Albania

Albania has its eye on the future, and travelers will find the rugged, wild, beauty of a country whose landscapes, food, and culture could rival any European nation.

Albania is a Balkan country on the Mediterranean that lies just north of Greece. Beaches and coastal towns line much of the country’s western edge, and Albania’s Dinaric Alps can be found in the north. Throughout the country are UNESCO heritage sites and towns, and linking it all together is the wild Vjosa River.

We particularly love Southern Albania, in the countryside between the mountains and the sea. The food is remarkably fresh and vibrant in flavor, and the towns dotted with cypress and olive trees invite ease and charm. There is a particular beauty in the religious & cultural harmony of this region, and we have spent long afternoons and evenings having dynamic conversations with its locals (and the help of our guide to translate, of course.)

We’ve selected Albania for its farm-to-table splendor, lesser-explored mountain trails, and warm-natured hospitality.

OUR NEXT TRIP:

Dates:

14 – 22nd September, 2024

Registration closes on July, 15th

Theme:

Provenance

Trip Investment:

$3,250 USD

Trip Details:

Hinoki Travels invites you to journey on a small group trip to Southern Albania, where we explore the region’s varied cultures, food & agriculture, and vast landscapes.

On each Hinoki trip, we explore a theme of that connects to well-being. In Albania, we will explore our theme of Provenance.

Provenance refers to the flavors of food and how its qualities stem from the soil it was nurtured in. In the globalized era, Albania is a place where the flavor of its food cannot be replicated outside of the region. Realizing this allows us to explore our relationship to the lands on which we rely, and to what lengths we are willing to go to protect them.

If there are three things that we want you to bring home with you from this trip, they are:

– The complexities of the Albanian people and their culture

– The abundance of their land & the quality of the food they produce

(which they will very generously share with you.)

– The wildness of their mountains & rivers, and how Albanians are protecting them

We will be hosted by local farmers, food producers, shepherds, local guides & small business owners. We’ll stay overnight in guest houses in villages, sample the local food & wine, raft a wild river, and hike through the vast diversity of Southern Albania’s landscape. In Albania, there are even spiritual practices that you won’t find elsewhere. We’ll explore that, too.

Most importantly, this trip will support the efforts of Albanian citizens who are dedicated to protecting the Vjosa River–Europe’s last wild-flowing river. By declaring it a National Park, Albania will be able to protect this precious waterway forever. Hinoki is contributing 5% of your trip fee to funds that will support EcoAlbania, which is organizing efforts to protect the Vjosa. Keeping the Vjosa wild and un-dammed will protect the entire ecosystem that depends on this waterway, including the people who live alongside it. You can learn more about this project here.

We also encourage you to view our Albania journal post here to learn more about our past travels in the country.

What's Included:

We have designed this trip to grant you access to the personal homes, farms, & kitchens of kind Albanian people. With a professional guide & translator, this is not a trip you could plan alone

All of your accommodations for 8 nights are included (and solo travelers, you will have your own room)

A full breakfast, lunch, & dinner are provided each day. Albanian food is healthy, delicious & abundant

A guide & driver is included

A professional, licensed driver and private vehicle (standard) will be available to pick you up and drop you back to the airport

All flights from your home to Albania and back are not included

Alcoholic drinks & other beverages such as imported sodas, etc. are not included

Visa fees, if required, are not included

Toiletries, SIM cards, souvenirs, additional meals, and any other items not mentioned in this itinerary.

Tips to your Albanian guide, driver, and any other service providers are not included

Photos by Jean Paolo Ty

Words from Our Travelers

The way Hinoki works with local communities to design travel experiences inspires a kind of mindful travel that is not only refreshing, it stems from a genuine sense of awe and respect for the land and its people. Experiencing Albania through Hinoki and their local partner, whose passion, knowledge and connections gave me rare access to the people, conversations and stories that would have remained undiscovered had I gone on my own. The itinerary was equal parts invigorating, challenging and contemplative. While catering to my pace and tastes, it strove to expand my limits and nudge me into contemplation. I adventured in the wilderness; stayed with local families and fell in love with their ways of life; learned about the history and culture of a country once shrouded in mystery; experienced first-hand the community-led efforts in conservation and preservation of their cultures and land — these collectively served to deepen my understanding and appreciation of the country, and allowed me to see how my travel directly impacts the local community. Here, I am no longer just a guest and visitor, but an active participant making small contributions to their lives, livelihood and land. This way of travel deepens, expands and continues to shape the way I see the world and my place in it, long after my trip has concluded — what a gift. Bethany’s thoughtfulness and care extends beyond designing the trip. Her sensitivity and empathy made me feel cared for, with regular check-ins, personalised tweaks, and an enthusiasm in listening to my personal reflections! Having developed this relationship with Bethany who understands me and my taste for travel, I’m eager to experience more countries with Hinoki — I know I’m in good hands.

Finding myself nearly speechless, I have to say this is one of the most fantastic and deeply meaningful travel experiences I have ever had, and this is coming from a true world traveler.

The amount of care, expertise, mindfulness and reverence Hinoki weaves into their trips is just BEYOND. In focusing on slowing down versus the normal "tourist circuit" and getting you off the beaten path, you will have experiences you may have never thought you would, it will stretch and grow you, and expand you and your life in all the best and most needed ways. And, you will have a ton of fun doing it while bonding with other adventurous travelers. Trips at the pace that Hinoki does them, are also a beautiful way to truly connect to yourself as you find enough stillness to just be. I can think of no greater gift in the world. I am crying tears of joy as I write this! There is no other trip like this.

Thank you SO much, Hinoki Travels, and I can't wait for our next trip together, and the one after that, and after that, and so on!

Albania

Trip Details:

What's Included:

Words from Our Travelers

Immerse yourself in the rugged, wild, beauty of Albania

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