About Ivana
Ideally, I would like to spend every month somewhere in the Balkans. I was born in Sarajevo and have lived in the Netherlands since I was 10 years old. Here is certainly not ‘out of sight out of mind’. Indeed, with the passing years the love has only increased for the region that is so diverse, a touch raw and alive! So why not write about it? From great and lesser-known places to visit to locals sharing stories about their city or unique experiences in the ‘Meet the Locals‘ section. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing for Balkanlocals!
Read here more about my motivation for founding Balkanlocals.
Meet the team
Ana Baric
I love dancing, yoga and travelling. I teach weekly dance classes in Rotterdam and The Hague from my company Balkan Fusion Dance to a beautiful group of women. Travelling is my passion and preferably to the Balkans if possible. I love visiting Sarajevo and my latest discovery and recommendation is island of Vis and Komiza!
Mirel Masic
As someone with a passion for (local) indie music, I freelance as a photographer, designer, content editor and crew coordinator for music platform 3voor12 in Utrecht. I can also often be found in the Balkans, taking pictures of locals as well as cities and nature. Some of my photos can be found on Bakanlocals!
Danny Moons
With his company Help With Marketing, Danny helps many entrepreneurs every day with online- and offline marketing. But that's not all. His second or perhaps greatest passion is making music.
Nenad Djukic
For me, Balkan is a feeling, something not easily put into words. It is a search for puzzles in my life. 'Zdravo (Hallo)', I am Nenad, everyone calls me Neno. Out of a joke, Finding Neno was thus born. This probably has something to do with my questing qualities for beautiful and special places. I love listening to other people's life stories and I read endless books. I also love watching films! Married to my beautiful Ivana aka the busy bee. Together we have a lovely son, Kristian. Vidimo se (See you soon).
Jasmine Avdagic
I grew up in Bosnia and during the 90s I moved to London, UK. Nowadays I call Florida my home. I believe that things and places that inspire me to write are never random and are connected to my journey and purpose. I have travelled extensively and experienced many mesmerizing places but the Balkans have a special place in my heart. I am living proof that you can take a girl out of the Balkans, but you cannot take the Balkans out of a girl.
Chantal van Ulft
Stories, they fascinate me immensely. I also find languages and cultures interesting. I am creative, curious and have an eye for detail. Everything I do has to do with stories. I work as a content specialist, am a (noble) figurant in films, series and commercials, love photography and have completed the National Geographic Traveler's master class in travel journalism.
Kim Jadric
With a Dutch mother and a Croatian father, Kim grew up in the best of both worlds. Besides Croatia, she has made many great trips and memories in Bosnia, Serbia, Slovenia and Montenegro. But Croatia is home for her. 'Discovering new destinations gives me energy, I travel as often as possible. I also enjoy working in the travel industry for over 10 years. A perfect combination to be able to share my experiences with the world'.