Outdoor Albania partners with World Hotel LInk to offer online booking services to tourism SMEs

www.outdooralbania.com

For the past three years, Outdoor Albania has been fostering a relationship with World Hotel Link, an internet platform that provides online booking services to tourism SMEs (small and mid-sized enterprises) through its online listing sites and hotel website development.


According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, one of the major trends in the tourism industry is “increased looking and booking online.” International travelers are increasingly using the internet to plan their holidays and book their accommodations.  


For tourism enterprises, this means that a strong presence online is more important than ever. Unfortunately, small-scale and mid-sized accommodations often lack the technological infrastructure needed to position themselves online and reach the global marketplace.  


Through its “market place operators” such as Outdoor Albania, World Hotel Link hopes  to bridge the technological gap between locally-owned accommodations and online consumers worldwide.  Small business owners now have the opportunity to list their accommodation on a destination website, and they have the additional option of a high-quality hotel website in English with high results in search engines such as Google.  


World Hotel Link’s destination websites cover three geographical regions of Albania: Shkoder and the North, Tirana and the East, and coming soon: Saranda and the coast.  In addition to listing accommodations and offering instant online booking services, these websites also contain a wealth of tourist information. They provide travelers with information about activities, restaurants, events, and transportation.  Each site’s traffic has been increasing steadily, with an average of 3,093 total weekly pageviews during the months of July and August.


“We are promoting the 'real' Albania, and we are looking for small family- run hotels, guesthouses or sustainable hotels which are interested in a free listing of their accommodation on one of our websites.” says Laura Payne, co-founder of Outdoor Albania.  “Our goal is to bring as much economical gain to small scale accommodations as possible. With WHL, we create a win-win situation.”


One success story is Hotel Lugano in Tirana.  Through its listing on the the WHL Tirana destination page and on its WHL hotel website, Hotel Lugano secured numerous bookings during the summer 2010 season.  Most importantly, Hotel Lugano is findable to those who search for it online.  When “hotel lugano tirana” is entered in a google search box, the destination site and the hotel website appear among the top ten results.  


To see how the accommodation listings appear online, visit the three destination websites at www.travel-tirana.com, www.shkoder-albanian-alps.com and www.albanian-coast.com.

Express: Up Mount Dajti by Cable and down by bicycle

http://outdooralbania.com/
by Cynthia Ord

The city of Tirana is working on its image.  Its current mayor, Edi Rama, is an artist-turned-politician who is eager to introduce Tirana as a vivid European capital.  For the city, this means beautification projects like a fresh coats of colorful paint for formerly gray buildings and a total re-landscaping of the central Skanderbeg Square.

Tirana is indeed looking better, but perhaps the most beautiful part of the city is the nature around it.  Majestic green mountains hover around the city.  One of the highest points on the horizon is Mount Dajti.  Just 26 km outside the city, it measures 1,613 meters of altitude.  The mountain is known as the ‘balcony of Tirana’ and has been declared a national park.

Just a few years ago, a gondola cable lift called the Dajti Express was built to carry site-seers from the city to the mountaintop. For adventure seekers, the best part of the gondola lift is that there is room for bicycles on board.  Outdoor Albania offers a guided excursion that takes visitors up by cable and down by bike through surrounding villages.

The highlight of the trip is a stop at the restaurant built around a panoramic view of the capital below.  It is called Gurra e Perrise, and it is world class. The restaurant has outdoor seating in lush garden terraces. Stunning infinity pools swarm with the trout that also appear on the menu, and lamb roasts slowly on its traditional-style spit. Inside the restaurant, the presidential table is reserved for political personages who bring guests to this little-known lookout above the city.

The bicycle ride down kept me wide-eyed and white-knuckled. Good brakes and a fearless streak required.  There is no better way to enjoy the paradoxes and contrasts of Albania: rural versus urban, cattle versus traffic, and fresh mountain air versus the noise and pollution of the city.  This day trip is also evidence that Tirana is underrated.  Travelers pass through to other parts of the country without realizing the exciting possibilities in and around the city.  This is definitely my favorite OA day trip so far.

