Corfu first
We flew from Manchester to Corfu, landing after a go-around on the first approach, and spent the first days in the Old Town and up at the Old Fortress in 33°C heat. From Corfu Town the ferry to Sarandë takes you to another country, with very different prices.
The Albanian Riviera
We stayed at Hotel Palma in Sarandë and hired a car. The Blue Eye spring was free to visit (we paid £10 for a scooter to skip the walk), Gjirokastër's old stone town was free to wander at 37°C, and the sunset from Lëkurësi Castle above Sarandë cost nothing at all. Ksamil is where the beach clubs are, and a front-row sunbed at Principotes was €35 each, against €25 at Lost Seaside in Sarandë.
What things cost
Cocktails were around £8 in town and £15 at the beach clubs, beer £3 to £4, and meals anywhere from £5 to £30. The Sarandë bar crawl was £30 each.
- Cash is king. Plenty of places only take cash and lek are hard to get in the UK, so use a cash machine when you arrive.
- Beach clubs fill fast, so arrive before 11am.
- Take care on the roads, but a car is still the best way to see the coast and the mountains.
