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Thikse Monastery Contents Introduction Leh, Ladakh Stok & Spituk Shey, Thikse, Matho & Hemis Likir, Alchi, Lamayuru & Kanji Nubra Valley & Pangong Lake Taxis, Restaurants, Hotels & Laundry Links to my other blogs on Ladakh 1. Introduction I spent a very enjoyable 6 weeks in Ladakh during August and September 2024. I mainly went to trek in Sham Valley, Markha Valley and Zanskar . However, I took advantage of being in Leh and did a lot of sightseeing whilst there. Leh is a very pleasant town and there are few hassles like in many parts of India. The people are friendly and welcoming and Leh hasn't been overwhelmed by traffic like in so many Asian towns. It helps that Leh's main shopping street is pedestrianised. Leh is a good base for day trips to many of Ladakh's ancient Buddhist monasteries. It is important to be selective as there are so many monasteries in the vicinity of Leh. I visited most of the most important monasteries and this blog covers them. Trekking is another popular way to see Ladakh. The Markha Valley and Sham Valley treks are 2 short and easy treks near Leh. They can be done independently or you could join a group trek arranged by many of the travel agencies in Leh. See my blogs 2024 Guide for the Markha Valley Trek and 2024 Guide for the Sham Valley Trek for information about these treks. I didn't do the popular 2 or 3 day trip from Leh to the Nubra Valley and Pangong Lake. It is very scenic but also touristy. 2. Leh, Ladakh 2.1 Central area of Leh The long pedestrianised shopping street called the Main Bazaar is the centre of Leh. At the northern end of the Main Bazaar is the Jamia Masjid mosque. On the west side there is a Tibetan Refugee market. There are local markets south of the pedestrianised area and to the east a local shopping street runs parallel to it. Leh Palace can be seen from the northern end of the Main Bazaar and Leh's dilapidated old town is east of the mosque. It is worth wandering through the old town on the way up to, and down from, Leh Palace but there aren't many buildings of interest. The Chokhang Vihara Temple was consecrated in 1980 and is in an area just north west of the Main Bazaar. It is worthwhile having a quick wander around this peaceful part of central Leh. The main pedestrianised shopping street in Leh Tibetan Refugee Market in Leh Chokhang Vihara Temple in Leh 2.2 Leh Palace Leh Palace looks spectacular from the Grand Bazaar and it is lit up at night. It's definitely worth visiting Leh Palace and the entry fee was only INR 300 (USD 4) in 2024 for foreigners. The nine storey Leh Palace was constructed in 1630 and visitors enter on the fourth level. The Royal Shrine and a couple of rooms with exhibitions are on the fourth and fifth levels. Otherwise most of the rooms in the Leh Palace are empty. There are good views of Leh from the top floors. View of Leh Palace from the old town Leh Palace View from Leh Palace The Royal Shrine in Leh Palace View from Leh Palace 2.3 Leh Old Town Leh old town with Leh Palace in the background Leh old town 2.4 Shanti Stupa The white Shanti Stupa was built in 1991 on a hill about 100 metres high. It's a 10 minute walk past the Hotel Omasila in the north western part of central Leh. There are 566 steps from the road to the stupa and there is a cafe at the top. Shanti Stupa is a popular spot at sunset as there are good views over Leh. Shanti Stupa in Leh View from Shanti Stupa in Leh View from Shanti Stupa in Leh 3. Stok & Spituk I spent 6 hours visiting Stok and Spituk by taxi that cost INR 2,500 (USD 30). The first section of the journey from Leh to Choglamsar went through an unattractive urban sprawl but the Choglamsar to Stok road was scenic. I returned to Leh via Spituk and the scenery from Stok to Spituk was excellent. It made a nice outing. 3.1 Stok The main places to see at Stok are the Palace, the Golden Buddha on the hill, the monastery and a heritage house. Stok village sprawls over several kilometres and is not worth walking around. Stok Palace was built around 1820 and became the royal residence in 1834. There is a museum and temple included in the small admission charge of about INR 200. Part of Stok Palace is now a heritage hotel. Photography isn't allowed in the museum and temple. The Golden Buddha is a couple of kilometres from Stok Palace. It's 22 metres high and was built in 2012. The Buddha is right above a modern monastery and the nearby shop has the key. There are excellent views from the Buddha. There is monastery nearby dating back to the 14th century. I didn't visit it but wish I had. The Gyapthago Heritage Home is a few kilometres further on. I had a tour of the old house and a nice lunch for INR 500 (USD 6). Stok Palace Rear of Stok Palace Stok Palace Courtyard View from Stok Palace Buddha on a hill near Stok Palace Kitchen in Gyapthago heritage home in Stok Gyapthago heritage home in Stok Making Tibetan butter tea 3.2 Spituk Monastery & Village The impressive monastery at Spituk is built on a rocky outcrop and can be seen from several kilometres away. It is one of the oldest monasteries in Ladakh and dates back to the 11th century. There are about 4 chapels and chambers that can be entered but photography isn't allowed. Spituk village is built on the steep rear side of the monastery. My taxi took me around to this side and I walked up through the old and atmospheric village. There is a long line of white chortens at the base of Spituk village. Spituk monastery Spituk monastery Spituk village Spituk village Spituk village View from Spituk 4. Monasteries at Shey, Thikse, Matho & Hemis These famous monasteries are south east of Leh and can be visited on a long day trip from Leh. 4.1 Shey Palace There is a 2 storey temple in Shey Palace which contains Ladakh's most famous statue of Buddha. It is large and very impressive. The entrance fee for Shey Palace is only INR 40 (USD 0.50). There is a dilapidated fortress on the hill above Shey Palace. It's possible to clamber to the top from where there are good views. There are restaurants in the village just below Shey Palace. Shey Palace Buddha in Shey Palace Shey Palace View from Shey Palace Shey Fortress 4.2 Thikse Monastery Thikse monastery dates back to the 15th century. It is one of the biggest and most impressive monasteries in Ladakh and shouldn't be mis sed. Photography is allowed in the prayer rooms unlike at several of the other monasteries. The entrance fee is INR 50 (USD 0.60). Thikse Monastery Thikse Monastery Thikse Monastery Thikse Monastery Thikse Monastery Thikse Monastery Thikse Monastery View from Thikse Monastery 4.3 Matho Monastery Matho monastery dates back to the 15th century and photography in the interior is permitted. The entrance fee is INR 50 (USD 0.60). Matho Monastery Matho Monastery Matho Monastery Monks at Matho Monastery View from Matho Monastery 4.4 Hemis Monastery Hemis monastery dates back to the 17th century and is probably the most famous monastery in Ladakh. It houses around 500 monks and there are about 5 chambers that can be visited. Hemis Monastery Prayer wheels at Hemis Monastery Chortens above Hemis Monastery 5. Likir, Alchi, Lamayuru & Kanji It is about a 2.5 hour drive westwards from Leh to Lamayuru monastery which would make a long day trip if the monasteries at Likir and Alchi were visited on the way. It would be far more relaxing to spend the night at Lamayuru where there is plenty of accommodation. There are at least 2 decent hotels in Lamayuru that have rooms with attached bathrooms. The interesting and attractive Tibetan village of Kanji is only a one and a quarter hour drive from Lamayuru. There is a homestay in Kanji and the night could be spent there instead of at Lamayuru. If you organise this trip yourself do ensure that you obtain a Protected Area Permit as you often need to show it at police road blocks. It only costs INR 600 (USD 7) and can be obtained quickly through most travel agencies in Leh. See my Markha Valley trek blog for further details. On the road from Leh to Alchi there are a couple of quick pull overs: The first one is Magnetic Hill where vehicles which have stopped appear to move uphill due to an optical illusion. In reality the road goes downhill. The next one is Sangam viewpoint which is above the confluence of the Indus and Zanskar rivers. Sangam Viewpoint Sangam Viewpoint 5.1 Likir Monastery Likir monastery was founded in the 11th century and there are now around 100 monks practising there. Likir monastery sits impressively on a hill that is about 5 kilometres off the Leh to Srinagar road. There are 2 main chapels and a museum that can be visited. Behind Likir monastery there is a 25 metre high golden image of the Maitreya Buddha. The entrance fee is only INR 50 (USD 0.60) and the opening hours are 08.00 to 13.00 and 14.00 to 18.00. Photography is allowed in the chapels but not in the museum. Likir Monastery Interior of Likir Monastery Interior of Likir Monastery View from Likir Monastery 5.2 Alchi Monastery Alchi Monastery is one of the oldest in Ladakh and is different from most of the other monasteries. It doesn't have a spectacular setting and is very small. However, Alchi monastery's 3 very small chapels were very atmospheric and impressive. Alchi Monastery is open from 09.00 to 13.00 and from 14.00 to 18.00. At the entrance all cameras must be put in individual lockers. I visited Alchi at midday and fortunately there were no other visitors in the small chapels. However, when I left Alchi just before the monastery reopened at 14.00 there were groups waiting to visit. The chapels wouldn't be so magical if there were too many other visitors. The best restaurant in Alchi is the popular Alchi Kitchen run by women. Alchi monastery Prayer wheels at Alchi monastery Alchi Kitchen 5.3 Lamayuru Monastery Lamayuru monastery is one of the most impressive and largest monasteries in Ladakh. It is surrounded by a moonscape landscape and there are several viewpoints in the vicinity from which this moonscape can be fully appreciated. It takes about 2 hours to explore Lamayuru's fascinating monastery complex and there are around 4 chapels that can be visited. Photography isn't allowed in most of the chapels. Lamayuru monastery Lamayuru monastery Lamayuru monastery Lamayuru monastery Prayer wheel at Lamayuru monastery Prayer room at Lamayuru monastery View from above Lamayuru monastery Lamayuru monastery Moonscape near Lamayuru monastery Moonscape near Lamayuru monastery 5.4 Kanji It is about a 1.5 hour drive from Lamayuru to the interesting and very scenic Tibetan village of Kanji where there is a homestay . The road to Kanji goes over the 4,108 metre high Fatu La which is the highest point on the Leh to Srinagar road. Just before Kanji the road goes through a spectacular canyon. I walked through it and met up with my vehicle on the other side of the canyon. Fatu La between Lamayuru & Kanji View from Fatu La Gorge before Kanji Gorge before Kanji Kanji village Kanji's monastery Chortens in Kanji Prayer wheels in Kanji Tsha tsha in Kanji Tunnel in Kanji Kanji Kanji View from Kanji, Ladakh Kanji, Ladakh 6. Nubra Valley & Pangong Lake The scenic drive to Nubra Valley and Pangong Lake is very popular. You can either arrange your own taxi or join one of the tours organised by the numerous travel agencies in Leh. When I was in Leh the reputable Ancient Tracks travel agency were advertising tours shown on the photo below. I didn't do this trip as I didn't have enough time and I was going to see a lot of Ladakh's wonderful scenery during my 6 weeks trekking in Markha Valley, Zanskar and Sham Valley. 7. Taxis, Restaurants, Hotels & Laundry 7.1 Taxis Taxis aren't usually hailed in the street. There are 2 main taxi stands in Leh, one is near the Main Bazaar and the other is by the bus station. There is a taxi union in Leh and they set the rates to each destination in Ladakh. The 2022/23 rate sheet is on their website . The cost of a taxi from the airport to Leh was INR 550 (USD 7) in 2024. 7.2 Restaurants in Leh There are a lot of good restaurants in Leh. I mainly ate at the following ones: Chopsticks Tibetan Kitchen Bon Appetit Most restaurants in Leh don't serve alcohol but Bon Appetit does. 7. 3 Hotels in Leh There are a lot of good looking hotels in Leh. I stayed at the Hotel Omasila which was one of the first hotels in Leh. Hotel Omasila is set in nice grounds and the rooms are spacious but need updating. The staff were very pleasant and helpful. My room at Hotel Omasila in Leh View from my room at Hotel Omasila in Leh Exterior of Hotel Omasila in Leh 7.4 Hotels in Lamayuru The Grand Moonland and the Dragon Hotel in Lamayuru get good reviews. Both hotels have attached bathrooms. I think I stayed in the old Hotel Moonland which was fine. I had an attached bathroom which was more than I expected. 7.5 Homestay in Kanji I camped at Kanji as it was the start of my Zanskar trek . I saw the Thankar Painter Homestay whilst wandering around the village. The Thankar Painter Homestay in Kanji 7.6 Laundry There are 2 laundries near the Hotel Omasila in Leh. They are both on the same side of the road as the hotel and one is before the hotel and the other one after it. Usually laundry handed in by 21.00 it will be ready for collection the following evening. The cost is very reasonable. 8. Links to my other blogs on Ladakh 2024 Guide for the Markha Valley Trek 2024 Guide to the Sham Valley Trek 2024 Zanskar trek - Part 1 2024 Zanskar Trek - Part 2 2024 Zanskar Trek - Pa rt

