Trip to Albania

[TerryW]

Does anyone know if it is easy to book a "safe" trip to Albania. We would love to go this year but because we are travelling independently, we don't know where or how we can book. Last year we could have booked the trip with Libra.

I know that some people on the forum have done the trip in previous years, so it would be nice to know, as much about it, as possible.

Thanks

TerryW

[Eggy]

Terry
This ones for Vivian, or James W, I think. I know they have both been over.
I seem to remember James telling me all about a very large,excellant and very reasonable meal they had at a Taverna on the sea front there.
I think he booked through Olgas Travel.
Cheers
Negg

[Mike W]

We did the trip to Albania about 2 years ago, through the Thomson rep at the Kaloudis  village,it,s avery interesting day out ,although a long one  the contrasts over in albania amazing many interesting sights to see Butrinz, fortress ,places of worship etc,  one of the highlights of the day was the meal  provided a simple buffet in the heart of wooded area , wonderful meal in lovely surroundings almost like the gingerbread house in fairy tales ,most of the travel firms in arillas will do the trip i,m sure Terry go for it i know you will enjoy it
Mike W

[pg32]

Terry

My wife and her sister did it last September and said it was excellent. They booked with Arillas Travel. The coach picked them up about 7am and they did not get back till about 9 pmish! A long day but they said it was well worth it and very good value for money.

Paul

[TerryW]

Thanks for the feed back everyone, I feel a bit happier about going now and will look forward to booking the trip.

TerryW

[Baldy Barry]

Me and Susan went over about 20 years ago Terry.
When we were approaching the jetty in Sarande to dock we saw the sea was full of kid's swimming out to the ship and people were throwing coin's,sweet's,pencil's and all sort's into the water and the kid's were diving under for them.
When the ship docked we were surrounded by kid's begging for anything that was going.
Then this Albanian copper came bounding over and started whacking them with a big rubber truncheon and shoving them off the jetty into the sea ! Unbelievable !
Then we were taken to an old hotel that used to be exclusively for the upper echelon's of the communist party. It was like going back in time to the 1950's.
Old worn carpet's and faded painting's on the wall and big old bakolite telephones.
Our "meal" was a little pile of rice with a piece of gristle balanced on top with a dash of watery gravy stuff poured over it.
A couple opposite on our table told the waiter they were vegetarian's so he lifted off their pieces of gristle and went out the back.
Then he returned with 2 pieces of cheese (in his hand) and plonked them on top of the  rice while this couple just looked horrified !
Don't know how I held the laughter in !
I really felt for these people as they didn't have a penny to scratch their a*** with but they really wanted us to feel welcome.
When we went out and about round the town we noticed soldier's dotted around with AK 47's keeping an eye on everything.
These "soldier's" were all teenage lad's probably about 16 year's old and their uniform's were in tatter's and their "shoes" were  made from old tyre's.
A Danish guy I got talking to on the boat back had bought an Albanian army hat and jacket from a young soldier for cherrybob's and said the poor kid even tried to sell him his AK 47 !
Remember this was a long time ago and thing's have probably improved greatly since then.
Still , it was a real eye opener for us ,never having seen poverty like this and we're glad we went to see what life was like "behind the curtain".

[JohnTheRef&Dot]

We went over last year had a super day, nice visit to the world heritage site over there, booked that part of the trip going over on the ferry
long day but well worth it.

[vivian]

Just seen this tread, Arillas Travel do a good safe trip, You will be given a choice as to go to Butrinz or not. I would go, it is very intresting and you know you will be save with your guide. Otherwise you will be put on another coach taken into town and left on your own for about 3hrs and I would not like to say that you would be completly safe. Dont get the wrong idea most of the people are lovely and will make you welcome but as anywhere these days there is always the chance of meeting the bad apple. It was agreat trip and we are thinking of going again as it was a while ago that we went and we would like to see if there have been many changes. Go for it im sure you wont regret it. Viv

[Lindypops]

I remember you telling us about the trip viv, but as you say, always safer with a guide. We did a trip in Morocco, and would not have gone without a guide.

[riggers]

When we was at the Kaloudis last year a couple went Early Doors(7ish) got back late.
They said they hated it. SORRY. I can't comment i have never been.

[Lindypops]

I`ve not been either riggers, but information is power.

[burger]

i would highly recommend the albania trip,especially the world heritage site visit,loads to see there,the guides are excellent,when i went we were taken to a nearby restaurant,and returned after the trip  for lunch,then a short walking tour of sarande,not much else to see at the time as  all the shops were closed,for siesta & it was still in the process of building hotels etc for tourism,i took the trip 2 years past sept whilst staying in arillas & booked all my trips with olga of arillas travel,very long day 6.30/7am pick up as the bus picks up loads of others in sidari etc returned about 9.30pm

i'll post some pics tomorrow

[riggers]

Sounds Terrific burger.
Let me know when the Bus is coming and i'll hide.
I'll stay behind in Arillas for a bit of Sunbathing(Thankyou very much)
Maybe the odd Mythos or two in Coconut, GO to the Brouklis(that is a must).

Bon Voyage.

Riggers.......

[justphil]

hi riggers. I'll join you ....

am good at hiding from buses and even better at the Mythos in the Coconut!!

lol
phil

[vivian]

Some photo's on our website. www.holmvalley.com. in Corfu Oct 2005 album. Viv