How was your Explore Tour Leader?

Endrit was a fantastic tour leader. Always happy and smiling, a font of knowledge and very organised. I also have to give a special mention to our driver Fatir too for his excellent driving (especially around all the hairpin bends!) and he was willing to do anything for our group.

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

Make sure you remember your swimming costume so you can take advantage of the hot springs at Benja and swimming in the sea.

Do you have anything else to add?

Go now before everyone else finds out what an amazing country Albania is.

How was your Explore Tour Leader?

Ed was fantastic - endlessly enthusiastic, helpful, well organised and knowledgeable.  He really added value to the tour.

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

Need euros for tip kitty/1st meal,and can use as cash in Macedonia (small notes better).Get lek in baggage hall if you want to buy water at start,but you’ll go to an exchange next morning.

£150 plenty - cheap country, few chances to shop.

Need torch for badly lit potholed pavements; insect repellent and swimming stuff in summer - more opportunities to swim than listed, but pebbly/rocky.

In summer fleece/waterproof  are useless (too hot–and little rain-but could take a brolly) as are long sleeves/trousers other than 2 eves in mountains when a bit cool for bare legs.T

irana mosque (optional) was only time women had to cover their legs, and (free) wraps were provided.

All hotels have soap and towels, and most shampoo.

There is quite a lot of bus travel so take books/iPod.Food good for veggies.

How was your Explore Tour Leader?

Endrit was very organised and information on excursions or in the bus was given succinctly. Whilst he was certainly not aloof, I think he could gel with the group more and assess peoples fitness levels earlier on as many of the excursions are up hill.

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

"- A walking pole maybe useful as walks and visits to some of the towns are up hill and on slippery cobble stones.
- Llogara National park only sells small bottles of water, so worth buying an extra 1.5 litre bottle in Saranda before you leave.
- It is unlikely you will get to do the optional wine tasting.
- Tipping kitty does not include your driver.
- In Macedonia they will accept euros as payment, so may save you changing to denar.
- The 'hot springs' at Benja are very refreshing (not hot), so do take you swimmers."

Do you have anything else to add?

Whilst a pleasant and relaxing tour it was too relaxed for me, with plenty of "time killing" drink stops. Certainly in the summer they try to do excursions in the morning and late afternoon, leaving you free time in the heat of the day. I feel the tour could be condensed to 12 days without it feeling too crammed. The bus drivers we had were great, although the buses air conditioning left a lot to be desired.

How was your Explore Tour Leader?

Ed (Edjon) was fabulous and I don't think there is anyone in Albania who is more passionate about his country.  His enthusiasm knew no bounds and he was helpful and considerate with everyone on the trip despite the variety of ages and mobility.  The driver Fati was also excellent and I wouldn't want to be driven round Albania by anyone else.  His driving skills were impeccable especially along the mountain passes.

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

There is a lot of uphill walking on uneven ground so take a trekking pole and good walking shoes or sandals and you will need to be fairly fit.  Don't expect to be strolling through bazaars and through wooded glades.  Also, don't expect too much from the breakfasts at the hotels, although the hotels themselves are of a good standard.

Do you have anything else to add?

I think that the route could be better thought out as it was a bit of a shock after 2 weeks in the Albanian countryside winding down and relaxing and then be hit with the dirt, noise and fast pace on arrival in Tirana.  It would have been nice to spend a little time Skhodra - just to get a view of the north.  Also, I felt we spent too much time in Llogora National Park, as there was nothing to do there.

A great place to visit if you don't want too many tourists in a country! Lovely scenery, snow capped mountains and spring flowers, very beautiful. However, April probably too cold to go to Albania. All hotels clean and had hot water. Some hotels more basic than others, but still clean. Had two nights in a few hotels, not just one, as per itinerary. Best hotel was at Gjirokastra. Also a wonderful little town - a highlight of the trip! Not possible to do the 'hot springs bathing' near to Permeti in April. Permeti itself 'closed in April', we wondered why we went there, but apparently it's lively in summer. There is a lot of hill climbing and many steps. Trip should be graded 3 for active, not 2. Food ok, very good in some places and poor in others. The Albanians tend to favour cold cooked food 'swimming' in cold olive oil, be aware if you're not keen on that! I'm vegetarian and found it a good country to visit food wise (except for the cold cooked food, couldn't get used to that). Kruja is also a wonderful place, the bazar there is the only place we were 'pestered' by shop owners, I use the word loosely, nowhere near as bad as other countries for pestering. Great museums at Kruja and Tirana. Apollonia and Butrinti good archaeological sites. Museum at Durresi closed for refurbishment through 2012 (so we were told). Saranda is a bit of an "Albanian Benidorm", quite a culture shock after quiet places like Permeti, Elbasan, Korca and Gjirokastra. Ohrid and St Naum in Macedonia are wonderful places, the lake at Ohrid is stunningly beautiful. Berat is a lovely little town. Take a few Euros for Macedonia, it will save time changing money in Albania. On the whole, a good trip, great Albanian guide and bus driver. Small group, only 10 in our group, a good number. A lot of free time, felt the tour could easily have been done in 10 days. Maybe in the summer, time is filled better that cold and wet April. Snow in Llogora National Park was pleasant to see.

