Three Peaks of the Balkans reviews
Read holiday reviews by Mountain Kingdoms travellers.
Well, what can we say other than this was a truly fascinating trip and amazing experience. Our main comments are, in approx. order of decreasing significance - Semir was the best guide we have ever had, very energetic, kept the same level of interest in us throughout the trip, knew many locals which led to good local interactions for us too and genuinely wanted us to have the best possible holiday so took account of anything we said - the itinerary is brilliant. High quality walking making the best use of the terrain. Clever use of transfers to avoid road walking or less interesting parts albeit creating considerable logistical challenges given the time it takes to travel up to the high pick up points due to the state of some of the roads. Great to have a chance to see Peja and Decani to give a welcome rest day from the walking - the food. High quality and plenty that was vegetarian for my wife. Balbino Bolje, Doberdol and the meals in Peja and at the Gjakove hotel stand out but all were good - the friendliness of everyone we met. we seemed to be genuinely welcomed - the quality of the walking; lots of long ridges, expansive views, virtually no other people on the trails, good paths in the main - the accommodations, several of which were superb with special mention of the two homesteads Balbino Bolje and Reke e Allages. The choice of hotels in the towns was also appreciated; both were very good - the scenery of which the Doberdol valley excels - the benefits of having a guide, both for route finding which would be difficult in places without excellent notes/map but more importantly for the interactions with the local people and information on the history of the area as well as its fauna. Whilst this was intended to be a group tour, it turn into a private journey and we benefitted from this more than we had expected, mainly because several of the accommodations happened not to be full and so we mainly had a room to ourselves (we would not have expected this for a group) - all transport logistics worked very smoothly, including the use of horses to transport our bags on four of the days - not having wifi for most of the trip meant we could relax completely There was nothing at all that we would suggest could be done differently, which is quite surprising for a trip of this length. The only surprise to us, but perhaps it will not be a surprise for much longer, is that others did not come on this trip with us to enjoy such good walking in a near pristine environment without the crowds typically experienced in the Swiss Alps and elsewhere The message to others is that this is definitely a trip worth considering if you like high level walking, expansive views, alpine flowers, accommodations where you experience delightful local people who go out of their way to please, good food, an excellent itinerary, top notch guiding and the chance to explore an interesting wilderness area in near total solitude. For us, this holiday had it all. Indeed, we are likely to want to return to the area before too long and before it becomes a well known and more appreciated destination, attracting larger numbers of travellers with the ensuing consequences.
Excellent trek, well graded, with beautiful scenery in between the clouds, and the chance to meet really lovely, warm and hospitable people in countries which till quite recently were only associated with war and strife.
The scenery was spectacular. I loved hiking in remote places and staying with lovely local families. The food was fantastic as well. Semir was a great guide who taught us a lot about the region and its history. I can definitely recommend this trip and I am looking forward to returning to the Balkans soon.
Well organised, wonderful scenery, remote places and a superb guide - Sameer was just the best and it was clear that whoever he met along the way really liked and respected him.
What a wonderful trip! The scenery was spectacular. I loved hiking in remote places and staying with lovely local families. The food was fantastic as well. Semir was a great guide who taught us a lot about the region and its history. I can definitely recommend this trip and I am looking forward to returning to the Balkans soon.
If anyone is looking for an alternative to overcrowded routes in popular European mountain ranges the Balkans is certainly it. Mountain Kingdom's '3 Peaks of the Balkans' trek really whets the appetite for further exploration of this stunningly beautiful area. It has all the intrepid hiker could want: incredible scenery, the chance to see flora and fauna in abundance and the opportunity to experience the warm hospitality of the balkan people. I will definitely be returning!
A very enjoyable trip. The scenery was beautiful; the wild flowers – gentians, orchids, primulas, geums, etc – provided the best display we have ever seen (including in the Alps), the accommodation and food were generally very good and the itinerary was well planned (it was good to intersperse the trekking with trips to two beautiful monasteries; and we liked having a full last day of trekking – by contrast, some trips peter out with only a brief walk on the final day). Semir Kardovic was an excellent guide and we enjoyed his company.
A seriously great trip! We had loads of adventures. The mountains were really spectacular and every day the trekking was wild and exciting. The best thing though for me was the atmosphere of a country in a time-warp, with incredibly hospitable people and an edgy culture. One of the highlights I think was staying with nomadic shepherds in their summer mountain 'villages' and seeing their way of life. Watching them rounding up their sheep and cattle and penning them for the night to keep them protected from the wolves, and sharing their excellent food and fireside stories. It was absorbing too seeing the different towns and monuments of the three countries; Albania, Kosovo, and Montenegro. It seemed like travelling back in time and yet is pretty much on our doorstep. Good for fitness and some good hard walking made this a trip to remember.
Walking in this genuinely remote and undeveloped region of the Balkans was an experience more akin to trekking in wild Nepal than Europe. We trekked in splendid isolation meeting only the wonderfully hospitable local people, spending nights in tiny hamlets and villages where the outside world seemed to have had very little influence.
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