Albania The Mysterious South Discover stunning southern Albania Llogara National Park Mountain and coastal treks

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1 Albania The Mysterious South Discover stunning southern Albania Llogara National Park Mountain and coastal treks 2014 Guided Group Departures Tour Grade B/C Tour Code - TMYS For dates and prices visit: Group Size: - Max 10

2 Introduction Inspired by the likes of Robert Carver s book The Accursed Mountains, Edith Durham s High Albania, Edward Lear s Journeys of a Landscape Painter in the Balkans, and even the exploits of Lord Byron, we took a handful of adventurous trekkers on our first trip to explore the isolated Accursed Mountains of northern Albania in early June This rarely visited, wonderful yet remote area drew many a comparison to more far-flung destinations like the lesser-trekked regions of the Himalayas and the Atlas, nothing like the Europe that we know. The trip starts at the coast before heading inland to cross a pass that leads us into the 'Laberia' highlands of the south. Few tourists head this way and so some nights we'll be overnighting with the locals and can experience real life in this off-the-beaten-track part of Europe. Heading through unspoiled valleys, we'll explore villages encountered en-route. As we turn for the coast again the vegetation becomes noticeably Mediterranean once more with olive groves and vines. As we reach the sea a visit to the old hill village of Qeparo sometimes reveals views across the waters to Corfu. So close, yet a world apart. Into the Llogora National Park and we pay a visit to the fortress of the infamous Ali Pasha and then down to the pristine beach of Gjipe. We'll also climb to the top of Mt. Cika's Kore 2005m summit for a stunning mountain and sea panorama. Heading out of the mountains over the curiously named Deep Pass we'll then head back to the capital Tirana for a night in this fast becoming buzzing city. The Holiday Routine. During the walking day you will carry only your usual daypack. Main baggage will be transported either by vehicle. Breakfasts and dinners will usually be taken at your overnight accommodation. Lunches will usually be picnic style, which will you will carry with you in your daypack and picnic halts will usually be in a suitable location. Walking conditions You ll be mostly walking on clear mountain trails with varying conditions underfoot. Each day you will be walking between 4-8 hours. There may be some brief elements of easy scrambling but no technical climbing. Some of the walks will be quite challenging and in mountainous terrain and involve both considerable ascent and descent, which at times will be steep and fairly sustained. A couple of mountain streams along the way may require fording. Some walking days will be more challenging than others. For details of each walk please see the itinerary later in this trip dossier. This is not a trip recommended for beginners to mountain walking. A good level of fitness is required. A full explanation of the trip grading can be found online at You should ensure you are comfortable walking at this level of grading and are physically prepared for the trip. Walking Staff An English-speaking Albanian Mountain guide, will accompany the group. On other occasions you will have muleteers and a driver as indicated in the detailed daily description. What you need to provide Your personal equipment as detailed in the clothing and equipment list later in this trip dossier. Itinerary IMPORTANT-Due to the specialist nature of our holidays, day to day itineraries should be taken as a guide only, and as statements of intent and not contractual obligations. We regularly update our trip dossiers to take into account changes to trekking routes, accommodation, local transport etc. Such changes are a factor of this type of holiday and when made are out of necessity. Other factors such as adverse weather, unforeseen circumstances and other matters entirely out of our control etc can also lead to enforced changes during the course of the holiday. It is not possible to guarantee that any of our holidays will operate exactly as per the anticipated itinerary. The most current trip dossier will be made available on our website. We will also send you the most up to date trip dossier with your Final Joining Instructions approx. 2 weeks before departure and you should carefully check this for any changes that may affect your plans. Before booking you should read our Types of Trip and Essential and Useful information sections on including our Important Warning.. Albania-The Mysterious South 2

