I have just returned from a long weekend in Macedonia with my partner. We had the pleasure of spending a few days in Kavadarci and Skopje. Whilst In Kavardarci we stayed at Villa Bella, which is a newly built hotel located 5 minutes (2km) by car from the town centre.
Villa Bella is a great hotel that you can relax in real comfort surrounded by scenic views of hills on both sides with the river Luda Mara running to one side. All in all it’s the perfect setting to escape.
What I love about this hotel is the personal touch. It is family run so you immediately feel at home from the moment you arrive. There was a real sense of warmth and friendliness shown by the manager Kostadinka Jovanova, her husband Zlatko and all the staff. They were really helpful in every way possible and nothing was too much trouble.
We were shown around different rooms that were available and my immediate impression was one of space, quality and cleanliness. No two rooms are the same but each one exudes an individuality that you just don’t see at other hotels. A lot of thought went into the design and layout which is impressive. On top there is landing on each floor where you can just chill out and relax.
We chose the largest room on the first floor which sleeps four. It was really spacious in every way and comes with a large bathroom and balcony overlooking the swimming pool and garden terrace. Absolutely perfect no matter what the season is.
Villa Bella has its own restaurant so there is no need to travel far to get a traditional taste of Macedonia. We started with Shopska Salata, which is a salad with cucumbers, onions, tomatoes topped with feta cheese. We then had a mixed grill of meat which was soft and tender on the tongue along with Sarma (cabbage leaves are stuffed with a seasoned mixture of rice and meat) with roasted potatoes and Tavče gravče (cooked Beans). With barely any room left we managed to squeeze in sweet pancakes. The food was very delicious and filing. Oh I forgot to mention in between we sampled the local Tikves wine which went down a treat.
What sometimes gets lost when you travel is value for money. You have everything you want and need at Villa Bella all at an incredible price. I would thoroughly recommend this hotel to family and friends.
Last year I travelled through Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia and just had a fantastic time. I can now add Macedonia to that list. If you are someone who loves to travel, has a sense of adventure and likes something different you need to get over to Macedonia and see this lovely country. I will definitely be coming back this summer. With low cost airline Wizzair flying direct from Luton to Skopje it’s the perfect getaway. You won’t be disappointed.