Albania Holidays DMC

Albanian Riviera-Best-value destinations in Europe for 2013 by Lonely Planet

noreply@blogger.com (Alma Gerxhani) — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:39:00 +0000

Great news about Albania, the fourth best value destination in Europe for 2013, after Greek Islands, Lisbon and Iceland. Thank you Lonely Planet

4. Albanian Riviera

Getting Mediterranean beaches to yourself can be a mission anywhere in Europe, let alone getting them at a decent price. Even Albania’s Ioanian coastline, long a backpacker magnet, has become pricey and crowded in parts, as new roads and hotels have been constructed along what is certainly some of Southern Europe’s most beautiful coastline. But there are still bargains to be had: Vuno and Drymades are still development-free and boast access to superb slices of idyllic beach. Elsewhere Albania offers superb mountain walking, ancient mountain towns and a plucky, fun and cheap capital city, Tirana.

Empty coastline of the Albanian Riviera. Photo by Tom Masters / Lonely Planet.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/europe/travel-tips-and-articles/77718

One Insane Day in Albania. (Yes, Albania.)

noreply@blogger.com (Alma Gerxhani) — Thu, 09 May 2013 21:25:00 +0000

Another article about Albania tourism. Good? Informative! It is good when people talks about!

One Insane Day in Albania. (Yes, Albania.)

Huffingtonpost, Peter Mandel
05/08/2013

It is early morning in the MS Oosterdam's Vista Lounge. Passengers cluster. Curtains sway with the sea. I am awake, but thanks to the softness of the lounge's velour chair, I keep remembering sleep.
"You on the Kickin' Corfu tour?" asks a man with a backpack and an aluminum-and-rubber cane.
"Um, no," I say. "Shore excursion No. 6. I'm going to Albania."
"Albania?" he repeats. It's a country that always seems to come with a question.
"That's right," I say. "Albania."
"Well, better git with your group," he says, giving me a suspicious stare.
I don't tell him more, but in fact I've always been curious about this tiny Eastern European nation. Maybe it's from reading the comic strip "Dilbert," with its made-up outpost "Elbonia." Elbonia mirrors Albania in seeming wildly out-of-the-loop.
Albania lived under the thumb of a communist dictator named Enver Hoxha from the end of World War II until his death in 1985 (and the fall of communism there in 1991). A 1950s map I looked at showed it as a blank area, not a country.
But color is coming back to the now-independent free-market democracy. A bit of the Balkan Peninsula, it's only slightly larger than Maryland. But there's variety inside that space, including a mountain-studded interior and an unspoiled Adriatic coastline. Travelers like me who long for places that don't yet have a Starbucks are starting to take notice.
Since this is a Mediterranean cruise and Albania has popped up as one of Holland America Lines' tour options in the port of Kerkira, Corfu, it's my chance, I think, to fill in the blank.
As soon as I leave my velour chair on the ship, things start happening fast. I'm told to go get my passport. We're the only shore excursion tour group that's changing countries. And I'm tagged with an orange sticker that says "Holland America Lines Oosterdam #6." Is this in case I get lost? I feel like Paddington Bear.
My "Albanian Adventure" tour is listed as lasting seven hours. "Strenuous," warns the cruise line brochure. "Roads are bumpy. Insect repellent is strongly recommended." All this makes me think that maybe three other passengers will leave the clean and comfortable cocoon of the ship and sign up. But as we roar out of the port, my orange No. 6 bus is completely full.
Up front is our Albanian tour guide, a tanned middle-aged man with gold edges around his upper teeth. When he tells us his name, we nod. But it's a difficult sound. Later I sneak a look at his badge: Vangjel Xhani of SIPA Tours. Xhani lives in the capital city, Tirana. He has two backup careers. "I am also," he tells us, "a professor and a doctor."
The bus is already stopping. "Okay," says Xhani, "now we get on board hovercraft for next leg." Ionian Lines' Flying Dolphin says the hand-painted sign.
Everyone seems nervous settling in on the Flying Dolphin, in part because the upholstered seat backs flop forward if you touch them. We tourists are crammed in next to local commuters who have brought knapsacks full of groceries aboard. When the Dolphin starts its engines, it makes a noise similar to a blender on "pulse."
As we hum and bounce our way across the water, two government officials wearing caps and T-shirts work their way through a rainbow stack of passports, stamping each and calling out the name of its owner. You're supposed to get up from your floppy seat to collect it. To lazy passengers who only shout out their names, the passports are tossed.
Soon we are seeing Albania for the first time through a churning mist created by the Flying Dolphin. It's not easy to describe. We're in the resort town of Saranda, which means "number 40," according to Xhani. "Forty what?" shouts out someone in the back of our group. Xhani doesn't answer.
When we land and load up another bus, I am grinning as I look around. There is a "Mad Men" 1960s look about the simple glassy structures and the pictures on the signs. Saranda reminds me of a building set I had as a kid. And just as with my set, a lot of the buildings are unfinished.
"It's a boom town," I say to my seatmate. "Or not. It almost looks like they gave up on some projects."
"It is the second thing," says Xhani, who has overheard me.
We are on our way to the ancient town of Butrint. In truth, we are at a standstill. It is mid-morning rush hour in Saranda. The bus feels like the interior of a pizza oven.
"Somebody ask," says Xhani, "why the buildings empty. Well, I tell you. You see, some investment companies have created pyramid fraud. In the 1990s, the pyramid collapse. People are bankrupt. Do you understand?" We do.
"We are former communist country," he announces. "It make some people lazy. But not now." Xhani waves his hand proudly at the trucks and buses that make up the traffic jam just outside. "Only few years ago, we have 800 cars in all Albania," he adds. "Now our favorite car? Mercedes!" I don't see any around, but I take Xhani's word for it.
Just as we pull into Butrint, Xhani fills us in on a few more facts. It's an hour earlier in Albania than in Corfu. Mother Teresa was Albanian, and John Belushi was of Albanian descent.

Visiting the ruins in Butrint National Park is like getting a private tour of the Acropolis or the Roman forum. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but there are no tickets or lines. In fact, there's no one else around. Xhani guides us past the remains of Greek temples from the 4th century B.C. and leftovers from the Roman colony that Julius and Augustus Caesar founded.
It is so eerily quiet at the Lion Gate, a famous doorway with its relief of a lion ripping into part of a bull, that for a second I have the sense that what we're seeing isn't dead. Someone will appear in the doorway. Motion us away. Or, invite us in.
Sandals are shuffling on gravel. Frogs are peeping from somewhere back in the bushes. A steady humming comes from the mimosa trees above. Xhani motions us to stop and listen. The hum is just a bass note. Above it is a snappy beat that sounds like it's being tapped out by castanets.
Listen, says Xhani again. "Many kind of insect here!" The group is eager to move on. "Wait, wait!" urges Xhani. But passengers are slapping and scratching. A cloud of gnats is rising out of the grass. Something is biting me on the side of my foot, just above my flip-flop.
Finally, by waving shirts and jackets, we get away from the swarm. "What was that?" asks a woman waving a spray can of all-natural repellent.
"Bugs!" exclaims Xhani with excitement. "But it is not more than usual," he adds. He seems slightly disappointed.
We get to an ancient theater that everyone takes pictures of. Only the Greek gymnasium is disappointing: It is under water. I can see a fish darting between two submerged stones. Back on the little walkway, we encounter a group of locals sipping coffee. Some are resting on benches. All raise palms to greet us. Why are they here? No one is sure.
A ray of sun picks out a rim of stones in another ruin that looks worth exploring. But we are late for lunch. An Albanian meal is set out for us in a nearby restaurant along with bottles of Tirana beer. First comes a salad that looks Greek, with cucumbers and goat cheese plus the freshest hummus I've ever tasted.
"Wait!" says Xhani as two or three people push back from their plates. "It isn't finish. Here come the fish!" We end up with two more courses, plus bowls of fruit for dessert.
"You will come back?" says our waiter in slowly perfect English. He is gravely concerned. "Come tomorrow," he suggests. "For special soup."
"I'd like to come back," I say. "I'd like to try it."
Most of all I am hoping to do my part to fill an empty hotel.
On the bus, we see a pair of men saluting us from distant tractors. Another time I would like to meet them. To raise my palm. To shake their hands.
But it cannot be today. Xhani is speaking. Passengers are dozing.
The Flying Dolphin awaits.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-mandel/one-insane-day-in-albania_b_3231630.html

Europe's last corner: Beaches and beauty in Albania, the hidden bargain of the Balkans

noreply@blogger.com (Alma Gerxhani) — Wed, 08 May 2013 21:54:00 +0000

Great news for Albania at the right time. Thank you Daily Mail. We need this promotion in such big British media

Europe's last corner: Beaches and beauty in Albania, the hidden bargain of the Balkans

By CHRISTOPHER MIDDLETON

PUBLISHED: 09:17 GMT, 8 May 2013 | UPDATED: 09:17 GMT, 8 May 2013

Remember Albania? The crackpot Communist country where they used to cut your hair at the airport if it was too long? Where they hated everything Western, but went crazy over Norman Wisdom films?

Well, it has changed.

Bright lights, small city: Tirana is Albania's intriguing, somewhat hotch-potch capital

Once upon a time, the only tourists it welcomed were serious-minded students of Stalinism. Today, it is bucket-and-spade families in search of a bargain beach holiday, and a lot more besides.

Albania is a little like Spain 50 years ago, with prices to match. Take a break on its Adriatic coast, and as well as enjoying miles of sandy beaches, you have timewarp prices that will bring a smile to your lips, too. Coffee at 40p per cup, beer at 90p per pint, wine at £4 a bottle.

What’s more, you don’t have to fly over several different time zones to get there. From Gatwick, there are four British Airways departures per week to the Albanian capital, Tirana, and you’re in the air for just under three hours. Which is less time than it takes to travel to Greece.

And once you have landed, there are no long, stomach-churning coach transfers across the mountains: just a quick, 30-minute drive down the motorway.

Two of the biggest destinations are the holiday town of Durrës (ancient Dyrrhachion), and the nearby resort of Golem. Of the two, Durrës is the more built up. For many years, this was just about the only holiday destination available, both to Albanians and their landlocked cousins in Kosovo and Macedonia.

This makes it the Blackpool of the Balkans, only with dancing bears on the prom instead of illuminations. Like its Lancashire counterpart, the Durrës seafront is wall-to-wall hotels, bars and restaurants, which means you enjoy a front-row view of the ocean wherever you are staying, eating or drinking. The fact that a steak-and-wine dinner costs just 1,000 Albanian lek (around £6) tends to add yet more lustre to the sunsets.

One thing you cannot expect in Durrës, though, is solitude.

It is busy to bursting in the summer months, so if you find yourself casting envious glances back up to the top of the hill, where the summer palace of Albania’s former King Zog (ousted in 1939) stands in splendid isolation, you might prefer to stay a few miles down the waterfront, at the resort of Golem.

In the pink: The Lana River is channelled through the heart of Tirana (left), while Skanderbeg Square - named after national hero George Kastrioti Skanderbeg, a 15th century Albanian lord - is the central plaza (right)

In the pink: The Lana River is channelled through the heart of Tirana (left), while Skanderbeg Square - named after national hero George Kastrioti Skanderbeg, a 15th century Albanian lord - is the central plaza (right)

This pleasing hotspot is no less popular than Durrës, but it is not as built-up and more leafy. A £3 taxi ride will take you to lovely Lalzit Bay, where, apart from miles of unspoilt sand, the only building in sight is the Insifa beach restaurant, serving seafood spaghetti at £2.50 a time, with a bottle of surprisingly nice Albanian white wine for £4.20.

Be warned, though, because this state of pre-bulldozer paradise will not last for ever. Already, construction has started on a big, new upmarket apartments-and-villas development in Lalzit Bay, with British buyers on board.

One of them is 65-year-old Chris Esdale-Pearson, a retired ship’s pilot from Harwich, in Essex, who bought a one-bedroom apartment with his wife a year before the development was due to open.

“As I see it, we’re getting in on the ground floor,” he says. “The beach is beautiful, we’re near the mountains, and there’s plenty of places to explore that are off the beaten track. There’s no doubt about it, Albania is an emerging market.”

Some consider it Europe’s last secret spot. Hardly surprising, since for most of the second half of the 20th century, the country was cut off from the rest of the world, ruled by paranoid Communist dictators who brainwashed the nation into believing that Western invasion was a daily threat.

Those brave tourists who did visit the country found themselves subjected to all sorts of indignities, from being tailed by the secret police, to having their hair cut on arrival (Beatle mops were seen as a sign of decadence).

