Albania

i was here for two months with my best friend, stayed at a family’s apartment (sorry, won’t be of any help for hotels/hostels). what i noticed is that almost all the apartments are the same. they same layout, practically the same sizes (although the albanians are beginning to explore new domestic architecture, post communism in keeping up with the western world).

the customs and a traditions are quite strictly adhered to, although certain areas of albania, mostly central (considered to be populated by more of the “educated”), are more open minded to modern customs. but it is obvious that albanians have a strong sense of culture, and patriotism to rival americans. although i personally don’t see what there is to be very proud of in a country that drowning in poverty, there must be something in it for the people.

my friend and i went out almost every night, and has seen quite the majority of the city. the nightlife is lively, but dies out at about 11 pm (that’s when the last bus comes, correlation anyone?). as another post mentioned, it would be unsafe for a girl to be walking down the street alone anytime after 9 pm. having a male companion is the golden ticket out of the harrassment one would receive on the street by street kids and groups of boys posted along walls and street corners throughout the city. (btw, women who have experienced this dose of albanian treatment will be thankful if they get to go home to a country that respects the rights of women).

going into restaurants, bars of cafes, many of the waiters have some english skills, however, to travel about the city and venture throughout the country, it is recommended to be with someone who is fluent in albanian. you can only survive with one worded commands for so long.

overall, it was a very interesting stay, a different cultural experience, just be prepared to encounter a few vulgarities, little courtesy and lack of customer service along the way . . .

I was a bit disappointed with my stay, as we were only there a very very short amount of time, and didn’t get to see much. Can’t say my opinion would be worth judging Albania on.

I am going to Albania in May 2008 and will be there for nine months. My husband is from Lac and in order for him to get his green card we must go back. We are going to be living with family in Tirana and I cannot wait! I’m so excited to go because I’ve never been here before. Anyone have suggestions of what I must see? My husband said we have to go to Durres because it has gorgeous beaches. I want to go NOW♥♥♥

IT WAS A VERY GOOD TRIP BUT VISITING SERBIA WAS A VERY BAD TRIP.COUSE THEY ARE VERY UNFRIENDLY AND CRAZYKNOW THEY WAS SLAVES HAHAH">PEOPLES

I visited here for three months. Don’t come as a tourist, come as a cultural enthusiast. Stay with an Albanian family. Eat Albanian food. Drink the Raki. Lots of Raki. Grab a ride on a Mac Truck from Tepelena to Tirana. For the adventurous at heart.

The picture is of me with my Albanian grandma. I like John Lennon. When I was shopping for fruits in the local market I spotted some perfectly round Lennon-like glasses and I bought them. When I was showing them off at dinner that night, my grandma showed a big interest in them. “Do you want them?” I asked. “Oh, thank you, thank you!” she said and promptly put them on. This is dinner, mind you. So she’s walking around and then she goes to get something from outside and falls over a bucket. She still wouldn’t take the glasses off though. The picture was taken on the last day I was there. Grandma put on the glasses. I added the dew rag and the Adidas hat to complete the picture. The lady behind us is my Albanian mom, who was laughing hysterically

Definitely worth it. If you know people better, you’d regret loosing so much time discovering them.
At the bottom line, the only think that matters is “PEOPLE”. A beautiful place & wonderful people is the perfect combination.

DO NOT MISS IT!!!!

i was born in ELbasan,Albania i lived there until i was 7 then i moved to the united states where i live in florida now i got my greencard 2 years ago and that was the first time i had visited in 6 years i spent basically all my time in Elbasan it was the best time i ever had in my life, sure it was dirty with litter and alot of fumes and dirty air but thats what i love not a clean eutopia i recommend you go their and enjoy your trip because i cant all the time because of school but you probbably can…. mirupafshim dhe tieni nga ana ime për këte.

Albania…it’s like the last travel frontier in Europe (aside from Moldova and Belarus), why wouldn’t I want to go there?? I am very interested in experiencing the culture of a Muslim majority in a geographically European nation, especially in the context of a rapidly changing economy in the process of transitioning from communism to capitalism. Hope to see Tirana, Berati, and the Ionian Coast. And am looking forward to seeing the Hoxha era bunkers.

i’ve been going to albania off and on for the last 6 years alone, since i was 16. these people are so awesome and i have never felt threatened by any of them. i have worked with the orphanage in sarande and also with the local church there. i have also worked in some of the local villages with the gypsys. since my first trip to albania i knew that i would be moving there some day. now it looks like i moving for good in the next year. the people of albania are sweet and generous. if you needed it they would give you the coat of there back. also since my first trip i have started going to kosova to teach english. the buses can be very interesting. 8 hours from saranda to tirana and 13 hours from tirana to gjokova, kosova. if you have the time the bus is the cheapest way to travel.

I have spent most of the past two years living in Albania working in a home for orphans and street children outside Tirana (the capital). It is an amazing place with definite pros and cons.

Most of the country is drowned in poverty, and still struggling to re-build itself after it’s communist reign. The mafia still controls a lot in Albania and the black market is strong.

When I first arrived two years ago, the culture shock hit me hard. The living conditions were difficult, with usually no running water or electric. The power gets shut off several times a day in Albania, due to the government selling the electric down into Greece.

My experience is probably different than most people who go there for “tourism”. I saw the worst places in Albania, the slums, the gypsy communities. I worked with gypsy children who are literally the outcasts of society there. The orphanage was overcrowded, head lice, scabies, impetigo, and other sicknesses were a constant problem, but it soon didn’t bother me—what mattered was getting the children off the street and into a loving environment, safe and fed.

Honestly, I disliked the country, the way it was run, the way it looked and smelled. But I fell in love with the people (they are very friendly and gracious) and the culture and the language.

I do not recommend a young lady walking alone after 8pm in Albania. We learned this the hard way after I was confronted more than once by men and my friend was even dragged into a car once and fought to escape. It’s not the safest place to be, especially having blonde hair and blue eyes. That was mostly in the big cities though, Tirana, Elbasan, Durres.

The south of Albania is beautiful. I spent some time in the mountains where the air was cleaner, the community was very close-knit, it was lovely.

If you’re looking for vacation, steer clear of the north country and head to the Southern beaches. Still, you won’t find much of a modern world.

Even with its problems (and what country doesn’t have any?) Albania is an incredible country with much history and wonderful people.