Albania hiking vacations
Highlights
Shkodra | Lake Koman | Valbona National Park | Theth National Park | Thare Pass | Tirana
Travel Team
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Responsible tourism
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we screen every trip so you can travel knowing your vacation will help support conservation and local people.
This walking trip explores both traditional villages and the National Parks of Albania. Theth National Park in the center of the Albanian Alps was established to protect the biodiversity of the region, thanks to the alpine and forest environments it has a rich diversity of species. The larger Valbone National Park is an almost pristine wilderness and good management is essential in order to minimise the impact on this fragile environment that we visit. We ensure that our walks only follow marked official trails and actively encourage clients to carry all waste out of parks and not to pick flowers or disturb the natural resources.In Tirana we sight-see on foot, helping to reduce the level of pollution within the urban center and enabling us to discover neighbourhoods and learn more about the development of the city.
We encourage all customers to take a reusable water bottle with them when traveling which helps to reduce the number of plastic bottles provided and used locally. Along the routes we take on this trip there are plenty of fresh, good quality water sources to make good use of your reusable bottle.
As a travel company we are continually looking for ways to improve and are proud to be ‘Responsible in everything we do’. Education is key, and so all staff, Tour Leaders and partnering suppliers are trained in responsible and sustainable tourism. At our Head Office, we continually strive towards a sustainable and planet-friendly working environment, including having solar panels installed and a company commitment to reducing our plastic usage.
The Impacts of this Trip
Aside from the walking a focus of this trip is the traditions and culture of Albania. We use a local Tour Leader and guides on this trip who know the country very well and who will help to give us a unique insight into the history, customs, culture and folklore of Albania and get us that bit closer to the local people. We visit Shkodra, one of the countries oldest cities, to learn about Albania's chequered history and cultural heritage. As we travel around the north of the country we stay in a variety of local, family run hotels and eat out in small restaurants which brings direct economic benefits to the communities we visit. In Theth, of which the center is historically protected by the Albanian Government, we stay in a traditional Albanian family house and enjoy lunch prepared by the family and in Kukaj village we will taste herbal mountain tea on the terrace of a local family's home.
As a company we have valuable and longstanding partnerships with UK charities Toilet Twinning and Send a Cow, plus many smaller initiatives and projects around the world. We’re members of UK travel industry bodies Tourism Concern and AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators.
As a company we have valuable and longstanding partnerships with UK charities Toilet Twinning and Send a Cow, plus many smaller initiatives and projects around the world. We’re members of the UK travel industry body AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators.
This walking trip explores both traditional villages and the National Parks of Albania. Theth National Park in the center of the Albanian Alps was established to protect the biodiversity of the region, thanks to the alpine and forest environments it has a rich diversity of species. The larger Valbone National Park is an almost pristine wilderness and good management is essential in order to minimise the impact on this fragile environment that we visit. We ensure that our walks only follow marked official trails and actively encourage clients to carry all waste out of parks and not to pick flowers or disturb the natural resources.In Tirana we sight-see on foot, helping to reduce the level of pollution within the urban center and enabling us to discover neighbourhoods and learn more about the development of the city.
We encourage all customers to take a reusable water bottle with them when traveling which helps to reduce the number of plastic bottles provided and used locally. Along the routes we take on this trip there are plenty of fresh, good quality water sources to make good use of your reusable bottle.
As a travel company we are continually looking for ways to improve and are proud to be ‘Responsible in everything we do’. Education is key, and so all staff, Tour Leaders and partnering suppliers are trained in responsible and sustainable tourism. At our Head Office, we continually strive towards a sustainable and planet-friendly working environment, including having solar panels installed and a company commitment to reducing our plastic usage.
The Impacts of this Trip
Aside from the walking a focus of this trip is the traditions and culture of Albania. We use a local Tour Leader and guides on this trip who know the country very well and who will help to give us a unique insight into the history, customs, culture and folklore of Albania and get us that bit closer to the local people. We visit Shkodra, one of the countries oldest cities, to learn about Albania's chequered history and cultural heritage. As we travel around the north of the country we stay in a variety of local, family run hotels and eat out in small restaurants which brings direct economic benefits to the communities we visit. In Theth, of which the center is historically protected by the Albanian Government, we stay in a traditional Albanian family house and enjoy lunch prepared by the family and in Kukaj village we will taste herbal mountain tea on the terrace of a local family's home.
As a company we have valuable and longstanding partnerships with UK charities Toilet Twinning and Send a Cow, plus many smaller initiatives and projects around the world. We’re members of UK travel industry bodies Tourism Concern and AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators.
As a company we have valuable and longstanding partnerships with UK charities Toilet Twinning and Send a Cow, plus many smaller initiatives and projects around the world. We’re members of the UK travel industry body AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators.
1 Reviews of Albania hiking vacations
Reviewed on 09 Oct 2019 by Victoria Griffiths
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Seeing a moose, all the wonderful nature, wildlife and different habitats. It was also great how well we got on with Eglè the guide - she was brilliant.
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
It’s a very easy walking vacation so no need to over pack.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
I do think that the vacation supported the local economy as we always ate in
local places. It supported education into some conservation particularly the guided bog walk and our guide was very knowledgeable about the local environment. In terms of environmental impact, the vehicle we drove in was a conventional Diesel engine and I don’t think the accommodation had any special
environmental credentials. If there were we weren’t told about these.
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Over all I really enjoyed the vacation, I would love to go back to the Baltic’s and would consider booking with this operator again.
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