Things did not really improve after the Berlin Wall was puled down. Strikes and demonstrations were followed by a disastrous get-rich-quick craze, in which half the country invested their homes and life savings in schemes paying unfeasibly high interest rates, and lost the lot in 1997, when they collapsed.

Sixteen years ago, then, this was a land in which the streets were ruled by armed gangs and desperate, poverty-stricken mobs. Today it’s a holiday destination which has the winning combination of being both affordable and undiscovered; most Brits only know it from having made day trips from the Greek island of Corfu to Sarande, Albania’s southernmost port (100 miles south of Tirana).

Undiscovered: Away from the city, Albania offers peace and tranquility in one of Europe's last hidden corners

It is not only the beaches that make Albania appealing. It is well worth incorporating a couple of days in the capital, Tirana.

Despite the decades of economic hardship, the city turns out out to be a metropolis of elegant avenues, boasting plenty of parkland, plus an array of attractively marzipan-coloured buildings, deployed around grassy Skanderbeg Square.

As for the choice of places to stay, you can opt for the upmarket Rogner Hotel, near the Prime Minister’s residence, with gardens, tennis court and swimming pool, or else go for the smaller, homelier Villa Tafaj, a clean and prettily-arcaded hotel in Mine Peza Street.

Either way, you are only a five-minute walk from the city centre, and the lovely, almost Alpine-looking Sarajet Restaurant, in Abdi Toptani Street. Here you can sip a glass of beer in the shaded courtyard, or eat vast veal chops (berxolla vici), beneath intricately carved wooden ceilings. After which, a trip to the top of the (slowly revolving) Sky Tower provides a panoramic view over the rooftops to the surrounding mountains.

At the same time, though, the full force of globalisation and commercialism has not steamrollered into Tirana, ironing out the local peculiarities. Pirimida, the crumbling old ‘International Centre of Culture’, was once a museum to the feared dictator Enver Hoxha, and now awaits demolition.

The fast food outlets retain their own unique identities: there’s AFC (Albanian Fried Chicken) instead of KFC, and there’s Kolonat, which serves burgers, but has as its symbol an exploded version of the McDonald’s M-shaped yellow arches.

What’s more, the language has an identity all of its own. When you’re attempting to say “thank you”, the phrase is 'faleminderit'. As for “goodbye”, it’s not 'ciao' or 'au revoir', but 'mirupafshim', which sounds more like a sneeze than a farewell.

Undiscovered: Away from the city, Albania offers peace and tranquility in one of Europe's last hidden corners

In bloom: Albania offers some fine areas of shore, especially near Sarande, where you can see over to Corfu

This is Europe, then, but not as we know it.

Nevertheless. with a million expatriate Albanians pumping money back into the homeland, and with tourist numbers increasing all the time (four million last year), you cannot help feeling that if you want to catch the authentic Albania, you had better go there soon.

ALBANIA : A JOURNEY TO THE UNKNOWN

noreply@blogger.com (Alma Gerxhani) — Mon, 06 May 2013 21:14:00 +0000

Such amazing article and video about Albania coastline and marine. We enjoyed reading it.

THE LIMIT OF THE KNOWN WORLD (FREE)

OCEAN71 magazine/ Julien Pfyffer 12 February 2012

July 24, 2011. It is one o’clock in the afternoon and the rocky coastline of southern Albania is white-hot in the blazing sunshine. We are three kilometres from Corfu, the popular Greek island, and after two dives, I’m feeling hungry. I peel the top of my wetsuit down to my waist and wander over to the restaurant perched on the edge of the beach.

Albania's South moutains. At firt glance, the coast does not offer any shelter © Philippe Henry / OCEAN71 Magazine

A young Albanian family on holiday comes and sits at a neighbouring table and the father, in his thirties, turns to me and in English says: “Do you mind me asking what you are doing here?” I was slightly taken aback, but quickly gathered that his question was motivated by curiosity related to my strange attire rather than anything more sinister and explained that we were diving. This gentleman had the very latest mobile phone, was wearing a smart polo shirt, jeans and a pair of trendy moccasins – he looked a thoroughly modern man. “What do you see in the water?” he asks. “The seabed, fish, marine vegetation…” I answer. He tells me that he has never heard of diving. Odd, but intriguing… Later I discover that aside from a couple of very rare exceptions, no one dives in Albania

Pananoiac dictator Enver Hoxha forced the population to build about 700 000 bunkers all over the lands of the communist country © Philippe Henry / OCEAN71 Magazine

A month earlier: towards the end of June.“Do you think that is Albania?” asks Lorraine, one of the OCEAN71 Magazine journalists… We are in the middle of the Ionian Sea that lies between southern Italy and Greece and off the bow of our 12-metre expedition yacht a mountain range is emerging from the haze. It looks wild, almost hostile, and plunges into the sea to form an impregnable natural fortress. Shortly we pass an island with a softer, greener landscape. “Look! That must be Corfu,”she says.

Five hours later we nose into a channel that forms a natural frontier between the great Greek island and Albania; the border lies in the middle of the three-kilometre stretch of water. I ask Lorraine, who is helming, to hug the Corfu coastline as I don’t want the Albanian military descending on us just yet. Of course they never did, but like the flock of tourists that visit Corfu every summer, I imagined the armed forces would appear at the slightest intrusion and had that uneasy feeling of entering unknown territory as we got closer to the ‘Land of Eagles’.

During our journey around the Mediterranean from the Cote d’Azur to Corsica, Sardinia to Calabria, Sicily to Lampedusa and Malta, we were repeatedly warned against going to Albania: “Albania? You’re not serious! The country was recently a very dangerous place…I read somewhere that it is still unstable,” said one naysayer.“The waters around Albania are mined! Charts show active minefields that will make an approach by boat very dangerous, and that is before you consider the traffickers and smugglers that cross the channel to Italy at night,” said another. “Aren’t you afraid of having your boat stolen? The country is so poor that you will stand out like a sore thumb. If I were you I wouldn’t leave my boat unattended for a moment,” said yet another.

Pananoiac dictator Enver Hoxha forced the population to build about 700 000 bunkers all over the lands of the communist country © Philippe Henry / OCEAN71 Magazine

Of course few people have actually travelled to Albania to verify these allegations, most of which are the result of a total lack of information about the place. During our preparations for this trip the information vacuum became very apparent, but we eventually managed to find a meagre tourist guide and some general charts of the area. Google Earth satellite images gave us a little more insight, but even those dated back to 2005, so armed with very little data, we felt like pioneers.

Source: http://ocean71.com/chapters/albania-limit-known-world-expedition-discovery-culture/

Video

Secrets in the black eagles’ land

Albanian Beauty & its 700,000 Bunkers: Profiling a Man Who Built Them

noreply@blogger.com (Alma Gerxhani) — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:29:00 +0000

Thank you Tricia for the nice and emotional article and the wonderful look inside everyday life in our beautiful country Albania!

Albanian Beauty & its 700,000 Bunkers: Profiling a Man Who Built Them

POSTED ON APRIL 28, 2013 BY TRICIA A. MITCHELL

Our host, Zef, pretending to destroy one of 200 bunkers he built during a 20 year-period.

As our minibus chugged through the Albanian countryside during our 6-hour trip, my husband and I inadvertently created a new car ‘game’ to pass the time: who could first spy a bunker as a new one appeared in the ever-changing panorama?

With nearly 700,000 bunkers still dotting the southeast European nation’s landscape even today, the game didn’t prove challenging. We saw a man leading a donkey past a mammoth-sized bunker, and then small ones clustered at the tops of hills, plus another pair nestled beside a home.

Just one of 700,000 + bunkers scattered across the Albanian landscape.

The Albanian flag.

Though we were very curious about the concrete mushroom-like structures, our fellow passengers didn’t seem to give them a passing glance. For Albanians, they are a ubiquitous part of the country’s scenery, a reminder of an unpleasant chapter of the country’s history.

Albania’s former dictator, Enver Hoxha, was bonkers for bunkers. Paranoid that his former Communist allies or NATO enemies would invade Albania, he instituted the bunkerization program. The UFO-lookalikes were erected in semi-rural areas, near apartment complexes, on beaches, in playgrounds, and even in cemeteries. Between 1967-1985, it’s estimated that one bunker was built for every four Albanian citizens. Hoxha’s isolationist regime has been compared to North Korea’s. Hoxha died in 1985 and Communism ended in 1991. The bunkers were never used for their intended purpose, though.

We found the people in Albania to be extremely curious, friendly and welcoming. This family emerged from their home when they saw us peering into the bunker across from their home.

Our Albanian host for the week, 68 year-old, Zef Kodra, estimates that he built 200 of these bunkers. One afternoon, Zef took us out to see one bunker structure that’s just a three-minute walk from his family’s home in the northern Albanian city of Shkoder.

Zef’s bubbly personality is evident as we stroll through his semi-rural neighborhood to ‘his’ bunker. We pass locals who are curious about the foreign visitors he is escorting, and he exudes an air of pride, mentioning the Albanian word ‘bunkari’ multiple times, while gesturing to the field out in the distance where the bunker sits.

Curious cows, as we approach Zef’s bunker.

On our way, there is a man directing a horse-drawn cart on the concrete road, and another tilling his front yard using a stand-behind horse-drawn plow. The man appears to be riding on a rattan or wooden platform. As we pass the home, the farmer’s wife and young children enthusiastically wave at us, encouraging us to take a photograph of the father. When he rides by us on the plow, he nods and smiles, while ordering the horse to keep pulling. The work looks challenging, not only for the animal, but also for the man.

Our homestay’s neighbor at work, tilling his front yard’s garden with a stand-behind plow.

Our guesthouse neighbor plowing his front yard using traditional methods.

Each morning and late afternoon, we heard the clip clop of horses’ hooves as drivers went to and from home.

A flock of sheep grazing across the street from our homestay.

When we reach the bunker, we find that its sniper window is overgrown with a raspberry-like bush. Zef finds a piece of wood, which he uses to tear away the brush. By now, a family of five has emerged from their neighboring home, curious what we’re up to. They smile, giggle, and pose for several pictures in front of the bunker. They ask where we’re from.

Unfortunately, Albania is littered with much garbage.

Ever the prankster, Zef climbs inside the bunker, propping the rifle-lookalike piece of wood through the sniper window, pretending to take shots. When he emerges, he makes gestures towards the bunker that suggest that he’s miming a smashing motion with an imaginary sledgehammer.

Inside the bunker, looking out through the sniper window. Our host, Zef, is on the far left.

Zef hamming it up inside the bunker (pretending that the piece of wood is a rifle).

Zef mimicking a destructive chop to the bunker. He thinks they should be destroyed and used for scrap metal.

Shawn and Zef, preparing to film the interview’s video introduction.

Cows grazing, with the bunker and a mosque in the background. Some locals are Catholics, whereas others are Muslim.

With his son, Florian, acting as translator later that evening, Zef tells us more about his bunker-building years. We sit in the family’s new living room, which they’d just built to expand theirguesthouse business. A portrait of Zef and his wife, Age, hangs on the wall. In his younger years, Zef resembles classic American actor Gregory Peck. Two times during our interview, the power cuts out. Despite these temporary inconveniences, Zef keeps talking, laughing and describing his experiences.

Zef and his wife, Age, in past years.

“I built bunkers under the Communist system of Enver Hoxha between 1965-1985,” he says. “I once worked on a farm, but one day, the farm’s director told me and the other workers that we must go work in another area. Then we were told to begin building bunkers.”

“It took approximately one week to build one bunker, and there were generally two sizes,” Zef says. “We used lots of material to build a bunker – there were two types of metal, concrete and mountain stones. I worked 8-9 hours per day, and earned about 2 Euro per month.”

“The dictator, Enver Hoxha was handsome, but he had a criminial spirit. He put fear into the people of Albania. Albania itself was in jail. We were told that ‘the enemy is coming’ and that ‘we must mobilize, because the Mother Party is calling.’ ”

“The main gangsters were the USA and western Europe. We were ordered not to read American literature because we were told that it would be bad for our health.”

Zef and Florian explained that Albanian citizens needed a passport to visit another Albanian city. International travel was, of course, out of the question. Religion was also banned.

Ironically, one year Hoxha visited a cafeteria in the vicinity of Shkoder, where he sampled the wine that Zef had made himself.

The mountains that surround the family’s home.

We were curious what Zef thought about all the North American, western European and Australian guests that frequent his business today, so we asked him if he remembers the first American he ever met. It turns out that he met an Albanian-American immigrant in 1993.

“The government taught us to hate the US, but still we thought America had good freedom and human rights,” Zef says. “Of course, we had to keep our thoughts to ourselves. There was no political dissent.”

