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[starlagurl]

Wandalust, the travel blog, is reporting that a tourism professor has predicted that Albania will outperform Greece and Italy as Europe's hot vacation destination in.... 2030...

Twenty years from now folks, Albania will be where everyone is spending their summer. Get it before it's hot....I guess...

What do you think? Have you been? Is it as beautiful as they say?

Link to the original blog post: http://www.wandalust.com/50226711/albania_...ion_by_2030.php

[sianeth]

OMG I so want to go to Albania... its so random, I love it.

[starlagurl]

Yeah, really... let's see what the hot attractions in Albania are... checking Trip Advisor...

There's the archaeological museum in Tirana: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Revi...eum-Tirana.html

Ksamil village in Sarande:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Revi...ge-Sarande.html

And the city of Durrës - One of the oldest cities in Albania. Flooded three times during its history. The current city is built on the ruins of two previous ones. It has the largest amphitheatre in the Balkans. It is currently the main port of Albania and has the longest shoreline.

[laine]

we are driving around europe at the moment in an old camper van, and were really looking forward to going to albania. But as we have been getting closer to the moment of truth, people keep warning us not to go, saying it is to dangerous, and the raods are really bad. We knew it wouldn't be the easiest part of our trip, but now we are wondering if we should risk it. The van is starting to not work so well too, and if it breaks down there we might be in a bit of a predicament. What are your thoughts, has anyone been there recently, or driven through?
Thanks!

[starlagurl]

Hi Laine, I found some cyclists complaining about the roads on their blog in April, but I don't think it should be THAT bad that you don't want to go...

http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entri...80620/tpod.html

Here are some more blogs from Albania:
http://www.travelpod.com/blogs/0/Albania.html

[starlagurl]

Just saw this and thought of you, I know it's not really what you want, but it's interesting:

Environmentalism in Albania:
http://intelligenttravel.typepad.com/it/20...ia-and-the.html

[laine]

Thanks for that. It was a very interesting article, will have to see what we experiance there. I think we are just going to go for it, if we have problems or get a bad vibe, we will just drive through, but i think everything will be fine.

[starlagurl]

Yep, that's what I think you should do too. Just go for it, I'm sure you won't regret it.

[deps76]

i am Greek-American and while i was living in Thessaloniki had heard how horrible Albanians were and that they were responsible for all of the crime in and around Greece, etc. i was always told that they were low class and criminals, et.al. and that the country was horrible.

i ended up marrying an Albanian from Orikum (small beach town outside of Vlore). we met in Greece and i was always very leary of him and anything he said. then i started meeting his family and found them to be so warm and inviting... much more so than most Greeks, unfortunately.

when i went to Albania from Greece through the border crossing at Kakavia, i was very nervous as he had gone the week before me to gather paperwork. i arrived at the border at ~5am after a dizzying drive throught the Greek mountains in the middle of the night and was horrible nauseous and exhausted. my husband met me in a car they had rented with a local driver. all i wanted to do was lay down, sleep, and breathe deep so i wouldn't puke. it was the first week of June and as the sun began to come up i was speechless... i couldn't believe how beautiful it was! we took the coastal road (another nightmarishly winding trip) to Orikum, passed through Saranda, and i kept my face plastered to the glass the entire trip swallowing all my dry heaves. this place is amazingly beautiful! we stopped in the middle of nowhere to buy honey from a local farmer (potty break, too) and continued on to Lathathika (sp?) and ate breakfast on top of the mountain. because it was so foggy at the top i had no idea what lay ahead... we started out going down the mountain watching the greenery and plant-life change and then the sun broke through and i was faced with a looming valley before me- straight ahead down the mountain- with a tiny little beach town and surrounded on 3 sides by mountains.

yes, it's a bit primitive still. yes, it's behind the times. no i wouldn't quite call it home to my 2 young sons just yet... but the people are warm and happy to have visitors. they were willing to open their doors to a stranger and give you food. actually, they don't stop giving you food. they make you eat long after you've almost busted a gut.

they're growing. they're getting stronger. they're learning.

i visited a few other stops (including Durres and Tirana) and this country is absolutely amazing.

i'm Greek and i'll honestly say that a large part of Greece's membership in the EU has to do with how beautiful it is and that it's a major tourist destination. seriously. Greece is still way behind the times and not all it's cracked up to be.

so don't sweat Albania. they're still coming out of the communist fog, but they've got alot going for them.