This post originally appeared in Cynthia's travel blog, http://sunshineandalbania.blogspot.com/

view from the cable car to Dajti

Panoramic view of Tirana from Dajti

The Tattooed Bunker: Colorful “repurposing” in Shkoder, Northern Albania

by Cynthia Ord



In Albania, around 750,000 bunkers form a gray mushroom network across the country.  This drab legacy of recent communism presents a creative challenge today.  Albanians are transforming the bunkers into more purposeful structures, often with tourism in mind. 

Remnants of a Paranoid Past

Built of thick cement and iron, the bunkers are phone booth-sized subterranean fortresses with rifle windows and cement dome roofs above ground.  Communist dictator Enver Hoxha built them in the 1970s in paranoia of nuclear warfare and xenophobia toward the rest of the world.  The bunkers were never used.  When Hoxha died in 1985, the communist regime lasted about five more years and collapsed with the fall of the Berlin Wall.  

Only two decades later, this history still haunts the present. Most of the 750,000 bunkers are still standing and crumbling slowly where they were built.  Moving or destroying them is no small task. Each one was built with 5 tons of cement to withstand nuclear warfare. Myth has it that Hoxha hired the bunkers’ engineer by instructing him to shelter himself in the prototype while it was attacked by military explosives.  The engineer survived, so Hoxha ordered almost a million of his bunkers to be built.


Creative Repurposing 



Today, Albanians face the question of how to address these scars from the past. Most are simply worked around, while some have been destructed by explosives in order to build in their place.  While the majority of the 2-person pillboxes continue to blight the landscape with concrete and iron, a rare few have been “repurposed” into worthwhile structures such as planters, cafes, playground equipment, and pieces of graffiti art.  

The creative repurposing of cement bunkers is a telling metaphor for Albania’s recovery from its recent communist past.  One project, Concrete Mushrooms, has secured resources for the research and documentation of Albania’s bunkers.  The organization works toward “inverting the meaning” of these symbolic structures by “giving bunkers value instead of having them as a burden”.  Concrete Mushrooms identifies ecotourism-related uses for the bunkers, such as tourism information points, cafes, and even accommodation, as an area with real potential. 


The Tattooed Bunker in Shkoder




On the highland road north from Shkoder to Tamare, where population is sparse, bunkers are also fewer and farther between.  Here, a bright example of creative repurposing can be found. A large bunker has been converted into a tattoo parlor.  This one is easy to spot -- the concrete is colorful, with “tattoo” painted on the outside dome in graffiti-style lettering.  For fearless tattoo shoppers, ink enthusiasts, or those who are simply curious, it is worthwhile to pull over and see this place and the tattoo artist, Keq Marku Djetroshan, who works there mainly during the summer season.  

Having lived in the United States for several years, Keq is fluent in American slang. When his time in the U.S. ended, he came back to northern Albania with his tattoo business.  He serves mostly Albanians and Montenegrins who cross the nearby border.  Inside the bunker-turned-parlor, the walls display more graffiti and an array of dog-eared tattoo art magazines sit on the table in front of the couch.  Keq’s arms are covered with layers of tattoos, perhaps a repurposing of his own scars from the past.  


To visit the tattooed bunker, go to www.shkoder-albanian-alps.com for accommodation and tour information about Albania’s northern region. 
See more photos of Albania.

Outdoor Albania's view on local travel

by Lieke van Leeuwen

Laura Payne, co-founder of Outdoor Albania and local travel activist, believes that local traveling is about meeting and connecting with the locals and experiencing their culture, as well as about preserving nature and bringing economical benefits to those who need it most.

Six years ago Laura paid her first visit to Albania and directly fell in love with the country.   She traveled past beautiful deserted beaches in the South of Albania and rough nature in the North. She got to know the passionate people in Southern Albania and connected with the hospitable locals Northern Albania. Traveling through this wonderful country she saw the potential and the opportunities that Albania offers, especially the Albanian Alps in the North took her interest. She realized that most people don't have the means to use these opportunities, and decided that she wanted to do something for the locals.

Together with her Albanian partner Gent she started Outdoor Albania, a travel agency specialized in sustainable travel. From the beginning on their aim has been to give their clients a life-seeing experience rather than a sight-seeing experience. The past 5 years they mainly focused on promoting the Albanian Alps in Northern Albania, you can see the result on their website  www.shkoder-albanian-alps.com. The Albanian Alps have hardly changed over the last 50 years due to the rugged landscape, the 500 year occupation of the Ottoman Empire, the Italian invasion and the many years of communism. Outdoor Albania has a network of local families who run village houses and guest houses in this amazing and untouched region.