Man riding his bike in the family’s neighborhood.

Having read recent articles that discussed Albania’s uncertainty about what to do with the plethora of bunkers, we asked Zef his thoughts.

“Destroy them with explosives, collect the scrap metal and sell it. At least then I could get some money for all the work I did to build them,” Zef says.

But Zef does not dwell on the past. “After a long time of darkness, I am now living the best part of my life. Now, I am in the light.”

A fruit tree blossoms in the family’s orchard. They produce 90% of their own food.

His brother, Tony, who spent several years living in the United States, talks about the period of bunkerization with a more somber tone.

“So much money was spent on them,” he says. “Houses and roads could’ve been built with those resources.”

Given Albania’s dilapidated roadways, and status as one of Europe’s poorest countries, Tony’s assessment is fitting. According to one article, the bunker building undertaking in Albania required “three times as much concrete as was used to build France’s Maginot Line.” Another site claims that it costs approximately 800 Euro to destroy just one bunker.

Florian mentions that some creative Albanians in other cities have turned the bunkers intoguesthouses or cafés. We’d also read that they’d been repurposed into wine cellars and restaurants. They are also said to shelter animals, the homeless and offer a spot for young Albanians to share amorous moments.

Several rows of grapevines in the family vineyard.

The next evening, as we stroll through the family’s vineyard that Zef cultivates, looking upon the spring blooms framed by white-capped mountains, Albania’s future seems bright. We are honored to have met Zef and we’re happy that he’s had the opportunity to exchange bunker-building for wine-making and the chance to nurture the family’s ever-growing business.

Zef, tending to his grapevines.

Zef and his family.

Don’t miss Shawn’s video below, which gives you a better picture of the beautiful Albanian landscape, and the warm reception we received there.

I’m curious what you think. What do you think would be a good use for Albania’s bunkers? Should they be destroyed or repurposed for other uses?
Read more here:
http://triciaannemitchell.com/2013/04/28/albanian-bunkers-travel-tourism/

Tirana is one of four Europe’s secret cities recommended by Sunday Times as short break destination

noreply@blogger.com (Alma Gerxhani) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 09:54:00 +0000

Tirana, our capital is one of four Europe secret cities recommended by British newspaper- The Sunday Times as short break destination. Malmo in Sweeden is in the first place, followed by Zaragoza in Spain, Basel, Switzerland and Tirana, Albania the fourth. Tirana is described as unconventional and surprising city with trendy bars and restaurants and together with Durres and Kruja make a nice short break destination in Europe. The journalist and the photograph were guests of Albania Holidays.

This way to Europe’s secret cities -The Sunday Times

17 March 2013

Fancy something different for the weekend? You’ve found it. Bypass the usual suspects with our guide to four short breaks that will leave the crowds behind. Malmo

Tiana, Albania
Far from pedestrian: enjoy a pre-cocktail stroll in quirky Tirana (Christian Kober)

Why go? If you’d like to try somewhere decidedly different, the Albanian capital has friendly locals,
fascinating history, quirk galore and jaw-droppingly low prices: half a litre of beer costs £1, museum entry £1.25 — the opera is only £1.75, for heaven’s sake. It’s not the prettiest of cities, but it has Ottoman, Italian and communist-era highlights, and there are several fabulous day-trip options.

By day: the giant Skanderbeg Square, started by the Italians and finished by the communists, belongs in a far larger city. In a non-monumentalist corner is the little Et’hem Bey Mosque, a real treat with a gorgeous prayer room. And there’s a tremendous collection of socialist-realist art at the National Gallery of Arts (Bulevardi Deshmoret e Kombit; gka.al; £1.25) — look out for the statues of Lenin and Stalin at the back.

Enver Hoxha was the dictator of Albania from 1944 until his death in 1985. His legacy includes a pyramid structure built as a museum to him (now derelict) and, on Ishmail Omera street, a one-man concrete bunker — a reminder of his “bunkerisation” project, which saw the country pebble dashed with 700,000 pillboxes.

For lunch, you could opt for traditional Albanian cuisine in a shaded courtyard at Sarajet (Rruga Abdi Toptani 7; sarajet.com; mains £3.50). Or, for more sophisticated food, decor and service, try Vila Alehandro (Rruga Asim Zeneli 2; vilaalehandro.com; mains from £4.50). It’s in a grand white mansion that was formerly the Romanian ambassador’s residence.

Now head up to the mountain fortress of Kruja, where the weavers make kilims. The smooth-stoned main alleyway leads past dozens of carpet and souvenir shops, where you can haggle rugs down to about £30 and Hoxha mugs to 50p. Beyond, you enter the 5th-century castle walls that the national hero, Skanderbeg, defended stoically against the Turks — there’s a reverent museum dedicated to him (£1.25). Get to Kruja, 20 miles north of Tirana, by taxi (£25 return) or bus (90p). Or make for the ancient seaside capital, Durres, which sees Albanians in beach mode — it’s a £14 taxi ride.

By night: the Blloku neighbourhood shows a metaphorical two fingers to the former dictator. Albanians were barred from the area in his day, but now it’s as good a nightlife centre as any in the Balkans, with boutique shops, restaurants, pavement bars and clubs surrounding the 17 oversized villas where Hoxha and his coterie once slept. The incongruous Sherlock Holmes bar (Bulevardi Bajram Curri) is trendy, with white furniture, arty lighting and a beau monde clientele. Radio (Rruga Ismail Qemali 29/1) is a quirky bar with marvellous cocktails.

In low-rise Tirana, the 15th floor feels giddying, but that’s where you’ll find the revolving restaurant Sky Club (skyhotel-al.com), with great views, cheap beer and hesitant rotation.

The hotel: the friendly Theranda (00 355 42 273766, therandahotel.com; doubles from £42, B&B) is on a quiet street a short walk from Blloku.

The flight: travel from Gatwick with British Airways (0844 493 0787, ba.com) or Stansted with Belle Air (belleair.it).

Richard Green
Richard Green was a guest of Cox & Kings (0845 154 8941, coxandkings.co.uk), which has three nights at the Theranda from £455pp, B&B, including BA flights

Source URL: http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/travel/weekends/city_breaks/article1229798.ece

Lonely planet: Albania is in top ten Traveller’s Choice destination of 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Alma Gerxhani) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 21:39:00 +0000

Lonely Planet Traveller’s Choice: the top destinations of 2013, part 3

Albania is one of 10 countries chosen as Traveller's Choice by Lonely Planet in the category “Off the beaten path”, in other words, it is still a secret to be discovered. Even the most visited continents have hidden gems, three countries in Europe, Albania, Moldova and Iceland, made it to the top 10 ‘off the beaten path’ list. More than 3000 people where asked to vote their favourite destinations by 16 criteria in the survey carried out by Lonely planet. Thank you very much to all travellers who voted Albania.

Off the beaten path
Proving that even the most visited continents have hidden gems, three countries in Europe made it to the top 10 ‘off the beaten path’ list. But Bhutan was the clear winner, capturing 45.2% of its visitors’ votes for this category, which is nearly double the second-placed, Moldova.

1. Bhutan
2. Moldova
3. Mozambique
4. Algeria
5. Ghana
6. Albania
7. Bolivia
8. Burma
9. Iceland
10. Azerbaijan

Introducing Albania

Awaking Sleeping Beauty–like in the 1990s from her hardline communist isolation, Albania was a stranger from another time. Her cities weren’t choked by car fumes, her beaches were unspoilt by mass tourism, her long-suffering people were a little dazed and confused. While things have changed a lot since then, this ancient land still offers something increasingly rare in Europe these days – a glance into a culture that is all its own. Raised on a diet of separation and hardship, Albania is distinctly Albanian.

You’ll continue to find beautiful pristine beaches on parts of the Ionian Coast (try the charming town of Saranda), fascinating classical sites like ancient Berat, and dramatic mountain citadels, but the mad traffic of Tirana is symptomatic of a bustling, bright city shrugging off its Stalinist grey patina. Squat toilets are no longer the norm and you can even sip cocktails at hip bars while listening to rock bands. Meanwhile, Northern Albania keeps the country's reputation as a wild frontier alive and well, with bleak mountains and the occasional blood feud.
Not just the preserve of the adventurous, Albania is a warm and sincerely hospitable country – with enough rough edges to keep it interesting.

Read more about Albania : http://www.lonelyplanet.com/albania#ixzz2NSVw9tFe

Read full article of Lonely Planet: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/blog/2013/02/26/lonely-planet-travellers-choice-the-top-destinations-of-2013-part-3/#ixzz2NSONQXXk

10 Reasons 2013 Is The Time To Visit Albania

noreply@blogger.com (Alma Gerxhani) — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 22:11:00 +0000

"Other 10 reasons to visit our beautiful Albania in 2013, this time by Huffington Post . Thank you Leyla Giray!"

Isolated for decades under a dictatorship that was harsh even by Communist standards, Albania opened up in the 1990s and has since been hustling to catch up to the rest of Europe. On a recent visit, many locals complained that their country might be catching up too fast. For travelers that's all the more reason to visit soon, before busloads of tourists convert secret spots into more crowded destinations.
Below are the 10 good reasons you should visit Albania in 2013. If you go, you'll undoubtedly come up with more.
This said, Albania's headlong rush into the future has not been painless. The country remains poorly-equipped for mass tourism: waste treatment is inadequate, the litter problem is severe and some roads are poor. It is a delightful country for travelers, but requires patience.

10. Natural Beauty

Albania's beauty is stark and savage and lonely, from the towering Alps in the North to man-made Lake Komani or the beaches of the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. It's a wild beauty that makes you almost question whether you should be there at all -- since no one else seems to be.

Read more on why to visit Albania at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leyla-giray/albania-tourism-2013_b_2352931.html#slide=1921010

Albania photos 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Alma Gerxhani) — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 14:03:00 +0000

Albania 2012 is a set from two young Australian traveling on their bikes. It is amazing how easily people get fascinated to Albania and its beauty. You can see yourself on these photos of Albania

Albania 2012, a set by LTRR on Flickr.

Brazil, Albania and Burma have been selected as the top three destinations to visit in 2013 by five travel bloggers.

noreply@blogger.com (Kliton Gërxhani) — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 20:14:00 +0000

This confirms now for the 3rd year that it’s Albania the hot tourism destination to be discovered in Europe. Thank you guys!

“The popularity of Albania and its Adriatic coast is increasing as Southeastern Europe's profile as a tourist destination continues to rise. Situated between tourist favorites Italy and Greece, Albania has all the advantages of the southern climate for more reasonable prices.”

Below the article from Euronews:

(Relaxnews) - Brazil, Albania and Burma have been selected as the top three destinations to visit in 2013 by five travel bloggers.

The bloggers have compiled a list of 13 destinations to visit during 2013. The initiative was organized by travel website G Adventure, an online tour company focused on sustainable development and adventure tourism.

G Adventure selected five industry-leading bloggers to participate in the G Adventures Wanderers Residence program. Gary Arndt (Everything Everywhere), Jodi Ettenberg (Legal Nomads), Matt Kepnes (Nomadic Matt), Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott (Uncornered Market) and Nellie Huang (Wild Junket) were in charge of compiling the list of places not to miss in 2013.

1. Brazil: The country is getting ready to host two major sports events in the coming years -- the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympic Games in 2016. The eyes of the world are turning to this top destination and the experts recommend going there before prices increase even further.

2. The popularity of Albania and its Adriatic coast is increasing as Southeastern Europe's profile as a tourist destination continues to rise. Situated between tourist favorites Italy and Greece, Albania has all the advantages of the southern climate for more reasonable prices.

3. After last year's election, Burma has opened up its borders to foreign visitors. The country received a total of 313,127 foreign arrivals during the fiscal year 2010-2011. Numbers are expected to continue to rise. Those visiting the country in the next few years will be able to appreciate the country before it becomes a mainstream Asian tourist destination.

4. Mongolia is still a relatively unexplored area due to years of communist government and tight travel regulations. Traveling to Mongolia from China has been made easier as the Bulgan/Takashiken border crossing between West Mongolia and China is now open to all passport holders and operates year-round.

5. New Zealand's unique geography has always drawn outdoor enthusiasts. Its profile will be increased with the release of The Hobbit in December.

6. According to the bloggers, Bolivia offers reasonable prices as well as unique "scenery from the Salar de Uyuni salt flats in the south to Lake Titicaca in the north." Bolivia is currently the least visited country in South America, as it has struggled to compete with popular destinations such as Machu Picchu in Peru.