Vlore is a city to watch out for as far as growth as it is an outlet to one of the new major oil pipelines coming from the Caucasus via Baku, Bulgaria, etc.

i believe this country WILL, in fact, be a great destination spot in the future!!! if Greece's jealousy doesn't muck it up for them. seriously.

[starlagurl]

Fascinating story, deps76, are you currently living in Albania? I hope the driving doesn't still make you nauseous!

[deps76]

nope. i'm in Texas. we were trying to plan a family trip, but having 2 littles under 2 isn't easy... nor is the price of airfare for the fam.

we're hoping to get back over there soon, though.

i was doing a bit of research on Albania and Orikum/Vlore when i came across this blog. i'm still interested in finding out a bit more. who was the professer that made the comment about Albania in 2030?

i just wanted to reassure people who were still a bit leary on Albania. they are no more or less safe in Greece and most people wouldn't think twice about going to Greece.

[starlagurl]

Hmmmmmm, the link seems to be broken to the original document, good question. I looked on Google for it, and couldn't find it either. Very mysterious...

[gv_liou]

i went to albania this summer for 5 days. i stayed 3 becouse someone stoled my car. as country is good, but i didnt feel safe at all!! everyone was looking me to the wallet. The life there is cheep but i went to Greece to continue becouse at least i was safe and the level of living much higher!Like all european countries there are many immigrants (albanians,bulgarians, from iraq) but police keep them away.

[gemma_2008]

[color=#CC66CC][size=7][font=Arial]
I have been going to albania for the past three years and the place amuses me more and more everytime i cross the border. the first time i decided to go to this magnificent place i was a little bit apprehensive due to a few of the negative coments which i had recieved about it , some being about crime, coruption and unsafety, however, i was proved very wrong when every single person i met was so warm ,loving and willing to help anyone and everyone. The place has AMAIZING scenry which you cannot get in any country with that price tag also the alcohol is cheap(haha),beaches are splended and the sun is constant. yes it may have some political downfalls but doesnt every country and to be fare britain isnt much of a tourist atraction in my opinion , and although some of these political factors may be present every other country has gone through it possibly at an earlier time but that doesnt mean that albania isnt one of the most stunning and intesresting places i have been to. I would recomend it to anyone ,families,couples,the elderly and anyone who is looking for a fun and comfortable stay in a lovely country . I am countinuing my journey through this country this yeaar following three splended stays.

[starlagurl]

Those are two very different experiences of Albania. Why do you think that is?

[shirtsa]

Those are two very different experiences of Albania. Why do you think that is?

Hi! i'm living in Vlora for 2 weeks now. I came here becouse my husbend works here for a year, as a manager of a fish farm. We came here from Israel with no prejudice about this country and found it very nice and welcome new people in a warm way. There are a lot of problems here but I don't think that people should be afraid to come visit. The roads need to be fixed, thats right, and there a lot of garbage everywhere. Albania is a beautifal country with a lovely places and beaches and if anyone comes to Vlora and want some company, my email is: shirtsa@gmail.com

[starlagurl]

Hi Shirtsa, welcome to the forums. Glad you are enjoying Albania, even though the roads aren't perfect.

[shirtsa]

Hi Shirtsa, welcome to the forums. Glad you are enjoying Albania, even though the roads aren't perfect.

Now it seems that all they do these days is to fix the roads, there is also a new highway from Tirana to the south with 2 roads each direction! but it ends in the half way to Vlora... Mostly I hope they will finish fixing the road next to my house but they leave it the way it is for a long time and do nothing about it. I guess that's the way things are going on here: slowly slowly. Or in Albanian: avash avash...
Have a nice weekend!