“Hello, over there in Albania!”, my kayaking guide Gigo shouts across the water as he paddles along effortlessly. He doesn’t really need to shout, because although we’re in Montenegro, we’re only a few metres away from the Albanians. We’re on the Buna (Bunë) River, a 40km stretch of water which …
Read More »Albania: fears grow over environmental impact of new airport
Black smoke billows from the front of the bus. With no air-conditioning besides the sympathetic wafting of a folded map from another passenger, I’m five hours into a bus journey from Tirana to Sarandë. Has the engine exploded? I’m not too sure. But judging by the groans of the driver …
Read More »‘The music moved me to tears’: falling in love with Albania
Over the past four years, I have travelled to 17 countries for my book Goodbye Eastern Europe. In it, I try to chart a vanished eastern Europe, one in which cultural multiplicity and religious tolerance were the rule, rather than the exception. Albania was one of only a few places …
Read More »Albania sets its sights on high-end eco tourism
Albania, one of Europe’s fastest-growing travel destinations, will focus on alternative rather than mass tourism in a move that government officials hope will help set it apart from competitors. The tiny Balkan state, once hermetically sealed from the outside world, has soared in popularity on the back of a reputation …
Read More »Photos: Anti-government protests grip Albania
Opposition protesters in Albania scuffled with police on Saturday, November 12 in front of the office of Prime Minister Edi Rama in the capital Tirana, where tens of thousands had gathered to protest against corruption and rising poverty. After demonstrating peacefully for around three hours, protesters broke through the police …
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