Albanian Trip Client Testimonials

We’re constantly working hard to upgrade the Albanian Trip website. As part of our efforts, we thought it would be useful to add testimonials from previous clients who have taken tours with us. We’ll be adding to this page continually – or at least as long as our clients are prepared to write nice things about us!

For the 18 months prior to travelling to Albania there were extensive negotiations with Elton Caushi about what we wanted to achieve. On arrival in Tirana Elton set the precedent for the trip by taking us to an excellent mountain-top restaurant with a panoramic view over Tirana. This high standard of hosting (and food!) was maintained throughout.
Notwithstanding the variable weather (which actually added to considerable atmosphere to the 4WD excursions in the mountains), and changing requirements of the party (including one member who arrived somewhat later than planned), Elton coped admirably and showed, with understandable pride, parts of Albania most tourist are very unlikely to see. His flexibility and encyclopedic knowledge, combined with a great sense of humour and excellent negotiating skills, ensured that we had a most memorable trip retracing my father’s World War II footsteps – all the way from the (parachute) Drop Zone at Bizë, via his mission house high in the mountains above the village of Xibër, to the beach on the Adriatic where he was evacuated from 10 months later.
A most worthwhile experience on all accounts – well done Albanian Trip!
Alex Smyth
Alex travelled to Albania in May 2014 to follow in the footsteps of his father, a British Special Operations Executive officer who parachuted into the country in October 1943, and left by boat in August 1944. Unfortunately Alex’s trip coincided with the wettest Balkan spring in 60 years (Serbia and Bosnia suffered devastating flooding) but despite the freakish weather we think/hope he and his party had a good time!

At every turn Elton’s natural talent for quietly organising the group was only matched by his intimate knowledge of Albanian history and culture. Not only was he a mine of information, delivered in the most affable manner, everywhere we went from Byzantium churches to disused Soviet factories he knew everybody! From restaurant owners to museum curators we passed untroubled into the most amazing places.
Elton provided a bespoke service that was never found wanting. The experience and the warmth of our welcome in Albania’s remotest of places to strolling around safely taking the “giro” as the sun set will stay with me for ever.
Independent travel in Albania is still in its infancy and I think you would miss a lot of the best of the country without a good guide. If you want to “do” Albania, Albanian Trip are the boys.
Jan Janiurek

Having a local and knowledgable guide in such a unique and remote country was essential to experience Albania properly. Elton was constantly surprising us by adding extra unexpected gems to our experience, the fantastic restaurants and cafés all over the country along with cultural sights and local knowledge were all produced time and again in a way that only a guide with a high passion for delivering the perfect experience could come close. We couldn’t have done without Elton’s perfect English and seamless translation – he was both a guide and a welcome member of the group from Day One.
Mike Demenis

Dear Gjergji,
It is time, long overdue, that we should email you and thank you most sincerely for your time spent with us in Albania. We had a most wonderful time, Albania is certainly a country to visit and we did enjoy everything about our trip, people, scenery etc.
The itinerary was well planned with second nights in the right places. We had perhaps, not expected the accommodation standard to be as high as it was, it was very good. You made the trip so interesting with your excellent English and knowledge of all things and especially knowing 75% of all Albanians.
Thanks again Gjergji for all your help and expertise and should you ever come to Britain you and Andrea are very welcome here.
All our love – we think you are a great chap.
Gordon & Cathie Woods

Elton was amazing from start to finish. His passion for his country is infectious, his knowledge profound and his administration impeccable. He is the most convivial of travelling companions, splendid company in a restaurant and a vivacious and very amusing raconteur behind the wheel. Above all, he is a genuinely kind and thoughtful man who reads his clients’ needs and conjures up solutions long before a problem appears.
Alan Ogden
Alan is author of A Spur Called Courage: SOE Heroes in Italy, Tigers Burning Bright: SOE Heroes in the Far East, Through Hitler’s Back Door: SOE Operations in Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria 1939-1945 and various other books (click here for Alan’s page on Amazon).

Dear Gjergji,
Before too much time goes past, I just wanted to say thank you for all the help you gave us on Peter & Linda’s recent cycle trip in Albania. It would have been so much harder, impossible even without your efforts sorting everything out and moving all our luggage etc.
I really enjoyed our visit to Albania… Best wishes for the future and I hope your plans all succeed.
Dave Williamson
Dave came on a group bicycle tour of northern Albania in May 2014, for which Albanian Trip provided the ground support.

