After yesterdays long hike from Valbona to Theth we checked into a delightful guesthouse. It was brand new, sparkling clean and super comfortable. The only downside was just as we were making the booking someone else beat us to it and we lost one of the nights. It still looked like the nicest option though…
Hiking from Valbona to Theth in May via the winter route
Snow lingers on the Albanian alps well into June and after doing lots of research I discovered the pass between Valbona and Theth was actually closed in early May when we planned to hike it. I spent a lot of time emailing guesthouses, tourist offices and Balkan Facebook groups trying to get information on when…
Hiking in Valbona | The Albanian Alps
Valbona wasn’t quite what we had in mind. There were mountains all around us with low lying cloud and a wet drizzle in the air. Some people had warned us not to bother coming here as the pass was too dangerous at this time of year and that we should just go directly to Theth…
Crossing the border into Albania and the Koman Lake ferry
It was about 28° as we set off with our backpacks to a random street corner in Ulcinj waiting for a shared car to take us to Shkoder in Albania. Our instructions were to wait beside an abandoned fire truck, which also happened to be where the neighbourhood bins were stored and overflowing, causing a…
Searching for the best beaches and old towns along the Montenegro coast
Locals describe the coastal town of Budva as an absolute disaster. What was once a quaint village has now expanded into an overdeveloped seaside resort. While it still has the beautiful old town, everywhere else is built up with high-rise apartments ready to be rented out in the high season. We weren’t sure whether it…
Five days exploring the Bay of Kotor | Montengro
Kotor bay is pretty much the reason I’ve wanted to explore Montenegro for so long. It looks like a Norwegian fjord has been transported to the Balkan’s with dramatic peaks rising around the bay. We booked an apartment a couple of kilometres from the old town and arrived to find no one home. We were…
Backpacking Montenegro | Our first national park and a traditional train ride
Now that the world is opening up again after covid it’s time for us to explore some new countries. With heavy hearts we decided to sell Helga our campervan after a year long roadtrip around the UK, Ireland and Spain so we could travel further afield and embrace backpacker life again. Helga sold in less…
Chateaus, crepes and cliffs in northern France
We tried to stop at the Loir Valley to see some chateaus but the rain was making it miserable with a grey haze blocking the views. But after four days in France we finally had some sunshine so we headed to Château de Saint-Germain-de-Livet, said to be one of the finest chateaus in the Normandy…
Driving through France and a strange encounter with the police
We’ve given ourselves 6 day’s to drive through France to catch our ferry back to England. We’d of liked to of spent longer in Spain but alas the rules after Brexit mean we’re limited to 90 day’s. The border crossing was a breeze and we just drove straight though to the French side. We had…
Exploring the Baztan Valley | Spain
The Baztan valley is a stunning region in northern Spain with rolling hills, lush pastures, livestock and quaint villages. It’s an area we’ve driven through before but we didn’t stop to explore so this time I planned some hikes. We’re in the midst of a cold snap, it’s unseasonably cold for April but the good…
NON STOP TRAVELLING 