7. Three years after the end of the country's civil war, Sri Lanka has seen a steady increase in the number of visitors. It was also selected by the editors of the travel guide Lonely Planet as the number one destination to visit in 2013.

8. Tourists have been visiting Istanbul for many years, but the bloggers are recommending visiting lesser-known areas in Turkey such as Antalya and Trabzon.

9. After the financial crisis in 2008, Iceland, a country long considered an expensive destination, has seen tourist numbers increase.

10. Singapore is celebrating its 50th year of independence from Britain next year and events and activities are expected to attract tourists.

11. Namibia offers desert, dunes and safari opportunities and is becoming a real alternative for visitors to Africa, according to the group of bloggers.

12. Jordan is enjoying a rise in popularity after the anniversary of the rediscovery of Petra and the release of the British epic film Lawrence of Arabia in 2012.

13. Lastly, bloggers are recommending going to Zanzibar in Tanzania. Zanzibar will be celebrating its 50th anniversary of independence from Great Britain next year.

About the bloggers

Everything Everywhere currently has 47,840 likes on Facebook and over 113,000 followers on Twitter. His author, Gary Arndt has been traveling since 2007, visiting over 116 countries in seven continents.

Nomadic Matt is written by Matt Kepnes from the United States. Matt quit his job in 2006 to go traveling for 18 months around the world. Nomadic Matt has over 21,000 likes on Facebook and more than 41,000 followers on Twitter.

Legal Nomad is written by Jodi Ettenberg, a former lawyer from Montreal. She has been traveling since 2008. Legal Nomads has over 8,000 likes on Facebook and more than 17,000 followers on Twitter.

Uncornered Markets is a blog by Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott. This couple from Prague has been traveling since 2006. Their blog currently has over 6,000 likes on Facebook and more than 30,000 followers on Twitter.

Nellie Huang is the author of Wild Junkie, a blog focused on adventure travel. Wild Junkie has almost 3,000 friends on Facebook and more than 23,000 followers on Twitter.

http://www.euronews.com/travel/1742074-travel-bloggers-pick-brazil-as-top-destination-in-2013/

Travel to Kosovo set on Balkan-hotel.com

noreply@blogger.com (Alma Gerxhani) — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 22:02:00 +0000

Travel to Kosovo, a set on Flickr.

We just want to share with you this set of photos from Kosovo and its attractions in our balkan-hotel.com group on flickr. You are invited to share your photos from the region in http://www.flickr.com/groups/visit-balkan

Google Doodle 100 Years Albania

noreply@blogger.com (Alma Gerxhani) — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 17:33:00 +0000

google-doodle-100-years-albania, a photo by Albania Holidays on Flickr.

This is how Google looks today on 28 November 2012 on the occasion of 100th Independence day of Albania. Thank you Google for honoring my country. It was the successful completion of a petition signed by some 75,000 thousands Albanian started by Klajdi Hena a young guy from Korca, Albania. Thank you to all supporters

noreply@blogger.com (Emin Shini) — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 14:29:00 +0000

King and Shark

Learning to Drive and Becoming a Real Driver

"The control and operation of a motor vehicle". This is the definition written just underneath Driving, in on the "D" section of the old and wise Oxford English Dictionary.

As a teenager growing up in most parts of the world, among many dreams, driving is definitely in the top three. Along with sexual fantasies and drinking alcohol, driving occupied a very big portion of my daily thinking…: "A nice red sports car, fancy alloys, black windscreen and leather seats. Maybe a Ford Fiesta, that would do for me. Windows open, loud music filling my ears and the ears of by-passers too. I am driving past the College entrance, one hand in the wheel the other hand waving. All girls looking at me. I am the king of the road" all perfect…But then you wake up and you realise that before you do that, there is the "not exactly small matter" of passing the driving test. A huge matter in the UK. You invest plenty of time and effort. First, the written test. You have to study. Unlike your college study, for the written test you study fanatically. Once the written test is over, you start driving for the first time. That you are driving a car with two pair of breaks does not bother you. You do not even mind the fact that a driving instructor is the one really controlling and operating the car, from the passenger seat. By now the dream is on its way. You see the end of the tunnel. After a few hours of that kind of driving, you feel like you are ready to be in full control of the car. You book the "reality check" with the driving authorities. All confident you start driving the same car. Your instructor in his usual seat. Only, now a gentlemen or a lady is sat at the back passenger seat. The driving evaluator is all quiet. You can only hear the point of his/her pen rubbing the white paper. The nerves get the better of you. The moves you have been doing with ease earlier now are in vain. You are not in control of the car at all. The inevitable hits you after returning to the starting point. Hearing it in such a gentle and polite way makes it remarkably acceptable for you: 'You failed'.

You start to think that what is the point of this driving test. Now you are annoyed. But the failure does not put you off. You are disappointed but not beaten. It is a dream and you do not give up easily. You start again. You already emptied your pockets, now the need to do the same to your parent's pockets has arisen. Eventually, after doing the same process for a few times, four times in my case to be more precise, you reach the promised land. You pass. Now, if you have extremely rich parents who buy you a car, you can go ahead and live the dream. Enjoy every bit of it. Be the King of the road. And that is how it really feels, at least for the first year or so. After the dust is settled and your excitement level while driving is back to standard again, you realise the whole point of the driving test experience. It enables you to really "control and operate the car". Conditions and roads permitting. After driving for a few years, enjoying it most of the time, you start to think that you are an expert now. You have gasped all there is to driving. Years of experience, driven in daylight and during the night, through rain and snow, in huge cities (London) and small villages (Oxford, kidding!). Experience is priceless, now you are an expert driver. Then, suddenly you have to travel abroad. To drive abroad, more specifically. Depending on your luck, driving abroad can be a rather good experience or a rather horrible one. In my case, absolutely and utterly horrible. But rewarding and educative, at the same time.

I had to move to my home country, Albania. I had to drive while there.

Gëzim, the old driver of the taxi taking me from the airport to the centre of Tirana, the capital, tells me that he has been driving for over 30 years. My response to him?: I see. What I am really thinking?: Like this!, how come you are not dead, or in prison, or you have two legs, or you have two arms, or you are not a pilot, … you get the point. 'To me, you are not a driver unless you have driven in Tirana" he says. "And you can only drive in Tirana after you have seen with your own eyes how they drive here, for a few months" he continues. Yeah, right, I am thinking. I have been through the toughest of driving tests and I have been driving full-time for over 6 years, in all conditions and most of the time through rain in London and Oxford. As the definition of the old and wise dictionary says, I am in control and I fully operate the vehicle. I can handle Tirana, I do not have to wait six months and then try to learn driving here. How different can it be? I am an expert already.

Come to think of it now, Gëzim was spot on. Oxford Dictionary definition is not applicable here, at least not for the first few months. In Tirana, it seems like you are never in full control of your vehicle and fully operating it. It is like other, undesirable forces are present. Driving in Tirana is a whole new experience to most first time visitors. Even to Italian taxi drivers, who are part of and experience some amazing and dodgy driving habits in Italy. Even to worldwide experienced drivers, who have driven in Baghdad, Kabul, Australia, Africa and New Zealand. Even to "busy big city" drivers, who have driven through rush-hours and early mornings in New York, Beijing, Johannesburg, Ibiza, Athens and Rio de Janeiro. And of course, it was a whole new experience to me, a very modest driver compared to the above mentioned categories. I needed time to come to terms with it. Even more than six months. Tirana is big, but not a huge city by all means. The way that people drive here is unique. It is really hard to describe, indescribable actually as there are no patterns, no rules and no logic. It has come about as a result of a remarkable blend. Until the 90's there were hardly any cars in Tirana. But after the millennium car ownership really took off. There are a huge numbers of cars now. Infrastructure is a 'work in progress', to say the least. Many roads are not in good conditions. Road signs are to the limit of inexistence. Even in cases where there are road signs, hardly anyone respects them. Then you have the drivers. A large number learned to drive from practice. Some even started to drive as young as 10 year olds. By 12 or 13 a large number hits the road, national roads, especially in small cities and villages. Unlike me, most of them did not go through a vigorous written and practical driving test. The result: it is not that they can not drive, far from it, but most of them do not have driving principles. Throw in their cultural and historical background and 'hot blooded' Balkanises and the blend becomes interesting. To complete the blend, authorities play their part too. Law enforcement and driving authorities are working hard. But a long time and plenty more efforts are needed to start changing things.

As a result, if you watch the cars in the streets of Tirana from above, it is like watching fish in the sea. All going to different directions, all like completing their own private 'little' mission. Setting their own rules as they go by. If you concentrate in one particular road, it is like a river. You see plenty of fish travelling in both directions through a wobbly line. Other fish are making their entry into the river from either side, jumping at own will. Some are flying out of the river. No signs given, no lines or borders to cross. And they are fish, they do not care for traffic lights or indicators, no-one uses them as if there is no need. Or as if indications are not permitted to be used by fish. Looking at a roundabout, it is like looking at swimming pool. The fish inside are moving slowly. They stop often to make way for fish thrown in from the diving board or from the back door of the pool at 100 miles an hour. They have to carefully check all diving boards around the pool and entrances and exits before they can move again. If you are stuck in the middle of it and watching from the ground, they do not seem like fish anymore. Each car seems like a shark. Coming and going at speed. Tiny sharks and big sharks. Dirty sharks and fancy sharks. All with their teeth out and racing each other. The terms: rules, standards, speed limit, road signs, junctions, priority, do not apply to sharks. You realise, now, you are a really little, tiny fish. You have to be careful not to be eaten. You have to be brave to even move from one side to the other. You have to keep your eyes open. You can not survive for long, so above all, you have to become a shark. The only way you can survive. The only way you can drive in Tirana.

Becoming a shark is easier said than done. To become a shark you have to grow watching other sharks. You have to live in sharks territory, to come acquitted with the sea, the rivers and the pools. You have to learn some of their skills and practice some of their moves. Above all, you have to think like a shark. Fearless and predatory. Six months is the least you need. Shark's nose, instincts, behaviour, eyes and ears have to be vividly stored into your mind. A King is useless here, only a shark can survive. Once you become a shark, you remain a shark. You can go back to King again if you want, but your shark-i-ness will never go away. It will be stored safely. You will be able to call upon it when needed. No need for it while driving in the UK though. Less than a King is fine there, but to drive in Albania you have to be a shark.

Now as Gëzim said, sharks are real drivers. I must be one. Only now I can fully agree with the definition of the Oxford Dictionary again. I feel like I am in control and operating the vehicle. In the UK, but even in shark territory, Albania.

Experience is priceless. I was a King. Now I am also a shark.

EoT

Written by Emin Shini

noreply@blogger.com (Emin Shini) — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 14:28:00 +0000

The Albanian Moped trip: not exactly what the Albanian media made of it.

Sunday morning. Off early to work, way too early for a Sunday and carrying a hangover. Coffee in one hand, local paper in the other. "How two young geniuses made a fortune" is the headline. I am enjoying the article, hangover seems to be lying somewhere else for a while, no room in my head while I am reading. It will appear in a rush soon. I am reading slowly to keep it away for a bit longer. The article tells about two Chinese chaps (students) who rented a house and started a small 'plantation' business. Made a fortune in a couple of years. Plenty of lines describing their bright business plan and how smoothly they operated. There is even praise from the writer, describing their work as, hence the headline 'the work of two geniuses'. For a minute I am thinking great stuff, brilliant. Those two, real geniuses. Then I come to my senses, and the real substance of the article fills my head: They planted weed and they were caught. Jail beckons for them. How can that be geniuses?? They broke the law. Hangover has not gone at all, it is affecting my thinking, I conclude.

Now I'm at home, enjoying the evening in front of the TV, watching the BBC. Hangover dead and buried. To the astonishment of my, now hangover free mind, I can not help it but to think that those two chaps are a bit of 'gen' after all.

That article, rather the way it was presented to me, made me think positively. That is what positive journalism does to you sometimes. There is plenty of it around in the UK. UK, where the fashion is negative journalism, that is the trend. However, there is always room for positive journalism, still and often.

Fast forward a few years. I have a beer in my hand. Starting to pile them by now. Expecting hangover to pay me a visit tomorrow, Sunday of all days. But I am thinking positively, it is Sunday and it is a day off. Beers to keep coming then. The team in red scores. It is Albania, my country and I am watching on TV, at my home in Albania. We are playing Iran, not exactly a great team. As I am about to take another drop of the cold beer, my ears are hearing what the commentator is saying: "we score, it is one-nil to Albania. The Iran defender slipped there. Twenty minutes to go, can we hold on to the score". Now I am thinking, for God's sake man, can you not praise the great shot from our striker? Can you not let us enjoy the goal for a split second? And yes, 20 minutes to go, we can score one or two more, can't we?. We are playing Iran, not Brazil. I mean, how bloody negative can you be!! Just switch channel to RaiUno for a second and see Italy score. The Italian commentator is going crazy, absolutely shouting his head out: Gooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll. I'm thinking Roberto Baggio is back playing again and scored a beauty. But guess what, their striker scored from two yards out, with his arm and Italy is playing Andorra. The striker is Inzaghi. Still a goal though, scored by his beloved national team!

