Comfort
You will stay in modest homestay accommodation with locals, except for the first and last nights that are spent in hotels.
Hotel: double or triple ensuite bedrooms. Wifi is available.
Guesthouses/Home stays: twin rooms (sometimes triple, or quadruple), shared bathrooms. Your hosts don't necessarily speak English but a little bit of raki and sign language go a long way!
Very limited internet access/signal during the trail.
Meals
The local gastronomy is delicious and varied. During the ride, you will enjoy freshly prepared meals that will give you a sample of the Albanian gastronomy.
Country breakfast with local dairy products, honey, pancakes; pies and cakes, eggs, milk, tea and coffee.
Lunches: on most days, you will have your lunch at a local small restaurant/cafe. On days in which you have picnics, you will prepare your own lunch (in the morning) according to your taste (bread, cheese, vegetables, eggs...). Sometimes you will bring this with you in your saddlebags, and sometimes it will be brought to you by the back up vehicle.
Dinner is a hot meal prepared by your hosts (veal, pork, chicken, goat or fish), with local wines and raki.
Vegetarian meals and allergies can be accommodated, please contact us with your requirements.
Climate
This ride takes place in southern Albania which is around 5 degrees warmer than the rest of the country. You will experience different types of weather on the trail; from cooler mountainous air to a warmer climate down on the coast.
The best time to visit Albania is the months of April, May, June and September, with lovely warm weather. July and August are dry and temperatures can be extremely hot, from 25 to 45°C! In October, November and March, there is a chance of rain and temperatures average 10-15°C, with April starting to get warmer.
Tips
Tips are left to your discretion and are not mandatory.
The local currency is the Lek, but Euro is widely accepted.
Packing list
Please pack carefully and sensibly: the following guide is here to give you an idea of what to bring. This list must be adapted depending on the season and individual needs.
Head
- Helmet
- Sunglasses - with a cord attached so they don't fly off when riding
- Buff or bandana
Upper body
- Long sleeved shirts provide protection from the sun or branches and are an extra layer
- T-shirts
- Lightweight fleece or jumper
- Warm fleece or jumper (and a spare in case one gets wet)
- Warm and waterproof jacket - it can rain outside July and August and the evenings can be cooler.
Legs
- 2 Lightweight, comfortable riding trousers or jodhpurs
- Casual trousers for the evenings, such as jeans or tracksuit bottoms
- Bathing suit and towel
Hands and Feet
- Comfortable riding boots. We recommend good hiking boots with half chaps. There might be some walking over steep trails so we don't recommend taking your favourite long leather boots in case they get damaged, and normal riding boots with a smooth sole can be slippery when walking on foot.
- Trainers or equivalent light shoes for the evenings
- Several pairs of socks
- Gloves. Waterproof gloves can be particularly useful.
Other useful items
- Bumbag for carrying your camera and small items whilst riding
- Water bottle
- Swiss army knife (or equivalent)
- Ear plugs (for light sleepers)
Medical kit
- Any medication you regularly take
- Sunscreen and lip balm - should be high factor
- Insect repellent, preferably containing deet
- Blister plasters in case of any rubs
- Antiseptic cream, plasters, aspirin, anti-histamine, insect-bite salve etc...
- Spare prescription glasses/contact lenses
- Eye drops
- Imodium or similar anti-diarrhoea medication
- Antiseptic wipes
- Handwash gel
Our Recommendations
- Backpacks cannot be worn whilst riding. We recommend a small bumbag or a coat with pockets so that you can carry small items with you during the day ( camera, sunscreen, lipbalm etc)
- We recommend travelling in your riding boots and carrying your hat and some riding clothes in your hand luggage - then if your luggage goes astray you are still able to ride!
- We recommend taking a copy of your passport and insurance documents with you in case you lose your originals
- Take a second, smaller bag to pack things you may need during the day such as a book or suncream then you can easily access it during the long lunch break
- You can bring pictures of your family and small gifts for your host family if you like.