3 Outline Itinerary Day Your 'at-a-glance' Itinerary Overnight Accn. Meal plan 1 Rendezvous at Tirana Airport. Group transfer to Vlora Vlora Hotel D 2 Transfer to Dukat. Trek to Terbac Terbac Village Guesthouse BLD 3 Trek to Kuc Kuc Village Guesthouse BLD 4 Walk to coastal Qeparo Qeparo Hotel BLD 5 Trek the land of Ali Pasha Llogora Hotel BLD 6 Climb Mt.Cika Kore Llogora Hotel BLD 7 Over passes. Transfer to Tirana Tirana Hotel BL 8 Depart Tirana B B Breakfast, L Lunch, D Dinner. Albania-The Accursed Mountains Printed on 5/6/2014

4 Day 1 Rendezvous at Tirana International Airport (See Joining Arrangements and Transfers section later in this trip dossier). A single, timed group transfer will be provided from Tirana International Airport to the group hotel on the southern coastal town of Vlora, which is around 3hrs drive by road. After checking into our waterfront hotel we can look forward to our first Albanian dinner. Hotel, Vlora Day 2 A short transfer will bring us to the village of Dukat at the foothills of Llogora Park, where our first hike begins. Leaving the coast behind us, we climb uphill to cross the 1750m Pass of St George and a land of wild nature in order to access the valleys of Laberia the highlands of the south. At the pass we hike downhill to the village of Terbac where we will stay overnight with the locals. Our anticipated walking time today will be approx 7+ hours with approx 1000+m ascent and descent. Village House, Terbac approx 5+ hours with approx 400+m ascent and descent.village House, Kuc Day 4 Walking through typically Mediterranean vegetation our undulating route today leads us to the olive groves of the Ionic coastal region. Reaching Qeparo we check into a waterfront hotel and you may like to take a dip in the sea. In the late afternoon we may also visit the old hill top Qeparo village, which affords great views of the coast line and over to Corfu. Our walking time today will be approx 6+ hours with approx 500+m ascent and descent. Hotel, Qeparo Day 3 Today we walk through rolling hillside country and continue to hike along the Valley of Shushica River from Terbac to Kuç. It is a beautiful and remote valley of southern Albania little visited by tourists. You ll enjoy free time in the afternoon to explore the village and meet the locals. There is also an option to have an additional 2hr walk to the springs of Shushica if you are keen. Walking time today will be Day 5 Today we will drive towards Llogora National Park, making several visits on foot on the way like: the fortress of Ali Pasha in the Bay of Palermo, the Himara waterfront, the church of Vuno, a walk to the virgin beach of Gjipe, the monastery of St. Theodor and visit old Dhermi village with the dominating Church of St. Mary that has some interesting frescoes. We will stay overnight in Llogora in a mountain hotel where we have dinner as well. Before dinner it may be possible to make an optional walk to Caesar's Pass. Walking time approx 3 hrs, with approx 200m ascent and descent. Hotel, Llogora Albania-The Mysterious South 4

5 Day 6 Today is an exciting and challenging day as we head for Kore s summit in the Cika Mountains. The trail winds through pine forest until it reaches the Saddle of Dhjopuri at 1500m of elevation, from here a rather steep but not overly exposed mountain walk will bring us to the summit of Mt. Çika - it dominates most of the surrounding terrain presenting a stunning mountain and sea panorama. Walking time approx 7+ hrs, with approx 1100m ascent and descent. Hotel, Llogora Day 7 We take a morning walk that covers part of the Karaburuni Peninsula by following a trail along the ridge of St.Thomas. The trail begins with a short transfer to an old military road that reaches the Llogora Pass. From here we follow the ridge and head down, winding through beautiful mixed forest back to the hotel. After a light lunch, we will transfer to Tirana. Tirana is fast becoming one of the most dynamic cities in the Balkans and a bit of party town too. The group hotel in Tirana is centrally located and just a few minutes walk from Skanderbeg Square. We ve intentionally not included dinner in the trip price for this evening in order that each individual group member can choose what they would like to eat according to their tastes and budget. Tirana itself has many reasonably priced restaurants and pizzerias to choose from. Whilst it is not mandatory to dine together this evening as a group, we wholeheartedly recommend that you do so and your guide will be delighted to recommend somewhere suitable for the group. Your guide will also be equally delighted if you invite him along too you could even agree to treat him if you feel so inclined! There are a multitude of late night bars in Tirana too, including some very trendy ones in the area known as The Block, which is where the elite of Hoxha s regime once lived and now the haunt of the beautiful people of Tirana wishing to see and be seen. Our walking time today will be approx 4+ hours with approx 650+m ascent and 400m descent. Hotel, Tirana Day 8 After breakfast in Tirana it s time to say goodbye and depart, returning home relaxed and energised from a wonderful and adventurous experience. See Joining Arrangements and Transfers section later in this trip dossier. Albania-The Mysterious South 5

