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Contents Introduction Parking What to See in the Lower Town What to See in the Upper Town A Hike around Monemvasia Accommodation Links to My Other Blogs on Greece 1. Introduction Monemvasia is a spectacular fortified island town. At its peak it had a population of 60,000 people. It was founded by the Byzantines in the 6th century and it remained in their possession for almost 700 years. Monemvasia fell to the Ottomans in 1540 and was under their control for almost 300 years, except for a brief 25 year period of Venetian rule. In 1821 the fortress fell to the Greeks in the War of Independence and the Turks were massacred. The fortress town of Monemvasia is definitely worth a visit. The Lower Town is well preserved. The Upper Town has the 12th century Church of Hagia Sophia, ruins and fantastic views. A half day is needed to see both the Lower and Upper Towns. You can easily spend a whole day there as there are beaches at new Monemvasia and there is a hike around the island. There are no entrance fees for visiting Monemvasia's Lower and Upper Towns. 2. Parking in Monemvasia Monemvasia's entire lower town is pedestranised. You can park on the road between the causeway and the ancient gate into the lower town. It can be difficult to find a parking place. Alternatively you can park in the new town and walk across the causeway. From there it is a 20 minute walk to the old town. 3. What to See in Monemvasia's Lower Town Monemvasia's Lower Town once had forty churches and over 800 houses. Only a few of the churches remain but there are still a lot of buildings and an intricate network of alleys. The western fortified entrance gate is narrow and Z shaped for defence purposes. When we arrived we weren't even sure there was a way through! There is a single main street leading from the gate to the main square. It is lined with cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops. The main square is a beautiful public area with a Byzantine church, a museum housed in a 16th century church and a cannon in the centre. There are places to sit at the far end to enjoy the square and views of the Upper Town. You can walk through Monemvasia to the eastern gate. If you walk through the gate and continue eastwards you will reach the lighthouse. See the section on hikes. From the eastern gates you can follow the southern wall back to the centre of Monemvasia's Lower Town. You can walk along the top of the wall in places. We spent an hour wandering around Monemvasia's Lower Town. 4. What to See in Monemvasia's Upper Town Monemvasia's Upper Town was the home of the Monemvasia aristocracy. During the 17th century A.D. there were more than 500 mansions. Very little remains today except stone ruins and the Church of Hagia Sophia. It is a 10 to 15 minute steep walk to the Upper Town. There are good views of the Lower Town on the way up. Halfway up is an impressive tunnel and entrance gate. The church of Hagia Sophia was built in the 12th century A.D. and has been recently restored. It is the most important building in Monemvasia. It is reported to only be open at weekends but we went on a Friday and it was open. The Citadel is at the very top, which is about 300 metres above sea level. The ruins aren't that impressive but it is worth going for the views. We spent just under 2 hours seeing Monemvasia's Upper Town, including the walk up. 5. A Hike around Monemvasia You can hike around the island of Monemvasia. The full circuit is around 4 kilometres and would take about an hour. The route is described on the Alltrails website, although this route also includes a walk up to the Upper Town. Other options would be to: Walk along the south side of the island from the east gate of lower Monemvasia to the lighthouse and return the same way. This would probably take half an hour. Walk along the northern shore from the causeway to the lighthouse and return the same way. This route is described on the Alltrails website. 6. Accommodation in Monemvasia Accommodation in Monemvasia's Old Town is expensive. We booked a small apartment in Monemvasia's new town which is on the other side of the causeway. It was a 20 minute walk to the Old Town. We booked through Booking.com and paid Eur 53 per night. My review of this apartment is on the blog "UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 1" (number 15). 7. Links to My Other Blogs on Greece Mycenae, Greece: Travel Guide Tiryns, Greece: Travel Guide Epidaurus, Greece: Travel Guide Nafplio, Greece: Travel Guide Corinth, Greece: Travel Guide Delphi, Greece: Travel Guide The Monasteries of Meteora: Travel Guide Naxos, Greece: Travel Guide Mystras, Greece: Travel Guide Tinos, Greece: Travel Guide Syros, Greece: Travel Guide Andros, Greece: Travel Guide North Macedonia to Greece - Week 4 Nafplio, Greece to the Peloponnese - Week 5 Peloponnese to the Greek Islands - Week 6 The Greek Islands - Week 7 The Greek Islands to Albania - Week 8

Contents Introduction Hvar Town Stari Grad My Other Blogs on Croatia 1. Introduction We have been twice to the island of Hvar and have stayed in Hvar Town. Usually we prefer to stay in quieter places. However, we like the vibe of Hvar Town and there is more to see and do than in Stari Grad, which is smaller and laid back. You can base yourself in either of these towns as there is a good air conditioned bus service between Hvar Town and Stari Grad. The buses run from the early morning to late evening and the bus schedules can be found on Buscroatia.com. It is about a 30 minute journey from Hvar Town to Stari Grad and the return bus fare is Eur 9.40. Both towns should definitely be visited. 2. Hvar Town Hvar Town is one of our favourite places in Croatia. It has an unspoilt historic centre and the town is in a beautiful setting. It certainly isn't undiscovered and it is very fashionable with lots of tourists. On our first visit to Hvar Paul Allen's (Microsoft co-founder) Octopus yacht, with 2 mini submarines and 2 helicopter pads, was docked there! 