Mebtak La Contents Introduction Map of the Sham Valley Trek When to do the Sham Valley Trek What to bring for the Sham Valley Trek Internet Connectivity on the Sham Valley Trek Transport to and from the Sham Valley Trek Permits for the Sham Valley Trek Cost of the Sham Valley Trek Navigating the Sham Valley Trek Accommodation on the Sham Valley Trek Itinerary for the Markha Valley Trek Link to my other blogs on Ladakh 1. Introduction I went to Ladakh to do a 35 day trek through Zanskar to Spiti trek with a small group (see my blog 2024 Zanskar Trek - Part 1 ) . Before the Zanskar trek I decided to do the short Sham Valley and Markha Valley treks by myself (see my blog 2024 Guide for the Markha Valley Trek ). I started with the 3 day Sham Valley trek as it is an easy trek and altitude acclimatisation isn't an issue as the maximum altitude is about 3,800 metres, which is only 300 metres higher than Leh. I started the Sham Valley trek on 10th August 2024 which is the peak trekking period. I was pleasantly surprised that there weren't that many people doing the trek. I guess about 30 people a day. I really enjoyed the trek and although there are roads nearby it didn't spoil the trek. Some trekkers could find that the 2nd day of the Sham Valley trek is too short as it only takes about 2.5 hours. If so the 2nd and 3rd days could be combined into a 7 hour hike to Temisgam or a shorter hike to Ang. The Sham Valley trek is a good warm up trek for the slightly more difficult Markha Valley trek. It is possible to drive from the end of the Sham Valley trek to the start of the Markha Valley trek without going back to Leh. This journey takes about 2 hours and costs INR 4,000 (USD 48). 2.  Map  of the Sham Valley Trek Red line for the correct route & blue line for my wrong route 3. When to do the Sham Valley Trek The Sham Valley trek can usually be done from May to October. There is a small risk of snow on the passes in May and October but the highest pass is only 3,800 metres so usually it shouldn't be a problem. There are roads to both Yangthang and Hemis Shukpachan and it would be easy to abort the trek if necessary July and August are the busiest months for the Sham Valley trek but by the end of August the number of trekkers should decrease. I did the trek in mid August and didn't find the trail and accommodation to be busy. There were less trekkers than in the Markha Valley and I didn't find the Markha Valley trek to be that busy either. It can be very hot in July and August and I found the first day of the Sham Valley trek to be hot. The temperature would be less extreme in June and September. May and October could be a bit on the cool side. 4.What to bring for the Sham Valley Trek 4.1. Blankets, Duvets & Pillow Cases I brought a silk liner bag for hygiene reasons and used the blankets and duvets provided. I always take a pillow case for lodge/homestay treks and either put it over the pillow provided or stuff my down jacket in the pillow case if there isn't one. 4.2. Drinking Water All the homestays and tented camps provided filtered water and a lot of trekkers drink it. However, I took a Steripen to sterilise the filtered water. Some trekkers use LifeStraw water bottles or water purification tablets. I did a 35 day trek through Zanskar after the Sham Valley and Markha Valley trek s and I relied on filtered water at our campsites. Three out of seven of us got very sick from the water as most filters don't remove viruses. As a result two of us had to end our trek after 26 days. It took me 7 weeks to recover and I am now lactose intolerant as a result. It is better to be safe than sorry when drinking water! 4.3 Footwear I wore boots but the terrain isn't difficult and hiking shoes should be fine. Just make sure they are shoes or boots that you have worn before and they are comfortable. 4.4. Food I didn't take any food as the meals provided by the homestays were sufficient. However, some people might want to take some snacks. 4.5. Power banks I brought a power bank and solar panel but never used them. There is mains electricity in Yangthang, Hemis Shukpachan and Temisgam. 4.6. Medications I would also take plasters for blisters and some basic medication like Panadol and Ibuprofen. 4.7. Other Items Other items worth consider bringing are: A head torch even though there is mains electricity at all the locations. A waterproof jacket. One change of clothes in case you get wet. Hat Sun glasses Walking poles Water bottles Cellphone with a local SIM card ( see the next section ). Toilet paper, toothbrush & toothpaste Sun block. Hand sanitiser. Reading material. I took a Kindle but never used it. Headphones for music. Earplugs. I never use them and all 3 nights were quiet. 4.8. What not to take! Don't bring any satellite communication device, like a phone or Garmin Inreach, to India. It is illegal and in Ladakh they track satellite communications due to the border disputes with China and Pakistan. I personally know 2 people who got into serious trouble using satellite communication devices. The Indian authorities treat it as a very serious matter. 5. Internet Connectivity on the Sham Valley Trek The homestays I stayed in at Yangthang and Hemis Shukpachan had free satellite wifi. I had Airtel and BSNL SIM cards but only tried to use the internet when I reached Temisgam. I could access the internet on my phone in Temisgam but unfortunately I can't remember which SIM I used. 6. Transport to and from the Sham Valley Trek If you are on a tight budget you can hitchhike or probably take an infrequent local bus. I didn't consider these options as the cost wasn't an issue. For taxis it's best to go the taxi stand in central Leh where there are lots of taxis parked. They have set rates to all locations and to Likir the rate is INR 2,511 (USD 50). These rates are usually non negotiable but once you have used a taxi driver they are often willing to offer a discounted fare for the next trip. I used a taxi driver who had already taken me on an outing from Leh (see my blog Leh, Ladakh Travel Guide - 2024 ). H e charged INR 2,000 (USD 24) from Leh to Likir. He stopped at a couple of view points along the way and also at Magnetic Hill. At the end of the Sham Valley trek I tried to find transport from Ang which is where the road to Leh starts. There was a taxi parked on the road in Ang but the locals told me there were no available taxis and to walk on to Temisgam. At Temisgam I enquired at a local store about taxis to Skiu as I wanted to do the Markha Valley trek . The owner shut his store and drove me there for INR 4,000 (USD 48)! The official rate for a taxi from Leh to Temisgam is INR 4,352 (USD 52) and to Ang it is an extra INR 500. Some trekkers prearrange for a taxi to meet them in Ang or Temisgam. Otherwise you would either need to find transport like I did or phone a taxi driver to come. The Ladakh Taxi Union lists the official taxi fares to numerous locations on its website . 7. Permits for the Sham Valley Trek I had read a number of travel blogs about the Sham Valley trek and none of them mentioned permits. However, on my arrival in Leh the hotel manager said I would need one to get through a check point on the road to Likir. I didn't believe him and when I googled it the results were very confusing. I then checked with a few travel agents and they all said I needed a permit costing INR 600 (about USD 7) if I was driving to Likir. All travel agents can obtain this permit for INR 600. However, the permits can only be granted to a group and not to individuals. Therefore travel agents apply for several people at a time even though they won't be travelling together. At the bottom of my permit  there are 4 other people named who I never met! These permits can be arranged very quickly by travel agents who arrange a lot of tours and treks. My hotel recommended using a travel agent called Ancient Tracks which is in the centre of Leh. They can often arrange permits in 2 to 3 hours and give you a receipt for your passport. However, the permit office may not be open at weekends. I was very impressed with them and they are a popular and legitimate agency. When I went my taxi wasn't stopped at the checkpoint and I didn't have to produce the permit. However, I met other trekkers who were stopped and were asked for it. I don't know what happens if you don't have it but the risk is you would have to return to Leh and obtain a permit. It isn't worth the risk when the permit only costs INR 600. If you can't obtain the permit because it's the weekend you might be able to get through the check point if you leave Leh before 06.30 and reach the check point before it starts operating. Road Permit Ancient Tracks Travel Agency 8. Cost of the Sham Valley Trek It costs very little to do the Sham Valley trek if you are doing it by yourself. The cost of my 3 day trek was: INR USD Taxi fare from Leh to Likir Monastery 2,000 24 Homestay - Yangthang 1,500 18 Homestay - Hemis Shukshapan 2,000 24 Permit 600 7 Taxi fare from Temisgam to Leh 4,352 52 TOTAL 10,452 125 9. Navigating the Sham Valley Trek Several blogs said that the trail for the Sham Valley trek isn't well marked and they are right! The Ancient Tracks travel agency had strongly advised me not to do the trek by myself as 2 Germans had recently got lost on the trek and had to be rescued. I had no intention of hiring a guide and downloaded the trail on Maps.Me and took photocopies of blogs providing directions. What could wrong on the easy Sham Valley trek which is sometimes called the Baby Trek! For my trek it went wrong about one hour after leaving Likir Monastery! I think most trekkers don't start the trek from Likir Monastery and start near the turn off from the main road to Likir Monastery. Starting at Likir Monastery made the route finding more difficult. The trail from Likir monastery only had one sign pointing the way and that was the only sign for the entire Sham Valley trek! There might have been the occasional cairn on the trek but if so there were very few. When I reached the road which leads to Yangthang I couldn't figure out how to locate the trail on Maps.Me a nd I asked a local person for directions. He wasn't very helpful and told me to continue up the road and I would see the trail. Further up the road I came across an animal conservation sign on the right and there were blue arrows marking a trail. I decided to follow the blue arrows as I thought the Sham Valley trek would be the only marked trail. The correct trail to Yangthang was later and to the left! The trail was very well marked with blue arrows and cairns. I walked through remote and rugged terrain for 3 hours and didn't see another person the entire time. I must have climbed to over 4,000 metres. It was extremely