6 Practical Information Joining Arrangements and Transfers You should join this trip on day 1 of the trip itinerary. The rendezvous point for joining will be the small arrivals hall of Tirana International Airport at 1545 hrs latest A single, timed, group transfer is provided from Tirana International Airport on day 1 to the group hotel in Vlora. This transfer will depart from Tirana International Airport at 1600hrs. If your chosen flights do not coincide with this transfer time you will need to make your own private transfer arrangements to reach the group hotel in Vlora. As Vlora is at least a 3 hour drive by taxi from Tirana we recommend that it is imperative you ensure you are able to join this arrival transfer from Tirana International Airport to Vlora. There is no transfer included at the end of the trip on day 8 from downtown Tirana to Tirana Airport, as it is anticipated that clients will be departing on various flights. There is an hourly bus service to the Airport from central Tirana, although we recommend taking a taxi (journey time approx 20 mins, cost approx 15). International Travel The nearest International Airport is Tirana- Rinas Airport (the joining point for this holiday) For total flexibility and choice, the price of our holidays often excludes flights. However, as an ATOL bonded agent we are able to arrange competitively priced tickets with the majority of international airlines. Where low cost airlines offer a better option, we are also able to arrange these, subject to a small booking fee. Only by arranging your flights with us can we offer you the peace of mind and 100% financial protection that booking with a licensed tour operator brings. Contact us to discuss your flight options for this holiday. If you would prefer to make your own International travel arrangements you can book this holiday as Land Only. You should book flights that allow you to join this trip and arrive Tirana Airport no later than 1545hrs on day 1 of the trip itinerary. Return flights should be booked to depart no sooner than day 8 of the trip itinerary. Please note if you are booking Land Only it is your sole responsibility to ensure you arrive at the joining point for the contracted arrangements in good time before these commence. No refunds will be provided in respect of any unused services contracted as a result. Similarly our contractual obligations cease at the end of your contracted arrangements. If your flights (whether booked through Walks Worldwide or Land Only) do not coincide with the transfer time you will need to make your own private transfer arrangements. IMPORTANT- MAKE SURE THIS HOLIDAY IS GUARANTEED TO RUN BEFORE YOU PURCHASE AIR TICKETS AND MAKING ANY OTHER TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS. Please contact the Walks Worldwide office to check the status of this holiday BEFORE purchasing your International Air ticket. You should not book your International flight tickets or other travel arrangements until your chosen holiday is guaranteed to run. If you are purchasing your own air ticket, you should be aware that most of the cheaper airline tickets available for sale on the Internet or from low cost carriers are non-refundable in the case of cancellation. For this reason we strongly advise you check the rules of the ticket when you make a flight booking, and check the limitations of any cancellation insurance policy you have. We cannot be held liable, for losses incurred relating to any flight bookings or subsequent travel arrangements you have made yourself. Passports and Visas British passport holders (and other EU passport holders) do not require a visa to visit Albania for stays up to three months (please ensure your passport has at least 6 months validity). Accommodation For nights spent in hotel accommodation will be reserved for you on a twin share basis unless you have already requested a single room at extra cost. Hotel rooms are all ensuite. Single accommodation is only available for the nights spent in hotels. We will also spend two nights in remote village houses (Terbac and Kuc). Here it is likely we will be sleeping in small dorm style rooms where a degree of flexibility and adaptability will be necessary. Private and single accommodation will not be available for these two nights. Dependent upon the group size it is likely beds will be allocated locally and dorm rooms may be gender split. Whilst bedding will be provided Albania-The Mysterious South 6

