Side by side
| Šćepan Polje | Žabljak | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A border crossing and a cluster of rafting camps | The main mountain town of Durmitor |
| Altitude | Low, down at the river | About 1,450 m |
| Accommodation | Mostly camps and bungalows | Hotels, apartments, guesthouses |
| Food | Mostly in the camps | A choice of restaurants |
| Other things to do | The river, and the Piva | Durmitor, the Black Lake, the Đurđevića Tara bridge |
| Nights in summer | Mild | Noticeably cool |
Base at Šćepan Polje if
- The rafting is the whole point of the trip
- You are crossing to or from Bosnia and Herzegovina — the border post is right there
- You want to wake up at the river, and do not mind simple accommodation
The camps sit near where the Tara and the Piva meet. They are simple, and they are full of people who spent the day on the same river.
Base at Žabljak if
- Rafting is one day of a longer trip that also includes Durmitor
- You want a town — restaurants, shops, a choice of beds
- You are travelling with people who are not rafting
- You are booking with Tara Kula Raft, whose office is in Žabljak and whose 14 km Durmitor run starts near the Đurđevića Tara bridge
The drive between them
The usual route between them runs via Plužine and the Piva canyon road, with dozens of narrow, mostly unlit tunnels. It is a spectacular drive and not a fast one. Check fuel before you set off.
There is also a longer route via the Tara canyon road and Mojkovac.
The third option
Plužine, on Piva lake, sits between the two. It is small and quiet, and it breaks the drive.
Coming from the coast
From Kotor or Budva, either base is a drive of several hours through the mountains. Doing rafting as a day trip from the coast means a very early start and a late return.
People do it. But a night near the river turns one very long day into two comfortable ones.