hot and I was running short of water. After 3 hours I could see a village (Saspochey) down in the valley but I was high above the valley with no clear route down. I then saw a painted animal paw print by one arrow. I had a terrible thought that the trail I was following was an animal spotting trail and didn't lead to a village. I therefore left the trail and tried without success to get down to the village. I couldn't find a way down and I was tired and thirsty. Fortunately I found the blue arrows again and to my relief the arrows did eventually lead to Saspochey. I was puzzled as to why this unused trail was well marked. I can only think the trail was often used before the road from Likir to Saspochey was constructed. It is also an area visited for viewing snow leopards and other wildlife. When I finally reached the road between Saspochey and Sumdo I had walked for 6 hours. Maps.Me showed that it would take another 3 hours to walk to Yangthang and I would reach there around 20.00. I decided to try hitchhiking but before any vehicles passed I came across a friendly road construction crew. The boss called a friend who picked me up in his car and drove me to Yangthang for INR 500. I learnt my lesson from this and afterwards was very careful! The next day's section of the Sham Valley trek was from Yangthang to Hemis Shukpachan. The owner of the guest house carefully pointed out the initial section of the trail to me. After that I used information gleaned from another blog as I knew the trail wasn't properly shown on Maps.Me . It was very easy finding the way from Yangthang to Hemis Shukpachan and I have provided details in the itinerary section. It only took me about 2.5 hours. However, trekkers still make mistakes navigating this section! Whilst I was having dinner at Hemis Shukpachan five Israelis arrived in the dark at 19.30. They had walked from Yangthang to Hemis Shukpachan but had used Maps.Me . It had taken them 9 hours and at the end they had to clamber down a cliff! They told me that there wasn't a trail so I couldn't understand why they hadn't realised the route was wrong. The family running the guest house at Hemis Shukpachen were very helpful and pointed out the first section of the Sham Valley trail to Temisgam. At the first pass a guide for a group pointed out the trail to the Mebtak pass. From the top of Mebtak pass it was very easy to follow the trail down to Ang . From Ang there is a tarred road to Temisgam. I didn't need to use Maps.Me from Hemis Shukpachen to Temisgam but I have been told it shows the correct trail. The five Israelis who got lost the previous day were using Maps.Me on this section and successfully reached the Mebtak La whilst I was eating my packed lunch. I have provided details of the route in the itinerary section. I don't understand why the trail for the popular Sham Valley trek wasn't marked at all yet the trail from Likir to Saspochey was well marked. My advice is to check the route at homestays and when meeting people on the trail. Also be very wary of using Maps.Me between Yangthang and Hemis Shukpachan! 10. Accommodation on the Sham Valley Trek The accommodation on the Sham Valley trek is often described as homestays but the accommodation is far superior to that. The accommodation provided is really in guest houses and and they are very comfortable and reasonably priced. Some of the guest houses in Hemis Shukpachan and Temisgam even offer attached bathrooms and have proper beds. In Yangthang I stayed in the basic old village, rather than the new section. My room was comfortable and there was a flush western toilet inside the building. On the Markha Valley trek the accommodation really is in homestays! The bedrooms are usually basic and the toilets are long drops. On the Markha Valley trek you can't choose the homestay as they operate on a rotation system. On the Sham Valley trek you can choose where to stay. This has encouraged competition and raised the standard of accommodation. I did the Sham Valley trek in the peak season and started from Likir on 10th August 2024. The trail wasn't busy and nor were the guest houses. There is no shortage of accommodation for this trek. 10.1 Yangthang When walking from Likir you reach the new section of Yangthang first. There are several modern guest houses here and I believe most trekkers stay in them. They looked very comfortable. I didn't stay in the new section as I took the wrong trail when walking from Likir and ended up taking an unofficial taxi to Yangthang. I was a bit frustrated when my taxi drove past all the nice new accommodation and took me to the old village. The driver walked me through the old village to the Norbu Togochay Homestay. I was given a very good corner room on the upper floor. There was a shared flush western toilet on the same floor and a bathroom with a sink. The Tibetan dining room/lounge was downstairs. There was electricity in the homestay and I had an electric socket in my room. There were no other trekkers staying and that suited me fine. The family running it consisted of the 80 year old grandfather, his adult grandson, a lady and 2 kids. The youngest kid was a bit of a nuisance. Everyone else was very pleasant and the grandfather spent most of his time praying. Breakfast was freshly cooked chapatis with jam and omelette. Dinner was Chhutagi which is flattened pasta cut into circular shapes and cooked with vegetables. It is a very filling soup. The packed lunch was chapatis, boiled eggs, snack bar and a juice pack. The food was plentiful. There was filtered water which I sterilised with my Steripen. They had satellite wifi which was free of charge. The cost of food and lodging was INR 1,500 (USD 18). This included dinner, breakfast, a packed lunch and tea. When I left the grandson walked with me for a couple of hundred metres and pointed out the first section of the trail to Hemis Shukpachan. The homestays in the new section of Yangthang 10.2 Hemis Shukpachan When I reached Hemis Shukpachan I recognised a guest house recommended by a blog and it had attached bathrooms. Before I could walk up to it a young woman approached me and asked if I was looking for accommodation. She said her family's guest house was better and she would drive me there. Her guest house was in the centre of Hemis Shukpachan near the golden Buddha. They had 2 rooms with attached bathrooms for INR 2,000 (USD 24) and several other rooms without bathrooms for INR 1,500 (USD 18). These rates included dinner, breakfast and lunch. I chose the large upstairs corner room with an attached bathroom and hot shower. The woman who drove me there was the daughter of the owner and was visiting with her sister and brother in law. They spoke good English and I had a good time talking to them. In the afternoon I met them at the Buddha on the hill and they pointed out the trail to Temisgam. They gave me tea and biscuits when I arrived. For dinner they offered to cook either Chhutagi or rice and dahl. There was free satellite wifi and electricity in my room. 10.3 Ang and Temisgam There is some accommodation in Ang and a lot more in Temisgam. There is some very good accommodation in Temisgam and it is an attractive village with a monastery and fortress on the hill above it. I had been planning to spend one night in Temisgam but when I got there decided to go straightaway to Skiu to start the Markha Valley trek . 11. Itinerary for the Sham Valley Trek 11.1. Likir to Yangthang As I mentioned in section 9 I took the wrong trail on this stage of the trek and therefore can give little guidance about the trail. It would certainly be easier to find the trail if your taxi dropped you off at the trail head near Likir village instead of at Likir monastery. The other guidance I can give is that the trail runs along the left hand side of the road from Likir to Phobe La, which is is before the village of Sumdo. The hike from Likir village to Yangthang should take about 4.5 hours. It takes just over 1 hour to hike from Likir monastery to Likir Village. The trail I took was from Likir to Saspochey and if you have time this is a very enjoyable hike to do. From Likir village it takes about 4.5 hours to reach Saspochey. The trail is very well marked from Likir to Saspochey but it would be harder to see the trail markings going the other way. I believe there is one homestay in Saspochey. It should be possible to arrange transport back to Likir or onto Yangthang. If not it wouldn't be far to walk to the village of Sumdo and hitch hike from there. 11.2. Yangthang to Hemis Shukpachan This is a short hike that only takes about 2.5 hours to the centre of Hemis Shukpachan. Don't use Maps.Me for directions as it doesn't show the correct trail. If you are staying in the new section of Yangthang you will need to first descend to the old section. Yangthang is a very small village and easy to navigate through. You continue past the old part of Yangthang and you will a green oasis in the valley below as shown in the first photo. Ask for directions in old Yangthang if you aren't sure of the way. You descend down to the green oasis in the valley and cross a bridge to reach it. Follow the trail upwards with a homestay on the left. The trail by the homestay is a bit indistinct as it goes through a small stream for about 100 metres. You soon reach a dirt track and you turn right and follow it up until you see a pylon on the left and a trail by it. Take this trail and follow the pylons until you reach the top of the Tsermangchen La (3,800 metres). From there you can see a green patch in the distance which is Hemis Shukpachan. From the Tsermangchen La it is easy to follow the trail down to the tarred road on the outskirts of Hemis Shukpachan. It is a very spread out village and there are guest houses as soon as you reach the outskirts. The centre of the village is further on and is below a hill with a large golden Budhha on the top and it can be seen a long way away. I stayed in a very good homestay in the centre and it was located very near the next section of the trek to Temisgam. 11.3. Hemis Shukpachan to Ang or Temisgam This section of the Sham Valley trek is on Maps.Me but I didn't need to use the app as I obtained directions before setting out and whilst on the trail. From the second pass (Mebtak La) it was very straightforward walking down to Ang and on to Temisgam. The trail leaves Hemis Shukpachan near the Disket Guest House which is below the Golden Buddha. You follow a dirt road and after about 10 minutes reach the house in the first photo. There you take a path between the house and the line of Poplar trees. This path becomes a jeep track and you walk up it to a white chorten shown in the 4th photo. You continue up past 2 toilets to the top of the first pass. There is a dirt road to the right of the pass and if you followed it you would reach eventually reach Ang and avoid the descent down the first pass and the ascent up the Mebtak La. The trail doesn't follow the road though! You descend on a trail which turns into a jeep track. At the bottom look out carefully for a blue and red concrete marker shown on the 11th photo. There you will see a feint trail to the right and it steeply ascends the Mebtak La. There are prayer flags at the top. It is worth going a bit further up to the left where there are some other prayer flags as the views are even better there. The trail down to Ang can be clearly seen from the Mebtak La. It eventually turns into a dirt road and the dirt road becomes a paved road before Ang and continues to Temisgam. There was hardly any traffic on the road between Ang and Temisgam. It was very scenic but also hot! 12. Links to my other blogs on Ladakh 2024 Guide to the Markha Valley Trek 2024 Zanskar Trek - Part 1 2024 Zanskar Trek - Part 2 2024 Zanskar Trek - Part 3 Travel Guide for Leh and Vicinity - 2024

