The Balkans is my new favorite geographical region in Europe. I LOVED the landscape, the beaches, the prices… Everyone is hot, the locals are hot, the other backpackers are hot, and the Balkan people are spiritually African-American. This was the perfect way to end my summer and there is no doubt in my mind that I will be back to this beautiful and cultured part of Europe!! Yugoslavia is where it’s AT.

I arrived from Istanbul directly Tirana and immediately headed south. My original plan was to spend two weeks in Albania and Montenegro because I’m not keen on moving every two days, but since my job is on some bullshit, my trip ended up being three weeks instead of two. You guys probably know I’m not the most cultured traveler– so this lil itinerary is most useful for those who want to go beaching and clubbing. I visited Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia this trip and will hopefully return to travel the remaining Balkan countries (except Croatia). 

Albania

I’m glad I began my trip in Albania because Albania and Montenegro have the same exact excursions, only Albania is significantly cheaper. Funnily enough, I was more excited for Montenegro because everyone kept telling me I’d get sex trafficked by the mafia in Albania, but Albania was my favorite country on this trip… so much that I’ve decided to move here in the near future (Americans can stay one year on a tourist visa). It’s cheap, the beaches are beautiful, and the people are friendly. It reminded me of Spain in some ways (the prices are comparable to Spain because I was expecting cheaper the way people hyped it up), and it’s in the perfect location to visit Greece and other Adriatic beaches.

Sarandë

I spent my first two nights in Sarandë, and two days, maybe even one is all you need. Sarandë has the best nightlife, but the main city center beach is meh. The city is only good for taking other excursions. I didn’t have the energy to go to the famous Blue Lagoon which was highly recommended by everyone, but I did manage to take a day trip to Ksamil, a town thirty minutes away by bus that has prettier beaches (but no hostels).

Himarë

What had planned to be one night on my way to Vlorë (I didn’t end up going) turned into three. Himarë is a lazy beach town– less touristy than Sarandë and has a more widespread beach without the obnoxious hotel chairs. I stayed at Sun Basker’s Hostel, my favorite hostel of my entire trip, and ended up splitting a taxi to another slightly-hidden beach, Aquarium Beach.  I would have loved to stay longer, but I knew I had to continue my trip.

Tirana

I only spent one night here, purposely planned on Friday, and one night was all I needed. Tirana is nothing special, but of course, there are lots more things to do in terms of culture and history, but this was a dumb bitch trip, so no need. There are lots of museums that display the horrid communist regime. I visited Bunk’Art 2 museum before my departure to Shkodër.

Shkodër

One day turned into three in Shkodër. Many backpackers visit for some kind of big hike, but I only wanted to see the lake, which I didn’t end up seeing because I didn’t want to rent a bike. Instead, I took an excursion to the Lumi I Shales River. It’s about a one-hour drive from Shkodër, and two hours on the boat. This was my favorite excursion. Overall, Shkodër itself is a nice place to chill, have dinner, and walk around.

Montenegro

Coming from Albania to Montenegro, my expectations were high, but I preferred Albania. I had every intention in the world to go to Budva to see Island Sveti Stefani, but unfortunately I got sick and lost all of my energy. Montenegro is the most expensive country out of the four, and again, all of the excursions to pretty islands and beaches can be done in Albania. I did enjoy Montenegro’s landscape the most. I felt like I was in a fairytale.

Ulcinj

I was sick while in Ulcinj, which is why I stayed three days instead of one. I didn’t go out and only walked around the city center to check out the (mediocre) beach. The hostel I stayed at drove us to another beach, but it was also mediocre. I regret not leaving sooner, but on top of being sick, there was a stomach bug going around and I was physically incapable of moving. I would recommend Ulcinj for those needing a bit of a break.

Kotor

First off, all of the hostels in Kotor are expensive. I stayed in Old Town Hoste, my first night, which is supposedly the biggest (and most expensive) party hostel in Kotor, but it was filled with mostly19-year-olds, which isn’t my thing anymore. I moved to Hostel 4U which was a lot better, and it was on the beach! Kotor Beach was one of the nicer city center beaches I’ve visited, and I was surprised that it wasn’t so crowded. I enjoyed Kotor’s nightlife a lot more than Albania’s, so I recommend staying in Kotor for partying, however, the excursions can be done elsewhere.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

I didn’t plan on going to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, but as my trip neared its ending, I had to choose between visiting two cities in Bosnia or splitting my time between both countries. I don’t really regret not visiting the capital because visiting a big city was the last thing I wanted to do at this point.

Mostar

In two days you can accomplish a lot in Mostar. Walk to the Mostar Old Bridge to see young men jumping into the Neretva River and take a swim. My hostel took us on a day trip to the Kravika Waterfalls and after the Počitelj Castle. I didn’t go out in Mostar and used those two days to catch up on sleep before my grand finale in Belgrade.

Serbia

My phone broke my first night in Serbia (not my fault this time), so I don’t have any decent photos, but I promise you, Belgrade will do right by you 🥲

Belgrade

After mistakingly watching A Serbian Film my freshman year of college, I had no interest in visiting Serbia, but I’m glad I faced my fears because all of the men look like basketball players– I almost got pregnant. My Serbian friend told me that Belgrade is known for its river nightclubs, so since then, I’ve made it a priority to visit. Although I went during shit weather, the parties were still fun. Belgrade surprisingly had the nicest people of any capital city I’ve ever visited in my travels. Even the old people were nice, which came to my surprise because everyone else told me Serbia is filled with nationalists. Maybe so, but they were so nice to me and I wouldn’t even say it was in a fetishy way because there were hella of Africans there. Anyway, Belgrade is IT and I’m already planning my next trip to get on 90 Day Fiance. , DO NOT SMOKE WEED HERE.

Things to Consider

How much time is needed?

I spent a little under three weeks in four of these countries. Most of my time was spent in Albania due to poor planning, but I don’t regret it at all. If you want to stay specifically in these countries, I’d recommend a minimum of three weeks, just because I hate rushing between destinations. I only wanted to party on the beach, so Albania and Montenegro were my main priorities, but if I had known I would have visited Belgrade, I would have added two more days because I didn’t do anything there besides party and break my phone.

Transportation

Transportation around the Balkans isn’t that great. In most places, you cannot purchase a ticket online and many of the buses to different cities run only 1-3 times daily. While you can still be spontaneous in your travels, be aware of the bus timetables.

Budget

I thought the end of summer would be slightly cheaper, but it was the opposite. Hostels in Albania and Montenegro cost roughly 12 to 30 euros, and they sell out quickly, so a bit of planning is required if you’re adamant about staying in a certain hostel. Bosnia was definitely the cheapest of all four countries, but you can find cheap hostels in Belgrade as well.

Most of the day excursions, such as the million and one boat trips, cost between 20 to 30 euros. Do not take the first excursion you see, shop around and decide if you actually want to go on it or if it’s just the same as every other boat excursion you’ve taken all summer. I love boats so I can’t complain, but I regret not doing more interesting things.

Food and drinks will add up if you’re not careful, especially in Albania and Bosnia since everything is cheaper. I personally don’t believe in buying my own drink at bars, but the Balkans is raki culture, meaning wine and vodka is slightly more expensive. I will never drink raki again.

Safety

People always try to gaslight me into believing that everything bad that happens to me while traveling is my fault, so I was unnecessarily paranoid on this trip, which made me even more anxious. I felt safer everywhere in these cities than I have in some parts of Italy and Paris. The countries are small and the people are generally nice, so even if you do have a problem, people are willing to help you. As a solo, black female traveler, I had no problems

My Route: South to North