As I am digesting it all, I can not help it but to think that Albanians are generally negative by nature. Something to do with our history, our social up-bringing. This is reflected by Albanian journalists and Albanian media in general, who is way too negative to the country, too unfair. I mean, I was astonished at the recent coverage of a video from two Dutch tourists on Albanian media.

Two young guys took a road trip in Albania, mainly south. And they made a video and posted it on Youtube. From the wide coverage as seen on Albanian media, I gathered that the video was all about a discovery they made, the village of Lazarat, near Gjirokastra. We Albanians know all about that village. It has a long history and it is mostly known as a weed plant factory. Yes, weed is planted all over the village and Albanian authorities are trying to deal with it, for a long time now. Puzzling how a village planted with weed made a huge impression to two Dutch nationals, so huge that they posted a video just about it, nonetheless. I mean, Dutch and weed. There should not be any impressions there, a lot of chemistry yes, but not impressions. They have plenty of it in the Netherlands. It is like a tank of beer influencing an Englishmen to make a video about it, rather than setting about to drink half of it.

As it turns out, after watching the full video the village made only a slight impression to them. However, there were many absolutely amazing things they experienced, positive things about Albania that made more of an impression to them. I discovered that there is a whole lot more to the video they posted than the village of Lazarat. Mostly great stuff. Albanian media did what they do best; they painted a rather bleak and hugely negative picture of that video. Even though the subject of the video is their country and event though the video is rather refreshing, original and above all, very positive.

Daan Vonk and Theo Roelfols, looking to take an interesting and beautiful trip, somewhere close and somewhere cheap, do a bit of research. Exploring Albania fits the profile of their trip, they conclude. Cheap, and in Europe, close. They fly into the country from Brussels. Once they land, they see that the weather is gorgeous. Hot and sunny. Off to the capital, Tirana. They settle down. Now they are looking to rent two mopeds, when they find out that they can not rent mopeds they buy two, ready to be driven away , for 60.000 ALL (around 430 Euro). To them, that is cheap and that is great. They manage to move around Tirana, on their own, exploring some nice places along the way. All done smoothly. To me, that is something positive, isn't it?

Off they march, heading south. As throughout the trip, they find out that almost every local they come across strives to help them out. That is what the people in the first garage they visit do, fix their moped right away. They stop at a youth centre to ask if people know a place where they can sleep. The answer they received, after being looked at intensively and interestingly at first, yes we know, you can sleep in our home. So they do. They were welcomed in the house of a local. Enjoying their time with the whole family. Having an insight of the real Albanian family. All happy and all together. As part of the tradition, they even received a little tour of the house. Above all they experience one of Albania's best virtues, hospitality. Amazing hospitality. To me that is something positive, isn't it?

On they go, riding their mopeds on some good roads, bumpy roads and some 'being built' roads. Staying at cheap hotels, modern hotels, with all necessities needed and with great service. They come across the Albanian coast for the fist time. And they drive a moped through it, 2 yards away from the sea. Hospitality is always present. They drive a brand new, very expensive Mercedez. Owned by someone they just met, by someone who does not speak English. They even have dinner together. Another local takes them hunting the next day, again a local they just met. Hunting, no course up front. No license needed. And all for free. Then there is the food. In the restaurants and in local's houses. They eat amazing food. Very cheap food in restaurants and free and traditional food in local's houses. Nice fish and meet, fresh vegetable and fruits. Tasteful stuff. To me that is something positive, isn't it?

Now they are in Vlora, enjoying the sun and enjoying the beach. Their pockets exhausted very little as they pay 20 Euro for a sea view room. Then they set exploring parts of the south coast. To their right is the sea, to their left greenery cleans the air. The real beauty now hits them. The coast unveils in front of them. Absolutely amazing beaches. Breathless views. You can not describe them, you have to see for yourself. As they get a bit closer to the sea, they can catch a glimpse of the diverse beaches and the crystal clear waters. They stop at a river, it is its starting point and they are amazed. Stunning. To me this is all, more than positive, isn’t it?

Off to Gjirokastra, a UNESCO protected city. They opt not to explore the city. Instead they have a hair cut, Albanian style. And plenty of beers. Nice local brands. All too cheap to their eyes. They have a preview of what a tropical rain is like. And a preview of the meaning of some Albanian hand signs. The next day, tropical style, the sun is shining again. As they keep travelling, they pass by small villages and some high mountains. The view always exquisite. And they feel the cool air. In 30 minutes they are now from a 34 degree environment to a 14 degree one. To me, that is something very positive, isn't it??

Now through the old city of Elbasan, they are back in Tirana. They enjoy their mopeds for the last time. After washing them, they sell the mopeds for 220 Euro. So after riding through a six day trip, seeing some wonderful places in the process, their loss is around 200 Euro. To them, well worth it. They had an amazing, original and priceless experience. They discovered a beautiful country and they lived many wonderful moment. Their journey was short and only covered a tiny part of Albania, but their journey was amazing. And the video they posted was absolutely positive. Indisputably positive.

Coming by me, an Albanian, always tempted to be influenced by negatives, the video and their trip paints a beautiful portrait of Albania, as it really is. If still in doubt, watch the video for yourself: EoT.

Written by Emin Shini

The House of Congress of Manastir Finally in Google Map

noreply@blogger.com (Alma Gerxhani) — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 12:54:00 +0000

DSC_0044, a photo by Albania Holidays on Flickr.

Këtë verë vendosëm të vizitonim Bitolën në Maqedoni me mikun tim, Armand, pa fshehur faktin se një nga arsyet kryesore që na shtynte të vizitonim këtë qytet, ishte shtëpia ku u mbajt Kongresi i Manastirit në Manastir (sot Bitola) në 14 nëntor 1908 për përcaktimin e alfabetit të gjuhës shqipe. Bitola, megjithëse me 2 xhami të mëdha në qendër të saj e shumë elementë të tjerë kulturorë që tregonin se në atë qytet kishte dominuar popullsia shqiptare. Sot nuk flitej për dominim, por ishte e vështirë të hasje dikë që fliste shqip, të paktën në pamje të parë dhe për aq sa qëndruam dhe u interesuam ne. Këtu nuk flitet për nacionalizëm, por thjesht prisnim dhe na e kishte qejfi që përveç maqedonasve të gjenim lehtësisht edhe shqiptarë, në rrugë, në emërtime zyrtare të objekteve e rrugëve (siç qe në Shkup p.sh.), në biznese turistike apo të tjera, dhe mbi të gjitha në atë për të cilën ky qytet njihet ndërmjet shqiptarësh… Shtëpinë e Kongresit të Manastirit. Pyetëm shumë vendas që takuam (maqedonas kuptohet) dhe pothuajse askush nuk dinte gjë për të (të paktën të tilla qenë reagimet). Kërkuam në hartën e “Google” dhe nuk kishte asnjë gjurmë. Vetëm në Wikipedia kishte diçka rreth historisë, dhe disa foto, por asnjë ADRESË (?!). Si ka mundësi që gjithkush nga shqiptarët që ka qenë atje nuk shkruan në internet të paktën adresën e saktë të kësaj shtëpie historike për ne?! Si ka mundësi që shqiptarët e Bitolas (vendasit e hershëm të Manastirit) të parët, por edhe shqiptarët e tjerë të Maqedonisë nuk promovojnë këto vende historike të paktën në internet. Dhe pastaj ankohen gjithë ditën se po asimilohen dhe po u shkelen të drejtat, e po konsiderohen qytetarë të dorës së dytë?! Kush do ua qajë hallin e mbrojë të drejtat kur ata vetë nuk promovojnë vetveten nëpërmjet edhe këtyre simboleve historike-kulturore?!

Gjithsesi, me shumë të pyetura më në fund e gjetëm shtëpinë. Ishte një vilë e bukur nga jashtë, por e vetmja gjë që të kujtonte që ishte shtëpia e Kongresit të Manastirit ishin dy pllakate në të, një i vënë për 60-vjetorin dhe një tjetër më i vogël i vënë për 100-vjetorin e Kongresit të Manastirit. Asgjë më shumë! As ndonjë flamur, a ndonjë muze! Në katin e parë madje dukej sikur shiteshin objekte hidrosanitare, pra mund të ishte një dyqan që ishte i mbyllur. Për ironi ato ditë dëgjova që qeveria jonë do të harxhonte disa miliona euro për një muze të Bankës Shqiptare, ndërkohë që ato lekë mund të përdoreshin (mund të ishte bërë kjo punë edhe më parë) për blerjen e kësaj godine dhe kthimin e këtij objekti në një vend të nderuar të historisë shqiptare. Të paktën të konsiderohej një fakt i tillë, aq më tepër tani që festojmë edhe 100-vjetorin e Pavarësisë, i cili nuk do kishte ardhur pa pasur një gjuhë tonën e cila u caktua në këtë shtëpi.

Pasi i bëmë disa fotografi e shënuam adresën të cilën po e shkruajmë këtu që të mos vuajnë si ne ata që nuk e dinë dhe është: “Boulevard 1st of May, Nr 23, Bitola, Macedonia (FYROM)”. Në kthim vendosa të punoj për caktimin e pikës së këtij objekti historik në hartën e “Google”, e cila dihet që është burimi pothuajse i vetëm ku kërkohen me miliarda adresa çdo ditë në të gjithë botën. Pra diçka e domosdoshme për çdokënd që do të “gjendet” në kohët e sotme dhe një reklamë e jashtëzakonshme. Pas disa komunikimeve me vlerësuesit e adresave të reja që shtohen në “Google”, ndërmjet tyre edhe maqedonas, të cilët kërkonin që emërtimi zyrtar të shkruhej në maqedonisht dhe që “Kongresi i Manastirit” të përkthehej në “Kongresi i Bitolas”, sot kam kënaqësinë e jashtëzakonshme që të ndaj me te gjithë ju që lexoni shqip, lajmin që “Google” e pranoi vendosjen e pikës në hartë me emërtimin primar në anglisht!. Pra nga sot e tutje kushdo që do shkojë të vizitojë Shtëpinë e Kongresit të Manastirit, mjaft që të kërkojë në “Google” në anglisht “The House of Congress of Manastir in Bitola” ose edhe vetëm “Congress of Manastir” dhe do gjej në hartën e “Google” pikën se ku ndodhet kjo shtëpi, me adresën e saktë dhe disa foto që i bëra shtëpisë dhe pllakave në të. Pra mjaft ta printosh këtë hartë në internet apo të kesh një smartphone dhe nuk ke më nevojë të sillesh vërdallë për të gjetur arsyen kryesore për të vizituar Bitolën e sotme ose Manastirin e dikurshëm. Ka shumë objekte historike-kulturore të rëndësishme për Shqipërinë, si rasti i Shtëpisë së Kongresit të Manastirit që gjenden brenda apo jashtë kufijve të Shqipërisë të cilat nuk kanë piketimin e tyre në hartën e “Google”, ose e thënë ndryshe janë të harruara e larg vëmendjes të një tregu prej miliona turistësh. Prandaj ndihem mirë, që i bëra një dhuratë të vogël promovimit të kulturës dhe historisë sonë në këtë 100-vjetor të shpalljes së Pavarësisë, por mbi të gjitha dua të përcjell shembullin që të gjithë ne mund të bëjmë shumë për promovimin e kulturës tonë jo domosdoshmërish me para, por me pak sforco e shumë dashuri.

* Kliton Gërxhani
Tourism Consultant

source: Shqip Newspaper Albania

Please sign the petition: Google Doodle for Albania's 100 year Anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (Kliton Gërxhani) — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 17:59:00 +0000

Change.org|Make Your Own Petition

The Telegraph: "Albania's surprising side" - By Edward Reeves, 02 September 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Kliton Gërxhani) — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0000

"Thank you Edward for this nicely describing of Albania. As the local partner of Voyages Jules Verne, Albania Holidays is proud to be part of this successful comeback of VJV after 20 years. There is a passionate and professional team working behind the curtains, who has carefully selected the main highlights of Albania and Tirana for those who would like just a short city break, and makes sure that each operational detail is well arranged. This article in The Telegraph – one of the main UK media companies, gives us a pleasant reward, but above all gives our country and Albanian tourism a precious promotion support."

