Lonely planet: Albania is in top ten Traveller’s Choice destination of 2013

Lonely Planet Traveller’s Choice: the top destinations of 2013, part 3

Albania is one of 10 countries chosen as Traveller's Choice by Lonely Planet in the category “Off the beaten path”, in other words, it is still a secret to be discovered. Even the most visited continents have hidden gems, three countries in Europe, Albania, Moldova and Iceland, made it to the top 10 ‘off the beaten path’ list. More than 3000 people where asked to vote their favourite destinations by 16 criteria in the survey carried out by Lonely planet. Thank you very much to all travellers who voted Albania.

 

Off the beaten path
Proving that even the most visited continents have hidden gems, three countries in Europe made it to the top 10 ‘off the beaten path’ list. But Bhutan was the clear winner, capturing 45.2% of its visitors’ votes for this category, which is nearly double the second-placed, Moldova.

 

 

1. Bhutan
2. Moldova
3. Mozambique
4. Algeria
5. Ghana
6. Albania
7. Bolivia
8. Burma
9. Iceland
10. Azerbaijan


Introducing Albania

Awaking Sleeping Beauty–like in the 1990s from her hardline communist isolation, Albania was a stranger from another time. Her cities weren’t choked by car fumes, her beaches were unspoilt by mass tourism, her long-suffering people were a little dazed and confused. While things have changed a lot since then, this ancient land still offers something increasingly rare in Europe these days – a glance into a culture that is all its own. Raised on a diet of separation and hardship, Albania is distinctly Albanian.

 

You’ll continue to find beautiful pristine beaches on parts of the Ionian Coast (try the charming town of Saranda), fascinating classical sites like ancient Berat, and dramatic mountain citadels, but the mad traffic of Tirana is symptomatic of a bustling, bright city shrugging off its Stalinist grey patina. Squat toilets are no longer the norm and you can even sip cocktails at hip bars while listening to rock bands. Meanwhile, Northern Albania keeps the country's reputation as a wild frontier alive and well, with bleak mountains and the occasional blood feud.
Not just the preserve of the adventurous, Albania is a warm and sincerely hospitable country – with enough rough edges to keep it interesting.


Read more about Albania : http://www.lonelyplanet.com/albania#ixzz2NSVw9tFe

Read full article of Lonely Planet: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/blog/2013/02/26/lonely-planet-travellers-choice-the-top-destinations-of-2013-part-3/#ixzz2NSONQXXk