2.1. The Fortress above Hvar Town The main site to visit is the impressive fortress on the hill behind Hvar Town. It is a steep climb up and there are a few places on the way up where you have spectacular views of the town and bay through gaps in the trees. Unfortunately it is very expensive to enter the Fortress. It costs Eur 10 to visit the Fortress and Eur 15 to visit the Fortress, Theatre and Arsenal. We didn't pay to enter and instead sat on one of the benches by the castle walls and enjoyed the great views. It was still worth the hot walk up. 2.2 Hvar Old Town The majority of the historic Hvar Town is between the main square (Trg St Jepana) and the Fortress. It is worthwhile wandering around and exploring all the atmospheric alleyways. The 16th century St Stephen's cathedral is at the eastern end of the main square near the market and bus station. It is a huge square and we sat by the side of the square to rest and people watch. The eastern harbour is usually very busy with boats and ferries coming and going. There are a lot of restaurants and cafes on the eastern side. The alley that runs behind this section of harbour is also historic. 2.3. Hvar Town's Seafront Promenade It is a nice walk in both directions along the promenade and there are small private beaches at either end. The beach on the western side looked better, but the sun loungers may be expensive. There was a sign at the eastern beach saying "Sunlounger Eur 25". I hope this price was for 2 sun loungers and an umbrella as otherwise the price is extortionate. 2.4. Water Taxis from Hvar Town to the Pakleni Islands All the ferries dock on the eastern side of the harbour. This is also where the water taxis to the Pakleni islands depart. These water taxis cost Eur 10 return and usually go to 3 of the Pakleni islands; Jerolim, Marinkovac and Sveti Klement. We went to Jerolim as it is a quiet island with a rocky coastline. A lot of naturists go there. 2.5. Food and Drinks in Hvar Town Restaurant meals are no longer excellent value in Croatia and that is certainly the case in Hvar Town. However, there are a number of places selling sandwiches for Eur 6, pizza slices etc and this works out to be a much cheaper option for a quick meal. There are also a couple of small supermarkets on the north side of the main square (Trg St. Jepana). They are very busy with customers buying drinks, snacks and ice creams at reasonable prices. Ice cream parlours in Hvar Town charge Eur 3 per scoop. 2.6. Toilets in Hvar Town There are 2 public toilets in Hvar Town. The best one is near the market opposite St Stephen's Catherdral and they also have a self service laundrette and showers. The toilets are clean and cost Eur 1. There are also toilets where the ferries dock on the eastern side of the bay. They also cost Eur 1 but were dirty. 2.7. Tourist Office & Maps The tourist office is in the south west corner of the main square. They can give you a map of the town, bus timetables etc. There is also a map of Hvar Town on hvarinfo.com. You have to zoom in to see the details. 3. Stari Grad, Hvar We took a bus from Hvar Town and spent a couple of hours walking around Stari Grad before returning. We got to Stari Grad at lunch time and bought some sandwiches. We ate them in the very pleasant Trg Petar Hektorovic square where the famous Tvrdalj is located. The sandwiches in Stari Grad cost Eur 3, which is much cheaper than in Hvar Town where they cost Eur 6! Stari Grad is so much quieter and laid back than Hvar Town. It is smaller and can easily be seen in 1.5 hours. The old town is on the southern side of the harbour and the hotels are on the northern side. There are rock and concrete "beaches" in front of these hotels. Swimming is apparently better to the west of the old town at the entrance to the bay. There are 2 public toilets in Stari Grad. The best ones are on the harbour at the western end of the old town. I think they are meant for the people on the yachts moored nearby as they have showers. There is an attendant there but they are free and spotless. There are also some more basic toilets near the market at the eastern end of the harbour. There is a map of Stari Grad on hvarinfo.com. You have to zoom in to see the details. 4. My Other Blogs on Croatia Rovinj & Pula, Croatia: Travel Guide Split, Croatia: Travel Guide Trogir, Croatia: Travel Guide Omis, Croatia: Travel Guide Krk Town, Croatia: Travel Guide Brac, Croatia: Travel Guide Rab, Croatia: Travel Guide Montenegro to Croatia- Week 10 Brac to Rab, Croatia - Week 11 Rab to Dolomites, Italy - Week 12

Contents Introduction Parking in Omis Omis's Old Town & Fortress Boat Trips up Cetina Gorge The Beach Links to My Other Blogs on Croatia 1. Introduction We based ourselves in Trogir for 3 nights and visited Omis and Split from there. There was a lot more to see in Trogir and Split but it was a pleasant outing to Omis. I have posted blogs with travel information for both Split (Split, Croatia: Travel Guide) and Trogir (Trogir, Croatia: Travel Guide). 2. Parking in Omis In Omis we parked at "Parking Priko" which is a large car park just before the bridge when driving from Split and it is an easy 10 minute walk to Omis's historic centre. It cost Eur 1 per hour. Some Google reviews mention that in the evening it can take over an hour to exit the car park. 3. Omis's Old Town & Fortress Omis has a very small old town with just 1 main street and a few alleys veering off on either side. This main street is lined with shops, restaurants and cafes. There is a fortress above Omis's old town and the entrance fee is Eur 5. It is a steep climb up to the roof of the fortress and the roof is accessed by a fixed ladder. There are spectacular sea and mountain views from the castle as Omis is in a very impressive setting. You need about an hour to see both the Old Town and the castle in Omis. 4. Boat Trips up Cetina Gorge Touts will offer you boat trips from Omis up Cetina Gorge. We were quoted Eur 20, but when we didn't want to wait for the next boat the price was dropped to Eur 15! We decided not to wait for the next boat. The boat trips start from Omis on the hour and last for 2 hours. They only go about 6 kilometres up the gorge before stopping at a restaurant for about 45 minutes and then returning. I have my doubts that it is good value for money. 5. The Beach at Omis A large sandy beach is a 5 minute walk from Omis's Old Town. It looked quite nice to us but the Rough Guide says "it is composed of hard and uninviting sand". There are toilets there costing Eur 1. 6. Links to My Other Blogs on Croatia Hvar Island, Croatia: Travel Guide Rovinj & Pula, Croatia: Travel Guide Split, Croatia: Travel Guide Trogir, Croatia: Travel Guide Krk Town, Croatia: Travel Guide Brac, Croatia: Travel Guide Rab, Croatia: Travel Guide Montenegro to Croatia- Week 10 Brac to Rab, Croatia - Week 11 Rab to Dolomites, Italy - Week 12