7 for the nights spent in village homes, the accommodation is likely to be very basic and very simple, with shared toilet/shower facilities only. This is an area not frequented by tourists and western European tourist standard services should not be expected, however the experience of staying with the locals should far outweigh the lack of creature comforts you may be usually used to. If not, then this trip clearly isn t for you. Our standard group hotel in Tirana is a comfortable 3* establishment we also use for our Accursed Mountains trip. Hotels in Lllogora, Vlora and Qeparo are anticipated to be comfortable, yet simple. Food Meals included in the Land Only trip price are indicated in the trip itinerary. Albanian food has its influences in Greek, Turkish and Italian styles. The emphasis will be on locally farmed and grown, fresh produce that will be in season. Expect lots of home-made bread, sheep cheese, other dairy specialities, freshly caught trout, lamb meat, ham, tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes and other fresh vegetables, pickles, bean soups and freshly picked salads from field to plate! Coffee is invariably Turkish style, as well as copious amounts of Chai (a herbal mountain tea). It s a good idea to bring along some trail snacks (cereal bars, chocolate) with you from the UK. Albania produces some rather decent wine and of course there s the home-brewed hooch called raki. Vegetarians will certainly not starve in Albania, but will find their options very limited and very repetitive. Other special dietary requirements whilst in the north of Albania cannot be catered for. Climate It is of course impossible to predict the precise weather conditions you will encounter during the course of your holiday. However, we do schedule our holidays to coincide with what should be the most suitable weather periods for walking. For this particular trip we can hopefully expect daytime temperatures between 20ºC-25ºC+ at lower altitudes and a southern Mediterranean climate Mountains (especially when close to the sea) are notorious for creating their own, localised weather conditions, so you should always be prepared for inclement weather conditions. Thunderstorms can occur in the mountains, although these are usually brief with heavy downpours. For climate statistics visit Roughly speaking temperatures decrease by approx. 1ºC for every 200 metre increase in altitude. Altitude The altitudes on this trip are reasonably moderate and you should not anticipate any problems. Local transport The group airport transfer to Vlora and overland travel within the itinerary is by private mini-bus. Baggage Please make sure that your baggage is clearly marked with your name, inside as well as outside, in case the labels get detached. On the trekking days your main baggage will be transported by vehicle to our next overnight halt. Please ensure your main baggage is packed in either a soft holdall style kitbag, or a large, unframed rucksack. Contact us if you are unsure about the suitability of your main baggage. Vaccinations and medical precautions We always recommend visiting your doctor and dentist for a check up before travelling. Your doctor will also have access to the most up to date information on vaccinations and medical precautions for the country you are about to visit. In general, no vaccinations are necessary for Albania. A useful travel health online resource is Please make sure that you obtain form EHIC either online or from your local post office you will need to produce this if you have to see a doctor. First Aid You should always carry your own small, personal first aid kit. This should consist of the following: A general anti-biotic, throat lozenges, painkillers, plasters (band-aids), blister treatment, insect repellent (DEET), rehydration salts, antiseptic cream, diarrhoea treatment (e.g. Imodium). Currency. The Albanian currency is the Lek. Please refer to for up to date rates. You can change your travel money upon arrival at Tirana International Airport, or at an ATM in Vlora and Qeparo. We would suggest that you change) the majority of your spending money upon arrival, or in Vlora (via an ATM) at the very latest. There are no exchange facilities until you arrive back in Tirana. There are innumerable ATM s in Tirana. As all meals are included during the trekking element, you shouldn t need to carry a great deal of money Albania-The Mysterious South 7

