Serbia’s First Glampsite: Lala Vineyard

Serbia is slowly growing in consciousness with international tourists. Given the country’s incredible natural beauty, it is therefore no surprise that its first ever glamping site has opened to great acclaim. International Glamping Business publisher Steph Curtis-Raleigh catches up with Lala Vineyard’s co-founder Olja Zvizdic to find out more.

The story behind Serbia’s first glamping site starts – strangely enough – in the UAE. Olja Zvizdic is based in Dubai and back in 2016 started to take an interest in the phenomenon of glamping.

“It inspired me to think about a glamping project in my own country – Serbia,” she says. “We conducted thorough market research and identified the perfect plot of land and then formed Nicholl Group as an international glamping developer and operator in June 2020.”

Nicholl Group’s first project is Lala Vineyard, which is also the first-ever glamping resort in Serbia. As a green field investment and one of the very few adults-only resorts in the country, Lala has opened up a whole new world – the world of glamping - not only for domestic travellers but it has provided a completely new way to experience Serbia to international travellers as well.

“Serbia is a country of incredible natural beauty. With seven national parks, the River Danube, lakes, mountains and the only desert in Europe, it has a lot to offer,” says Olja. “Apart from the capital Belgrade and a few other micro-destinations, the rest of the country is still under-developed and relatively unknown to world travellers. Glamping however presents an opportunity to unlock these hidden gems without damaging them but rather through developing them in a sustainable and regenerative way.”

Nicholl Group hopes the location of Lala Vineyard will spark a curiosity for our guests to explore the area further. Set in one of the oldest wine regions on the continent Lala provides an affordable luxurious oasis of tranquillity. A place to be in touch with nature, enjoy the great outdoors, recharge one’s batteries, enjoy long walks or to cycle in nearby Fruska Gora National Park or simply to enjoy some of the best local wines from the heated saltwater pool overlooking the River Danube.

Lala Vineyard

“It is not a rare sight to spot a pair of eagles soaring above the resort reminding us that we are the guests and should obey the house rules!” says Olja.

As a ground-breaking concept not seen before in Serbia, Lala has sparked considerable curiosity from local and regional travel, lifestyle bloggers, magazines as well as the national press and TV.

“We knew that glamping as a concept was unknown to the vast majority of domestic travellers and our approach and storytelling from a day one had to be educational,” she adds. “We were delighted that our product of blending an escape into nature far away from the urban crowds with unique local experiences paired with the luxury facilities and service, became popular with senior executives as much as with millennials.” One of Lala’s values is to locally source products and services where possible to generate a positive economic impact on the local area. Their contractors – cleaning, maintenance and those responsible for the upkeep of the vineyard and orchard – are employed locally and they promote the nearby restaurants, shops and attractions to their guests.

“Lala Vineyard’s approach to sustainability, resort programming and customer focus has attracted significant attention from industry and our existing and future partnerships will determine our international expansion strategy,” says Olja. “The single most important factor to us when it comes to expansion is sustainability - locally grown food, waste-water management, clean energy sources and the availability of quality staff and suppliers.”

Olja believes that the global pandemic has changed the perception of what we consider as luxury. “During curfews, furloughs, home schooling and the other unforeseen circumstances COVID has brought upon us, we have been deprived of having time for ourselves or being out in the countryside. When you can escape; the location needs to be beyond interesting, it needs to deliver a true WOW factor,” she says. “Lala Vineyard’s location is awesome! Tucked into a hillside and surrounded by vineyards and orchards, its “million-dollar view” is towards the River Danube and the vast plains of Vojvodina, Serbia’s northern province.”

Lala Vineyard

“Having our own vineyard and orchard, provides our guests with the opportunity to develop their green fingers and learn the basics of viticulture while savouring some of the best locally produced wines. Depending on the season, they can also enjoy our organically grown cherries, peaches, plums, figs, and apples which they can pick straight from the tree,” she adds.

Lala’s Vineyard is situated only 45min away from the international airport and the capital Belgrade and 15min from Novi Sad, Serbia’s second largest and the most beautiful city making it accessible for both domestic and international travellers. The oldest national park in the country Fruska Gora with its cycling and hiking trails, boutique wineries, picnic spots and restaurants is only minutes away, providing guests with plenty of experiences to choose from.

When it comes to choosing what accommodation to offer, Nicholl Group had some clear ideas. “Our priority in terms of development and architectural design was to have a minimum impact on the environment whilst still providing a comfortable level of affordable luxury,” says Olja.

They chose safari tents from Slovenian manufacturer Adria. “The tents are constructed from natural materials, their architecture and earthy tones blend gently with the surrounding natural colours leaving a minimal impact on the environment,” says Olja. “Each has a private covered terrace to extend the guests’ living space outside, providing a connection with nature and an opportunity to de-stress while enjoying the breath-taking view that changes throughout the seasons.”

In the years leading up to 2019, Serbia had achieved a steady annual growth of international arrivals, by 2019 they accounted for just over 50%. As you would expect in 2020 and 2021, due to travel restrictions around the world, numbers have seen a sharp decline. However, in the first year of operation, Nicholl Group is pleased to report that 30% of Lala Vineyard visitors were international and they expect this figure to increase as the travel restrictions become more relaxed. “Interestingly, we are a popular stop-over for travellers from Central and Western Europe on their journey to summer holiday in Greece,” says Olja.

Lala Vineyard

Nicholl Group is looking to replicate the success of Lala Vineyard in other locations. “We are looking at several new potential developments and, of course, we are looking to make long term sustainable partnerships to make our new projects feasible,” says Olja. “Our partners are likely to match our mind-set of determination, passion and a sense of adventure and fun.”

www.lalavineyard.com