We spent 3 nights in Trogir and visited Split and Omis from there. See my blogs Split, Croatia: Travel Guide and Omis, Croatia: Travel Guide. Trogir is definitely worth visiting as it a beautiful old Venetian town that hasn't been spoiled by modern development. Contents The Old Town The New Town Accommodation My Other Blogs on Croatia 1. The Old Town Trogir's Old Town is on an island only 50 metres off the mainland. The Old Town is unspoilt as virtually all the buildings originate from 4 centuries of Venetian rule and there are no modern buildings on the island. There used to be 2 bridges over to the island. When we were there the wooden bridge for pedestrians, west of the main bridge, was closed. The main bridge crosses over to the Land Gate entrance to Trogir's Old Town. To the south east of the Land Gate are most of Trogir's main buildings. These are the: Cathedral of St Lawrence with its famous carved stone west portal dating back to 1240. There is a Eur 5 entrance fee to see the interior but the famous west portal can be seen from outside. Cipiko Palace. There is nothing to see inside. Town Loggia & Clock Tower. Trogir's Town Hall There is a wide promenade along the Trogir Channel at the southern end of the island. Sections of the old town walls, and the Kamerlengo fortress (entry Eur 5), can be seen. The promenade is lined with restaurants and cafes. There is a bridge at this southern end of the island to another larger island called Ciovo. There are some shops and restaurants on the Ciovi side of the bridge but there is little worth seeing. We were in Trogir in late June and in the evenings the Old Town was teeming with visitors and many restaurants were full. 2. The New Town Trogir's new town has spread out on the mainland on either side of the bridge crossing to Trogir's Old Town. The bus station is on the eastern side of the bridge. There is also a new and pleasant seafront promenade running eastwards that has views of Ciovi island. There is a busy tourist market on the western side of the bridge. Slightly further to the west are several large car parks and visitors parking here pass through the market to reach Trogir's Old Town. Parking costs between Eur 2 to Eur 3 per hour in high season depending on how close you park to the Old Town. There are several supermarkets along the coastal road west of the bridge to Trogir's Old Town. The biggest and best one is a Plodine supermarket on the ground floor of a small 3 storey shopping centre. There is free underground parking for customers. There is a Lidl supermarket 4 kms east of the Old Town. 3. Accommodation We stayed in a 1 bedroom apartment about a 10 minute walk from Trogir Old Town. The apartment was very nice and the hosts were very hospitable. We booked the apartment through Booking.com and it cost Eur 69 per night. I have reviewed the apartment in my blog UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 2 (number 11). 4. My Other Blogs on Croatia Hvar Island, Croatia: Travel Guide Rovinj & Pula, Croatia: Travel Guide Split, Croatia: Travel Guide Omis, Croatia: Travel Guide Krk Town, Croatia: Travel Guide Brac, Croatia: Travel Guide Rab, Croatia: Travel Guide Montenegro to Croatia- Week 10 Brac to Rab, Croatia - Week 11 Rab to Dolomites, Italy - Week 12

Contents Introduction Traffic and Parking Diocletian's Palace West of Diocletian's Palace Golden Gate & the Grgur Ninsk Statue The Waterfront (Riva) My other Blogs on Croatia 1. Introduction Split's Old Town is one of the highlights of Croatia and should definitely be visited if you are in the vicinity. There is a lot to see and you need half a day to see it. We found that tour groups descended on Split's Old Town from 10.30 a.m. and it then became congested in many areas. Therefore try and arrive early to avoid the crowds and to find parking. 2. Traffic and Parking The roads around Split, including the main coastal road, can be very congested. It can also be very difficult to find a parking place. We parked at a large car park only a 5 minute walk to Diocletian's Palace and it can be located by entering "Parking Split" on Google maps. We had to circle around 3 times before finding a space and each time we had to exit the car park and the attendant let us out without any hassle. The parking spaces are wide and it costs Eur 1.50 per hour. If you are leaving Split on a car ferry see my blog "Brac, Croatia: Travel Guide" (section 4) for information about the Ferry Port at Split. 3. Diocletian's Palace The area of Diocletian's Palace occupies the eastern half of Split's Old Town. The Palace was built in AD 300 but fell into disuse by the 6th century. From the 7th century refugees fled to Split and lived in the palace. Over the centuries the palace's building was changed so that it is no longer recognisable as a palace. Most of the area of the "Palace" can be seen by just freely wandering around. However, you have to pay to enter the Cathedral and the Cellars of Diocletian's Palace. The entry fee for the cellars is Eur 7. The entry fee for the cathedral depends on what you visit and the charges are steep. It costs Eur 5 to enter the cathedral, but there are additional charges for the bell tower, crypt, baptistery and treasury. If you visit everything it will set you back Eur 15. We visited the Cathedral and I am not convinced it was worth the fee. It is very small and we have seen a lot of cathedrals for free. There are public toilets near the eastern entrance to the "Palace". 4. West of Diocletian's Palace Split's Old Town continues from the western side of Diocletian's Palace to the pedestrianised street of Marmontova. Narodni Trg is known as People's Square and is a large and impressive square on the western edge of the Palace. There are lots of interesting alleys to explore in this western area. Marmontova runs from north to south and is a very classy shopping street. On its south eastern corner is the very grand city council building known as the Prokurative. 5. Golden Gate & the Grgur Ninsk Statue The Golden Gate is the northern gate and is the best preserved gate in Split. It is set in Split's huge and impressive city walls. Outside the gate is a small plaza with a gigantic statue of the 10th century Bishop Grgur Ninski. The statue was made in 1929. 6. The Waterfront (Riva) A wide waterfront promenade runs along the southern section of Split's old town and in places along Diocletian's Palace. It is lined with shops, cafes and restaurants. It is a very pleasant area and there are plenty of places to sit, relax and people watch. There are public toilets at the eastern end. 7. My Other Blogs on Croatia Hvar Island, Croatia: Travel Guide Rovinj & Pula, Croatia: Travel Guide Trogir, Croatia: Travel Guide Omis, Croatia: Travel Guide Krk Town, Croatia: Travel Guide Brac, Croatia: Travel Guide Rab, Croatia: Travel Guide Montenegro to Croatia- Week 10 Brac to Rab, Croatia - Week 11 Rab to Dolomites, Italy - Week 12