The Harbour of Hvar Town We took a short ferry ride from the island of Brac to Hvar Town. See my blog Brac, Croatia - Travel Guide . Contents Introduction Hvar Town Stari Grad My Other Blogs on Croatia 1. Introduction We have been twice to the island of Hvar and stayed in Hvar Town. Usually we prefer to stay in quieter places. However, we like the vibe of Hvar Town and there is more to see and do than in Stari Grad, which is smaller and laid back. You can base yourself in either of these towns as there is a good air conditioned bus service between Hvar Town and Stari Grad. The buses run from the early morning to late evening and the bus schedules can be found on Buscroatia.com . It is about a 30 minute journey from Hvar Town to Stari Grad and the return bus fare is Eur 9.40. Both towns should definitely be visited. 2. Hvar Town Hvar Town is one of our favourite places in Croatia. It has an unspoilt historic centre and the town is in a beautiful setting. Hvar Town certainly isn't undiscovered and it is very fashionable with lots of tourists. On our first visit to Hvar Paul Allen's (Microsoft co-founder) Octopus yacht , with 2 mini submarines and 2 helicopter pads, was docked there! 2.1. The Fortress above Hvar Town The main site to visit is the impressive fortress on the hill behind Hvar Town. It is a steep climb up to the fortress and there are a few places on the way up where you have spectacular views of the town and bay through gaps in the trees. Unfortunately it is very expensive to enter the Fortress. It costs Eur 10 to visit the Fortress and Eur 15 to visit the Fortress, Theatre and Arsenal. We didn't pay to enter and instead sat on one of the benches by the fortress walls and enjoyed the great views. It was still worth the hot walk up. The Fortress above Hvar Town The Fortress above Hvar Town View of Hvar Town from the Fortress 2.2 Hvar Old Town The majority of the historic Hvar Town is between the main square (Trg St Jepana) and the Fortress. It is worthwhile wandering around and exploring all the atmospheric alleyways. Hvar Town Hvar Town Alley in Hvar Town Porta Maestra - Hvar Town The 16th century St Stephen's cathedral is at the eastern end of Hvar's main square near the market and bus station. It is a huge square and we sat by the side of the square to rest and people watch. St Stephen's Cathedral Hvar's eastern harbour is usually very busy with boats and ferries coming and going. There are a lot of restaurants and cafes on the eastern side. The alley that runs behind this section of harbour is also historic and interesting. 2.3. Hvar Town's Seafront Promenade It is a nice walk in both directions along Hvar Town's promenade and there are small private beaches at either end. The beach on the western side looked better, but the sun loungers may be expensive. There was a sign at the eastern beach saying "Sunlounger Eur 25". I hope this price was for 2 sun loungers and an umbrella as otherwise the price is extortionate. A Beach West of Hvar Town 2.4. Water Taxis from Hvar Town to the Pakleni Islands All the ferries dock on the eastern side of Hvar's harbour. This is also where the water taxis to the Pakleni islands depart. These water taxis cost Eur 10 return and usually go to 3 of the Pakleni islands; Jerolim, Marinkovac and Sveti Klement. We went to Jerolim as it is a quiet island with a rocky coastline. A lot of naturists go there. The Eastern Harbour in Hvar Town 2.5. Food and Drinks in Hvar Town Restaurant meals are no longer excellent value in Croatia and that is certainly the case in Hvar Town. However, there are a number of places selling sandwiches for Eur 6, pizza slices etc and this works out to be a much cheaper option for a quick meal. There are also a couple of small supermarkets on the north side of the main square (Trg St. Jepana). They are very busy with customers buying drinks, snacks and ice creams at reasonable prices. Ice cream parlours in Hvar Town charge Eur 3 per scoop. 2.6. Toilets in Hvar Town There are 2 public toilets in Hvar Town. The best one is near the market opposite St Stephen's Cathedral and they also have a self service laundrette and showers. The toilets are clean and cost Eur 1. There are also toilets where the ferries dock on the eastern side of the harbour. They cost Eur 1 but were dirty. 2.7. Tourist Office & Maps The tourist office is in the south west corner of Hvar Town's main square. They have maps of Hvar town, bus timetables etc. There is also a map of Hvar Town on hvarinfo.com . You have to zoom in to see the details. 3. Stari Grad, Hvar We took a bus from Hvar Town and spent a couple of hours walking around Stari Grad before returning. We got to Stari Grad at lunch time and bought some sandwiches. We ate them in the very pleasant Trg Petar Hektorovic square where the famous Tvrdalj is located. The sandwiches in Stari Grad cost Eur 3, which is much cheaper than in Hvar Town where they cost Eur 6! Stari Grad is so much quieter and laid back than Hvar Town. It is smaller and can easily be seen in 1.5 hours. Stari Grad's old town is on the southern side of the harbour and the hotels are on the northern side. There are rock and concrete "beaches" in front of these hotels. Swimming is apparently better to the west of the old town at the entrance to the bay. There are 2 public toilets in Stari Grad. The best ones are on the harbour at the western end of the old town. I think they are meant for the people on the yachts moored nearby as they have showers. There is an attendant there but they are free and spotless. There are also some more basic toilets near the market at the eastern end of the harbour. There is a map of Stari Grad on hvarinfo.com . You have to zoom in to see the details. The Harbour The Square at Tvrdalj Castle in Stari Grad Stari Grad St. Stephen's in Stari Grad Square in Stari Grad St. Stephen's in Stari Grad 4. My Other Blogs on Croatia Rovinj & Pula, Croatia: Travel Guide Split, Croatia: Travel Guide Trogir, Croatia: Travel Guide Omis, Croatia: Travel Guide Krk Town, Croatia: Travel Guide Brac, Croatia: Travel Guide Rab, Croatia: Travel Guide Montenegro to Croatia- Week 10 Brac to Rab, Croatia - Week 11 Rab to Dolomites, Italy - Week 12

The Harbour at Supetar We took a car ferry from Split to Supetar on Brac after staying 4 nights in Trogir (see my blogs Split, Croatia: Travel Guide and Trogir, Croatia: Travel Guide ). We then stayed 4 nights on Brac Island and during our stay took a passenger ferry over to Hvar Island for the day (see my blog Hvar Island, Croatia: Travel Guide ). Contents Supetar on Brac Island Day Trip to Sutivan, Lozisca, Vidova Gora and Skrip Bol and Zlatni Rat Beach Ferries from Brac to Split, Hvar & Dubrovnik Accommodation in Supetar My Other Blogs on Croatia 1. Supetar on Brac Island Supetar is the port and main town on Brac. Supetar has a small historic centre around the harbour with lots of restaurants on the waterfront. To the east of the harbour is the port and to the west there is a seafront promenade. When the seafront promenade ends a coastline path continues westwards to some hotels and beaches. The beaches aren't very special. On the hill above Supetar's port, and by the large roundabout, is a shopping centre with 2 good supermarkets (Lidls and Tommy). There are 2 small supermarkets in Supetar's historic centre but the selection is limited. Supetar's Harbour The Parish Church in Supetar Supetar's Seafront Promenade 2. Day Trip to Sutivan, Lozisca, Vidova Gora and Skrip We drove the short distance from Supetar to Sutivan and parked at a free car park at the entrance to Sutivan. We really liked the small town of Sutivan as it is unspoilt and classy. There were reasonable beaches at each end of the small town, with toilets at the eastern beach. Sutivan Harbour The Western Beach at Sutivan The Eastern Beach at Sutivan Alley in Sutivan Sutivan There is limited parking at Lozica, just before the traffic light in the centre of the village when driving from Sutivan. There isn't much to see apart from a very fancy bell tower and that can be better appreciated from a distance. Village of Lozisca We drove on to the 778 metres high peak of Vidova Gora, which is the highest point on any Adriatic island. There is a free car park below the peak and there are good views. It is even better if you walk for 10 minutes from the car park to the peak of Vidova Gora. There are excellent views over to Hvar island and Zlatni Rat beach at Bol. View of Zlatni Rat beach from Vidova Gora View towards Hvar from Vidova Gora We drove back to Supetar via Skrip, which is the oldest continually inhabited settlement on Brac. The Rough Guide book describes Skrip as a " sleepy nest of stone houses with heavy stone roof tiles ". It sounded very nice but the reality was that Skrip wasn't very special! Skrip does have a few nice stone buildings but there aren't enough of them to make an impact. The village is also very spread out and there are newer buildings that spoil its appearance. Stone Houses in the Village of Skrip Stone Houses in the Village of Skrip The Village of Skrip 3. Bol and Zlatni Rat Beach I was concerned that parking at Bol would be very expensive as reviewers were complaining they were charged Eur 5 per hour or Eur 20 for the day. However, this charge is for the main car park for the Zlatni Rat beach on the west side of Bol. We parked in a wooded car park off the left of the main road just before reaching Bol's waterfront. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be marked on Google maps. It is then a 10 minute walk to the eastern end of Bol's old town and a 15 minute walk to Zlatni Rat. We were charged Eur 2 per hour for parking. The centre of Bol is small and mainly consists of 2 streets running parallel to the seafront promenade and harbour. It is pleasant strolling around but it only takes about 30 minutes to see everything. Ferries to Hvar and Dubrovnik depart from Bol's eastern pier. From Bol it is a very pleasant walk along a wide and wooded seafront promenade to Zlatni Rat. The promenade is lined with hotels, restaurants and cafes. Zlatni Rat is Croatia's most famous beach, probably because of its shape as it juts out on a cape with fine shingle beaches on either side. It wasn't too crowded when we were there but that was in late June. A View of Bol from the Main Road The Seafront Promenade at Bol Church of St Anthony in Bol Bol Old Town Promenade to Zlatni Rat Beach View from the Promenade to Zlatni Rat Beach The Eastern Section of Zlatni Rat Beach The Western Section of Zlatni Rat Beach 4. Ferries from Brac to Split, Hvar & Dubrovnik Ferries between Brac and Split The only car ferry that goes from Brac is a Jadrolinija ferry that sails about every 1.5 hours between Split and Supetar on Brac island. Tickets for the ferry can be purchased on Jadrolinija's website . It cost us Eur 33 for our car and 2 passengers. The ticket is valid for the day selected and not for a specific sailing. There are several negative Tripadvisor reviews about the signage to Split's ferry terminal and also the signage to the piers at Split's ferry terminal. However, we found that the signs were very good. If you enter " Ferry Port of Split " on Google maps it will almost get you to the correct pier. Vehicles park in lanes at the pier when waiting for the Split to Supetar ferry. Vehicles board on a first come first served basis. We arrived 1.5 hours ahead of the departure time and were twelfth in the queue. There are toilets in the nearby terminal building. We were directed to park our car on the main deck of the ferry and it was very straightforward driving on to the ferry at Split and driving off at Supetar. However, we saw cars driving down the ramp to the lower deck and it was extremely narrow. I was very pleased not to have to do that. The morning before we took the ferry from Supetar to Split there was terrible traffic congestion in Supetar. We were informed it was due to vehicles queuing to board the ferry and that it was even worse in the peak season. As a result we took an early ferry (07.45) the next day to avoid this issue. We arrived at Supetar's port at 07.15 and boarded the ferry without problems. The Ferry between Split and Supetar The Interior of the Ferry between Split and Supetar. The Boarding Area at Split for the Ferry between Split and Supetar Ferries between Milna, Brac and Hvar Town/Korcula/Dubrovnik There is a daily passenger catamaran that departs from Milna on Brac Island to Hvar Town, Korcula and Dubrovnik. It departs Milna at 09.35 each day and arrives back at 19.20. We took this catamaran from Milna to Hvar Town for a day trip and it arrived at Hvar Town at 10.20 and returned at 18.40. This gave us plenty of time to see both Hvar Town and Stari Grad. See my blog " Hvar Island, Croatia " for details. The tickets for the catamaran cost Eur 15 each way and can be purchased online from TP Line . Tickets can also be bought when boarding the ferry, if there is space. We parked our car at a large car park near the entrance to Milna. There is a ticket machine there and it costs Eur 1 per hour. There is a daily maximum charge but the machine didn't state what the maximum was so we paid for 11 hours. A local guy told us that no one checks for payment at the car park but we didn't want to risk it. It is then a 15 minute walk to where the ferry docks on the northern side of Milna's harbour. Enter " TP Line catamaran ferry terminal " on Google maps. The Catamaran that departs from Milna on Brac Island Other Ferries to and from Brac Island KL operates high speed ferries on 2 routes that stop on the island of Brac: Brač (Milna) – Hvar – Korčula – Mljet (Pomena) – Dubrovnik Brač (Bol) – Makarska – Korčula – Pomena(Mljet) – Dubrovnik 5. Accommodation in Supetar, Brac We stayed in a 1 bedroom apartment in Supetar for Eur 73 per night. There is also a 2 bedroom apartment available. Both apartments are in separate detached buildings and can be booked through Booking.com . I have reviewed them on my blog " UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 2 " (number 12). 