Bajram Curri Travel Guide

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In my opinion, Bajram Curri's main attraction is the ferry ride on Lake Komani. It is a two hour journey through unspoiled and breathtaking scenery quite likely without peer elsewhere in Albania. Get up early to go; the minibusses leave at 6:00 A.M. There will be several busses available going to Tirana. The trip from Bajram Curri to Tirana cost 1,000 lek which included the fare for the ferry. It took almost 8 hours, but that included replacing a flat tire. If you are anywhere in the general vicinity, this is not to be missed.

Spending only one evening in Bajram Curri, one has only a short time to explore, thus I have but one thing to say regarding cuisine in the town. Being a fair bit knackered after the journey from Gjakova, I took a nap at the hotel, and awoke around 19:30 hungry. I hadn't changed any Euros into Lek before my siesta, and anyone who has been through the town knows how likely finding a place to change money is, at that hour on a week-end. At any rate, with my stomach yelling at me, I sallied forth in search of sustenance. Restaurants certainly do not abound in this mountain village, though I did find a small shop selling pizzas and pastries. I asked for a pizza and the man behind the counter replied that it would be 200 Lek, but I had no Lek, only Euros, which I humbly conveyed to the proprietor. In sign language / etc. he conveyed that they would not accept Euros. When he realized that I had no Lek, he gave me the pizza for free, accepting no payment whatsoever, regardless of my efforts to the contrary. A stark ccontrast to western society from a small business owner in the most extreme of hard-scrabble existences, and a beacon of the over all travel experience I had while in Abania.

Miscellaneous: Bring a flashlight. Though the power never went out, at least whilst I was awake; the hotel had no lights in the hall or stairwell after dark. It can tend to be a long walk back to the room after too much raki. I was all to happy to have a flashlight for my return trip.

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The entire location is off the beaten path. Stray dogs abound, though I had one epiphany upon the discovery of these cheese doodles. Even the hungry stray dogs won't eat them. Wake up call, indeed, for all of us big-bellied westerners!