Tag: albania

My Love-Hate Relationship with Lonely Planet

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I recently read Lonely Planet’s guide to Europe’s Best Road Trips. Yes, the photos are stunning and it makes me want to learn to drive and travel all over. However, what annoys me about this list is their lack of diversity. According to the United Nations, there are 44 countries in Europe. All of the countries listed in Lonely Planet’s guide are in Western Europe. What about all the other countries? I’ve travelled around Montenegro, Albania, Serbia, and many others and they boast breathtaking landscapes. Why are these countries ignored? Calm down Helen, it’s just a list Maybe I am …

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The Highs of Travelling in Low Season

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In January this year, Mitch and I packed our bags and flew to Albania. Why would we do that? Low season: it’s cold, places aren’t open, cities lack atmosphere, and hostels are practically empty. All these things are true. We had days where it was bitterly cold we couldn’t stay outside long, days we were rained in, restaurants closed, places where buses didn’t go to at this time of year, so many hotel/hostel owners saying, “Come back in July! You can see this, this and this.” I would love to go back to all the places in the summer. You know …

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Adventures Around Albania

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When telling my friends that I was going to Albania, there were primarily two reasons that they knew the country. Firstly, when I was 18, before heading off to University, we embarked on a summer holiday to Corfu; from there we could see this other land across the sea which we found out was Albania, a strange place we knew little about but liked to call it ‘Albaniaaaaaaa’ after a few drinks. The second reason people seem to know about the country is ‘Taken’, where Liam Neeson’s daughter is kidnapped by some Albanian men. Although after catching some of this …

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