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Thursday, June 27, 2013

SUMMER 2013 IN ALBANIA south coast....


The rugged coasts of Albania have a way of hypnotizing the stranger, with their immense heights, intense rough, rocky mountains followed by the sudden fall, down to the gentle turquoise waters below. I found myself asking where has this place been hiding until now?
The South coast of Albania begins to shine and sparkle from the city of Vlorë all the way down to Ksamil. It appears that this diamond in the dust has finally begun to attract the friendly tourist. With its tourist numbers rising each year, now is the time to find out what the fuss is about.
Top places for the adventurous camper to visit are; Dhërmi, Gjipe and the more popular Jale.
Getting to the South of Albania may be easier than expected. There are many bus companies that travel to the less accessible Dhërmi or Jale. These are easier to get to from the capital city of Tirana. Traveling by bus is also the cheapest form of travel, costing approximately €13 from Tirana to Dhërmi.
On a larger scale, getting to Tirana, there are four means of traveling into the country; by bus, by airplane, by ferry or by car. By bus is again more obviously the cheapest form of travel yet the longest. If you’re up for an exciting journey and a view of the Balkans in its true glory, I do recommend this way of traveling. You can take a bus from Prishtina, Kosovo to Tirana. Belgrade, Serbia to Tirana or Skopje, Macedonia to Tirana. On the way you will see small ghetto villages as well as prospering towns and cities. You will meet hospitable people, people in the Balkans, you will find will cater to your every need and are very fond of the tourist; their hospitability is embedded in their tradition. Bus journey’s in the Balkans are usually bumpy, hot and long however since this is a once in a lifetime experience you must be open minded and bear in mind the hundreds of euros you are saving, also learning the culture’s mentality all on this beautiful journey.
Dhërmi-
I begin my journey across the South coast of Albania from the first beach I encounter traveling north to south. Dhërmi has to be the most laid back, chilled beach in Europe. With bright white pebble beaches and turquoise waters there is no question as to why the people that come here become regular visitors, staying faithful to their virgin beaches of Dhërmi.
The village of Drymades also known as Dhërmi (due to the short distance between them almost unnoticeable where one ends and the other begins), is the hot spot for all the free spirited, traveling campers, due to it’s great facilities for camping and peaceful ambient. Before you reach Dhërmi, it is highly recommended that you exchange your money in the nearest city such as; Tirane, Durres even Vlorë. This is purely for the fact that these areas are more populated and the ratings appear more beneficial for the tourist rather than the ‘last minute’ exchange at your hotel for example, where I found that the rates are not so practical and seem to change according to the mood of the natives.
For a cheap drink amongst the beaches coolest hipsters a must-see is the recently renovated ‘Dar Bar’. The bars favourite and quite lethal drink, ‘Dormeo’ cocktail, costing 400 Lekë, equivalent to £2.30 will loosen you up in no time. Throughout your visit to Albania you will find that wherever you go the drinks will be cheaper than back home, however that seems to be the case with many places away from home… The staff at Dar Bar will be more than happy to cater to your every need, welcoming you to ‘their’ beach as though you were family. I can’t emphasise enough that if you really want to save money, bring your own drinks bought at the local market, or even be creative and make yourself a drink you will feel better for it, and no one will judge you.
Although Drymades lacks choice when it comes to bars and restaurants, the reason I visit this location is definitely not to laze around bars. As even the people at ‘Dar Bar’ would suggest, ‘build a fire, get a guitar and relax on the beach’, they will also add that you should not use the umbrellas for fire wood, an amusing gesture I have witnessed many times.
Once you’re settled by a fire you will find that crowds of people will join. I must say the cheapest, most entertaining nights will be spent by a fire drinking, singing and dancing like the free spirit you truly are.
There are a few accommodation options in Dhërmi that satisfy every type of traveller; the more luxurious hotel, the camping site, or the cheaper larger group apartment accommodation.
The luxurious hotel would have to be the ‘Drymades Inn’; located ON the beach of Drymades. This hotel has it all, swimming pools, conference rooms, large restaurant, perfect views and quality service. Prices in the peak time of summer are usually €100 per night, per room. You can book online in advance at their WEBSITE; http://www.drymadesinn.al/?p=124
The whole virgin beach experience would not be complete if I were to spend my time in Albania cooped up in ‘so-so’ hotels, playing cards!!! When I could experience the location to its fullest.
Choose ‘The Sea Turtle Camp’, 3 minutes (if you walk slowly) away from the beach, this funky camping site offers the camper all the essential utilities that a camper could need, including a constant feed of music, organised events bringing DJ’s from around the world right to your tent. However if you are in the mood for something quieter, there are plenty of camping sites around ‘The Sea Turtle’, which are open for exploring, although these are strictly first come first serve facilities. The price to stay at the Sea Turtle, per person, per day is; €7.17, which includes accommodation and two meals (breakfast and dinner). For more information on the camp facilities and the organised events at the camp visit their ‘facebook’ page; http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Sea-Turtle/97874648109?fref=ts
Gjipe-
Gjipe… this is a miracle on the Earth, this beach truly makes your dreams of being stranded on an Island, with nothing but you, sun and sea, a reality. If that is your dream… Gjipe was once in function, there are small details left behind showing that the beach had purpose, like an abandoned run down building in the corner of the beach. This place was once loved and has now become an impossible to reach, deserted gem. All the better for the explorer. I recommend the easier way of reaching Gjipe, also safest, which is by boat from Jale, instead of the horrific also painful in flip-flops, method of climbing down which takes 30 minutes, worse climbing back up. This is the perfect location for a camper to truly test their camping endurance, where you can set up camp and stay for as long as your mind can handle. This is a highly recommended challenge, highly rewarding in the end. Beware there are no shops, hotels, restaurants or bars, not even houses on or near this beach. Proper preparation is recommended; we don’t want to really be stranded now do we?
Make sure you have a number of someone local with access to a boat willing to pick you up when you want to escape, or that your car/vehicle is not too far. It’s never clever to be completely alone and not to inform others of your location, this applies to anywhere you go.
Jale-
This magnificent location for campers has been a camper’s top location in Albania for much longer than the other two places that’s for sure. Jale has one of the oldest camp sites in Albania, where thousands of campers gather throughout the summer. The atmosphere at these sites is irreplaceable, as though all the great people traveling through Europe decided to meet in Jale, you will find them all here. However due to the hustle and bustle and the busy camp sites you must keep your more valuable belongings safe at all times, very rarely does it occur that things are stolen but it’s always good to not lose anything.
There are frequent festivals organised in Jale where the whole village participates. For example there was a Reggae festival organised by South Vibes, bringing musicians from Italy, Jamaica, Germany and the UK, as well as visitors from all over the world, all camping at Jale, soaking up the sun, laying around the beach, perfect.
A recommended camping site would have to be; ‘Jale Camping’, founded in 1999, therefore you can expect great facilities and experienced campers here. The camp also organises activities like more intimate concerts, movie nights and recreational sports, making the more busy bodies as happy as they can be. The camp charges €10 per day per person; this includes tent, breakfast, dinner and activities. For booking find out more on their website: http://www.campinglivadh.com
This is South Albania, the cheapest form of holiday for the young spirited, adventurous being.
Take by; http://www.lsbu-multimedia-journalists.co.uk/ajdini/2013/03/19/albania/

1 comment:

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