Travel Journal
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Gjirokastra (Albania): a city frozen in time
From Vlorë, we take a 3-day mini road trip to spend more time in the cities we just skimmed through last time. Gjirokastra, a UNESCO World Heritage site with its beautiful Ottoman houses, really impressed me last time, and I absolutely had to go back. Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal Remember, last time we couldn’t get in because the old town was under construction. This time, we come from the other side, and despite the steep streets, our automatic car held up. Here’s the route we recommend. Don’t go into the small streets; there won’t be enough room if you meet a car coming…
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Vlorë (Albania): The Sweet Life in a Seaside Resort
During our mini road trip in Albania, we passed through Vlorë and I immediately fell in love with this seaside resort. We spent a night in an Airbnb we’d spotted (to check the internet connection & the heating, which were the two criteria we wanted to validate before a longer stay) and then we were set for 3 weeks by the sea. Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal Bus Tirana – Vlorë There’s a bus from the South Terminal (Google Maps link) to Vlorë every 30 minutes. From our place, we paid 700 LEK for a taxi to get to the terminal. The taxi drivers…
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Road Trip: Discovering Southern Albania
We’ve been in Tirana for a week now. With very little info available about Albania, we decide to hit all the must-see spots, which are almost all in the south, to see if there’s another city we could settle in for a few weeks. Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal Car rental We swing by Europcar in Tirana, which has an office right off the highway. Renting a compact car costs us €15/day, but we got upgraded. We ended up with a pretty tall Dacia, which is nice for tourists like us. To get to the Europcar office, we just grabbed a taxi. Albanian taxis…
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Tirana (Albania): A Capital with an Extraordinary Vibe
Planning a trip to Albania? – Plan to buy a SIM card for internet access – Book your activities in advance with Civitatis – Protect yourself with insurance offering good coverage. For example, with Heymondo (5% discount by using this link) After 3 months in Montenegro, it was with heavy hearts that we had to leave the country to visit its neighbor: Albania. We decided to spend the first few weeks in Tirana, just to get a feel for the country. Fortunately, for a capital city, Tirana is extraordinarily full of “good vibes.” We really feel great there. Sorry it took me so long to post the new travel diaries. I’m tired…
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Our Ski Trip to Savin Kuk, Zabljak (Montenegro)
After a scouting weekend, we return to Zabljak 3 weeks later to spend our last weeks in Montenegro. Our 3-month visa exemption is coming to an end soon and we want to finish our stay in style. Zabljak and its tiny ski resort Savin Kuk were chosen for its very local atmosphere. It’s all locals, not stressed at all. The ski instructors are numerous and English-speaking. And the food is really really good! Covid restrictions have become more and more strict in the big cities in Montenegro (restaurants closed, non-essential businesses closed), but here, everything is still open and running, including the lifts, restaurants and hotels. The ski resort has…
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How I learned to ski in Montenegro? Prices, Tips, and Addresses
I’m super excited to announce, dear readers, that since February 2021, I can ski ! Yes, me! Born in Vietnam, a country with no snow. Who would have thought! I wouldn’t have thought so myself. I’m so proud! I would never have dared to learn to ski anywhere but Montenegro. I told you about our weekend “expedition” in the Montenegrin mountains a few weeks ago. We went to see if there was a possibility to ski and/or learn to ski, and the answer is yes. Not only were we able to assess the budget, but we also visited several ski resorts and chose the best one for us: at Zabljak.…
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Budva, Sveti Stefan, and Petrovac (Montenegro)
It’s no wonder Budva is on every tourist brochure for Montenegro. With its beach stretching as far as the eye can see, Budva is one of the pearls of the Adriatic Sea. Well, on paper. My first impression of Budva wasn’t very positive. Despite a sunset worthy of a Hollywood movie, I first noticed its concrete buildings under construction, before noticing its historic old town and then its beach. Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal However, we chose Budva for the second part of our stay in Montenegro, to enjoy a calm sea view while being close to restaurants (always open). I’ve given you a…
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Winter Mountain Weekend (Montenegro): Durmitor, Zabljak, Kolasin
After a month and a half in Montenegro, this is the first time we’ve ventured to the north of the country. We struggled with the very dangerous roads near the sea, so we hesitated a lot about going to the mountains, fearing icy roads in bad condition. We have chains in the trunk but no experience using them. We decided to spend only 3 days in the mountains, just to see how it goes, and come back later in March if we like it. We can admire the beautiful view of the sunny beach from our Airbnb in Budva in the morning, then find ourselves with 2 meters of snow…
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Digital Nomad: Our 2nd Airbnb in Montenegro (Budva)
After a month in Boka Bay (near Kotor) having to cook for ourselves (since the restaurants, mainly for tourists, close their doors in winter), I lost a few pounds. Granted, I still have some wiggle room, but at this rate, I’ll look like a bag of bones in a few months. JB and I decide to move to Budva, to be closer to local and open restaurants. This Airbnb cost us €940 for 28 nights, that is, €33.6 per night, which is expensive for Montenegro but it’s pure luxury and two to three times cheaper than in high season. For access to the history of all our Airbnbs (with links…
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Lake Skadar, Podgorica, Ostrog Monastery & Dobra Voda (Montenegro)
Between the storm, the rain, and the travel restrictions, we haven’t visited almost anything since New Year. So when JB sees the sun peeking out, we quickly pack a small bag each and head off on a road trip. Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal Day 1 With travel restrictions between regions lifted as of January 12, we can now enjoy an extended weekend exploring Montenegro instead of going around in circles in Kotor like before. The strict restrictions were a way to contain the spread of the virus during Catholic Christmas, New Year, and then Orthodox Christmas. We can also enjoy hotel saunas and…
