Albania is a "utopian" destination for travellers
Albania has been likened to Thailand and described as possibly the "ultimate destination" for backpackers heading off in 2009.
Observer travel writer Matt Carroll said the deserted beaches of the Adriatic coast and the turquoise water made the eastern European country a "utopian" location for travellers without the cost or lengthy flight of south-east Asia.
"Around almost every corner there's a strip of empty sand that has managed to escape invasion by the package holiday hordes," he wrote.
"Paradise" was the only word to describe the panorama, he added.
Mr Carroll headed south from the capital city of Tirana and he made his first stop at the ancient village of Orikumi. From here he went up through the pine forests to the Cika Mountains and down to the Adriatic coastline that stretches almost 300 miles from Vlore to Butrint.
According to Albania Tourism, the coastline's history dates back through the Roman, Illyrian and Greek eras and can be a fascinating attraction for historians as well as beach-lovers.
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