Tirana and south of Albania
Albania | Aug 24 - Sep 3, 2023

G
george g.
Saint Clair Shores, MI | Reviewed on Sep 04, 2023

We had an amazing trip to south of Albania! As we got so used to from the Kimkim team (and we are getting spoiled after the years), from the first contact with Ed to the final goodbye at the Tirana airport from "Nik" (Kreshnik), our guide and driver, all went great. The trip was as we envisioned in our request: explore as much as possible the "real" Albania, stay away from tourist traps and crowds and get to see how "real" people live. Nik was a treasure trove of history, culture, politics and everything else. He knows his country like back of his hand and he seems to know everyone (and everyone seems to know him....) so he/we were treated like locals. The only downside: we ran out of time (but that was out problem).

Hotel Reviews
Hotel Boka
Tirana

Very nice hotel in a nice location in downtown Tirana, close to the local market, many restaurants and shops. Friendly staff and very nice breakfast. The only issue was the air conditioning seemed to be turned off at night which was nit fun in the hot weather...

Authenticity & Character
small, boutique hotel with friendly staff
Location
as above
Staff
pleasant, approachable, accommodating
Cleanliness & Comfort
everything seemed to be clean...
Guesthouse Chri Chri
PĂ«rmet

Remote, relatively inaccessible location but terrific experience with the host family.

Authenticity & Character
private house converted into a guest facility; a true "mom and pop place"
Location
remote location, high in the mountains, accessible only by ATV via a poor road
Staff
very friendly, accessible and accommodating
Cleanliness & Comfort
everything was spick and span
Local specialist: Ed Reeves
Ed
Ed Reeves
Local specialist in Tirana, Albania | Replied on Sep 06, 2023

Thanks so much for the kind words! Hope you can make it back one day and Nik can show you the north and Kosovo - he spent a lot of time in Prizren when working on the infamous Pristina-Tirana highway so has a lot of friends in Kosovo too! I know he had a great time showing you around, so thanks for choosing us!