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Travel Tips To European Countries: Albania

July 26th, 2010 1 comment
Memorial plaque dedicated to Mother Teresa by ...Image via Wikipedia

Albania is a mountainous country and the one of the smallest countries in Europe. The residents supposedly descended from ancient Illyrians.

Culture

The culture of Albania is majorly influenced by that of the mainland Greeks especially in the urban locality; nodding ones head means no where as shaking the head means yes. To greet someone, handshaking is preferred, though Shoku (Comrade) was used before, which has been long forgotten now. People dress informally here. Swim suits are meant for the beaches, otherwise women are expected not to dress in a revealing outfit. When addressing someone prefix Zoti(Mr) or Zonja(Mrs) before the name and always remember to carry some gifts when visiting someone, although flowers arent much acceptable. The guests are served with coffee, raki or sweets. Smokers dont have to worry much, but they should avoid it where they see a sign of Ndalohet Duhani or Ndalohet pirja e duhanit.

Travelling within the country

Buses with relatively cheap fares operate in the main cities of the country or taxis are another choice which provided service for some main hotels. Visit Dajti Mountain and experience Dajti Ekspres Cable car for an unforgettable 15 minute ride passing through Dajt Oark to reach Tirana. The route is about 4.2 km long and the ride costs 6.5.Alpha Yachting provides crewed yacht which is a luxury in itself. Tirana Bank is the best place for withdrawing money as it allows access to Visa cards.

Eating Out

Restaurants are not always sufficiently heated, so always wear warm clothes if out in the night during winters. Foreigners are charged more than the locals. Both the entry fees as well as any merchandise will be on a higher scale, so its better not to reveal the fact that you are a foreigner when out on the streets.

Site Seeing

If you enjoy canoeing, this is the right place to be. There are places right outside Tirana which is an amazing site for not just canoeing, but also rock climbing, hiking, and camping.

Accommodation

If you want a 5-Star ambience, try The Sheraton Tirana Hotel and Towers, which is situated in the middle of a shopping and entertainment center. There are about 151 rooms and 56 suites. So, along with the comfort, one can shop at once convenience here. Another hotel which provides all modern facilities is Hotel Mondial. It is located 1000 m away from the city and is also a good example of traditional architecture.

Getting There

One of the best and the easiest means is to go by air. Albanian Airlines is the national airline which works in collaboration with Tyrolean Airways, and provides service to almost all the big European cities. The airport, Mother Teresa, is 16 miles or 26 km away from the capital. A tourist bus is available every 3 hrs to get to the city center and takes about 30 minutes to get there. Taxis are available round the clock. While waiting for any transport service, tourists can check out the duty free shops, bank, eateries and car hire at the airport. A departure tax of $10 USD is imposed on all foreign nationals. Check out www.flyalbanian .com for flight times and offers.

If trying to get there by sea, try the ferry services which are provided by Adriatic Line and Agoudimos. The main ports are Durres (has ferry connection to Italy, Bari, Brindisi, Trieste, and Ancona), Vlora (has ferry connection to Bari, and Brindisi), Saranda (has connection to Corfu), Shen Gjini (has ferry connection to Bari). Check out www.adriatica.it and www.aqoudimos-lines.com for more information.

Bus is another option. Buses start from Istanbul, Athens and Sofia. Internal passengers have lots of options with bus services provided. If traveling by road in a private car, there is road network to the Kosovo region, but they are too dangerous to use because of the political tensions within the region. Crossings at Hani I Hotit, Bllata, Oafa e Thaes, Tushemisht, Gorica, Kapshtica, and kakavija can be taken. If tired one can take halts at hotels or other designated areas. There is a network of 18,000 km, out of which only 7450 km are main roads, for local travelers. About 2138km stretch of these roads is in poor condition and has pot holes, and utmost safety precautions should be taken when driving on such roads. Speed limit should be strictly followed on highways as well as within towns. Driving at night should be better avoided because of the absence of street lights on the road except for urban areas. Traffic should drive on the right-hand. There is a shortage of gas stations in the countryside, so filling the gas tank completely when passing through urban area is recommended and since there is lack of national recovery system; travelers should be prepared for an emergency or breakdown before hand. One should carry necessary documents like International Driving Permit and national driving license.

Duty Free Items

Following are the items that can be carried without customs duty being levied on them: 1. 1liter of spirits or 2liter of wine 2. 250ml of eau de toilette 3. 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco 4. 50ml of perfume.

Prohibited Items

Things that are prohibited to carry are firearms, narcotics and ammunition. Special export permission should be taken for precious metals, books, antiques, work of art, or material of national or historic value.

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What Makes The Perfect Honeymoon?

March 23rd, 2009 No comments

A prefect honeymoon is just the way to go to some place after your fabulous marriage. Not only is it the time to get to know your other half, it’s your time to get the much needed flee from the fatiguing marriage preparations. A just right honeymoon isn’t just travelling to the right destination; you would have to make some other decisions that are also momentous.

Choosing the destination has to be the chief pledge. Most of the honeymooners plump for European countries, Mediterranean, or the Caribbean as their destination because these are the some of the most beautiful and most renowned destinations. Choosing the primarily obsessive city of the world Paris has to be the spot on choice. Another wonderful destination is Switzerland. The untouched beauty and unparallel sceneries are worth a visit. Greece, with its dazzling islands, main of the gods and goddesses of love, persuade love birds for at least one memorable visit.

The similar goes for the perfect beaches of the Caribbean. Visualize, water so blue, you never thought it existed, the affection of the sun while you sip appetizingly fresh punches and drinks. The Caribbean offers you a choice amongst its hundreds of islands where every island holds its own exceptional enchanting. These are only some of the reasons why the Caribbean islands are one of the most admired destinations in the world.

Malaysia, Singapore, Islands of Bali, and Sumatra are again tremendously accepted destinations and more and more honeymooners are heading there now. As travelling is linked to financial plan, therefore, travelling to Malaysia, Thailand, or Indonesia is economical than drifting to Europe or the US. This is also one of the reasons why these places are becoming the option of honeymooners. These countries also proffer some of the greatest hotels in the world.

One more object of picking these countries has been the fascination of shopping. Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand enchant shopaholics like magnets, and honeymooners or regular travellers all like to shop likewise and thoroughly.

Your marvellous honeymoon place might be based on the activities that are being proffered. If you’re longing for some action such as mountain climbing, rock climbing, para-sailing, or just cycling then search for destinations that offer your favourite activity. With honeymooners, the Alps are a trendy destination. These offer loads of chances of mountain climbing and also skiing.

Honeymooners in the United States have numerous places to choose from. Napa Valley, Hawaii, and Las Vegas are just some destinations that are ideal for a honeymoon. There are ample places to ski, cycle, hike, or just walk in the country side. In addition to the beauty, honeymoons inside the US experience less of a visa hassle and succeed in keeping it inside the budget.

Cruises are also chosen by honeymooners. In fact, due to the gigantic value of the cruises, fastidious honeymoon cruises are also offered. Packed up with every plausible activity, these special cruises are among the very best. Honeymooners can pick their choice of cruises and the duration of the visit. For the best deals, the internet offers numerous packages that give details about every prerequisite of the whole honeymoon. Websites have privileged advisors that answer couples’ every enquiry.

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