Discover a Private Ranch Experience in a Macedonian Village

In the heart of Macedonia, there is an accommodation we would call the lodging for the new generation of travelers. The new era of tourism brings together luxury and tradition, served on the same plate. The new “cyber” travelers, who dig through the internet, seek something extraordinary — to truly experience what the surroundings have to offer. They might just find “Rancho i Vancho na Kata.”

Find out what it’s all about in the interview with Katarina Georgievska, the owner of the place.

Kajak: Over the past few months, we have been following your work and investment in the development of rural tourism in Macedonia. You have a quite unique property that you rent out. Could you tell us where it is located, why you chose that place, and why you decided to invest there?

Katarina: About 15 years ago, I had a vision to one day live in wild nature and earn a living through rural tourism. This is a special concept that primarily offers a unique small accommodation capacity with the possibility of preparing homemade food. There is an interesting group of people worldwide who, regardless of their profession or lifestyle, feel the need to “escape” the constraints of the urban jungle, to lose themselves in the wilderness, to experience the moment of presence, the eternity of the stars, the peace, and the holistic unity of living nature. These people want to spend the night in a room filled with colors, rustic charm, and the pure energy of wood and stone, while still enjoying the full comfort of a nicely arranged bathroom, hot water, and fragrant handmade soaps.

Analyzing all of Macedonia, I found this unique combination in the village of Omorani (which is also the geographic center of Macedonia). Old houses were for sale there, and I immediately decided that this would be, first and foremost, my own paradise — a place where various visitors seeking “the hedonism of life” could enjoy themselves. Today, guests truly feel that here.

KAJAK: Why did you choose this particular name?

Katarina: Back in 2009, when we started the construction work on the house, I had a visit with my colleagues from my then workplace. They jokingly called it “Rancho and Vancho at Kata’s place.” But I firmly believe there are no “coincidences” in life, so I immediately liked the name — it felt like it was given by God. I’m Kata, the “rancho” is mine, and Vancho is mine too — I’m not giving him to anyone else.

KAJAK: What do guests highlight as unique about your place?

Katarina: It’s a new feeling and experience that even they themselves find hard to explain. I’ve come to realize it’s a much deeper urge — a breakthrough to the primal essence of being, the “I” that suddenly and simply emerges to the surface here. That’s why their overall impression is often summed up as “unexplainable, it simply must be experienced.”

KAJAK: What do guests like the most?

Katarina: The peace of existence. It is experienced in every detail — from the house and garden to the thoughtfully designed spots for sitting and relaxing. Some read a book, others want to cook together with us, some move outside to sleep on the open veranda even though they’ve paid for a room, some discover the most delicious breakfast of their life, and others finally understand the stars while sipping wine or homemade raspberry liqueur. Foreign guests enjoy tobacco with wide-open eyes as they listen to stories about the Bogomil movement, and then we spend hours debating feudal and capitalist oppression throughout humanity, ending with ideas for a new paradigm of living.

KAJAK: Besides accommodation, do you offer other services? We would like our travelers/readers to get to know that part as well.

Katarina: Our standard service is overnight stay with breakfast. However, since almost all visitors ask about dinner, we created special “all-inclusive” dinner menus that have been very well received. Recently, we hosted a specially decorated dinner where a young man proposed to his girlfriend. Even without seeing the ring, the moment she saw the setting and ambiance, she realized something special was happening.

We also host groups of foreign guests, taking them on guided tours around the village, including visits to local households where they learn about tobacco cultivation—not just in today’s context but tracing back through our history, traditions, and the revolutionary and proletarian ideas of Kočo Racin. The tour ends with tasting honey and goat cheese, followed by a delicious lunch served in our courtyard.

Some guests turn the summer house into a disco in the evening, while one mother would sing songs to her four children every day with a guitar. Mobile phones and similar gadgets are not used here.

Starting next year, we will offer one-day, 8-hour excursions for local guests, including meals, snacks, and a variety of homemade drinks served throughout the day.

KAJAK: Do you think more investment is needed in rural tourism in our country?

Katarina: Absolutely yes. I encourage middle-aged people to consider investing in rural tourism as a life project that will also bring a much calmer way of living. On the other hand, public budgets must realistically and genuinely support capital investments in rural areas. Because as a private individual, I certainly won’t be paving local roads or streets in the village, managing communal waste and general cleanliness, installing road signs, or maintaining existing dirt roads that connect fields and villages as paths for cyclists and pedestrians (like you see in Tuscany or Umbria).

We citizens pay taxes precisely for these investments and maintenance — politicians shouldn’t boast about these things because that’s why we pay them. Investments should be even more focused on rural areas to motivate people to live in villages and develop them (like food production) instead of moving to cities.