Travel Tips Thursday: Montenegro

I’ve just returned from Montenegro, which is a beautiful country and still relatively undiscovered in terms of European tourist destinations. The beautiful beaches, Venetian towns and stunning scenery make a trip really worthwhile.

One of the great pleasures of travelling is to be able to enjoy local cuisine and gastronomic specialities of the region. It can help you discover the culture of a place and connect with local people in an authentic way.

However, the last thing you want is for travellers diarrhoea to ruin a trip. The majority of tummy trouble abroad happens in the first week of travel and is caused by bacterial infections (such as salmonella) which can’t be prevented by vaccination. They are found in unclean water and ill-prepared food, and the only defence against them is to be careful with food and water whilst away.

How to help avoid dodgy tummies while away:

• Ensure food is cooked and served hot immediately.
• Don’t eat unwashed or unpeeled raw fruit and vegetables.
• Don’t drink tap water – bottled water is easily available and those hiking or camping in remote areas will need to be prepared to purify water themselves
• Wash hands before each meal and after going to the toilet. Alcohol hand gel can be used when hand washing facilities are not available
• Avoid easting unpasteurised dairy produce.

You can buy a Worldwide Gastro Kit online to

Other items for considering when in Montenegro:

• Tick-borne encephalitis can be an issue in Montenegro for those travellers heading off into the mountainous regions during the summer months. Although primarily spread via the infected bite of a tick, the illness can also be contracted via unpasteurised dairy products, so best to avoid the traditional Montenegrin cheese that is offered in these areas. There is a vaccination against the illness that is highly effective.
• Consider a vaccination against Hepatitis A which can occur in areas of Montenegro where travellers cannot guarantee they have safe access to water. Those who are camping or hiking in remote areas should ensure that they have a way to secure a safe water supply, either by boiling water, using a filter or chlorine dioxide tablets. Hepatitis A is a virus that affects the liver and is vaccine preventable.

The Fleet Street Clinic stocks medication for travellers diarrhoea, medical travel kits and our experienced travel clinic nurses can help advise. If you’ve been on holiday and suffering from a lingering tummy bug, you can get a same-day diagnosis and medication using our PCR machine, you can email or call us to find out more.