postcards from...albania

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To say I was hesitant when my boyfriend first floated the idea of Albania is an understatement. My knowledge of the country was limited to a documentary by Romesh Ranganathan about unlikely holiday destinations, which didn’t seem to bode particularly well. However, Albania took me completely by surprise and I’ve completely fallen in love with it. I’ve written up what we did and some recommendations. 

Tirana, the country’s capital, feels exciting and like it’s rapidly emerging from its turbulent (up until relatively recently) history.  

RECOMMENDATIONS:

•  Radio Bar and Blloku district: Blloku is the bar district, and Radio Bar cannot be missed. 
• Mulliri i vjeter: Millenial style café chain. Great coffee and breakfasts.
• BunkArt: Dicactorial bunker turned museum, this complex is dedicated to informing tourists about Albania’s troubled past. Quite spooky but very important day trip. 
• If you can, go up the cable car by BunkArt. There is a slightly naff but fun bar at the top of the mountain that revolves (an absolute nightmare for those suffering with motion sickness) to give you some incredible 360 vistas of Tirana and the surrounding countryside.

Nothing will ever prepare you for the experience of an Albanian furgon. These small, privately owned minibuses are virtually the only way to get around the country’s terrifying roads, and provide the unseasoned traveler with the authentic Albanian experience every single time. Our first journey was a baptism of fire; I was shown to a small, plastic stool in the aisle and told to sit, the bus assistant scurrying away before protestations could be made. Thus ensued several hours of Will and I taking turns to cling onto the seats next to us, hoping the stool wouldn’t collapse as we went over another pothole. A particular highlight had to be a girl throwing up in front of us into a plastic bag and passing it up to the driver, who promptly flung it out his window onto oncoming traffic. 

Berat/Gjirokastra – two beautiful mountainside towns. Both require a fair bit of uphill warning (guaranteed to dampen morale on a sweltering July day), but entirely worth it. Gjirokastra definitely felt more touristy.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

• Heaven’s Kitchen (Berat): Incredible gyros and kebabs looking out over the mountainside, which is dotted with Berat’s signature white houses. Cheap as chips. 
• Antigoni (Berat): On the other side of the river from the main part of town, very good traditional food with balconies overlooking the town. 
• Berat Castle: Best at sunset. A castle complex on the top of the hill that overlooks the valley. Bit of a walk but entirely worth it. 
• Mele Guesthouse (Gjirokastra) – in the Old Town, less than 5 minute walk from the central area. STUNNING views over the valley, and the owners were so kind, giving us fresh fruit whenever we got back. 

Our trip then took us towards Sarande, the main southern city, and then onto Ksamil. The only way I am able to describe Ksamil is as a kind of Albanian Magaluf; walking down the main promenade we stumbled upon an under 13 foam party to the soundtrack of noughties Eurotrash. Main beaches were far too busy for us, so we rented a scooter and went a little more further afield, and were subsequently rewarded for doing so. All beaches in Albania are pebble, so plan accordingly. What made our trip there was John’s Guesthouse, which is perched overlooking the entire town with a clear view out to Corfu. We spent both nights watching the sunset on the terrace.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

•  Fast Food Beshiku: Putting the fast in food. Again, incredible gyros and kebabs (are you seeing a pattern here?) for pennies. The pace of the serving staff will probably give you anxiety.
• Pulebardha Beach: In between Sarande and Ksamil (you’ll need a car or scooter).
• Cash is, unsurprisingly, king in Albania. Virtually nowhere takes card so make sure you carry enough with you. 
• Grill House (off the main roundabout): Down the road towards the beach is an open air grill house. I’m not recommending it for the food however, I’m recommending it because there is a relatively famous clarinet player who has a residency there. Every night, you can go and enjoy a couple glasses of raki and watch the locals dance to the tune of this magical man. I can’t recommend it enough. 
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Himare, just north of Sarande, was heaven on earth. Rather than staying in the main town, we were on the next beach along (Livadhi Beach) which meant there was virtually no one there. A few nice beach bars for the evenings, less places to eat than on the main Himare beach, but enough little supermarkets to make do. 

RECOMMENDATIONS:

• Scala Bungalows: A series of bungalows up on a hill overlooking the beach. Amazing slightly crazy Greek lady running them who left us treats on our balcony for when we returned from the beach. Added bonus of stray kittens all over the place. 
• Boho Bar (Livadhi Beach): Very nice in the evenings. Plus it had a puppy running around when we were there. Hefty glass of wine is about 2 pounds.
•  Pizza (Livadhi Beach): I can’t find the name of it but it’s next to a campsite, attached to a large open plan bar and relatively unassuming but satisfied all our needs very well.