Contents Introduction Hotel Panorama in Kruje The Bazaar The Castle Links to My Other Blogs on Albania 1. Introduction We enjoyed our 1 night stay in Kruje, but that was mainly because we really liked the Hotel Panorama where we were staying. More about that in the next section. The small old section of Kruje is very attractive but it is also very touristy. There isn't that much to see apart from a small, renovated and touristy bazaar and a very dilapidated castle. Unless you are going to visit the 2 museums Kruje can be seen in about 1 hour. We didn't visit the museums as we are only interested in visiting really good ones. The building of the Historical Museum is impressive. However, the focus on Skanderbed didn't appeal to us and the Bradt guide book says that all the information is in Albanian. Apparently a free guide is provided to interpret and that also didn't appeal. The entrance fee is 500 Lek which again was unappealing! Kruje could be visited as a day trip from Tirana as it is an hour's drive from Tirana. It would probably take almost 2 hours by bus as the buses to Kruje depart from the regional bus station on the outskirts of Tirana. The Bradt guide book suggests staying in Kruje if you need an overnight stay when departing from, or arriving at, Tirana International Airport. This would seem to be a good option as it is a 45 minute drive between Kruje and the airport. 2. Hotel Panorama in Kruje We avoided staying in hotels during our 3 month road trip but we couldn't find any suitable apartments in Kruje. The Hotel Panorama had excellent reviews, free parking and cost less than Eur 70 for a double room with breakfast. What more could we want! We arrived at Hotel Panorama in the early afternoon and the friendly front desk clerk gave us a room facing the castle, bazaar and mosque. Some people don't like being so close to the mosque due to the early morning call to prayer, but for us it added to the atmosphere. The view from our room and balcony was fantastic. As I said in the introduction it doesn't take long to see Kruje and it was really nice just sitting on the balcony absorbing the view and atmosphere. We usually don't eat at hotels, but a couple of reviewers on Tripadvisor recommended eating at Hotel Panorama. We are glad that we had our dinner there as the restaurant is nice, the food is good and the cost is very reasonable. It is popular so a reservation is advisable. We were fortunate to be given a room with a view. A couple who arrived shortly after us were disappointed not to have a view. On Booking.com it isn't possible to select a room with a castle view but on the hotel's website it is. As the price is the same I recommend booking directly with the hotel. 3. The Bazaar in Kruje Kruje's bazaar was restored in the 1960's and as they are wooden buildings I suspect there is little left of the original structures. The bazaar consists of one street with shops on either side and then another street with shops just on the one side. It isn't a huge area and many of the shops sell the same stuff. Unless you are a shopper the bazaar can be seen in 5 to 10 minutes. It is nice for photos but the bazaar solely exists for tourists! 4. The Castle in Kruje Kruje's castle is always open and there is no entrance fee. Unless you visit the History Museum the castle can easily be seen in half an hour. The castle is derelict and was also affected by an earthquake in November 2019. This badly damaged the clock tower and it is no longer open to the public. It also badly damaged the Tekke (Teqe) and it is in the process of being restored. We were allowed to look around, but it is in such a bad state it is no longer worth visiting. There is also a hammam in the castle grounds but entry isn't possible. 5. Links to My Other Blogs on Albania Himare, Albania: Travel Guide Berat, Albania: Travel Guide Gjirokaster, Albania: Nothing Special! Driving through Albania: From Greece to Montenegro The Greek Islands to Albania - Week 8 Albania to Montenegro - Week 9

This blog provides information and tips on driving in Albania including road conditions, crossing borders, police & parking. Contents Introduction Crossing the Albania Border Road Conditions in Albania Police and Radar Traps in Albania Parking & Laybys in Albania My Other Blogs on Albania 1. Introduction In April 2023 we began a 3 month road trip from the U.K. to the Cyclades Islands in Greece and back. On the way down to Greece we drove through France, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and North Macedonia. On the way back we drove up through Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Italy, Austria, Germany and France. We drove about 8,000 miles in total in our 10 year old Ford Focus. The only mechanical issues were: A broken spring from hitting a pothole in Greece. The plastic undercarriage protector coming loose. Replacement of worn brake pads. The engine management warning light being on for about 4,000 miles. On our return to England a diagnostic test found that the catalytic converter needed replacing. When planning our trip the one week drive through Albania caused the most anxiety. There is a lot of bad press about Albanian criminals in the U.K., but the Albanians remaining in Albania were very nice! There was also a lot written on the internet about the roads in Albania being poor and the Albanian's poor driving standards. More about that later! 