6. My Other Blogs on Croatia Hvar Island, Croatia: Travel Guide Rovinj & Pula, Croatia: Travel Guide Split, Croatia: Travel Guide Trogir, Croatia: Travel Guide Omis, Croatia: Travel Guide Krk Town, Croatia: Travel Guide Rab, Croatia: Travel Guide Montenegro to Croatia- Week 10 Brac to Rab, Croatia - Week 11 Rab to Dolomites, Italy - Week 12

Trogir We spent 3 nights in Trogir and visited Split and Omis from there. See my blogs Split, Croatia: Travel Guide and Omis, Croatia: Travel Guide . Trogir is definitely worth visiting as it a beautiful old Venetian town that hasn't been spoiled by modern development. Contents Trogir Old Town Trogir New Town Accommodation in Trogir My Other Blogs on Croatia 1. Trogir Old Town Trogir's Old Town is on an island only 50 metres off the mainland. The Old Town is unspoilt as virtually all the buildings originate from four centuries of Venetian rule and there are no modern buildings on the island. There used to be 2 bridges over to the island. When we were there the wooden bridge for pedestrians, west of the main bridge, was closed. The main bridge crosses over to the Land Gate entrance to Trogir's Old Town. To the south east of the Land Gate are most of Trogir's main buildings. These are the: Cathedral of St Lawrence with its famous carved stone west portal dating back to 1240. There is a Eur 5 entrance fee to see the interior but the famous west portal can be seen from outside. Cipiko Palace. There is nothing to see inside. Town Loggia & Clock Tower. Trogir's Town Hall There is a wide promenade along the Trogir Channel at the southern end of the island. Sections of Trogir's old town walls, and the Kamerlengo fortress (entry Eur 5), can be seen. The promenade is lined with restaurants and cafes. There is a bridge at this southern end of the island to another larger island called Ciovo. There are some shops and restaurants on the Ciovi side of the bridge but there is little worth seeing. We were in Trogir in late June and in the evenings the Old Town was teeming with visitors and many restaurants were full. The Town Hall Cipiko Palace West Portal of the Cathedral Lady of Mount Carmel Church Alleyway in Trogir Cathedral of St Lawrence Town Loggia & Clock Tower 2. Trogir's New Town Trogir's new town has spread out on the mainland on either side of the bridge crossing to Trogir's Old Town. The bus station is on the eastern side of the bridge. There is also a new and pleasant seafront promenade running eastwards that has views of Ciovi island. There is a busy tourist market on the western side of the bridge. Slightly further to the west are several large car parks and visitors parking here pass through the market to reach Trogir's Old Town. Parking costs between Eur 2 to Eur 3 per hour in high season depending on how close you park to Trogir's Old Town. There are several supermarkets along the coastal road west of the bridge to Trogir's Old Town. The biggest and best one is a Plodine supermarket on the ground floor of a small 3 storey shopping centre. There is free underground parking for customers. There is a Lidl supermarket 4 kms east of Trogir's Old Town. 3. Accommodation in Trogir We stayed in a 1 bedroom apartment about a 10 minute walk from Trogir Old Town. The apartment was very nice and the hosts were very hospitable. We booked the apartment through Booking.com and it cost Eur 69 per night. I have reviewed the apartment in my blog UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 2 (number 11). 4. My Other Blogs on Croatia Hvar Island, Croatia: Travel Guide Rovinj & Pula, Croatia: Travel Guide Split, Croatia: Travel Guide Omis, Croatia: Travel Guide Krk Town, Croatia: Travel Guide Brac, Croatia: Travel Guide Rab, Croatia: Travel Guide Montenegro to Croatia- Week 10 Brac to Rab, Croatia - Week 11 Rab to Dolomites, Italy - Week 12

View of Sveti Stefan from St. Sava Church Contents Introduction & Practical Information Budva Old Town Slovenska Beach in Budva Sveti Stefan Excursions from Budva Driving to & from Budva from Croatia and Albania Links to my other Montenegro Blogs 1. Introduction & Practical Information The traffic and parking in the Budva area can be horrendous, even on the main coastal road. I was glad that we weren't staying near Budva as it is too built up and congested for my liking. This will only get worse. We left Kotor (see my blog Kotor, Montenegro: Travel Guide ) at 08.00 to try to avoid the congestion and to find a parking spot. We went to a car park near Hotel Wow as it had good reviews on Google and it only cost Eur 1 per hour. The car park was already pretty full, but spaces free up fairly quickly. It is just 1 block from the seafront and a 10 minute walk to Budva Old Town. Enter " Parking kod hotela WOW " on Google maps to locate it. 2. Budva Old Town Budva is yet another old Venetian town to wander around. It is in very good condition due to it being entirely rebuilt after the 1979 earthquake. It looks very authentic and one wouldn't know it had been rebuilt. When we reached Budva's Old Town around 09.00 the streets were deserted and remained like that until just before 10.00. Then the guided tours came in! We had enough time to walk all around Budva without it being spoiled by the tours. We had wanted to walk on Budva's walls, but the gate was locked and it was not opened by the time we left Budva's Old Town at 10.15. There is a beach just outside the Morava Gate of Budva's old town. The beach has a public area as well as a private area with the usual sun loungers and umbrellas. It wasn't busy as it was early in the day. If you need to use a toilet there is one near the Morava Gate. It is on the left hand side as you come through the gate from the beach. I think it is meant to be for people using the private beach area but there isn't an attendant. The Church of Holy Trinity Alley in Old Budva St. Ivan's Church Typical Alley in Budva Old Town Typical Alley in Budva Old Town. The Beach by Morava Gate 3. Slovenska Beach in Budva We walked along the promenade from Budva's Old Town to the long Slovenska beach. It was 11.00 a.m. and the beach was absolutely packed. This was in late June so it could only be worse in July and August. Most of Slovenska beach is private with sun loungers and umbrellas for hire, but there are some crowded public areas. The lowest price that we saw for 2 sun loungers and an umbrella was Eur 12. The land side of the beach is packed with cafes, restaurants and shops. There are also several toilet facilities charging from Eur 0.50 to Eur 1.00. It was too busy for our liking. We decided not to swim there but to find a quieter beach away from Budva. Public Area at Slovenska Beach at Budva Slovenska Beach at Budva Private Area at Slovenska Beach at Budva 4. Sveti Stefan The entire famous and picturesque island of Sveti Stefan is a hotel managed by the Aman Resorts. Only hotel guests and people who have a reservation at their restaurants can enter the island. A few people have posted on the internet that they have had a tour of Sveti Stefan island for Eur 20 and that there were 2 tours a day. These posts are now several years old and it is doubtful that the tours now run. Anyway I am not sure how interesting it would be to tour an island that has been turned into a hotel. There are beaches on the mainland opposite Sveti Stefan. The beach south of the isthmus is known as Sveti Stefan beach. It has a free public section as well as a private section with 2 sunbeds and an umbrella costing around Eur 40 for the day. It is likely to be absolutely packed in the peak season like all the other beaches around Budva. The best way to see Sveti Stefan is from higher up and there are 2 main ways to view it: The easiest way is to pull into 1 of the 2 laybys on the main coastal road above Budva when driving from west to east. These laybys are not very large and are often full of cars. The best way is to drive up to St Sava church above the main road. From there you have a wonderful view. It is a 15 minute drive from Sveti Stefan beach along a good road, except for the last few hundred metres when it is a bit narrow. To get there enter St. Sava Church (the one at Denasi) on Google maps. Some people want a photo posing in front of the island and St. Sava Church is ideal for that. There is a circular platform in front of the church which is used for that purpose. It is probably intended for wedding photos. View of Sveti Stefan from St. Sava Church View from the Main Road of Sveti Stefan 5. Excursions from Budva A good day trip to the north of Budva is to the beautiful Venetian town of Kotor . From there you can continue to Perast, which is another Venetian town but much smaller. For details see my blogs Kotor, Montenegro: Travel Guide ) and Perast & Herceg Novi: Travel Guide . Kotor Perast The Lipa Caves to the east of Budva are very interesting and there is a good road there. A circular drive can be done by returning through Lovcen National Park and then down the slightly challenging Kotor Serpentine Road. See my blog The Kotor Serpentine Road to Lipa Cave . The Lipa Caves 6. Driving to & from Budva from Croatia and Albania We drove to Budva from Albania. See my blog Albania to Montenegro - Week 9 for details. Afterwards we drove from Montenegro to Croatia. See my blog Montenegro to Croatia- Week 10 for details. 7. Links to My Other Montenegro Blogs Kotor, Montenegro: Travel Guide Day Trip to Perast & Herceg Novi The Kotor Serpentine Road to Lipa Cave Albania to Montenegro - Week 9 Montenegro to Croatia- Week 10