Superb Roman ruins, glorious scenery, good food and ridiculously low prices – Edward Reeves finds much to admire in the former communist state.
This is odd. I'm sitting in a bar in Tirana, Albania, and there's not a gangster in sight. What there is is a 20ft-long counter packed with an array of enticing meats, a friendly man who grills them on request, and beer at 70p a glass. Everyone speaks English, and everyone is unfailingly nice. Could it be that there's a mismatch between Albania's reputation for – how to put this politely? – unconventional economic activity, and the modern-day reality? After a week travelling the country with my mother, without so much of a whiff of trouble or a gangster's cheap cologne, I'd say the answer is a resounding yes.

In fact, our Albanian trip has turned us both into bores when it comes to this oft-ignored Mediterranean country's virtues as a tourist destination. For those of you with a short attention span, the upshot of this article is "Go!" But first some context.

Our trip came about when I read that tour operator, Voyages Jules Verne (VJV), was returning to the country after a 20-year absence. Back in the late Eighties a VJV trip was the only way to visit Albania, which was ruled by a paranoid communist dictatorship that issued a few hundred visas each year. My intrepid, left-leaning mother went not once, but twice, in 1986 and 1987, flying into Titograd in the former Yugoslavia (now Podgorica, capital of Montenegro) and crossing the border at 3am under searchlights, as wolves howled in the distance. All books, magazines and other printed matter were confiscated by Kalashnikov-wielding guards and visitors had to walk through a sheep dip to kill capitalist germs. Welcome to Albania.

How times change. We fly direct into Tirana to begin VJV's new "Classical Tour of Albania" itinerary – and there's not a sheep dip in sight. The airport is clean and modern, with an even cleaner and more modern tour bus waiting 100 yards from the exit. Our guide, Elton Caushi, could be mistaken for an Italian art student. Young people, he says, acutely aware of Albania's reputation abroad, now avoid the dark, hired-killer look that was thought to be cool in the Nineties.

There's no hanging about – VJV's bumpf makes it clear that Albania's geography and poor road network dictate long coach journeys (and warns there's a fair degree of walking). First stop is the 18th-century monastery of Ardenica, sitting on a hill that the communist regime burrowed into and covered in bunkers and gun emplacements (Albania is peppered with bunkers – there are thought to be more than 700,000 of them). My mother didn't visit Ardenica on her previous trips – back then the church was used as a storeroom for military kit. The survival of its splendid iconostasis and frescoes, by two of Albania's finest icon painters, the brothers Konstandin and Athanas Zografi, is something of a miracle.

We spend the night at the town of Fier which, for the record, smells of petrol (it's near a refinery) and has nothing to offer even the most rosy-spectacled visitor. It's convenient, however, for the ruined city of Apollonia, which we visit the following morning. Truth be told, its most famous resident, Augustus, would be hard-pushed to recognise it.

But we have high hopes for our next historical site, Butrint, scheduled for the following morning. Trouble is, Butrint is far to the south, close to the Greek border. This means a day driving the Albanian Riviera, to Saranda, where we'll stay two nights. And it's a long drive – close on eight hours – but with stops for lunch to enjoy the view from the Llogaraja Pass and the fort built by Ali Pasha (of Byron fame) at Palermo Bay.

Drymades beach, Albanian Riviera

Scenery aside, the major point of interest is olive trees planted on a hillside to spell the name of Albania's unlamented dictator Enver Hoxha. My mother remembers the hills being festooned with such slogans, in white-painted stones. It was a way of imposing control, Elton explains – trusted communists might be ordered to paint "Enver"; the politically suspect would get phrases such as "United States Capitalist Imperialism is a Paper Tiger", which could take months. My mother looks crestfallen. "I assumed they were painted by grateful villagers," she says.

Butrint, we discover, is a magical site. In Italy it would be packed with visitors; we share it with a single coachload of elderly Germans. The ruins are spread over a small peninsula, and range from the fourth century BC through to the early 1900s (Ali Pasha had a hunting lodge here), via the Byzantine era. Terrapins sunbathe in the flooded theatre and bathhouse, crickets chirrup and eucalyptus leaves rustle gently in the breeze. All in all it's a very satisfactory place to spend a morning.

Next day we drive a couple of hours inland to the town of Gjirokastra. This Unesco World Heritage Site is utterly charming, with steep cobbled streets, crumbling Ottoman houses and a spooky castle. This is closer to the Albania my mother remembers, though with the addition of a small capitalist economy of craftsmen selling wood and stone carvings, and an eccentric shack of a restaurant, Kujtimi, where she's able to tuck into (delicious) frogs' legs.

It's worth mentioning that Albanian cuisine is generally good quality, and refreshingly cheap. Food had been an issue on my mother's last visit – in the Adriatic "resort" of Dürres her half-starved tour group had found just one café, which had to be opened specially by an aged crone who clearly believed everything the Hoxha regime told her about sulphurous Westerners. The menu had the advantage of simplicity: brown bread, served with a snarl.

Berat Albania

After a night in Gjirokastra we embark on a second long drive, north to the town of Berati. This turns out to be another old-world charmer, with more tumbledown Ottoman houses piled either side of a river, and a beautifully preserved citadel with a glorious church, St Mary's, which is now a museum boasting some extraordinary frescoes. If you harbour ambitions of leaving the rat race and opening a boutique hotel, Berati is the place to do it. We pause en route to view the Roman ruins at Bylis (impressive) and for a snack in Fier (less impressive).

Final stop is Tirana, the capital, which turns out to be a friendly, buzzing place. There's too much to see and do in our short stay, which includes a day trip to nearby Kruja, the fortified town from which Albania's national hero Skanderbeg led the 15th-century resistance against the Turks. Enver Hoxha's daughter herself restored the castle and turned it into a shrine to Albanian nationalism. The big change, my mother says, is the cobbled bazaar, which was firmly shut on her last visit (back then VJV recommended £5 spending money for the entire week; all visitors could buy were translations of Hoxha's various masterworks). The bazaar is now piled high with communist detritus.

That night, in Tirana, we wander around Blloku, the old residential area for the nomenclature. Until communism fell, it was out of bounds to ordinary Albanians. Now it's packed with bars, cafés and fashionable young people having fun.

Tirana, Albania

My mother is flabbergasted. Tirana in the mid-Eighties had been utterly dead. The only excitement came when an overweight man in brown flares and a garish rainbow-stripe jumper propositioned her in the loos of the Tirana International Hotel. She fought him off, and he was arrested in minutes. She has no doubt he was sent to a prison camp, or worse.

My mother proclaims she's going to come back and explore the north of the country, solo, at a more leisurely pace. She's sad that the socialist experiment failed, but her opinion of Albania – and Albanians – has changed completely.

"I used to think they were a dour, unsmiling bunch," she says, "but now they're all so friendly." Funny that.

Did you know?
Last year, Lonely Planet made Albania number one of its world's top 10 places to visit.

GETTING THERE
British Airways ( 0844 493 0787 ; ba.com) flies direct from Gatwick to Tirana from £157 return.

PACKAGES
Voyages Jules Verne ( 0845 166 7035 ; vjv.com) offers a seven-night Classical Tour of Albania from £895 per person, taking in Tirana, Saranda and Butrint, Gjirokastra, Berati and Kruja, including international flights, transfers, accommodation with two evening meals and breakfast daily. Alternatively, consider its three-night A Taste of Albania package, from £495.

WHEN TO GO
As with most Mediterranean destinations, spring and autumn are the best times to visit. If you’re visiting the Riviera, July and August see a big influx of visitors from elsewhere in the Balkans.

THE INSIDE TRACK
Forget all the clichés about Albanian gangsters – street crime is practically unheard of and you’re extremely unlikely to encounter any problems such as pickpocketing. Compared with any British city, Tirana feels incredibly safe – provincial cities even safer. Hotels are keenly priced, but there’s a shortage of quality accommodation. Expect eccentric décor and sometimes shambolic service. If you’re booking in Tirana, avoid hotels in the Blloku district. There’s always the chance you’ll find yourself next door to the latest club, with thumping bass until the early hours. Eating out is cheap by British and Eurozone standards, especially once you’re out of Tirana. Typical prices might be £1.15 for a salad or starter, £1.70 for a pasta dish, £3.40 for a meat dish and 90p for a pudding. Albanian wines were drinkable, even under communism, and are getting better and better every year. Generally a half-litre carafe of house red in a restaurant will be in the region of £2. If you want to splurge on a bottle, the finest, reputedly, is Cöbo’s Kashmer. Driving in Albania should hold no fear for competent drivers. However, the roads are often in a terrible state so opt for a 4 x 4 if your budget allows (though along the Riviera a hatchback will be fine). A nasty surprise is the price of petrol, which is comparable with Britain.

WHAT TO BRING HOME
If it’s on your itinerary, Kruja is the best place to do your shopping, with a bazaar selling kilims, handicrafts and communist memorabilia. The one Albanian universal seems to be homemade lacework, which local women sell at pretty much every (urban) historical site. Beautiful brass coffee grinders were made in Tirana until the fall of communism, and battered but functional ones can be picked up for around £5-£7, depending on condition. Look for the “Made in Albania” imprint on the bottom. Someone, probably Chinese, appears to be making replicas – they’re easily identifiable as they look brand new and have red Albanian flag stickers on the bottom. These sell for an outrageous €27 (£21) at the airport. Books by Enver Hoxha make great gifts, but English translations are collectors’ items (and priced accordingly). Other titles, such as Agriculture in the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania, at about £15, have wonderfully grainy pictures of fields, “hero” tractor drivers and scientists holding vegetables, accompanied by unintentionally hilarious captions. They’re not going to print any more socialist propaganda, so buy now to avoid disappointment. In Tirana there’s a great jewellery store selling semi-precious stones and tasteful silver jewellery, Koralia, on Rugga Abdyl Frashëri. Don’t expect anyone to speak English, but if you point at the stones you like, and then your ears, eventually the chap behind the counter will make you a pair of earrings on the spot, from about £5. A note on bargaining – you’re not in Morocco and the opening stated price is rarely extortionate, so bear that in mind.

Visit Balkans, hotels and accommodation in Balkans, tour to Balkans

noreply@blogger.com (Alma Gerxhani) — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 12:41:00 +0000

croatia_balkan-hotel, a photo by Albania Holidays on Flickr.

Dear visitors,
We share the joy of introducing the newest website for hotels in Balkans. www.balkan-hotel.com is managed by Albania Holidays along with www.albania-hotel.com, www.albania-holidays.com and www.tirana-hotel.com.

It comes with a modern design and a lot more new features to make your booking easy and secure. It will offer accommodation in Albania, Bosnia hotels, hotels in Croatia, beach hotels in Greece, Kosovo hotels hotels and tours in Montenegro, Macedonia, Serbia hotels, hotels in Bugaria and Turkey hotels. We are populating our database to offer you a wide range of hotels in Balkans.

Keep visiting www.balkan-hotel.com and let us know what you think,
Thanks for visiting

Albania daily life tour, tour to Gjirokaster, Unesco Heritage Site

noreply@blogger.com (Kliton Gërxhani) — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 12:42:00 +0000

Albania Holidays organizes original tours of unique value.

In the video below you can see how tourists enjoy Albanian hospitality and see for themselves the simple life in Gjirokaster and Dhoksat village in Lunxheria. Guests feel at home when they are welcomed with a glass of traditional drink Raki or a spoon of homemade jam (or gliko). Hear the testimonies!

Albania Daily Life Tour

Albanian Riviera - The number one place to visit in Europe in 2012 according to The Rough Guides

noreply@blogger.com (Kliton Gërxhani) — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 21:20:00 +0000

Still number one ! Another serious media, this time from UK, Rough Guide, suggest the top 5 best places visit in Europe for 2012. And number one is again our magical Albanian Riviera, which was lately also awarded number one by Frommer’s. At our www.albania-hotel.com or www.albania-holidays.com you can book different hotels in Albanian Riviera and also organize a trip to experience yourself these hidden treasures of the Mediterranean coastline.

The best places to visit in Europe in 2012

January 2012

London might get all the press as the world floods in for the Olympics, but elsewhere in Europe plenty of intriguing destinations are on the rise, either due to special events planned for this year or new attractions that are just beginning to draw visitors. So what are Europe's best holiday ideas in 2012? We've picked our top five. Read on...

Albanian Riviera

Albania Riviera

Savvy beach bums have begun to chart a course for a still-wild stretch of the Mediterranean: Albania's shores, between the cities of Vlorë and Sarande. You may have to ride a rattle-trap bus to get there, but you won't regret that when you settle in to a dinner of fresh calamari in front of the electric blue sea.