2. Crossing the Albania Border We had lived in Africa for 17 years and crossing borders there can be an ordeal. I thought it might be the same with Albania, but fortunately I was proved wrong and there were no hassles. On our drive down to Greece we stayed at Ohrid in North Macedonia (see my blog Ohrid Town, North Macedonia: Travel Guide). We weren't intending to enter Albania at that point. We had read that it wasn't possible to buy Albanian car insurance at the nearby Tushemisht border crossing. As most U.K. motor insurance policies don't cover non EU countries that would have been a problem for us. I was concerned that we might have a similar problem when we drove back to the UK through Albania. When we drove up to Albania from Greece we had the choice of 2 border crossings. The main border crossing is at Ioannina in Greece, which is about 30 kilometres inland. I was sure we would be able to buy car insurance at that Albanian border post. I wanted to cross at the smaller and quieter border crossing on the coast at Igoumenitsa in Greece. If we couldn't buy Albanian car insurance there we would waste a few hours having to drive over to the Ioannina crossing. The Albanian passport control at the smaller Albania border post (Qafe Bota) was very quick and efficient. Nearby was a small office with a sign saying Green Card and we parked there. A friendly agent sold us 3rd party car insurance for Eur 49 for a 15 day period. Insurance for 30 days could also be purchased. The decision to use this border crossing worked out well. When we drove from Albania to Montenegro we were just waved through by the Albanians at the Muriqan border crossing! See my blog Albania to Montenegro - Week 9. 3. Road Conditions in Albania From what I had read on the internet I feared that the Albanian roads would be terrible and the Albanians would drive crazily. The Albanian drivers were certainly bad at tailgating and overtaking on blind corners. However, they weren't much worse than in other southern European countries The roads we drove on weren't at all bad apart from one section north of Kruje that had quite a few potholes. There were a couple of sections of new roads that were really good. The roads in the eastern region of Albania may be a different matter. The new road from Gjirokaster to Saranda is excellent (see photos on my blog Albania to Montenegro - Week 9). The new Vlore bypass road is also very good, although they haven't stabilised the hillsides that it cuts through and there is some rockfall. The road up the famous Llogoraja pass is in good condition and not difficult to drive on, despite all the hair pin bends. It is far easier than the Kotor Serpentine road in neighbouring Montenegro. 4. Police and Radar Traps in Albania We might have been fortunate but we didn't see any radar traps whilst we were driving in southern Albania. Nor did we see many police cars. It was a different story in central and northern Albania. On our last day driving from Kruje to the Montenegro border there were about 5 police radar traps! Drivers coming from the other direction always warned us by flashing, although we never intentionally broke the speed limit. We never saw any stationary speed cameras but apparently Albania has them. I am not sure how Albania would have got us to pay a fine if we had been caught. I also found the speed limits to be very frustrating when we reached the more urban central and northern parts of Albania. Particularly on the sections from Vlore to Berat, Berat to Kruje and Kruje to the border with Montenegro. The speed limit on Albanian main roads drops to 40 kilometres an hour whenever there is a side road. Albanians don't seem to slow down for these side roads and we didn't see police enforcing the 40 kilometres per hour speed limit. On our route from Vlore to Montenegro it was very built up. We were constantly having to slow down to 50 kilometres an hour whenever we reached a settlement. When combined with the 40 kilometres per hour side road speed limit it became very irritating. To make matters worse the towns and villages weren't very attractive. We were concerned that the Albanian police may target foreign cars. However, there are a lot of foreign cars on the main coastal road from Montenegro to Greece and they don't seem to do so. Albania seems to welcome tourists rather than hassle them. 5. Fuel & Parking in Albania Fuel in Albania is cheaper than in neighbouring Greece, but a lot more expensive than neighbouring Montenegro. The autotraveler website provides the fuel cost per litre for each European country. We always filled up before crossing over to more expensive countries and left an expensive country with little fuel. The price per litre does vary between petrol stations. There are plenty of petrol stations, but there were quite a few abandoned ones, probably due to too much competition. Parking is free on the streets unless indicated otherwise. We did pay for parking in Himare as there isn't much free parking (see my blog Himare, Albania: Travel Guide). 6. My Other Blogs on Albania Kruje, Albania: Travel Guide Himare, Albania: Travel Guide Berat, Albania: Travel Guide Gjirokaster, Albania: Nothing Special! The Greek Islands to Albania - Week 8 Albania to Montenegro - Week 9

Lani and I did the Everest Base Camp trek in May 2014 with a porter/guide and had fabulous weather and no crowds. We returned in May 2022 to do the more difficult Everest 3 Passes trek with a porter and a guide. Unfortunately the weather wasn't as perfect this time but the trail wasn't busy. This blog is a daily trip report of our 19 day Everest 3 Passes trek. I have also done several other blogs providing information and advice for trekking in the Everest region. See my Everest Base Camp Trek page for details. Contents Flight from Kathmandu to Lukla Hike to Namche Bazaar Namche to Khyangjuma via Khunde & Kumjung Khyangjuma to Pangboche via Phortse Hike to Ama Dablam Base Camp Pangboche to Dingboche Dingboche to Chukhung Day Hike towards Amphu Labsta Phedi Crossing the Kongma La Lobuche Lobouche to Dzongla Crossing the Cho La Dragnag to Gokyo Hike up Gokyo Ri Crossing the Renjo La Lumde to Namche Bazaar Namche Bazaar to Phakding Phakding to Lukla Flight from Lukla to Kathmandu Links to my other Everest Base Camp Trek Blogs 4 May 2022 - Flight