If anybody has any doubts

If anybody has any doubts about whether Albania is worth visiting, I can assure you that it is. I have just come back from a most wonderful tour of the whole country, provided by Gjergji and Elton, who are two of the nicest and most knowledgeable guides I have ever been with.

It is a beautiful country, and no longer looks poor. It has excellent roads. The countryside is green and is filled with agriculture, much of it traditional. Attractive new houses are being built. The older buildings in many towns are being restored to a very high standard, involving traditional craftsmen in recreating their interiors, so crafts such as woodcarving etc. can stay alive.

There is a great variety of scenery with mountains and rivers and lakes and coastline all of which are accessible and are visually stunning.

The people are friendly. The food is fresh and healthy and is amongst the best I have had anywhere. Standards of cleanliness and hygeine are high. Portions are large.

Tirana is a fine, modern capital that is well worth visiting for a weekend break. It is an attractive city that is walkable in safety with parks and shops and excellent restaurants. It has a long history with much to see from before and during Communism. It is not just like any other city. It has a history and a character of its own. It is still half the price of most cities, and is a good place to buy cheap clothing.

The country has many historical sites, Ottoman castles, Roman ruins, national heroes (ancient and modern), museums.

Albania went through hell in the twentieth century. Now it is recovering remarkably quickly. It really deserves to be on the map of countries to visit and Albanian Trip deserves to be successful in putting it there. I cannot praise them highly enough for the quality or variety of the tour that they provided. Their knowledge and dedication are exceptional. They provided excellent hotels in different styles and went to places and introduced people that no ordinary tour company would know about. Their tour is built around a love and knowledge of Albania and a sensitivity to its history and to their customers, not a list of standard tourist sites and profit margins. I am really glad that I chose to go with this company.

Communism has gone. The eagles are free in the land of the eagles. They are flying and are almost ready to soar. I wish Albania and Albanian Trip well. They deserve it.