One of Laura's favorite areas in Northern Albania is Theth, a village surrounded by a sea of mountains of rough limestone formations, dense forests, canyons, and waterfalls. The ruthless nature has always made living hard for the locals, which left traces in its culture. Opposite to the harsh nature she experienced that the local culture is very warm and hospitable.

One of the families in Outdoor Albania's Thethi-network is the Carku family. None Age, or “Mother Carku”, her son Mehill, and his wife Valbona run a village house. If you want to experience the Albanian culture and rural live you should come and try for yourself to stay overnight in Guesthouse Carcu or any of the other village houses Outdoor Albania is helping to gain a living.

When entering the traditional stone house of the Carcu family, you will smell the thick pinewood planks, and the family will be there to give you a warm welcome. Mother Carku will prepare a delicious meal for you with fresh vegetables from the garden. You can enjoy the delicious smell of her famous homemade bread, while you are drinking homemade raki in the garden of the village house.

Unique to village house Carku is that it was the first one to open its doors to visitors during the late nineties when the first community tourism projects were initiated. The guesthouse became a meeting place where other highlanders gain experience and vision. With their example and by showing effort the Carcu family is able to demonstrate to the community the immense potential they have to offer.

To Laura a stay in a village house ensures a unique cultural experience and it guarantees that the money spend goes directly to those who need it most.

Next to meeting the local people and their culture Laura believes that preserving nature and bringing economical benefits to small entrepreneurs is another important aspect of local traveling. Therefore she and her partner Gent decided to make their tours nature-friendly tours, which promote the protection of landscapes, bio-habitats, traditions and monuments. Furthermore they provide environmental education for local inhabitants, committing them to the protection of their natural and cultural heritage.
In addition they have started the Outdoor Albania Association, for implementing projects for the promotion of sustainable tourism.

Laura and Gent try to involve as many local actors possible in our business, using guides, winemakers, mule/horse porters and more on our tours. For transportation they decided to use local drivers who own a small bus called “furgon”.

Laura enjoys collaborating with the locals and seeing the small benefits brought to them by their cooperation. She loves hearing the enthusiastic, colorful, and amusing stories of her guests after a tour or a stay in one of the village houses. For Laura local travel became the way to show her guests the “real” Albania, the stunning nature, ancient culture, and miraculous traditions.

If you would like to know more about local travel in Albania, please feel free to contact Laura at Laura@outdooralbania.com

 

Mother Carku at her village guesthouse in Theth

A beautiful day-trip from Tirana; the Cave and the village of Pellumbas

The following article is written by Lieke who joined our day-trip to the cave of Pellumbas. She describes how she experienced Pellumbas. On her own blog you can read more about her trips and experiences in Albania.

I have always been interested in caves and I have seen many, below you can read about my day trip to the cave and village of Pellumbas

Driving into Pellumbas brought a smile to my face. Just a half our drive from the busy and modern city Tirana and suddenly I find myself in a small village surrounded by beautiful nature and silence.

Pellumbas is a friendly village, near the Erzen River, with a view on some of the most stunning mountains. Up in those mountains you can find the Shpella e Zeze; the cave of Pellumbas. In this cave they found the skeletons of Cave Bears who, according to specialists, used to live there more than 10.000 years ago. Together with our guide Ilir Mati from Outdoor Albania we started the one-hour hike to the cave. Only the walk up was already worth the tour; the singing birds, the bright colors and warm smell of summer. The refreshing breeze that blew around the mountains made it perfect. The trail was very good as the Outdoor Albania Association, together with volunteers and the villagers, structured and signed the path one year ago (2009). Next to the path grew some deliciously smelling herbs that Ilir pointed out to us. While hiking he taught us more about nature, about how the mountains around were shaped, and why Albania has so many different kind of mountains.