The new Vlore Bypass This blog provides information and tips on driving in Albania including road conditions, crossing borders, police & parking. We spent one week in Albania on our way from Greece to Montenegro. We stayed in Gjirokaster , Himare , Berat and Kruje . Contents Introduction Crossing the Albania Border Road Conditions in Albania Police and Radar Traps in Albania Parking & Laybys in Albania My Other Blogs on Albania 1. Introduction In April 2023 we began a 3 month road trip from the U.K. to the Cyclades Islands in Greece and back. On the way down to Greece we drove through France, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and North Macedonia. On the way back we drove up through Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Italy, Austria, Germany and France. We drove about 8,000 miles in total in our 10 year old Ford Focus. The only mechanical issues were: A broken spring from hitting a pothole in Greece. The plastic undercarriage protector coming loose. Replacement of worn brake pads. The engine management warning light being on for about 4,000 miles. On our return to England a diagnostic test found that the catalytic converter needed replacing. When planning our trip the one week drive through Albania caused the most anxiety. There is a lot of bad press about Albanian criminals in the U.K., but the Albanians remaining in Albania were very nice! There was also a lot written on the internet about the roads in Albania being poor and the Albanian's poor driving standards. More about that later! 2. Crossing the Albania Border We had lived in Africa for 17 years and crossing borders there can be an ordeal. I thought it might be the same with Albania, but fortunately I was proved wrong and there were no hassles. On our drive down to Greece we stayed at Lake Ohrid in North Macedonia (see my blog Ohrid Town, North Macedonia: Travel Guide ) . We weren't intending to enter Albania at that point and I had read that it wasn't possible to buy Albanian car insurance at the nearby Tushemisht border crossing. When we drove up to Albania from Greece we had the choice of 2 border crossings. The main border crossing is at Ioannina in Greece, which is about 30 kilometres inland. I was sure we would be able to buy car insurance at that Albanian border post. As most U.K. motor insurance policies don't cover non EU countries we needed Albanian car insurance. However, I wanted to cross at the smaller and quieter border crossing on the coast at Igoumenitsa in Greece. If we couldn't buy Albanian car insurance we would waste a few hours driving over to the Ioannina crossing. The Albanian passport control at the smaller Albania border post (Qafe Bota) was very quick and efficient. Nearby was a small office with a sign saying Green Card and we parked there. A friendly agent sold us 3rd party car insurance for Eur 49 for a 15 day period. Insurance for 30 days could also be purchased. The decision to use the coastal border crossing worked out well. When we drove from Albania to Montenegro we were just waved through by the Albanians at the Muriqan border crossing! See my blog Albania to Montenegro - Week 9 . 3. Road Conditions in Albania From what I had read on the internet I feared that the Albanian roads would be terrible and the Albanians would drive crazily. The Albanian drivers were certainly bad at tailgating and overtaking on blind corners. However, they weren't much worse than drivers in other southern European countries The roads we drove on weren't at all bad apart from one section north of Kruje that had quite a few potholes. There were a couple of sections of new roads that were really good. The roads in the eastern region of Albania may be a different matter. The new road from Gjirokaster to Saranda is excellent (see photos on my blog Albania to Montenegro - Week 9 ). The new Vlore bypass road is also very good, although they haven't stabilised the hillsides that it cuts through and there is some rockfall. The road up the famous Llogoraja pass is in good condition and not difficult to drive on, despite all the hair pin bends. It is far easier than the Kotor Serpentine road in neighbouring Montenegro. 4. Police and Radar Traps in Albania We might have been fortunate but we didn't see any radar traps whilst we were driving in southern Albania. Nor did we see many police cars. It was a different story in central and northern Albania. On our last day driving from Kruje to the Montenegro border there were about 5 police radar traps! Drivers coming from the other direction always warned us by flashing, although we never intentionally broke the speed limit. We never saw any stationary speed cameras but apparently Albania has them. I am not sure how Albania would have got us to pay a fine if we had been caught. I also found the speed limits to be very frustrating when we reached the more urban central and northern parts of Albania. Particularly on the sections from Vlore to Berat, Berat to Kruje and Kruje to the border with Montenegro. The speed limit on Albanian main roads drops to 40 kilometres an hour whenever there is a side road. Albanians don't seem to slow down for these side roads and we didn't see police enforcing the 40 kilometres per hour speed limit. On our route from Vlore to Montenegro it was very built up. We were constantly having to slow down to 50 kilometres an hour whenever we reached a settlement. When combined with the 40 kilometres per hour side road speed limit it became very irritating. To make matters worse the towns and villages weren't very attractive. We were concerned that the Albanian police may target foreign cars. However, there are a lot of foreign cars on the main coastal road from Montenegro to Greece and they don't seem to do so. Albania seems to welcome tourists rather than hassle them. 5. Fuel & Parking in Albania Fuel in Albania is cheaper than in neighbouring Greece, but a lot more expensive than neighbouring Montenegro. The autotraveler website provides the fuel cost per litre for each European country. We always filled up before crossing over to more expensive countries and left an expensive country with little fuel. The price per litre does vary between petrol stations. There are plenty of petrol stations, but there were quite a few abandoned ones, probably due to too much competition. Parking is free on the streets unless indicated otherwise. We did pay for parking in Himare as there isn't much free parking (see my blog Himare, Albania: Travel Guide ). 6. My Other Blogs on Albania Kruje, Albania: Travel Guide Himare, Albania: Travel Guide Berat, Albania: Travel Guide Gjirokaster, Albania: Nothing Special! The Greek Islands to Albania - Week 8 Albania to Montenegro - Week 9

A View of Kruje from the Hotel Panorama We drove to Kruje from Berat . Read about our journey on my blog Albania to Montenegro Road Trip - Week 9 . After a one night stay in Kruje we drove northwards to Kotor in Montenegro. Contents Introduction   Hotel Panorama in Kruje   The Bazaar   The Castle   Links to My Other Blogs on Albania 1. Introduction to Kruje We enjoyed our 1 night stay in Kruje, but that was mainly because we really liked the Hotel Panorama where we were staying. More about that in the next section. The small old section of Kruje is very attractive but it is also very touristy. There isn't that much to see in Kruje apart from a small, renovated and touristy bazaar and a very dilapidated castle. Unless you are going to visit the 2 museums Kruje can be seen in about 1 hour. We didn't visit the museums as we are only interested in visiting really good ones. The building of the Historical Museum is impressive. However, the focus on Skanderbeg didn't appeal to us and the Bradt guide book says that all the information is in Albanian. Apparently a free guide is provided to interpret and that also didn't appeal. The entrance fee is 500 Lek which again was unappealing! Kruje could be visited as a day trip from Tirana as it is an hour's drive from Tirana. It would probably take almost 2 hours by bus as the buses to Kruje depart from the regional bus station on the outskirts of Tirana. The Bradt guide book suggests staying in Kruje if an overnight stay is needed when departing from, or arriving at, Tirana International Airport. This would seem to be a good option as it is a 45 minute drive between Kruje and the airport. 2. Hotel Panorama in Kruje We avoided staying in hotels during our 3 month road trip but we couldn't find any suitable apartments in Kruje. The Hotel Panorama had excellent reviews, free parking and cost less than Eur 70 for a double room with breakfast. What more could we want! We arrived at Hotel Panorama in the early afternoon and the friendly front desk clerk gave us a room facing the castle, bazaar and mosque. Some people don't like being so close to the mosque due to the early morning call to prayer, but for us it added to the atmosphere. The view from our room and balcony was fantastic. As I said in the introduction it doesn't take long to see Kruje and it was really nice just sitting on the balcony absorbing the view and atmosphere. We usually don't eat at hotels, but a couple of reviewers on Tripadvisor recommended eating at Hotel Panorama. We are glad that we had our dinner there as the restaurant is nice, the food is good and the cost is very reasonable. It is popular so a reservation is advisable. We were fortunate to be given a room with a view of Kruje. A couple who arrived shortly after us were disappointed not to have a view. On Booking.com it isn't possible to select a room with a castle view but on the hotel's website it is. As the price is the same I recommend booking directly with the hotel. The Panorama Hotel Night View from the Panorama Hotel The View from our Balcony 3. The Bazaar in Kruje Kruje's bazaar was restored in the 1960's and as they are wooden buildings I suspect there is little left of the original structures. Kruje's bazaar consists of one street with shops on either side and then another street with shops just on the one side. It isn't a huge area and many of the shops sell the same stuff. Unless you are a shopper Kruje's bazaar can be seen in 5 to 10 minutes. It is nice for photos but the bazaar solely exists for tourists! The Main Street of the Bazaar View of the Bazaar from Kruje Castle View of the Bazaar from Hotel Panorama 4. The Castle in Kruje Kruje's castle is always open and there is no entrance fee. Unless you visit the History Museum the castle can easily be seen in half an hour. Kruje's castle is derelict and was also affected by an earthquake in November 2019. This badly damaged the clock tower and it is no longer open to the public. It also badly damaged the Tekke (Teqe) and it is in the process of being restored. We were allowed to look around the Tekke, but it is in such a bad state it is no longer worth visiting. There is also a hammam in the castle grounds but entry isn't possible. Ruins of the Old Mosque at Kruje Castle The Historical Museum at Kruje Castle The Hamam at Kruje Castle Kruje Castle's Clock Tower The Dollma Tekke at Kruje Castle The Dollma Tekke at Kruje Castle 5. Links to My Other Blogs on Albania Himare, Albania: Travel Guide Berat, Albania: Travel Guide Gjirokaster, Albania: Nothing Special! Driving through Albania: From Greece to Montenegro The Greek Islands to Albania - Week 8 Albania to Montenegro - Week 9

