After a 10 hour or so bus ride that started in Athens in the early evening, I arrived in Albania during the wee hours of the morning. If I have to take a long bus ride, I always try to take a night bus. That way, I don’t waste the whole day and I can sleep on the bus (also saves me a night’s accommodation). It would’ve been nice to look out the window at the passing scenery, but you can’t have it all.

The border crossing was a bit amusing. I woke up in the middle of the night in a daze when the bus pulled over at customs. Since Albania isn’t part of the EU, crossing the border from Greece requires one to go through passport control. Instead of everyone getting out of the bus to form a line at the customs check, we all handed our passports to the bus driver, who then gave it to the border guard. After a few minutes, the border guard came to return the passports to the bus driver, who then handed it back to all the passengers. We didn’t even have to get out of the bus. It was by far the most laxed controlled border I’ve ever crossed, which makes sense, given that most people try to LEAVE Albania, rather than enter it.

Other than hearing about Albania’s reputation as being on the rougher side (remember the movie, Taken?), and that the dollar goes a long way in the country (and it goes a LONG way), I had little to no knowledge of the country. To my surprise, southern Albania along the Ionian Sea, is known as the Albanian Riviera. The landscapes are similar to Greece, with mountains and beautiful beaches, but at a fraction of the cost. Of course, the infrastructure isn’t as developed and well kept, but if you don’t mind the rougher experience, Albania is truly a gem.

Sarandë is the main resort town in the area, which is where I based myself during my stay. The main beach in town is rocky, so it’s not ideal if you want to go for a swim.

The beach resort of Ksamil, a short bus ride away, is the place to go if you’re seeking white sand and turquoise water. Although the beach doesn’t really compare against some the best beaches in the world, it’s quite decent. There’s a bunch of islands that make up the archipelago. Corfu, a Greek Island, is also located directly to the west. It’s so close you can see it from the beach.

The ancient city of Butrint, close to Kasamil, is now a National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On a random note, I can’t help but admire the Albanian flag, which is red with a double-headed black eagle in the centre. It’s memorable, iconic, and just plain bad ass.

I’m not much of a history buff, so I can’t really tell you much about the place, apart from the fact that it was once a an ancient Greek City…and later became a Roman City…and it was cool to walk around the ruins.

The surrounding views with the mountains and lake in the background was stunning.

To be honest, I didn’t find Sarandë to be all that interesting. It’s more of a hub to visit the beaches and sites just outside the town. The town is pretty rough around the edges and you can definitely tell when walking around. But, when you explore the outskirts of town, away from the main tourist drag, you can find glimpses of beauty and charm scattered throughout, especially in its people.