When we arrived at the cave of Pelumbas we put on our headlamps and entered the dark hole, what an amazing experience! Usually when I visit cave there are many other visitors, and often places are enlightened. Here we were alone in complete darkness. The cave smelled like earth and I felt some healthy strain when we entered the dark cave. A cave always has something stirring and mysterious, especially when you just follow the small ray of light of your headlamp in the darkness. When we explored the cave I saw a bat sleeping upside down on the archway of the cave, and some amazing stalactite and stalagmite constructions. Ilir took me to a place where you can see the face of an old Albanian warrior created by stalactites and stalagmites. He told me his imaginary story that, whenever Albania is in real danger, this warrior will come to live, rise up from its place, and help Albania. I love these kinds of legends!

After hiking back to the village we sat down in a small village restaurant where they prepared a delicious lunch for us. The salad was fresh, the tomatoes tasted full and warm from the sun, and the spring union seemed to come fresh from the garden. There was a traditionally prepared chicken with lemon and we drank home-made dhalle, a drink made from yoghurt and a little water.
After a wonderful day we turned back to the busy but lovely city-life of Tirana; happy, full, and satisfied.

Reaching for Vuno’s Clean Beach at Jal, Albania

The following article is written by Ethan Gelber and was first published at whl.travel blog.

About 190 kilometres south of Tirana, Albania, between Dhërmi and Himara (Himarë) in the hills above the coast, the small town of Vuno isn’t really on most people’s tourist radar. Not, that is, unless they’re headed two kilometres away to two of the Albanian Riviera’s most beautiful waterside retreats: the Jal and Gjipe beaches. Although not entirely devoid of tourist services – there are a few family-run restaurants and guesthouses at Jal – they are still blissfully unspoiled by mass tourism. However, with a new main road to the southern Albanian coast nearing completion, some people are concerned that these local gems won’t be spared for much longer.

The southern Albanian Jal beaches: still a gem but for how much longer?

One group of such people are the Outdoor Albania Association (OA Association), a Tirana-based not-for-profit working with many ideas and partners toward the development of responsible tourism in Albania. “Together with local community leaders we are clearing and securing trails, improving access to remote attractions, bringing visitors to picturesque villages and training locals to create businesses that are sensitive to the environmental impact and sustainability of their enterprises,” reads a strategy statement on the OA Association website.

It should therefore come as no surprise that one of the OA Association’s current target areas is Vuno and the land around it, particularly the Jal beaches and the walking paths to them.

A Vuno to Know

Vuno is a verdant mountainside village of narrow, cobblestone streets and approximately 200 old stone houses, only a handful of which are inhabited all year round and mainly by the elders of some 40 families. Sadly, long-term neglect has left the delightful streets damaged and dirty and many of the buildings abandoned or in ruin, forgotten by those who have moved to other cities or countries.

Vuno is a verdant mountainside village of narrow, cobblestone streets and old stone houses

With the goal of making things right in a responsible way, the OA Association has stepped in. “Members of the association in cooperation with volunteers and the young of the village, will carry out the cleanup of cobble stone streets and houses’ yards,” says a report about the OA Association’s regional ambitions.

But that’s not all. “The OA Association has started renovating the school so the local kids can use it again. In summer, the school is used as a hostel and the base for the OA Association,” said Laura Payne, an OA Association project initiator. “The plan is to fix some village houses so the locals can use them as B&Bs and gain some extra income. By doing this we are trying to sensitise the locals and show them the tourism possibilities. As the hostel is attracting many backpackers, the local shops and bars are generating more income. Now the owner of the local bar has started selling food as well as drinks. She is one of the people who understand the possibilities of local tourism. The idea is to teach by doing and explaining, to give the locals more ideas for tourism initiatives. This way the tourist get a more varied offer and the locals get more economical means.”

Reach the Beach

Part of the OA Association’s interest in Vuno is its placement as gateway to the beaches of Jal and Gjipe. A collection of small beaches, most accessible by foot, some only by boat, Jal in particular has drawn their attention.

OA Association crews have been clearing and marking the hiking paths in the area, including those to the beaches. Although there is “a narrow strip of tarmac that reaches the beach, clearing the trails enables beach access for tourists staying in Vuno without cars,” commented Gent Mati, head of the OA Association. “The 30-minute walk is very pleasant, and a lot of backpackers that stay in the ’school’ hostel use the trail to go to the main beach or minor ones.”

