass through Hostel Majdas and make sure you do the tour we promise you won’t regret it. The first night we landed here, we ended up extending our stay by about a week.
Here is some pictures and videos of our time in Mostar, hopefully it does it justice, if not you will just have to come and experience it yourself and create your own awesome adventure.
We love you MOSTAR ❤
Keeping us Crazy 