Livada Beach near Himare We drove from Gjirokaster (see my blog Gjirokaster, Albania: Nothing Special! ) to Himare and spent 4 very pleasant days there. We then drove up to Berat (see my blog Berat, Albania: Travel Guide ). Contents Introduction Himare & Livada Beach South to Palermo Castle & the road to Saranda Old Himare North to Dhermi & Llogoraja Pass Link to my Other Blogs on Albania 1. Introduction to Himare None of Albania's coastal towns are special architecturally and the main reason to visit them is to enjoy the beaches and sea. At the moment Albania's coastal resorts are relatively undeveloped compared to those in most other European countries. However that is rapidly changing. We wanted to stay at one coastal town during our one week drive up Albania from Greece to Montenegro. For us it was a choice between Ksamil and Himare. Ksamil now seems to be spoiled by over development and I couldn't find any ideal accommodation. I found the very nice and reasonably priced Mihalis Apartments at Himare and therefore decided to spend 3 nights there. The apartments can be booked through Booking.com and my review of the apartments is number 7 on my blog UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 2 . The main reason to stay at Himare is for the beaches and the sea. There are 2 main excursions that can be made by either driving north up the coast or south down the coast. 2. Himare & Livada Beach Himare isn't a beautiful town, but it is also not overdeveloped nor too touristy. This is probably because the beach isn't that special and is very narrow. There are far better beaches to the north at Livada and at Dhermi. From our apartment it was a 10 minute walk down to Livada beach. We drove the 2 kilometres every night to Himare to have dinner and do grocery shopping. We always had a short walk around Himare after dinner but there wasn't much to do or see. Apart from the short seafront promenade Himare is scruffy. We parked on the street when we went to the southern part of Himare. It is a 10 minute walk to the promenade in the northern part of Himare. This is where most of the restaurants and shops are. Free parking is difficult to find in the northern section of Himare. However, you can find parking by entering " Private Parking Himare " in Google Maps. It costs 300 Lek for 3 hours and 700 Lek for the day. Livada beach is one of the nicest beaches that I have been to. The water is clean, inviting and warm. We didn't see any jelly fish whilst we were there but it was just the start of summer. There are sun loungers and umbrellas on most of Livada beach, but there are public areas as well. We paid 500 Lek for 2 sun loungers and an umbrella. I think we got a good deal and in the peak season it would be at least double that. There is a good road to Livada beach and we managed to park along the seafront. Whilst we were there they were constructing a seafront promenade and the area above Livada beach was messy. The peak summer season was just about to start and the timing of the construction was poor. There are quite a few restaurants and hotels along the north and central sections of Livada beach. However, it is still very undeveloped. The south end of Livada beach is quieter as the road doesn't extend that far. Although I really liked Livada beach I wasn't that impressed with the development going on. It will improve once the promenade is completed. However, I don't think the promenade will be as nice and classy as the one at nearby Dhermi. Himare Livada Beach near Himare Livada Beach near Himare 3. South to Palermo Castle & the road to Saranda We drove from Gjirokaster to Himare via Saranda (see my blog Albania to Montenegro - Week 9 ) . We didn't stop to look around Saranda as I was worried about the security of our possessions in our car. Also the Bradt guide book stated that Saranda was an unappealing concrete jungle! For once they didn't unnecessarily rave about a place. The road is very scenic with superb coastal views. It is a single lane mountainous road and easy to drive along. As usual we had impatient Albanian tailgaters behind us. It was never for too long as they had little hesitation in overtaking on blind corners! It is about 1 hour 20 minute drive each way. Palermo Castle is a 20 minute drive from Himare. On the way you can pull off the road into a lay by to view a submarine tunnel that was used by the Russians in the 1950's. There is limited free parking at a restaurant on the side of the road near Palermo castle. There is also a rough dirt track that runs down to the small beach and the castle and there is plenty of parking there. The road was far too rough for my liking and I personally wouldn't risk driving down it. The entrance fee is 300 Lek and in summer Palermo castle is open from 09.00 to 18.00. The castle isn't that old as it was only built in the early 19th century by Ali Pasha Tepelana. It is not a must see sight but it is interesting enough. It takes about half an hour to see Palermo castle. Road between Himare & Saranda Road between Himare & Saranda Road between Himare & Saranda Submarine Tunnel between Himare & Palermo Castle Palermo Castle Entrance Palermo Castle Vaults in Palermo Castle Vaults in Palermo Castle 4. Old Himare We could see Old Himare from our apartment and it looked quite interesting perched on a hill. It is quite a distance from new Himare and we therefore drove up one morning to have a look around. There is limited car parking just off the main road, but there is more parking just behind the nearby church. Unfortunately Old Himare looks more interesting from a distance than close up! There really isn't much to see except the good view down to Livada beach. There are very few buildings and they are uninteresting ruins. We saw a few poor souls trudging up the road from Himare in the heat. It is probably at least a 30 minute unpleasant walk to Old Himare and I don't recommend it. Some people do stay near Old Himare but you need a car if you do. The Bradt guide book has a different opinion of Old Himare! It states Old Himare " has an astonishing number of churches in varying stages of dilapidation, some with beautiful frescoes. It is a pleasant and scenic walk of 30-45 minutes from Spile to Old Himare ". Unfortunately guide books often rave about places that aren't special, which was also the case with Girokaster. See my blog Gjirokaster, Albania: Nothing Special! View of Livada Beach from Old Himare Derelict Buildings in Old Himare 5. North to Dhermi & Llogoraja Pass It is a 30 minute scenic drive along the coast from Himare to the small town of Dhermi. The coastal road runs high above Dhermi and it is about a kilometre drive down a good road to Dhermi. We parked in a street above the sea front promenade and then walked the short distance down to the beach. Dhermi's seafront is very upmarket compared to Himare and Livada and strolling along the promenade is very pleasant. There are lots of restaurants and classy hotels. There is still construction going on but I think the end product will be nice. Dhermi's beach is long and wide like Livada beach and the sea is very inviting. A good place if you want a beach holiday but it probably isn't cheap by Albanian standards. Dhermi Beach Dhermi Beach Dhermi's Seafront Promenade Llogoraja Pass is 20 minutes further on. The coastal road climbs steeply, with numerous hair pin bends, to the 1,027 metre summit. It isn't particularly difficult or dangerous driving up the pass as it is a 2 lane road. You just have to be careful on the tight hair pin bends so you avoid oncoming traffic. We had bad weather when we drove up Llogoraja pass, but we could see that the views would be good on a nice day. It was windy and cold at the top of Llogoraja pass despite it being mid June. View from Llogoraja Pass Driving on Llogoraja Pass From Llogoraja Pass you can drive on towards Vlore. The new Vlore bypass road has now been opened and starts well before you reach Vlore. It is a scenic road but you have to watch out for loose rocks on the road. This is due to the road being cut through hillsides that haven't been properly stabilised. Vlore itself is probably too far for a day trip. View of Vlore from the Vlore Bypass The New Vlore Bypass 6. Links to My Other Blogs on Albania Kruje, Albania: Travel Guide Berat, Albania: Travel Guide Gjirokaster, Albania: Nothing Special! Driving through Albania: From Greece to Montenegro The Greek Islands to Albania - Week 8 Albania to Montenegro - Week 9

The Lighthouse on Papargyros Cape Contents Introduction Tinos Town Villages around Exobourgo Mountain The Village of Kardiani Hikes on Tinos Car Ferries to and from Tinos Car Repairs Accommodation on Tinos Links to My Other Blogs on Greece 1. Introduction to Tinos Island 1.1. Our Itinerary for the Cyclades We wanted to visit 4 of the Cyclades islands during our 3 month European road trip but I discovered that it was expensive to take a car on the ferry. I investigated leaving our car in Athens and renting cars on each island. That worked out to be even more expensive so I reverted back to using our own car. There aren't car ferries between all the islands so using our own car limited our choice of islands. I used the Ferryhopper website to determine which islands were serviced by car ferries. We wanted to avoid very touristy islands like Mykonos and Santorini. I eventually devised a circular route to 4 Cyclades islands with Naxos being the only touristy one. Our itinerary was Athens (Piraeus) - Syros - Naxos - Tinos - Andros - Athens (Rafina). We stayed 4 or 5 nights on each island. 1.2. Why we chose to visit Tinos The Rough Guide says that " Tinos still feels like one of the most Greek of the larger islands in the Cyclades ". The Tripadvisor forum mentioned that the hiking trails were excellent. We wanted to visit Andros (see my blog Andros, Greece: Travel Guide ) and Naxos ( see my blog Naxos, Greece: Travel Guide ). There are car ferries between Naxos to Andros that stop at Tinos. 1.3. Is Tinos worth visiting? Tinos is an authentic Greek island unspoiled by tourism. The main visitors are Greeks visiting the island for religious reasons. Tinos is an attractive island with pretty villages and reasonable roads for exploring the island. There are a couple of good hiking trails, but many trails are becoming difficult to follow as they aren't being maintained. See the hiking section of this blog for details. We were a bit underwhelmed by Tinos Town. It pales in comparison to Naxos Town. We enjoyed wandering around Naxos Town every evening but one visit of about an hour was enough for Tinos. The island of Tinos is definitely worth visiting but you do need a car. A stay of 3 to 4 nights is sufficient. 2. Tinos Town The main, and probably, only sight to see is the imposing Panayia Evangelistria Church. Most Greek visitors come to the church to see an icon famous for its healing powers. There are 2 long straight streets going uphill from the harbour to the church. You can enter the church and there isn't an entrance fee. The western street has a long thick runner attached to the side of the street to protect the hands and knees of devotees crawling up the hill. We didn't see anyone doing this. The eastern street is lined with stalls and shops selling religious items. We found free parking on the upper section of the western road to the church. When driving in Tinos Town ensure you have all your car papers as the Port police stopped us and asked to see them. Most of the restaurants are in the central harbour area. Panayia Evangelistria Church on Tinos Island The Harbour at Tinos Town 3. Villages around Exobourgo Mountain Exobourgo Mountain is 570 metres high. It is an imposing mountain of barren rock and is circled by several pretty Greek villages. The top can be reached by steep steps from the village of Xinara but we didn't climb up. We visited the villages of Tripotamos, Skalados, Xinara and Falatados. Tripotamos is the most interesting of these villages and is a 10 minute drive from Tinos Town. It has old buildings, tunnelled alleyways and churches. Some dilapidated buildings have been restored and turned into small hotels and holiday homes. Vehicles can't enter the village and there is limited parking on the main road above the village. Falatados is also worth visiting and has several white washed churches. There are 2 free car parks. The first one was full but there was space at the next car park. Exobourgo Mountain The Village of Skalados The Village of Xinara The Village of Xinara Tripotamos Tripotamos Tripotamos Tripotamos Tripotamos 4. The Village of Kardiani We stopped off at the beautiful village of Kardiani on our drive up north to Mamados to do a hike. We parked on the main road and walked down to Kardiani. We were concerned the road to the village would be steep and narrow but it was fine. The Village of Kardiani A Dovecote in the Village of Kardiani A Dovecote in the Village of Kardiani The Village of Kardiani The Village of Kardiani 5. Hikes on Tinos Island 5.1. The Condition of Hiking Trails on Tinos The Tinos Trails website lists 12 hikes that have well marked trails on Tinos. These trails aren't well maintained. A March 2023 review on Tripadvisor reported that many of the paths were overgrown and impassable. The reviewer said " It got to the point that I was dreading every time the trail got into nature, and was relieved when the way marking led to asphalt road. The opposite of what you're supposed to feel when hiking! ". The reviewer said that trails M3, M3a and E4 were fine and I can confirm that in June 2023 trails M3a and E4 were in good condition. The reviewer didn't walk trails T3, M2, E1, E2. It is possible that the trails will be cleared but also possible that they will become even more neglected. A good way of checking is to read recent user reviews of the hikes on the Wikiloc and Alltrails websites. 