“In addition, work needs to be done to protect the beach,” added Payne. “After cleaning the trials to the beach and gaining the trust of the villagers, the next step is to organise a proper waste-management solution and to make sure the locals support the project by no longer throwing their garbage in the sea or near the beach. We are even looking in to the possibilities for a ‘blue flag‘ in this beach, the first in Albania.”

Coastal trail clearing between Vuno and Jal, while certainly hard work, could hardly happen in a more stunning setting

How You Can Help

The OA Association always accepts volunteer help with cleaning and marking the paths. Financial donations are also very welcome to help defray the cost of food for the volunteers and future expenses associated with the waste-management system.

More Information

Read more about the OA Association’s work in and around Vuno, as well as elsewhere in Albania.

The OA Association is a sister organisation of Outdoor Albania, a local Albanian adventure-travel company that works hard at integrating sustainable tourism practices. Outdoor Albania is also your local connection and the whl.travel partner in Albania. For more information about Albania, including hotels, tours, activities and a lot of insider tips, Laura Payne, Gent Mati and their team are standing by at www.travel-tirana.com and www.shkoder-albanian-alps.com.

Visiting Albania now; from Tirana to Berat

The following article is written by Anna Saville, a blogger on Suite 101.com, who travels through 3 continents and writes about her favorite places in the world.

Situated in Eastern Europe, Albania is often ignored as a tourist destination but its accessibility from any European country makes it an interesting, affordable choice.

Little known, largely ignored and curious to the individual travelling around the countries it borders, the small European nation of Albania is nestled in between the greenery of Macedonia and Serbia, sharing the glorious Ionian coast with its neighbour Greece.

From being shut off from the rest of the world, through many trials and tribulations, a country often stereotyped and misunderstood, the time has come for Albania to be visited.

Crossing the Montenegrin border into this area of considerable wonder through roads less travelled, be prepared to be thrown a bit by the work in progress. Throughout the country, Albania definitely showcases examples of old times passed juxtaposed with the new. It is a miss-mash of eras with a distinct difference between older and young generations, where locals are still curious of tourists but friendly, where nodding means 'no' and shaking your head means 'yes'.The country's transformation to match a contemporary Europe remains slow but promising. The grandeur of new bars, clubs and restaurants display a complete contrast to an era not so long gone where any kind of materialistic luxury was forbidden.

The Capital, Tirana

While nothing appears to operate in an orderly fashion, it is a good idea to begin smack bang in the middle of the capital. Stepping off the furgo (equivalent to a bus) in Tirana is where the action starts. Tirana is a unique example of a European capital that has a plan to give a complete makeover to the tired and visually undernourished city. The eclectic mix of architecture and monuments representing different periods in Albanian history, bright gelati coloured buildings repainted to liven up the city, and the absurd traffic conditions with impatient drivers coming from all directions driving at all speeds are just as apparent as the beautiful, mountainous landscape sitting quaintly in the background of the hectic but interesting Tirana.

Begin at Skanderbeg Square, which is surrounded by important buildings and attractions which hold the history of its people, starting with the National Museum of History, a comprehensive insight into the past and present Albania. Follow with an afternoon browsing the National Art Gallery, which contains a surprisingly impressive collection of beautiful works form all various eras, the Realist Painting room in particular being the room they are most proud of.

And to end a not so typical day, a visit to a traditional restaurant Oda is particularly worthwhile.Representing a family's comfortable dining room, it serves Albanian food, and the refreshment raki, Albania's answer to vodka.

A Few Hours South in Berat

After getting a taste of Tirana, the next suggested stop is the charming town Berat, full of historic importance a few hours south of the capital. Travelling via fascinating villages through beautiful countryside spotting many a bunker, it is clear there is so much to this rugged and absorbing country. A common sight of men steering a donkey attached to a rickety cart loaded with goods moving slowly among the traffic, farmers selling colourful produce, and women leading cattle along the main roads all make for the perfect photo opportunity, leaving you with the feeling you have arrived somewhere else entirely.

No doubt, Albania leaves room for plenty of surprises and experiences unattainable elsewhere, providing the best chances to see something different. A relatively safe country to visit, it seems the only thing to be mindful of is the rough roads with potholes everywhere. Keep both eyes peeled at all times! It may not yet be the easiest country to get around in, but it's affordable with a lot to discover and uncover; this is part of Europe after all.