In 2019 we travelled from Mongolia to France mostly overland and really enjoyed the time we spent in Belgrade. So when planning this trip through Eastern Europe, Serbia was an easy choice.

We left Budapest early on an 8:30 a.m. FlixBus. Once outside the city, the scenery turned into rolling countryside filled with vast fields of corn and sunflowers. The sunflowers weren’t quite in bloom yet, but in a few weeks they would have created endless kilometres of golden yellow — a spectacular sight.

The border crossing was straightforward. We were stamped out of Hungary and the EU, then a short drive later stamped into Serbia. We arrived at Novi Sad Central Bus Station around 1 p.m. and took a taxi to our Airbnb on the edge of the old town.

The apartment was lovely, comfortable, and in a great neighbourhood with a supermarket nearby. Best of all, there was a fantastic café just up the road. The old town centre was only a 10-minute walk away, with a lively pedestrian street full of restaurants and bars.

We didn’t eat on the main strip (too much pizza and burgers for our taste). Instead we found an excellent Thai restaurant run by a Thai lady and her Serbian husband. The food was very good, and the owner was delighted to have two Australians in her restaurant in northern Serbia.

Every morning we enjoyed coffee at our local café before exploring. We visited the impressive fortress high on the banks of the Danube, wandered the old town, and relaxed in beautiful Danube Park. The weather was warm and pleasant, and the city had a relaxed, friendly feel.