Alena Didenko on Independent Travel Adventures

Lifhacker regularly guides you on how to organize your work effectively, and the best online personalities introduce you to their workspaces in the “Workplaces” section. But life is not just about work, and today we want to focus on leisure—active leisure. Our guest today is someone who has cycled not only across her own country but also neighboring regions. We discuss independent travel with Alena Didenko.

Hello, Alena! First, please tell us a bit about yourself. Where do you live, work, and what are your hobbies?

I’m originally from Belarus and came to Odessa to see the sea (I couldn’t imagine not seeing the opposite shore!). I genuinely thought life ended at 20, so I wanted to spend my “last” five years in warmer climates. I graduated from the Communications Institute here and stayed. I raised two daughters and nearly finished renovating an old apartment. Considering the trees I helped plant in school during community forest planting events, I’ve ticked off classic life goals and now allow myself to relax.

For the past 7 years, I’ve worked as a telecom engineer (Kyivstar), sitting at a computer all day in the office. If you don’t move much, you can easily get sluggish. By nature, I’m quite lazy—I can spend the whole day reading—so I constantly try to improve myself :)

How did your passion for travel begin? Tell us about your first steps.

During university, I started doing tourism activities (unfortunately late, only in my third year). We went on hiking, mountain, water, and skiing trips depending on the season. We were always preparing and planning something.

Marriage put a pause on this—apparently, it wasn’t appropriate! But when my children grew a bit, I realized I couldn’t live without it. We began taking trips to Crimea during May holidays, then water hikes on the Southern Bug River, and winter ski camps for the kids. Life became brighter—as if stepping out from a stuffy room into the forest.

You walked, skied, and did water hikes, but you eventually settled on cycling. Why?

I was a dedicated hiker and couldn’t understand how it could be interesting to hike where you could cycle. The most exciting places are often off-road. One spring during Easter, I cycled with friends from Kyiv to Cherkasy over three days. We passed through sandy military training grounds on the left bank of the Dnipro, rode and walked without breaks, thirsty and exhausted. On the second evening, it rained and snowed, and to avoid staying overnight in the cold, we pushed on 50 km to Cherkasy, where friends awaited us at a dacha. Under the starry sky in a pine forest, freezing and utterly exhausted, I felt a unique connection with the world. It was beautiful and wonderful. That’s when I caught the cycling travel bug.

Did you immediately start preparing for long trips?

No, not then. I began cycling around Odessa on weekends, gradually expanding my routes. Initially, we did one-day rides around all the nearby estuaries—Kuyalnyk, Dniester, Khadzhibey, and Tiligul. Then we explored further: Severinov Spring, an abandoned airfield in Buyalyk, Kurisov Castle in Petrovka, and the Roksolany airfield. Eventually, we took trains to reach farther places and see more.

Living in Odessa all these years, I had no idea how much was nearby. This, combined with meeting interesting people, campfire gatherings, and nights by the sea, gradually formed a group of like-minded enthusiasts. I convinced them to join multi-day trips. It was fascinating to watch mature, independent men worry about where we’d sleep and if I knew the routes, then lose their minds over the freedom to choose where to rest or camp. If they liked a spot, that’s where we stayed for the night!

The feeling of freedom is something everyday life lacks. Compared to typical travel by car or bus, cycling offers complete freedom of movement and fuller experiences. You won’t see or feel what you need from a bus or car window. For example, during our last trip to Montenegro, I wouldn’t want to travel by car. The roads are narrow and stopping at most beautiful spots is impossible—you’d block the way. On a bike, there are no such restrictions—you can enjoy the views as long and wherever you wish. When we toured Turkey, seeing “civilized” tourists at Pamukkale with only an hour allowed by their guide made me feel sorry for them. They spent much time and money traveling but couldn’t see even a fraction of the highlights.

Speaking of which, tell us more about your recent trip to Croatia and Montenegro. The photos were simply breathtaking!

In short, we traveled as a group of three: Konstantin Adamchuk, Alexandra Kirillova, and me. We left on May 21 and returned late on June 12, spending 23 days away (many thanks to my boss Ira for covering my work!).

We drove 2,050 miles by car, cycled 745 miles with an elevation gain of over 65,600 feet, and did plenty of hiking.

Initially, we planned to take a bus to Montenegro, then switch to bikes to explore the most scenic spots in that country and neighboring Croatia. However, unreliable bus schedules from Lviv didn’t suit us. Flying wasn’t an option either—charters weren’t operating then (off-season), and we couldn’t delay our vacation further. So we drove, passing through Moldova, Romania, and Serbia, stopping at major attractions along the way. We parked the car free at a hotel in the Montenegrin town of Mojkovac, assembled our bikes, and set off for adventure!

Listing everything incredible we saw over three weeks would fill pages, so I’ll refer interested readers to our detailed report here. You can also watch the trip film we made (part 1, part 2, part 3).

Wasn’t it scary? You were alone in a foreign country, camping in tents, on the road—anything could happen.

Yes, anything can happen, just as it can at home in Odessa or anywhere in Ukraine. I recall Nils (Sergey), who cycled solo across half of Europe, and the only mishap after two months was falling into an unmarked, water-filled construction pit near his home in Odessa.

There are good and bad people everywhere. I’ve mostly encountered the good ones. Montenegro is a very peaceful country with friendly locals. I hope travelers won’t disappoint them.

Which places impressed you the most and why?

It’s hard to pick just one. Every day was overflowing with impressions. By the end, I felt overwhelmed and a bit numb—too many positive emotions can strain the psyche. We visited many old towns because we might not return soon, yet each time we were amazed and delighted: Black Lake, Piva Lake, Slansko Lake, Boka Kotorska Bay, the Bjelasica Mountains… Dubrovnik surprised me (I hadn’t read or expected much), and Korčula charmed me.

Timing, circumstances, and mood matter. To truly savor food and enjoy even a simple slice of bread, you need to be hungry—simple but true. A tired person needs to take a ferry ride, visit a gloomy castle surrounded by ships and cannons, wander narrow streets at night, listen to heartfelt music in a café, and swim in a bay under evening lights—all the excess baggage accumulated over the years washes away.

I had a similar experience returning from the Caucasus in 2008—three weeks skiing in nearly empty mountains, splitting firewood every evening, night watch by the stove, tough daily treks. The best way to describe my state then is “reboot.” Watching TV felt miraculous, radio sounds were layered and different... It’s hard to explain—you just have to try it.

Fantastic trip! How long did preparation take? What documents were needed and how long did processing take?

We connected in late winter. I wanted to go to Turkey again, but Kostya suggested Montenegro. We read reports, researched places, and mapped out a route based on the three weeks of vacation we had.

Documents for three people cost about $370 total, including insurance, visas, and fees. Insurance for people and car was $95 (sent info via email, picked up next day). Serbian visas cost around $110 (sent documents via courier to a travel agency, received back in two weeks). Romanian visas ($165 for three) required visiting the embassy together. Processing took 9 days without extra charge. I collected them quickly after submitting additional documents the same day.

Speaking of finances, could you share how much the entire trip cost?

Dividing all expenses among three participants, it was about $500 per person for three weeks. This includes document fees, transportation, food, and some unplanned costs. About $85 could have been saved by skipping rafting and some ferry rides or buses. Here’s a detailed breakdown:

1. Documents (total = $370):

$95 – insurance for people and car

$120 – Serbian visas

$165 – Romanian visas

$10 – Moldova fees

$20 – road tolls and vignettes in Romania and Montenegro

2. Transportation ($850):

$35 – Ukraine tolls

$230 – Romania tolls and fuel

$230 – Serbia tolls

$110 – ferries and buses in Croatia and Montenegro

$245 – fuel and fines

3. Food ($680):

$25 – supplies from home

$655 – meals during trip in Dubrovnik, Korčula, Split, Bar, Kolašin, and Mojkovac

4. Miscellaneous ($150):

$5 – first aid kit and small repairs

$145 – rafting

Total: around $2,030 / 3 = $677 per person

Finally, what advice would you give readers interested in independent travel?

First, think about what you truly want. It’s not as easy as it seems to understand your desires. If you don’t have specific goals, find good (possibly experienced) travel companions. Every city has websites, travel clubs, or groups you might not know about—find people with similar interests. For me, company and communication are most important. Even a one-day weekend trip to the sea is great if you have the right people with you.

Also, don’t rush into long trips or international travel immediately. You need not only physical strength but experience. Everything comes with time—start small and keep doing it. Don’t get discouraged if things don’t work out. Analyze mistakes and plan better next time.

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