from Kathmandu to Lukla We were informed that the guide and driver would collect us from our hotel at 05.00 for our 06.00 flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. We were panicking as they didn't get to our hotel until 05.25! We arrived at the airport at 05.45 but didn't miss our flight as all flights to Lukla had been delayed due to bad weather! After 3 hours at Kathmandu airport we decided to pay an extra $600 to fly by helicopter, but the weather was too bad even for that. After hours of listening to extremely loud airport announcements the tedium was broken by a bomb scare. Someone had called from Pakistan and reported that several bombs had been planted in the domestic terminal. Everyone had to leave the building and sit in airport buses until sniffer dogs and bomb detectors had searched the building. Shortly after being allowed back into the terminal it was announced that our flight was boarding. By 13.10 we had landed in Lukla, which they boast is the world's most dangerous airport! I was very pleased we hadn't paid the extra $600 for a helicopter. We had lunch at Lukla and then hiked 4 hours to the small village of Bengkar. The new and best lodge had 4 other trekkers in so we stayed in a more basic tea house that had more character and no other guests. 5 May 2022 - Bengkar to Namche Bazaar We left our tea house at Bengkar at 07.50 and arrived at Namche Bazaar 4 hours later, after climbing 800 metres in fairly nice sunny conditions. Namche is at 3,450 metres and is the largest village in the Everest region. It has everything a trekker could want! We found a nice ensuite room with a small balcony in the upper part of Namche. The hotel association (cartel) in Namche has set the room rates and as a result rooms are expensive. We had to pay NPR 2,000 but negotiated free hot showers. It was very quiet when we arrived, but a noisy group arrived afterwards and took over the dining room. See my blog Lodges & Tea Houses on the Everest Base Camp Trek. 6 May 2022 - Namche to Khyangjuma via Khunde & Kumjung Namche Bazaar is at 3,450 metres and one should spend 2 nights there for acclimatisation before proceeding on the Everest Base Camp trek. For our acclimatisation day we chose to do a half day acclimatisation walk to the villages of Khunde (3,840 metres), Kumjung (3,780 metres) and Khyangjuma (3,550 metres). Unfortunately we had woken up to cloudy weather and after walking for an hour it rained a little and got colder. As a result we didn't see the mountains at all and it was a dreary walk. This bad weather was unfortunately meant to continue for a few days. We were lucky that there was a gathering of monks at Kumjung monastery reciting scriptures. It was atmospheric and much better than visiting the usual deserted gompas. When we reached Khyangjuma we stayed there for the night rather than going back to Namche. Khyangjuma is only 100 metres higher than Namche and therefore at an acceptable altitude for acclimatisation. This reduced our next day's walk by 1 hour. We stayed at a newly built lodge where all the rooms had attached bathrooms. The room cost NPR 1,000, which was half the price of our lodge at Namche. 7 May 2002 - Khyangjuma to Pangboche via Phortse We woke up to low clouds, but by the time we left the lodge it was sunny and warm and we caught glimpses of the mountains. We had chosen to do the higher and more scenic route to Phortse. This trail isn't busy with trekkers but is longer! We reached the top of the Mong La (4,000 metres) after 2 hours and then immediately descended steeply down to the river! As soon as we got to the river we climbed 200 metres back up again to Phortse (3,810 metres). Almost 4 hours of walking. At Phortse we had dal bhat for lunch with its usual refills of rice, dal and vegetables. After lunch the cloud started to come in and by 15.00 we had showers and the visibility was down to about 100 metres. We were soon adding several layers over our T shirts! Our guide said we would climb 100 metres and then walk on a plateau to Pangboche. The bit about the plateau wasn't accurate. It turned out to be Nepali flat which entails constant ups and downs! We reached Lower Pangboche (3,900 metres) after almost 3 hours from Phortse and Lani was very tired. We found a room with an attached bathroom for NPR 1,500. We negotiated free charging of electronics as it would otherwise cost NPR 300 per device. 8 May 2022 - Hike to Ama Dablam Base Camp It was raining when we woke up at 06.00, but the weather had improved by the time we left for Ama Dablam base camp at 07.45. The walk began with a 100 metre descent to the river, followed by a 800 metre ascent to Ama Dablam base camp. It took 3 hours 15 minutes to reach base camp and Lani struggled with the altitude. There are 3 lodges near base camp that cater to the mountaineers and we had dal bhat in the only lodge that was open. It took us 1.5 hours to descend. Initially it snowed a bit, followed by light rain and then sun as we neared Pangboche. Unfortunately we didn't get any views of Ama Dablam all day! See my blog Day Hikes on the Everest Base Camp Trek 9 May 2022 - Hike from Pangboche to Dingboche Yesterday evening we had limited mountain views and this morning we could actually see the top of Ama Dablam! We stayed in lower Pangboche because of altitude acclimatisation. Before setting off to Dingboche we climbed 100 metres to see the more traditional upper Pangboche. We looked around the 600 year old gompa and found out that photos weren't allowed only after taking one! Some villagers started praying in the upper part of the Gompa and we were allowed in. It was really impressive with all the masks used for ceremonies, but again no photos were allowed. It took us 3 hours to reach Dingboche. We were slow but some other trekkers were even slower. I was starting a cold and didn't feel well for the first part of the trek. Lani was also feeling a bit off. There are lots of lodges in Dingboche but in 2014 we found the majority were pretty dire. This year we found the Hotel Tashi Delek, which cost NPR 1,000 for a nice corner ensuite room. We had our first showers for 3 nights (NPR 600 each). They will probably be our last showers until we reach Gokyo in 7 nights time! We could no longer use our mobile phone data package and had to pay NPR 700 each