Albania beaches, a set on Flickr.

"Albania" - We can do it !

noreply@blogger.com (Kliton Gërxhani) — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 05:51:00 +0000

Just heard from the media about this wonderful project of Elisa Dushku. This is probably the first initiative of this kind in promoting Albania, even though it is a common thing in promoting destinations all over the world to attract the attention of tourists and investors to visit a country. Greece had a similar campaign few weeks ago which ended with success and reached its target.

I believe that we Albanians can also show that we can do it. I don’t think our Elisa Dushku, Fadil Berisha and the rest of the team are not able to find 60 000 $ to support this promotion campaign, but this should come as support of as many Albanians as possible, because this country belongs to all Albanians and needs our support. So please donate as much as you can!
Especially at this moment when Albania and its tourism is getting the attention from the well known media such as LonelyPlanet, CNN, Frommer's etc. this can be the best promotion material to keep the beat going. The entire Albanian travel industry will profit from this, which means better image for Albania and more money for our economy.

We can and should make it! I believe this can be the best promotion gift Albania tourism can get in its 100^th Independence anniversary.

Kliton Gerxhani
Albania Holidays DMC

The Observer: Testing the water in Albania - by Killian Fox, Sunday 15 April 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Alma Gerxhani) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:26:00 +0000

Thank you for this nice article about visiting the Albanian Alps. These two quotes of yours say it all about the beauty of Albania and the genuineness of Albanian tourism:
“Anywhere else in Europe, this two-hour journey (which our guide book describes as "one of the world's great boat trips") would be hopping with tourists, but Albania is not a big draw – at least not yet” and “Ask someone on the street and, even if they can't help, they'll find someone whose second cousin definitely can. If helpfulness and hospitality were a marketable resource, Albania would be rich.”
You can book the accommodation in Valbona also through our website Albania Hotel
Below the article:

Staggering scenery, deserted landscapes – crossing Lake Koman in northern Albania provides an insight into a country that's still off the tourist radar
The surface of the lake is perfectly still. The steep hills on either side and the high mountains beyond are empty of human life, save for the occasional lonely farmstead
embedded in the hillside. There are no visible roads, no telephone wires to connect this place to the outside world. It's not difficult, on the ferry journey along Lake Koman in northern Albania, to imagine you're drifting through a landscape that has lain undisturbed for centuries.
It's the height of summer but there aren't many people on the ferry either. Most of our fellow passengers on this hulking cargo ship are down below, smoking and drinking
lethally strong coffee in the bar. They've seen it all before. Those who haven't – my girlfriend and I, a few backpackers and some tough-looking Czech bikers – are on the upper deck drinking in the staggering scenery.
Anywhere else in Europe, this two-hour journey (which our guide book describes as "one of the world's great boat trips") would be hopping with tourists, but Albania is not a big draw – at least not yet. The last century has been hard on this little country, just across the sea from Italy and just north of Greece. More than 40 years of communist rule under the isolationist dictator Enver Hoxha, followed by a ruinous period of extreme capitalism in the mid-90s, have left the country struggling to find its feet in the new millennium.
Our first port of call had been Shkodër, the largest city in the north, overlooked by an impressive medieval castle built by Venetians and Ottomans, and crisscrossed by wide
communist-era boulevards. When its population emerges in the evening to promenade and gather outside cafés, you could imagine you were somewhere in Italy – until you hear a muezzin's call from one of the city's many mosques, or fix your eye on a building that looks like it was transplanted from 1950s Moscow.
We planned to strike out the next morning for the Albanian Alps in the north-east. The best way to get there, if you want to avoid a long, precarious road journey, is by the Lake
Koman ferry. But we had no idea how to get to the lake, couldn't find an information
office, and even the guidebook was sketchy on the subject. Eventually a taxi driver with a few words of English called a friend and arranged for us to be picked up early the next morning. This was typical of our experience. Ask someone on the street and, even if they can't help, they'll find someone whose second cousin definitely can. If helpfulness and hospitality were a marketable resource, Albania would be rich.
It was 6.30am when George, a cheerful man with a thick moustache, ushered us into his minivan outside the Rozafa Hotel. At 6.32am, we drew up alongside a café on the same
street and George treated us to early-morning espressos accompanied by shots of Metaxa brandy. At 7.15am, we were finally good to go.
Lake Koman was created by a dam – a major hydroelectric project built in the 1980s. An hour into the ferry journey, the tree-lined hills give way to sheer limestone cliffs which
gradually close in until it looks like you've run out of lake. Just as you conclude you're heading straight into the side of a mountain, the water opens up again and you turn into a narrow passageway between two vertical walls of rock. It's like the riverboat sequence in the first Lord of the Rings movie. Even the Czech bikers were gaping.
The Valbona valley, at the heart of the Albanian Alps, is a two-hour drive from the ferry's Fierzë terminus. It's flanked on each side by high mountains. The elevation was so
dramatic that we had to crane our necks to see their craggy peaks.
We spent several nights at a friendly little chalet-style hotel called Rilindja, hiking around
the local villages and eating fresh river trout. And yet we'd seen only a fraction of what the country has to offer during our 10 days here. We missed out on the fine beaches (it has a coastline that bridges two seas – the Adriatic and the Ionian), the Greek and Roman ruins at Butrint, the town of Gjirokastra (Nobel laureate Ismail Kadare, who was born there, describes it as "the steepest city in the world … unbelievable [and] dreamlike"), not
to mention the capital city, Tirana. If you're willing to put up with bumpy roads and idiosyncratic transport arrangements, Albania is a rare find.

Lake Koman, Albanian Alps

noreply@blogger.com (Alma Gerxhani) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:22:00 +0000

Lake-Koman-Albania, a photo by Albania Holidays on Flickr.

Hi all

We published new photos on Albania Holidays group page on flickr and arranged them. You can also browse sets like: Albanian culture tour, Albanian beach photos under the group Albania Holidays and several sets under Tirana Hotels group such as: tirana business hotels, tirana nature hotels etc.

You are welcome to share some photos of your visit in Albania

Via Flickr:
A wonderful picture from Barbara Hausammann of Lake Koman, Albania

Balkans video- Hidden treasures of Europe

noreply@blogger.com (Alma Gerxhani) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 12:50:00 +0000

A very nice video on Balkan countries. Entitled "Hidden treasures of Europe" this video pictures the best of Balkan countries considering it as integral part of EU, under enlargement.

Under the slogan 'So similar, so different, so European' this clip shows just how gorgeous and surprising Southeast Europe can be. Yes, the region is different and this is what makes it so vibrant, exciting and fascinating. But is it actually that different?

Albania Holidays is also contributing to the idea of promoting Balkan countries with a new online project.

BootsnAll: Eight Reasons to Move Albania to the Top of Your Travel List - By Jessica Hoolko

noreply@blogger.com (Alma Gerxhani) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 06:30:00 +0000

Great article about visiting Albania ! It has covered all the details you might need when considering to travel to Albania. Unbiased, informative, completed, enthusiastic and written with love, so being an Albanian travel agency we can just say, thank you very much! We will be honored to assist you experiencing Albania as it is described in this article of BootsnAll.

Tell someone you’re traveling to Albania, and you’re likely to get asked a couple of questions. “Where is Albania?” “Is it dangerous?” “What are you going to do there?” and
most common of all, “Why?”
The tiny, often misunderstood Balkan state is located across the Adriatic Sea from Italy,
directly above Greece. The mountainous country is filled with pristine rivers and sparkling mountain springs, bustling cities and charming towns, and its rocky coastline stretches hundreds of kilometers along both the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, providing stunning beaches that rival those of its better-known neighbors like Greece, Italy, and Croatia. But Albania’s status as one of Europe’s poorest countries and its slightly checkered past mean that mention of its name is more likely to elicit thoughts of riots and communist dictatorships than beautiful beaches and the vibrant café culture of Tirana, the country’s
capital.

But Albania is changing. Today the country is being built up fast by a people eager to recover from almost 50 years of an oppressive communist dictatorship and the unrest
that accompanied its transition to democracy. Today’s Albania offers young, lively cities, incredibly beautiful natural scenery, and an extremely open and friendly people eager to show off their country, all at a price that can’t be found elsewhere on the continent. What’s more, Albania remains one of the few undiscovered paradises in Europe. But like Croatia before it, it’s only a matter of time before the wandering masses start to pour in. Here are ten reasons why you should buy your ticket, pack your bags, and beat the crowds to
this remarkable Balkan nation.
1. The lek
Albania joined NATO in 2009 and has its eye on EU membership as well, but it will be at least a few more years before it’s accepted into the Euro zone. The official currency there
today is the lek, and the exchange rate between it and other major world currencies alone should be enough to draw hoards of international tourists to Albania.
At first glance, the prices in Albania may not seem so amazing. Three hundred lek for a pizza or 2,000 lek for a night in a hotel room might seem a little steep to the uninitiated. Consider the exchange rate and you’ll begin to understand: at the time of writing, one Albanian lek (sometimes also written as leke) was equivalent to just under a cent, or 0.009
dollars. So that 80 lek ice cream cone? That will set you back about 75 cents.
That 1,800 lek double occupancy ensuite hotel room with a view of the beach in Vlora? It’s a bargain at just under $17. And that dinner of steamed mussels and a bottle of Albanian white wine for two on the beach in Ksamili? At about 600 lek, you’ll be spending approximately six dollars total.
Beer and coffee can often serve as budgetary gauges for international travelers, and you’ll be happy to hear that it’s rare to pay over a dollar for either (usually closer to 45 cents for the coffee), provided that you go for the typical Albanian bottled beer or a shot of the strong, thick espresso that the locals drink.
2. The beaches
The beaches in Albania rival anything that can be found in Europe, and with 362km of coastline stretching through both the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, beachgoers have plenty of
sandy spots to pick from. Dhermi, Himara, and Ksamili are some of the names that one might uncover with an online search or a peek into a guidebook, and they are all beautiful. A lot of the bigger coastal cities like Saranda and Vlora also have beaches accessible on foot from the city center, though I’d recommend skipping the city beaches as they are usually a bit dirty, very developed, and quite busy. Traveling a bit outside of the cities (particularly heading south out of town) is a surefire way to find some beautiful beaches that are less crowded and cleaner, but still easy to reach by taxi or bus.
Many of the country’s very best beaches are further afield, away from the newly constructed hotels and restaurants springing up around the coastal cities and bigger towns. There are literally hundreds of coves, caves, and sandy stretches where you can laze away a day, or more if you bring a tent and supplies. Private paradises like the little cove
pictured above (a personal favorite, known as Aquarium) are just waiting to be discovered, and intrepid travelers are sure to have their curiosity rewarded if they choose to hop off the bus or wander down a dusty goat path in search of something a bit different.
But if isolation and a lack of amenities aren’t your idea of a good time, you’ll still have plenty of options throughout the region. The beach at Dhermi is just as clear and sparkling as Aquarium, though they offer a completely different experience. With a slew of hotels
packed tightly into the hills above the water, there is no lack of places to stay, and a number of restaurants, including the excellent Luçiano (of the Hotel Luçiano), offer fresh fish, a variety of pizzas and other Italian-style dishes at extremely reasonable prices. Visitors in June and early July will be pleasantly surprised by the lack of other visitors on the beach, though the area heats up a bit in late July and August, with concerts at the nightclub Havana, right on the sand, bringing in plenty of visitors from throughout
Albania and abroad.
Though the available resources are far from comprehensive, it is easy to find great beaches in Albania with the help of Google or a guidebook, and wherever you end up, you probably won’t be disappointed. An excellent research tool is a online wikimap that shows the
locations of a lot of beaches you won’t find described elsewhere on the internet, including Aquarium. Many of these locations won’t be reachable by public transit, and some of them might even require a bit of hiking to get to, but knowing where they are and having an idea of which stretches of coastline are the most promising will increase your chances of visiting one of the country’s most spectacular beaches.
3. The cities
Albania is also home to a surprising number of vibrant cities that offer an urban travel experience completely different from what can be found elsewhere in Europe. In Tirana, uninspired blocks of austere communist-era apartments sprawl outwards from the center of the city, sprinkled here and there with an ornate old mosque or bustling outdoor market. Amidst the old, however, newer structures are going up at an alarming rate, filling in the cities’ formerly empty spaces with a shocking number of sleek new bars and
modern restaurants. In the capital especially, visitors will find a bustling nighttime
scene, and in the summer dozens of cafes and bars along tree-lined streets like
Ismail Qemali spill out into the largely pedestrianized roads, offering comfortable outdoor lounge areas that all seem brand new and impeccably clean, contrasting starkly with the city’s more run-down neighborhoods and crowded main roads. Even in the flashier establishments, drink prices remain reasonable and the crowds laid back.
Other destinations, such as the “museum cities” of Berat and Gjirokastra, provide a peek into the finer moments of Albania’s history through their winding cobblestone streets and well-preserved Ottoman architecture. Even if the lively nightlife and lovely historical charm of Albania’s cities isn’t enough to draw you in, you’ll have a hard time avoiding them if you’re traveling by bus or furgon. The flexibility and frequency of departures and arrivals makes quick visits to the different cities possible, so it’s easy to stop in Saranda for lunch, or spend a few hours checking out Berat’s charming cobblestone backroads before getting back on the road.
4. Transportation
Albania’s public transportation system is mind-boggling at fist, but once you get a hang of it, you’ll realize that the spontaneous, slightly unorganized nature of it all makes it extremely favorable for impromptu travels and unplanned side trips.
Backpackers basically have three options for getting around: bus, furgon (also known as mini-bus), and taxi (a fourth, rarely used option is the excruciatingly slow train system). Buses are the safest and most reliable way to get around, though their schedules tend to be
more limited than the furgons, which are basically large vans that start their routes earlier and end later than the buses do. Furgon drivers have a reputation for going very fast and not always following the rules of the road, but if you’re looking to get somewhere quick, hop on a furgon (and hope it has seatbelts).
If you’re taking either of these options, the important thing to know is where the driver is headed. The destination city will usually be posted on the windshield, though occasionally there’s nothing at all. In those cases, looking a bit lost and a bit foreign usually cues a
barrage of helpful drivers, all yelling out their destination city, which makes finding the right bus pretty easy.
It’s also good to know that you can get on and get off where you like, so if you see the bus or van you want driving by, flag it down! They’ll stop if there’s room for you. And if you’re on the bus and you spot a pretty beach or nice little town, just shout and they’ll let you off.
This makes it easy to be spontaneous while traveling in Albania, but keep an eye on the clock, because it gets harder to grab a ride as the day goes on and you might find yourself stranded if you wait until early evening to look for a furgon. This unofficial schedule provides a loose idea of when buses leave from the major cities.
When there’s no bus or furgon to be found, taxis offer a surprisingly affordable mode of transportation. As an example, the going rate for the hour and a half trip from Vlora to Dhermi was about 40 dollars, and getting to any of the nice beaches outside of Saranda, Vlora, or Himara would likely cost little more than a couple of bucks. Scheduling a
pick-up gets more complicated, so keep that in mind when visiting destinations off the main roads. Hitchhiking is very common for locals as well as tourists, so in more remote areas, including the road leading to the Blue Eye, don’t be surprised if you’re offered a ride, even if you’re not holding up your thumb.
5. The people
After many years of isolation under communist rule, Albanians were finally allowed to travel internationally in 1990. Those restrictions, as well as the lack of international visitors to the country in recent decades, have limited the exposure that many Albanians have had to different cultures, languages, and people. Many of the people who I met on our
trip were genuinely interested in why I was visiting their country and where I came from, which is a welcome change from the reception that many travelers receive in the more heavily visited tourist destinations of the world.
Within minutes of boarding my first bus in Albania, I was sharing water and Skittles with the driver and several passengers, helping a few young girls practice their English skills, and saying hi to a relative of an elderly passenger who had called her family on her cell
phone to tell them that she had met two Californians on the bus. It was an experience that I had never had on my travels before and haven’t had since, and it certainly helped to take my mind off the five hours I spent on a rickety old bus between Tirana and Vlora.
English is spoken by many young Albanians, but it’s surprisingly easy to find Italian-speakers of all ages throughout the country, and much of my communication during my travels was a curious mix of botched Italian sprinkled with Spanish, an English word here or there, falëminderit (which means thank you in Albanian), and a lot of gesturing and
the occasional drawing. In general, people were patient and extremely helpful with my attempts to communicate, and putting the extra effort into talking with locals provided me with some of the more memorable moments of my trip, though brushing up on a few key Albanian words would be helpful, if you can manage the tricky pronunciation.
6. The nature