One of the best things with our very interesting trip to Albania last summer was our guide Elton! Without him we could never get the same complex, fascinating and even funny picture of Albania. He was competent about the history and generous telling us about his own life and experience. I really hope to make more trips with him as the perfect guide!
Magda Korotynska, Stockholm

J’ai rencontré Elton Caushi et l’équipe de Albanian trip par hasard lors d’un repérage pour un tournage de documentaire. Ils ont ensuite pris en charge tous les problèmes de logistique, le logement, le transport, la traduction en plusieurs langues. Ils connaissent très bien leur beau pays et savent recevoir. J’y suis par suite retourné en touriste en utilisant leurs services. Une excellent expérience.
Vincent Hazard, réalisateur
(For English speakers, Vincent came to Albania to make a documentary, Duam Dritë, and we arranged all the logistics on the ground – taking him to some pretty remote areas.)

Grassroots Travel has had a group from New Zealand travelling through Albania each year for some time and we have always had a wonderful guided tour of Tirana by Elton Caushi of Albanian Trip. We have greatly appreciated his enthusiasm and passion for his country, as well as his vast knowledge of the history and culture, which enriches our experience and understanding.
Sandra, Grassroots Travel Tour Leader

Im Sommer 2013 durften wir eine Reise durch ganz Albanien geniessen. Alles war perfekt organisiert.
Unser Reiseleiter Gjergji Mihali (Albanian Trip) erwies sich als hervorragender Autofahrer auf den nicht immer einfachen Strassen. Er zeigte uns zum einen die unglaublichen Naturschönheiten Albaniens, zum andern überraschte er uns mit dem Besuch eindrücklicher Orte wie Korça, Permet, Gjirokastra, Berat. Besonders beeindruckt waren wir von den archäologischen Stätten wie z.B. Butrint (UNESCO-Weltkulturerbe) mit seiner einzigartigen Lage.
Besonders berührte uns auch die grosse Gastfreundschaft. – Weiter genossen wir die authentische Küche Albaniens. Für Naturfreunde (Ornithologen, Botaniker, Geografen etc.) ist Albanien geradezu ein Paradies: Die Naturparks weisen einen für Europa einzigartigen Natur-Schatz auf. – Wahrlich, wir entdeckten ein wunderbares Land am Mittelmeer – ein bis jetzt verborgenes Juwel! Hoffen wir, dass Albanien in den kommenden Jahren der Entwicklung nicht die gleichen (Bau-) Fehler macht wie andere Mittelmeerländer.
Und nochmals sei betont: Albanian-Trip organisierte die Reise hervorragend; die ausgewählten Hotels und Restaurants haben uns alle überzeugt. Die Preise sind mehr als korrekt. Wenn eine reise in Albanien, dann nur mit Albanian Trip!
B. und Y. F. aus der Schweiz

Elton was incredibly knowledgeable, cared about and understood the needs of the group, was proud of his country and had a fantastic sense of humour!
Halina Hylander, Stockholm

I was very pleased with Elton’s grasp of his Albanian history. It was easy to understand his English as there was very little accent. He chose very nice hotels in good locations and his interest in good food made the trip even better as I had wondered what kind of foods I would be eating. The whole experience exceeded my expectations in every way.
Sally Hasselbrack, Seattle, USA

Based on my extensive experience from travelling in many countries I can truly recommend Elton as one of the best guides I have ever met, and probably the best man to guide you through the Balkans in general and Albania in particular. Not only an excellent organiser and fixer, bt even a true expert on the history, geography and ethnogoraphy of this part of the world. There is only one Elton!
Jaff Schatz, Lund, Sweden

Wir, eine 26-köpfige Reisegruppe aus Klagenfurt, waren im Mai 2011 eine Woche lang in einem Bus mit Albanian Trip auf unserer ersten Albanienerkundung unterwegs. Die Reiseroute führte uns von Tirana über Shkoder, Durres, Gjirokaster, Saranda, Butrint und den Ohridsee zurück nach Tirana.
Reiseleiter und Buschauffeur waren immer sehr freundlich, gingen auf alle Wünsche ein, und zeigten uns mit Freude die schönsten Plätze ihres wunderbaren Heimatlandes. Auch lokale Reiseführer waren überall nett und entgegenkommend.
Offenheit, Gastfreundschaft und kulinarische Gaumenfreuden haben uns oft begeistert. Wir würden uns auch heute wieder für Albanian Trip entscheiden.
Ing. Eduard Tusch, Klagenfurt, Österreich
(Eduard filmed a lot of his trip, and you can view the results on YouTube!)

Elton is the best guide you can dream about. He knows a lot about Albanian history, geography, economics and politics and he can pass all this knowledge to you in very interesting and pleasant way, because he is a very good story teller and a very sensitive and nice person.
Maria Taubman, Lund, Sweden