for internet. It is amazing that we could access the internet at all. 10 May 2022 - Hike from Dingboche to Chukhung I had a bad night because of my cold. Lani claimed she hadn't slept well either, despite hearing her sleeping soundly throughout the night! We woke up at 06.00 to the usual low clouds or mist! I felt very despondent as we have come to see the Himalayas. We had our usual breakfast of oat porridge (now costing NPR 600) and ginger tea, and then packed up. A lot of the clouds had cleared by the time we started walking. We walked for 3 hours from Dingboche (4,400 metres) to Chukhung (4,700 metres) with fantastic views of Ama Dablam and partial views of other mountains. It should have been an easy walk, but I struggled because of my cold. By the time we got to Chukhung I had no energy left for going around the lodges to select the best one. We went to the Khangri Resort which has the best reputation. We thought they had attached bathrooms but none of the lodges in Chukhung do. Initially we accepted a dark downstairs corner room, but then our guide found us a really nice and bright upstairs corner room. The lodge has a bright warm sun room and we had it all to ourselves. The cost of a room is only NPR 500. 11 May 2022 - Day Hike towards Amphu Labsta Phedi We woke up at 05.45 to clear skies and fantastic mountain views. We left the Chukhung at 07.15 to walk towards Island Peak base camp. The mountain views were incredible and I was snapping away. We hiked for 2.5 hours to get to the turnoff to Island Peak base camp. Lani decided to return back to our lodge at this point and I continued towards to Amphu Labsta Phedi. This had been recommended on the Trip Advisor forum as a better option than Island Peak Base Camp. It involved crossing a precarious bridge and I have to admit our guide gave me a helping hand. There were 2 fantastic lakes on either side of the trail. The first one was the large, and very grey, Imja Tsho at 5,010 metres. It is carefully monitored as the glacial moraine holding the lake back is at risk of collapse. The second lake was Amphu Labsta Tsho which is a beautiful blue colour. We continued towards Amphu Labsta Phedi until there were no more views to be gained. It was a 6 hour round trek. 12 May 2022 - Crossing the Kongma La My guide hadn't been over the Kongma La pass (5,535 metres) before and there is a tricky glacier crossing on the other side. We therefore arranged to team up with 3 other trekkers and their 2 guides. Lani decided to take the lower level route via Dughla with our porter. Both routes take about 8 hours. I got up at 03.50 and had breakfast at 04.30. My guide and I then walked over to another lodge to join the other trekkers. We started walking at 05.10 in very clear weather with little wind. We took our time with plenty of breaks to enjoy the fantastic mountain scenery. It was a relentless climb up to the top of Kongma La (5,535 metres) with the hardest part being the final very steep ascent to the top. We had lunch at the top and our small group had the summit to ourselves. The descent was steep with very rocky and difficult terrain initially. There were a couple of small rockfalls but no one was hit. After the steep descent we reached the difficult crossing over the Khumbu glacier to reach Lobuche (4,900 metres). None of the guides had crossed the Khumbu glacier in the last 3 years and the route constantly changes. It took 15 minutes to find the start of the route and then it was fairly straightforward. However, the terrain over the moraine was hilly and difficult. We got to Lobouche after a hard 9 hour walk. I grabbed the last ensuite room at the New EBC Guest House. Within 20 minutes I spotted Lani and our porter outside. There are far too many people at Lobouche and we decided not to go to Everest Base Camp as the lodges will be awful if busy. We went to Everest Base Camp in 2014 so missing Everest Base Camp isn't a problem. 13 May 2022 - Lobuche We woke up at 05.00 to take advantage of the usual early morning clear skies. We left the lodge at 06.15 to hike a high ridge with excellent mountain views. Lani was walking slowly as she has a cold and a bad cough, probably the Khumbu cough that is caused by the cold and dry air at high altitude. We walked to the Pyramid, which was an Italian weather or research centre, and part of the facility is now a lodge. We had tea there and looked around the lodge. From the Pyramid it was a steep climb up to the top of the ridge, perhaps 5,300 metres. Lani did very well to make it but struggled. The views were excellent. By 08.30 clouds were rolling up the valley and by 09.30 the mountains were obscured. Lani needed another night in Lobouche to acclimatise before going on to Dzongla. Our guide managed to phone the lodge and persuaded them to let us keep the room, even though it was reserved! A lot of the cloud cleared in the afternoon so I walked up the steep west side of the glacial moraine ridge that I crossed yesterday. It is about a 20 minute walk and there are good views of the mountains and the glacier from the top. 14 May 2022 - Hike from Lobouche to Dzongla I woke at 05.30 to clear skies and good mountain views. By the time we finished breakfast low cloud or mist had obscured the mountains. Luckily, the sun came out and the cloud cleared, about half an hour into our 3 hour walk from Lobouche to Dzongla. The scenery was superb although the path was narrow and with steep drop offs at times. Lani was still struggling with the Khumbu cough and it was clear that she wouldn't manage the Cho La Pass tomorrow. We decided that Lani would go slowly back down to Namche with our porter, while I continued on the Everest 3 passes route with our guide. Khumbu cough only improves at lower altitude. This meant Lani and I would be apart for 4 nights and I would have to carry what I needed. In the evening our guide spoke to a small group that had just crossed the Cho La Pass from the west. They said that the glacial ice on the western downward side was slippery so I might have to use my microspikes. 