If you want to go to a country in Europe that is not overrun with tourists, Albania is the country for you...get there before word gets out about it. The scenery is breathtaking...you get a bit of everything on this tour...mountains, beaches, ruins, beautiful towns, interesting history, great food, and friendly people.     One highlight for me was trying to get lost in the town of Berat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Another UNESCO World Heritage Town is Gjirokastra, where we stayed in a former mansion-turned guesthouse perched on a hill with an incredible view of the castle and town.     If you like ancient Greek and Roman ruins, the World Heritage Site of Butrint is top notch, but not overrun with tourists.     I am a vegetarian, and was not disappointed in the variety of food available. Everything was fresh and plentiful...due to the location of Albania, they have influences from the Balkans, Greece, Turkey, and Italy. So, I had grilled peppers, grilled veggies, grilled cheeses, stuffed peppers, pizzas, pastas, burek, and gorgeous salads. I did not go hungry. Plus, the food was not expensive. Be sure to try the Raki, the local liquor, even though in my opinion it tastes like paint thinner (some people liked it).    One funny thing that happened...when we checked into our gorgeous hotel in the beach resort town of Sarande, there was a dialog between our tour leader Edjon (Ed) and the hotel manager in Albanian. Ed then turned to us, smiling, and said he had good news and bad news. We said we wanted the bad first. He said the manager says there is a group of Bulgarians in the hotel, and they are a bunch of pigs. They eat the breakfast buffet at 7am, and eat everything in sight, and cause a big mess. The good news is, he says if we wait until 7:45, he promises we will have a beautiful breakfast buffet and we will not be disappointed. It was a really nice breakfast buffet. In fact, most of the hotel breakfasts were fantastic on this tour.    I was the only American in my tour group, and I found my fellow Explorers to be warm-hearted and enjoyable...even when I had to take some good-natured teasing about my American pronunciations.      I just can't say enough about this tour...is it obvious I liked it? (AB - 18th September 2011)

This was an outstanding trip to a fascinating country. There were probably too many highlights to list them all here, but here goes:  The warm welcome from the Albanian people.  The drive from Korca to Permeti on a superb mountain road - with a brilliant lunch stop en route.  The coast road from Saranda to Llogara  Butrint - a fascinating place  Berati - probably my favourite place (even though I had the worst room in the hotel!)  Dinner - and live music and dancing (not a tourist show, absolutely packed with locals) - at the castle above Saranda and, probably most important of all, the group, our tour leader Endrit and driver Jonny.

And the "unofficial" highlights:  The back window falling out of the bus  Raki!  Being offered asylum in Albania by a guide who had heard about the riots in Britain.  My room in Kruja - with a huge whirlpool bath with two headrests (I was a solo traveller!)  Being told by our tour leader that breakfast was seven-and-a-half with eight-and-a-half tomorrow!  I could go on.   

To anyone thinking of going - go now, before more of the country gets like Saranda - or, even worse, Durresi. (AB -31st July 2011)

Albania is a really cheap, safe & friendly country. It has stunning rural countryside, mountains, coast, & ancient roman ruins. Explore visits several amazing Ottoman towns nestled in the hill side. Albania is unique in terms of current religious practice & significant historically. Albania should be high on your priority list to visit before it gets touristy. ( AB - 9th July 2011)

If you're expectations in going to the most out of the way destination is to find "Western" standards, i.e  hairdryers and fancy shower heads in your bathrooms) this isn't the right trip for you.  However, if you're expecting White Mountains, rolling valleys,  beautiful  wildflowers in a place called Gjirokastra, then you've found the right trip.   Wait till Day 6.  You will be amazed! ( AB - 12 June 2011)

Albania is one of the less developed tourist countries. For those who like to go 'off the beaten track', there is nowhere in Europe that is better. We arrived at the height of summer, and experienced a holiday with wall to wall sunshine for a fortnight. To get us into the swing of things our first day started with a walk along a narrow path to a lofty cave where prehistoric people had competed with bears and wolves for shelter. The afternoon was a complete contrast, with Tirana, Albania's capital, giving up its secrets to Explore's explorers. Throughout the trip majestic mountains vied with scenic seaside for our attention. We travelled on winding mountain roads, or alongside the spectacularly blue Ionian Sea from one unspoilt place to another, interspersed with sightseeing and scenic walks. Because the country is developing, it doesn't mean it's uncivilised, having plenty of excellent bars and restaurants, where we partook of the superb local food, excellent beer and mind numbing raki. By the end of the tour most of our group had developed lasting friendships. I want to go back next year. (AB- 8th August 2010)