8 with you as there isn t a great deal to spend it on other than drinks and for tips. Please note that if you intend to use an ATM in Albania you should ensure it is linked to the international cirrus system and inform your card issuer that you are travelling to Albania. Language In Albania the language is Albanian. Although we re accompanied by an English-speaking guide, we very much recommend you take along a phrase book and also try to learn some simple Albanian phrases and greetings. The local people (most of whom speak no English) will of course especially appreciate any attempt to speak their language and is all part of the fun. Tipping It is customary to give your Guide a tip if you have received good service. The amount is entirely at your discretion, although an amount of 15 (given to your guide in Albanian currency would be approx 2500 Lek) is reasonable. Drivers will welcome a small tip, and we recommend 200 Lek (about 5) per group member is also reasonable. Maps and Books We highly recommend you purchase the Bradt Guide to Albania, which provides excellent all round information on the country. multi-trip travel insurance through Walks Worldwide. Please call us on or us- sales@walksworldwide.com for a quotation. Inclusions Meals as shown in the trip itinerary All accommodation Single, timed, group Airport transfer on day 1 as detailed in the Joining Arrangements and Transfers section All trail and overland transfers in the itinerary Main baggage transfers by vehicle English-speaking Mountain Guide Exclusions Drinks Souvenirs and personal items Insurance Meals not indicated in the trip itinerary International Flights Entry fees where applicable Airport transfers on day 8 Travel Insurance It is a condition of booking any of our holidays that you have comprehensive travel insurance. It is your responsibility to ensure you are covered for medical and personal accident risks for the part of the world you intend to travel and the activities involved. This cover should include repatriation costs, air ambulance and helicopter rescue. It is also advisable to take out cancellation insurance as all deposits paid are non-refundable. You may arrange either single-trip or annual Albania-The Mysterious South 8

9 Clothing and Equipment Lists At least one set of casual / non-walking clothes will be useful for wearing in hotels on this holiday. Whilst walking you must not worry about how you look: comfort and protection against bad weather are of prime importance. Because mountain weather is so very variable, we recommend a number of thin layers rather than a few thick ones. The following list is our suggested guide to help you with your packing based upon our many years of travelling/walking. Using your own judgment for packing is of course important, especially with regard to casual clothing etc but please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about packing for your holiday, or are uncertain as to the suitability of your clothing and equipment. CLOTHING Walking boots and spare laces (3 season waterproof, sturdy and with good ankle support) Trainers/approach shoes Socks 3+ pairs (Walking and Casual) Underwear 3+ T-shirts 3+ Trekking Pants Short trousers 1+ Light fleece 1+ Thick fleece 1+ Thermal Baselayer shirt 1+ Waterproof jacket with hood Waterproof trousers Warm Gloves Sun Hat Warm Hat Swim wear EQUIPMENT Daypack/rucksack (size approx. 35 litre capacity) 2 Large water bottles (1 litre each) Towel (essential) Torch (and spare bulb and batteries) Camera & accessories Binoculars (optional) A variety of dry bag/plastic bags (kitbags are not waterproof) Sunglasses Trekking poles (highly recommended) Reading material (optional) Washing/Shaving kit Insect Repellent Small personal First Aid kit (see section above) Anti-Bacterial Handwash Water purifying tablets Sun Cream & lip salve Blister plasters i.e. Compeed Tickets/E tickets Passport Money Albania-The Mysterious South 9

10 The following items should also considered as being useful on a walking holiday Penknife/small scissors (DO NOT PACK IN HAND LUGGAGE) Moisturising cream Baby wipes Snacks/Energy bars Safety pins (DO NOT PACK IN HAND LUGGAGE) Padlock for your kitbag Small sewing/repair kit (DO NOT PACK IN HAND LUGGAGE) Small mirror Nail clippers (DO NOT PACK IN HAND LUGGAGE) Spare glasses/contact lenses Earplugs (against snorers) Cold water Travel Wash (preferably biodegradable) Travel adaptor Albania-The Mysterious South 10