15 May 2022 - Crossing the Cho La It was a disappointing day of weather. We could clearly see the mountains when we set off for the Cho La pass at 05.20. However, clouds quickly rose up the valley and by 05.30 there were no views. I found the hike up the Cho La pass to be a hard slog especially as I was carrying all my things, except my sleeping bag which was kindly carried by my guide. After a couple of hours we got to the glacier and I put on my microspikes which made walking easier. It took about 3 hours to reach the top of Cho La (5,420 metres) and I met 3 people I knew at the top. A cable was installed about 3 years ago to help with the initial descent down the western side of the Cho La Pass. My microspikes were still very useful as the trekker in front of me didn't have any and slipped several times. We reached the lodges at Dragnag after walking 6 hours. I was tired and after having lunch decided to stay the night. Most other trekkers continued walking for a further 2 to 3 hours to Gokyo. I managed to phone Lani who had reached Debouche at 3,800 metres. The lower altitude had already improved her cough, which had been very bad last night. She was staying in the new and very comfortable section of the Rivendell Lodge. 16 May 2022 - Hike from Dragnag to Gokyo We walked from Dragnag (4,700 metres) to Gokyo (4,790 metres) and the trail was mainly over the massive Ngozumpa glacier. The new starting point for the glacier crossing was not marked and we were lucky to find it. After that the trail was well marked. I really enjoyed crossing the Ngozumpa glacier and often observed rocks falling into the lakes in the middle of the glacier. It was a steep climb up the ridge on the other side of the Ngozumpa glacier and there was a rope in place to facilitate this. After crossing the Ngozumpa glacier we had good views of Gokyo village and lake. There are 6 lakes in the Gokyo valley and the village is on the third lake. It took 3 hours to get to Gokyo. I checked into the Cho Oyu lodge and got a nice corner lake view room with shared toilets for NPR 500. In the afternoon I walked to Gokyo's fourth lake with someone I met a few days ago. We intended to go onto the fifth lake but it was too far. 17 May 2022 - Hike up Gokyo Ri I planned to walk up Gokyo Ri (5,360 metres) if the weather was clear enough. At 05.00 there was low cloud but by the time I had my usual breakfast of porridge and ginger tea at 06.30 the clouds had cleared. I rushed up Gokyo Ri in 1.5 hours, overtaking everyone in sight trying to reach the top before the clouds came in again. Just as I got to the top most of the mountain views were obscured by clouds! Luckily the clouds cleared after about half an hour and I stayed at the top for a further 2 hours to enjoy the views. I could see the peak of Everest for the first time on this trip. In the afternoon I enjoyed an expensive shower costing NPR 800 followed by a solitary 1.5 hour walk to Gokyo's first and second lakes. Incidentally since Lani took our toothpaste I had to buy a foul tasting tube of toothpaste for NPR 600. I couldn't even buy soap from the only shop (shack) in Gokyo but luckily there was some in the shower stall. 18 May 2022 - Crossing the Renjo La I had another early breakfast and we left Gokyo at 06.10 in very good weather. It took 2.5 hours to reach the top of Renjo La (5,360 metres). Renjo La is meant to be the easiest of the 3 passes, but we had been warned that there was a lot of snow on the other side. We found that the report of the snow was true but luckily it hadn't turned to ice. After spending about an hour on the top of Renjo La enjoying the great views we put on our micro spikes/crampons and descended. Initially the trail was narrow with a big drop off on the one side. It took us just over 2 hours to reach the small settlement of Lumde (4,368 metres) where we had lunch. The lodge had nice rooms with a squat toilet for NPR 500 so we stayed there. It was very sociable with 3 people I had met before (an Israeli, German and Kiwi). The lady running the lodge was also very pleasant. 19 May 2022 - Hike from Lumde to Namche Bazaar We walked from Lumde to Namche Bazaar via Thame. We climbed up to the monastery at Thame so we could visit the 600 year old monastery and also to try to get a phone signal to contact Lani! After a lot of difficulty we finally managed to get through to Lani and arranged to meet her for lunch further down the trail at Thamo. Lani had warned me that 19 Everest marathon runners had arrived at her hotel in Namche the previous night! Luckily they weren't too noisy and we had a room in a separate annexe with a little balcony. I had 2 pieces of chocolate cake to celebrate being back in civilisation! 20 May 2022 - Hike from Namche Bazaar to Phakding We had an easy 3 hour or so walk down to Phakding and stayed in a nice lodge which had spacious rooms with attached bathrooms for NPR 1,000. There was only one other couple there. 21 May 2022 - Hike from Phakding to Lukla We tried a different route from Phakding to Lukla. Virtually everyone uses the path on the east bank of the river, but someone on the Trip Advisor forum had recommended the west bank from Phakding to Ghat. It was a quiet and scenic route along the river. After 3.5 hours we arrived at Lukla and tried to fly out a day early without success. See my blog Forum Posts, Vlogs & Webcams for the Everest Base Camp Trek for Tripadvisor recommendations and trip reports. We are staying at a very nice lodge in Lukla and all the rooms have attached bathrooms for NPR 1,000. The only problem was a noisy group of 14 ladies from the Middle East staying there. 22 May 2022 - Flight from Lukla to Kathmandu Our flight was meant to be at 06.30 but we woke up to rain. It rained all morning and we didn't think there would be any chance of flying out today. At midday we had an early lunch and were resigned to spending another night in Lukla. As we ate our lunch the weather started to clear and just as we finished we were told to quickly go to the airport. The airport was only 5 minutes walk away and as the owner of the lodge had connections with the airlines he very kindly arranged our boarding passes for us. Just over an hour later we were back in Kathmandu! Links to my other Everest Base Camp Trek Blogs Day Hikes on the Everest Base Camp Trek Lodges and Tea Houses on the Everest Base Camp Trek When to trek to Everest Base Camp Kathmandu to Lukla and Back What to take for the Everest Base Camp Trek Forum Posts, Vlogs & Webcams for Everest Base Camp Trek Guides, Porters and Trekking Agencies