Albania

[slinkycat]

Just booked flights to Corfu, going to stay a couple of days then head to Albania on the ferry, very excited about it, will be a bit of an adventure, no mass tourism, welcoming people ( I hope!) a bit like Greece 30 years ago, or so the websites say ( just have to turn a blind eye to the masses of concrete bunkers from the paranoid communist era!)
Has anyone else been, what did you think, did you go package or independant?
Slinky x

[jno]

it has lovely long sandy beaches, and some good Roman ruins if you like that sort of thing. It was still communist when I went there long ago - you had to fly to Yugoslavia then cross the border barefoot, walking through a trough of disinfectant - one woman had her copy of Cosmo confiscated (too racy!) - it was returned when she left.

It was very poor then and people kept their distance from strangers (probably ordered to do so) but I'm told it's more relaxed now. I wouldn't expect too many people to speak English, but that may have changed too. I don't think they get much mass tourism.

They had tasty mineral water, with a nice nutty flavour - don't know whether that's still going either.

[slinkycat]

jno, thought it was a closed country when it was still a communist state? must have misunderstood, or you wouldn't have been able to visit! anyway, I have read that the then ruler was so hardline communist that he regarded Russia and China as too progressive, and broke contact with them! Just thought it would be fascinating to see a country that is in effect still emerging from that era, before it becomes just another Mediterranean package destination.
And yes, I'm hoping to visit some of the ancient sites while we're there.

[jno]

yes, it was pretty closed but not totally. Actually, you could visit most communist countries as tourists, they wanted your money - I went to most of them and they were generally fascinating - very backward in some ways, few cars in the streets, spies everywhere (not that I would have noticed), zero obesity. Those I've been back to since (Prague, for instance) have changed a lot, but I'm told that Albania is still fairly poor and quiet. It'll certainly make a change after Corfu.

And yes, Enver Hoxha thought the dictators of Russia and China were a bunch of softies. The country basically had no allies at all.

Enjoy yourself!

[Ice.Maiden]

If I was going to Albania, I'd take advantage of teh ultra-cheap property and land for sale there. There are some remote coastal areas with stunning views, with land for sale at 35 euros per square metre! For anyone buying now, they should be well in the money by the time the tourists take over!

[jno]

yup, buying inaccessible land in Albania has to be the quickest route to a fortune!

[buildersmate]

..... or the quickest route to lobbing it down the drain.
When the oil runs out, how precisely are the 'tourists' going to get there? This silly business of Brits buying pieces of land in obscure corners of the world in the belief that its a good investment is a myth.

[Lil O'lady]

Builder me old mate, switch your 'irony' button back on! You don't think Jno was being serious, surely!

[abstibus]

I went on a classical tour with Jules Verne Travel when it was still under communist rule - maybe JNO was on the same trip? I don't know much about the new Albania, but I would have thought the easiest and safest way to travel around would to be on organised trips, but take a look here for some advice. The country is so beautiful that it takes your breath away.
http://www.travelnotes.org/Europe/Albania/alba nian_tourism.htm

[jno]

that's right, annemollie - were you the woman with the Cosmo?

Yes, the scenery was great.

[slinkycat]

thanks for that link annemollie, I've looked at loads of useful websites, but hadn't come across that one yet.
We're travelling independantly, and according to what I've read so far it is relatively easy to get about and find accomodation, also its possible to camp, so we're considering that option for a few nights too. All in all most of the reviews I've looked at have been very positive, but maybe I won't take cosmo just in case!

[abstibus]

This is for JNO re Albania
I don't know about the Cosmo, but I do remember the chambermaid coming on to the tour coach with a pair of underpants some guest had inadvertently left behind. Remember - we were supposed to leave tips in the wastepaper basket - obviously he didn't.
a-m