Even if the people weren’t so friendly, the beaches so beautiful, and the cities so unique, Albania would still have plenty to offer. Being one of Europe’s most mountainous countries means that a fantastic view is never far away, and traveling any of the country’s twisting-turning mountain roads practically guarantees spectacular scenery all along the
way. The drive from Vlora to Dhermi is particularly enjoyable, offering vistas of the wild Karaburun peninsula across the Bay of Vlorë, as well as lagoons, beaches, and the heavily wooded national park that lies just south of the city.
But while the great views and pretty scenery are basically unavoidable, other places will need to be sought out. One of those places is known as the Blue Eye. It’s called Syri i Kaltër in Albanian, but locals will recognize the name in English. Located just outside of Saranda on the way to Gjirokastra, the Blue Eye is a freezing cold underwater spring with an unbelievable sapphire color. The river that flows downward from the spring is some of the clearest, cleanest water you will ever see, and just laying eyes on the thousands of gallons of ice cold water gushing out of the center of the Eye is worth the trek it takes to get there.
The Eye is located outside of Saranda, just off the road to Gjirokastra. Ask the bus driver to drop you there, then follow the signs. It’s a good distance from the main road to the spring itself, so go early and keep your fingers crossed that a passing driver will pick you up, or
plan to stay the night at the rustic hotel near the spring. The restaurant and bar located alongside the river serves excellent roasted lamb ribs and cold beer, so bring your appetite and prepare to take in some of the most incredible scenery you’ve ever seen while chowing down on a local specialty.
7. The food
Due to its largely Muslim population, lamb is often the meat of choice on Albanian menus, and the spit-roasted variety is a favorite in many Albanian cities. Other meats are frequently available, but the lamb is good and almost always locally raised, so it’s definitely worth a try.
Coastal cities offer a plethora of fresh, local seafood, often pulled right out of the water. If you can figure out how to ask or gesture, it’s a good idea to ask to see the catch of the day. It’s not unusual to get to pick your dinner out of a basket of freshly caught fish, and taking recommendations from the staff is sure to land you a tasty meal. A dinner of fresh fish will usually be the priciest option on the menu, but at a pretty consistent nine dollars per serving, it’s worth the splurge.
Vegans and vegetarians will appreciate the bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables that Albania’s farms produce, most of which is locally and organically grown, only because many small farmers can’t afford to buy pesticides and fertilizers. Greek salad is a staple on most menus, and the mix of fresh cucumbers, onions, peppers, and tomatoes, topped
with olives and homemade feta will probably be one of the most flavorful salads you’ve ever had, wherever you end up ordering it.
If you’re not an adventurous eater, don’t worry. Albania’s proximity to Italy means that pizza and pasta make up a considerable portion of most restaurants’ offerings, and even in Albanian it’s easy to read the Italian items off the menu. Albanian food in general tends to
resemble Greek cuisine, so even if you’ve never eaten at an Albanian restaurant, you’ll probably recognize many of the dishes. Most restaurants won’t have a foreign language menu, so familiarizing yourself with a few key items to order—or avoid, is probably a good idea. Era restaurant in Tirana is an exception, they have an English menu and a huge selection of Albanian specialties and Italian basics, so it’s a great way to get acquainted with what’s on offer throughout the rest of the country.
Albanian beers like Korça or Tirana are just as good as the international options, at a much lower price, and strong black coffee and the white wines of the country’s northern regions provide a good selection of local drinking options. The water is safe to drink, though more
sensitive stomachs might want to be a little more careful and stick to the bottled stuff.
And the best part of all—the prices. Eating well in Albania is extremely easy when an entire pizza or plate of risotto costs about four dollars, and a full, fancy meal for two with drinks is easy to come by at under ten.
8. The history
When you’re all beached out and full of all the fine food and drink that the country has to offer, spend some time in Albania’s historical sites. Many of the castles and ruins throughout the country give visitors a much more up close and personal view of history than what’s available in other European countries. You won’t find any guard rails or
roped-off areas in the fortresses at Porto Palermo or Gjirokastra, where visitors are more than welcome to climb over stone walls and crawl into dark little passages, and in Berat, there are over 200 people still living inside the walls of the city’s old fortress, many in beautifully maintained Ottoman-era homes that offer great views of the river valley below.
Ali Pasha’s fortresses are a must see for kids and adults alike, and the slightly overgrown, poorly lit interiors really makes it feel like you’re stepping back in time when you enter into the dark, musty halls. In Gjirokastra, the fortress is home to a collection of heavy artillery from WWII, as well as a U.S. Air Force plane rumored to have been brought down
while spying on the country in the 1950s.
The city of Butrint, just outside of Saranda, is home to a spectacular array of ruins spanning a 2,500 year period that includes the Roman era and earlier. In the summer, theatre performances are occasionally held on a wooden stage in the old amphitheatre, which is partially filled with water, but Butrint is a pleasant place to visit any day of the year, and the combination of architectural styles are fascinating, especially if you luck out and get a working archaeologist as your tour guide.
A more recent historical relic that you won’t be able to avoid on your travels throughout the country is a reminder of some of the darker moments in Albania’s past. Hundreds of thousands of mushroom-shaped concrete bunkers, installed during communist rule, dot the countryside, a tactic that the government hoped would protect the country in case of an attack from the U.S. or Britain. The bunkers were never really used, but they certainly were well constructed, so the majority of them still stand, nestled into the hills above the main roads or clustered in groups on the beaches.
What to know before you go
If you plan on flying to Albania, you only have one option. Mother Teresa International Airport in Tirana is the country’s only one, and there are just a few airlines that fly there, including AlItalia and BelleAir. Prices out of a few European cities, especially larger Italian
ones, tend to be significantly cheaper than the normal European points of departure like London or Frankfurt, so scheduling a cheap Ryanair flight to a city such as Milan and then continuing on to Tirana can often be the most cost effective option for long haul travelers.
Ferries from Italy are also a popular way to enter Albania, and there are overnight voyages that depart from Bari and Brindisi several times a week, depending on the time of year. Ferries are usually cheaper than flights at around seventy dollars each way, but the trip
can take up to eleven hours, and adding the cost and time it takes to get to the Italian ports, in addition to the long boat ride, can often make flying seem a little more attractive. There is also a ferry from Corfu that sails to Saranda in about half an hour and costs about twenty-five dollars each way.
Getting into the country by land can be difficult from the north, due to the mountainous countryside and lack of roads. Entry from Greece is more popular, and there are buses from Athens, as well as other northerly locations that will take you over the border, often at very low prices. The journey is long, hot, and probably crowded. If you suffer from
motion sickness, invest in some Dramamine before you make any long-distance drive in Albania.
There are ATMs all over Tirana and in the other larger cities as well. Smaller destinations like Dhermi do not have ATMs or banks at all, and paying with a credit card will be nearly impossible almost anywhere in the country outside of the fanciest hotels in the capital. It’s a good idea to keep a significant amount of cash on you, and small bills are preferable. The first cash machine that most visitors will encounter is in the airport, and drawing lek from the machines with a foreign ATM or debit card isn’t any different than in other international destinations, and is probably the most economical and reliable way of changing your money.
Bargaining is common and acceptable when taxis and lodging are concerned, and it can often be quite productive. Be proactive and courteous when it comes to fixing a price, and you are likely to save a bit of your travel funds without offending anyone. Taxi drivers are especially likely to bargain because of the plethora of other inexpensive travel options
available throughout the country.
In visiting the cities, a guidebook or some kind of map will come in handy, though the use of street names is inconsistent and many hotels will rely on landmarks for directions instead of actual street names and addresses. In some of the smaller cities, it is rare to ever see a street sign, but having an idea of the lay of the land will be helpful in your attempts to navigate.
Pre-departure planning for a trip to Albania can be a little frustrating due to the lack of resources available online, or anywhere for that matter. There are a few guidebooks available, and I made frequent use of the Bradt guide that I bought before my trip, though it was far from comprehensive. Having a general idea of what you want to do and see and an open mind are the best ways to prepare for your trip. I’d recommend that anyone
entering the country through the capital spend their first night at the Tirana
Backpackers Hostel. The first (and only) hostel in the city has a friendly
English-speaking staff who are incredibly helpful and will gladly give you all the advice you need on what to see and where to go while you are in the country. They have other locations throughout Albania as well, and the 12-euro rate is a deal considering all the help they’ll be able to provide, plus free wi-fi and one euro beers at the little bar in the back.
Read more: http://www.bootsnall.com/articles/10-11/eight-reasons-to-visit-albania.html

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