Follow Us Two: In Europe and the UK: Day 53 to 56 - Albania & Montenegro (Balkan Roadtrip)

After spending one night in Corfu at Atlantis hotel, we left Corfu Ferry port at 9am and arrived in Albania at 9am - wasting absolutely no time thanks to the time zone! Our visa requirements allowed us 7 days in Albania and 7 days in Montenegro. The tour, however, is only 2 nights and three days so it was perfect for us South Africans. We met our little group consisting of one canadian, two americans, and a british couple. Before hopping onto the bus, we got shown to an ATM where we were recommended to draw 5000 Leks* each - guaranteeing us three full days of eating like kings and queens.

We started off visiting the fascinating Roman colony of Butrint which is still being excavated. We are a little "ruined" out by now, but were amazed by the beautiful views and the preserved buildings. We hopped back in the bus and made our way to the Turkish town of Berat, where we spent the night.

What's absolutely amazing about Albania, is that they were the last Eastern block country to become a democracy. Our guide still remembers the day he tasted his first Coca Cola, in 1996, where the neighborhood crowded around a few 2litre bottles to get a sip. He also recalls the first car owned in his town, which was never driven because nobody knew how to - so was just washed and admired. The country was completely shut off from the rest of the world, and they were told that the Government was protecting them from the terrible things happening outside. Little did they know, when they finally became democratic and freed from the dictator - they were SO far behind the rest of Europe, and the world. As we drove through Albania, we definitely picked this up.

We had a big feast of local dishes in Berat, and then got an early night. Albanians don't have breakfast but the hotel happily made us a continental breakfast, as we had to get back onto the road for another full day of sightseeing and driving. Instead of breakfast, the Albanians have raki (a strong alcoholic drink) or tripe. It was evident why it took ten years to build their first highway, as everyone started off their day with strong shots of raki.

On our way to our next overnight stop, we toured the famous Castle with its breathtaking views. We walked around the streets to get a feel for everyday life and then stopped at a beautiful beach for lunch, and then a new Shopping Mall for icecream and coffee. We couldn't recognize any of the brands in the mall, but we definitely got the feeling that Albania is very motivated to catch up with the rest of the world. So much so, that they have a AFC (make do for KFC), a Starbacks (a copy of Starbucks) and a takeaway restaurant conveniently with a BIG YELLOW "M!"

We eventually arrived at the capital Tirana with its lively nightlife and low prices. The city was far more advanced than Berat, and was buzzing with people. We had dinner at a pizza restaurant, and then strolled the streets looking at the shops and the house where the dictator used to live. We landed up at a little pub to celebrate one of the girls birthdays.

On our final day, it was a full day of driving for 15 hours. What was pretty exciting, however, is that we were in three countries in one day; Albania, Montenegro and Croatia.

Montenegro was breathtaking and we were sad that we only got four hours to explore and have lunch. We wanted to stay the night! We stopped at the UNESCO-listed walled city of Kotor, and got to take a few photos of the 2000 dollars per night hotel.

We can highly recommend this trip to anyone who needs to travel from Greece to Croatia, with avoiding the expensive flights. Not only is this the birth place of Mother Theresa, but you'll feel like a celebrity and get to discover the hidden secrets of the Balkan. You'll also be surprised at how much pride they take in their pizza, being a new exciting meal which they never had under the communist regime. So much so, that we reckon the Albanian pizza is far more tastier than the pizza you'll find in Italy.

We arrived in Dubrovnik in the evening, and still had to catch a 4 hour bus to Split, where our boat leaves from. We were absolutely exhausted and it was pouring with rain, so we just collapsed into bed at Simoni Apartments. This was the last night we'll sleep on land, until the 7th of June.

*Lek is The Albanian currency and is 12 Lek to R1. YES, it's one of the few times the South African Rand is stronger.

Albania: