Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia vacation

Planet

Recently the Albanian Government decided to issue law which prohibits cutting down trees and helping in this way by slowing down the gradual deforestation of Albania. This law will be in place from 2016 until 2026. This is good news since in Albania and the border zone with Kosovo and Montenegro there will be a great chance to access the back country and the pristine nature without encountering contamination or deforestation of any kind. In time we will witness a growth in the animal population which in itself will contribute to a much richer ecosystem to be enjoyed by everyone.

On this tour, we use as much as possible those restaurants which use local and seasonally grown food in order to support the local production and minimise food miles.

On most of our tours we keep waste to a minimum. For example we make sure our picnic lunches are wrapped in paper bags which are degradable. Each guest as well is encouraged not to waste food but to carry enough just for their personal need.

We are currently working with the local accommodation providers especially in the Alpine areas to educate them concerning waste management. This is a big problem which is being tackled since the locals were used to throw rubbish in the river streams. We are working with them as well to find ways how to best design and manage their toilets since most of them are very primitive and can potentially pollute the environment around them.

People

This tour crosses 3 countries and we try to make this trip as authentic as possible. The accommodation we have chosen is locally run. So we are using small hotels and guesthouses built and owned by locals.

The same can be said for our guides. We are using local guides who know very well the area and have worked with us for years. In this way we ensure a continual financial support for them and their families. We use as well local transport to support us which is sourced from the areas which we will visit.

We continually work with the local owners of hotels, artists/craftspeople shops and coffee shops to preserve authentic ways of living and building in the specific areas we visit.

Many times we decide with our groups on our free time to pay a visit to the house of our local guides. The local culture is such that they are very welcoming and hospitable. During these encounters the group has the chance to get to know our guides. Of course the laughter goes on and on as the rakia is poured one after the other :)