Tuesday 12 March 2024 12:13 pm

Not just a cheap beach holiday: Visiting the real Albania with Intrepid

Ash Hiden visited some lesser-explored parts of Albania (Photo: Intrepid)

In Albania’s capital of Tiranë, I caught sight of a particularly stunning orange tree next to a disused well. Both were behind the private gates of a worn old residence. Before long, a man in his 50s saw me staring directly into his property and paced up the road towards me with arms and voice raised. “Oh God,” I thought. “I’m everything I try not to be: a disrespectful tourist.”

But within two minutes I was standing under that exact orange tree with that exact same gentleman, Edmund, as well as his vivacious 80-something-year-old mother, Hirka. His intensity wasn’t a threat, it was an invitation to join them: my first experience of Albanian hospitality. I learnt the property was previously an underground printing house for communist propaganda during the country’s fascist occupation. Hirka’s family sheltered 20 refugees there during the Kosovo War. “It was our duty,” she said. “Communism as it should be, not what they taught us.” There’s a picture of the three of us below.

To begin to understand Albania as a country, its emerging tourism boom, and its people – listen to what they tell you about their history. WWII-era fascist rule was replaced by communism in the 1940s, lasting to the early ‘90s, before a series of pyramid schemes decimated working people’s finances and led to the country’s collapse in 1997.

Older people clearly still feel raw about their past. For a guest in their country, hearing that you could only dream of travelling under communism if you were of a particular social standing came as a shock. Everything from art to architecture, clothing to companionship was state-controlled. Today, Albania is on the to-do list of many UK travellers looking for ever-diminishing new horizons close to home. Consequently, investment in mass tourism is starting to boom and, sadly, one word that keeps being associated with Albania is ‘cheap’.

Sure, you can do a fly-and-flop and have a really lovely time on Albania’s beaches, but B Corp certified Intrepid Travel have teamed up with local operator, Albania Trip, to launch the Albania Expedition package. This 9-day guided tour takes you off grid: from the central Tiranë up to Komani Lake in the North and down to the Bay of Vlorë in the South, with unforgettable stops along the way. Leaving Tiranë, we drove an hour and a half through dense green hills to Divjakë-Karavasta National Park. With a stay at the Hotel Pelikan, right in the middle of the Park, you’re in the perfect place to experience this haven of wildlife.

I’ve never thought of myself as a birdwatcher but my inner twitcher was awoken by the sights of pelicans, flamingos, hawkes, and kingfishers on a dedicated boat cruise and sunrise excursion. From Divjakë, we continued South to the coastal port city of Vlorë. Known as the start of the Albanian Riviera, the tourism boom becomes more apparent with a strip of newly built hotel complexes and beach bars. Past this, as the Adriatic Sea meets the Ioanian, we learnt about the pressures that tourism is putting on marine life at the local conservation centre before popping next door to be treated to the freshest seafood at Baçi’s.

Baçi’s is not just an unassuming harbourside eatery beloved by locals, but is home to a fishing cooperative comprising 12 boats supporting the livelihoods of over 20 families. During an exhilarating boat ride, including a swim in the old smugglers’ stash of the Hadji Ali cave, I learnt the story behind the delectable tuna and sardines I’d just eaten. Set up 20 years ago, Baçi has created a collective that ensures local waters aren’t over-fished. “I guarantee a place for the fishermen to sell to but without obligation,” the skipper tells me as we raced over the water. “This is a community. If one person has trouble in their life, everyone helps out.”

Albania truly is enriched by its people and the stories behind them. Its creeping reputation as a ‘cheap’ tourist destination is not what Albania wants or what it deserves

Roughly translated, the term ‘Mikpritja is besa’ means ‘hospitality is an oath.’ It’s ingrained in Albanian culture to the extent that it’s a part of the Kanun, a traditional set of customary laws that have largely been passed down orally for over 500 years. Following a testing but worthwhile trek up a rocky hill from Vlorë, leaving the expanse of mountains and sea behind, I reached a family embodying this oath. Unlike my spontaneous meeting with Edmund & Hirka under the orange tree, the visit to the farming homestay of Sofa and Dhurata was scheduled. But the warmth expressed by this husband and wife duo was every bit as genuine as the impromptu welcome received in Tiranë days earlier.

With dark setting in, bats flying overhead, and a cacophony of crickets as the soundtrack to the highpoint of the hill, I was treated to raki (the traditional and potent spirit) while we watched Sofa corral his goats and chickens. Dhurata had orchestrated a lavish spread of goat’s intestine (delicious and nutritious), along with Pilaf, roast goat and potatoes, various salads and veg, and the unique gjizë kaceku prepared cheese. A wonderfully wholesome experience.

Next stop: Berat, known as The City of 1,001 Windows. Snaps of the homes which populate the hillside of the handsome Berat Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are all over Instagram, and a night’s stay here is well worth it. We bedded in at the titular Berat Castle Hotel, which was a true highlight. You can and should lose hours exploring the citadel, with Byzantine-era walls dating from 600-800 years ago and lower stones to 2400 BC.

Albania truly is enriched by its people and the stories behind them. Its creeping reputation as a ‘cheap’ tourist destination is not what Albania wants or what it deserves. Will the tourism boom be well-handled? Who will benefit? It’s evident that the answers are not clear everywhere in Albania.

Thankfully, the people I was blessed to meet are benefiting and they’re doing so thanks to the thoughtful and compassionate tour curation of Albania Trip & Intrepid Travel. As our incredible guide told me: “The most important monument we have is our people.”

Visit Albania yourself

Intrepid offers a nine-day Albania Expedition from £1,255 which includes eight nights’ accommodation, selected meals, activities, and transport while on the tour. Book at Intrepidtravel.com or call 0808 274 5111. Wizz Air flies direct from London Luton to Tirana, starting from £29.99