5.2. Tinos Trail M3A - Livada Beach to the Lighthouse on Papargyros Cape This is a very scenic coastal trail that takes about 40 minutes each way. It isn't a circular hike so you walk back on the same trail. The trail starts from Livada beach. There is a signpost just above the middle section of the beach. Once you have found this sign it is very easy to follow the trail. It is very well marked with red & white paint. The Alltrails app shows the route. Initially the path climbs up and then descends steeply before climbing to the lighthouse. It isn't a difficult path but there are lots of loose stones so it is best to walk carefully. The final section is a bit exposed when it is very windy. The tourist map indicates that almost the entire road to Livada beach is unpaved. In reality only the final 3 kilometres is unpaved. It is possible to carefully drive a saloon car until the last two hundred metres before the beach. We parked on the side of the road just before that section. If you want a longer hike you can add on the M3 hike from Myrsini to Livada beach. This trail was reported to be in good condition in March 2023. You would have to hike back up the same way. The Alltrails app shows that there is an elevation gain of 400 metres and that the hike takes 3 hours 15 minutes. Sign for Path M3A on Livada Beach Looking back to Livada Beach at the start of the Walk View on the Walk to the Lighthouse View on the Walk to the Lighthouse The Path to the Lighthouse on Papargyros Cape Looking down to Leivada Beach on the way back 5.3. Tinos Trail: E4 Mamados - Mali - Koumelas - Marlas - Mamados This circular trail descends from the inland village of Mamados to the coastal villages of Mali and Koumelas. The trail back ascends to the village of Marlas, close to the starting point at Mamados. The trail was well marked, except in 1 place, and is in good condition. We used the Wikilok app to help follow the route. The Alltrails app has a fairly similar route. It is an open walk with good views and takes about 2.5 hours. There is a beach at Mali so you can have a swim there. There is a free car park at Mamados. I recommend this hike and in June 2023 it was one of the few trails on Tinos island that weren't overgrown. View from near Mamados Before the descent to Mali Looking down to the Village of Mali The Village of Mali The village of Mali Looking towards the Village of Koumelas View on the way up from the Village of Koumelas 6. Car Ferries to and from Tinos We travelled to Tinos on a car ferry from Naxos and departed on a car ferry to Andros. Both ferries stopped at Mykonos. When we saw the cruise ships moored at Mykonos we were pleased that we weren't staying there! There are several car ferries sailing between Tinos and Andros but only two car ferries that sail between Naxos and Tinos. Both routes are fairly quick and take less than 2 hours. The cost for the car was between Eur 36 to Eur 40 which I felt was reasonable. 7. Car Repairs We had some problems with our car while we were on Tinos. A local recommended a garage and the mechanic was excellent. He spoke good English, was very helpful and the cost was very reasonable. The workshop is behind a Shell petrol station on the northern outskirts of Tinos Town. It is on the left hand side of the road to Tripotamos. Only the Shell petrol station is visible from the road. The workshop name is Delatolas, K., & A. O.E. 8. Accommodation on Tinos We stayed in a studio apartment that we rented through Airbnb for Eur 70 per night. We weren't very impressed with it but it gets good reviews. I have reviewed it on my blog " UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 2 " (number 3). 9. Links to My Other Blogs on Greece Monemvasia, Greece: Travel Guide Mycenae, Greece: Travel Guide Tiryns, Greece: Travel Guide Epidaurus, Greece: Travel Guide Nafplio, Greece: Travel Guide Corinth, Greece: Travel Guide Delphi, Greece: Travel Guide The Monasteries of Meteora: Travel Guide Naxos, Greece: Travel Guide Mystras, Greece: Travel Guide Syros, Greece: Travel Guide Andros, Greece: Travel Guide North Macedonia to Greece - Week 4 Nafplio, Greece to the Peloponnese - Week 5 Peloponnese to the Greek Islands - Week 6 The Greek Islands - Week 7 The Greek Islands to Albania - Week 8

Monemvasia We drove from Nafplio to Monemvasia and stopped off at the archaeological sites of Tiryns , Mycenae and Mystras on the way. Contents of Monemvasia Travel Guide Introduction to Monemvasia Parking in Monemvasia What to See in the Lower Town What to See in the Upper Town A Hike around Monemvasia Accommodation in Monemvasia Links to My Other Blogs on Greece 1. Introduction to Monemvasia Monemvasia is a spectacular fortified island town. At its peak it had a population of 60,000 people. Monemvasia was founded by the Byzantines in the 6th century and it remained in their possession for almost 700 years. Monemvasia fell to the Ottomans in 1540 and was under their control for almost 300 years, except for a brief 25 year period of Venetian rule. In 1821 Monemvasia's fortress fell to the Greeks in the War of Independence and the Turks were massacred. The fortress town of Monemvasia is definitely worth a visit. The Lower Town is well preserved. Monemvasia's Upper Town has the 12th century Church of Hagia Sophia, ruins and fantastic views. A half day is needed to see both the Lower and Upper Towns. You can easily spend a whole day there as there are beaches at new Monemvasia and there is a hike around the island. There are no entrance fees for visiting Monemvasia's Lower and Upper Towns. 2. Parking in Monemvasia Monemvasia's entire lower town is pedestrianised. You can park on the road between the causeway and the ancient gate into the lower town. It can be difficult to find a parking place. Alternatively you can park in the new town and walk across the causeway. From there it is a 20 minute walk to Monemvasia's old town. 3. What to See in Monemvasia's Lower Town Monemvasia's Lower Town once had forty churches and over 800 houses. Only a few of the churches remain but there are still a lot of buildings and an intricate network of alleys. The western fortified entrance gate is narrow and Z shaped for defence purposes. When we arrived we weren't even sure there was a way through! There is a single main street leading from the gate to the main square. It is lined with cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops. The main square is a beautiful public area with a Byzantine church, a museum housed in a 16th century church and a cannon in the centre. There are places to sit at the far end to enjoy the square and views of the Upper Town. You can walk through Monemvasia to the eastern gate. If you walk through the gate and continue eastwards you will reach the lighthouse. See the section on hikes . From the eastern gates you can follow the southern wall back to the centre of Monemvasia's Lower Town. You can walk along the top of the wall in places. We spent an hour wandering around Monemvasia's Lower Town. Monemvasia Island The Main Street in Monemvasia's Lower Town. Monemvasia's Main Square Church of Christ Elkomenos in Lower Monemvasia Canon Ball Bowling! Monemvasia's Lower Town Panagia Chrysafitissa Church in Monemvasia's Lower Town Monemvasia's Lower Town The Eastern Wall at Monemvasia 4. What to See in Monemvasia's Upper Town Monemvasia's Upper Town was the home of the Monemvasia aristocracy. During the 17th century A.D. there were more than 500 mansions. Very little remains today except stone ruins and the Church of Hagia Sophia. It is a 10 to 15 minute steep walk to the Upper Town. There are good views of the Lower Town on the way up. Halfway up is an impressive tunnel and entrance gate. The church of Hagia Sophia was built in the 12th century A.D. and has been recently restored. It is the most important building in Monemvasia. It is reported to only be open at weekends but we went on a Friday and it was open. The Citadel is at the very top, which is about 300 metres above sea level. The ruins aren't that impressive but it is worth going for the views. We spent just under 2 hours seeing Monemvasia's Upper Town, including the walk up. The Path to Monemvasia's Upper Town A Tunnel on Way to Monemvasia's Upper Town A View of Monemvasia's Lower Town on the way to Upper Town The Church of Hagia Sophia in Monemvasia's Upper Town The Interior of Hagia Sophia Church The Citadel in Monemvasia View of New Monemvasia from Monemvasia's Citadel A View of Monemvasia's Lower Town from the Upper Town A View of the Tunnel and Gate between Monemvasia's Lower and Upper Towns 5. A Hike around Monemvasia You can hike around the island of Monemvasia. The full circuit is around 4 kilometres and would take about an hour. The route is described on the Alltrails website , although this route also includes a walk up to Monemvasia's Upper Town. Other options would be to: Walk along the south side of the island from the east gate of lower Monemvasia to the lighthouse and return the same way. This would probably take half an hour. Walk along the northern shore from the causeway to the lighthouse and return the same way. This route is described on the Alltrails website . 6. Accommodation in Monemvasia Accommodation in Monemvasia's Old Town is expensive. We booked a small apartment in Monemvasia's new town which is on the other side of the causeway. It was a 20 minute walk to the Old Town. We booked through Booking.com and paid Eur 53 per night. My review of this apartment is on the blog " UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 1 " (number 15). 7. Links to My Other Blogs on Greece Mycenae, Greece: Travel Guide Tiryns, Greece: Travel Guide Epidaurus, Greece: Travel Guide Nafplio, Greece: Travel Guide Corinth, Greece: Travel Guide Delphi, Greece: Travel Guide The Monasteries of Meteora: Travel Guide Naxos, Greece: Travel Guide Mystras, Greece: Travel Guide Tinos, Greece: Travel Guide Syros, Greece: Travel Guide Andros, Greece: Travel Guide North Macedonia to Greece - Week 4 Nafplio, Greece to the Peloponnese - Week 5 Peloponnese to the Greek Islands - Week 6 The Greek Islands - Week 7 The Greek Islands to Albania - Week 8

The Theatre at Epidaurus We visited Epidaurus while staying in Nafplio ( Nafplio, Greece: Travel Guide ) as it is only a 30 minute drive from there. Many people also visit the archaeological sites of Tiryns ( Tiryns: Travel Guide ) and Mycenae ( Mycenae: Travel Guide ) on the same day. Contents of the Epidaurus Travel Guide Opening Hours for Epidaurus Best Time to visit Epidaurus Tickets Getting to Epidaurus, Parking and Toilets A Brief History of Epidaurus What to See My Other Blogs on Greece 1. Opening Hours for Epidaurus Winter From November to February: 08:00-17:00 March: 08:00-18:00 Summer: April : 08:00-19:00 From 2 May - 31 October: 08:00 - 20:00 Holidays 1 January 25 March 1 May Easter Sunday 25 December 26 December 2. Best Time to visit Epidaurus We arrived at 08.30 and virtually had the Epidaurus to ourselves. The first tour group arrived at 09.15 and others soon followed! It is best to arrive at Epidaurus early or late to avoid the tour groups and the heat in summer. However, in summertime they have evening shows and they start preparing the theatre in the late afternoon. That isn't good for photos. If you arrive at the start of the day see Epidaurus's theatre first before it becomes crowded. Conversely if you visit later leave visiting the theatre until the end so more people will have left the site. We took our time and spent 2 hours at Epidaurus to justify the high entrance fee! You could certainly see everything at Epidaurus in 1.5 hours. 3. Tickets for Epidaurus The ticket prices for Epidaurus have been significantly increased and tickets now costs Eur 20. Admission is free for EU citizens up to the age of 25. From October 1 to 31 May a 50% reduction is granted to over 65's from EU countries. Documentary proof is required for these reductions. Admission to Epidaurus is free on the following days: 6 March 18 April 18 May The last weekend of September 28 October Every first and third Sunday from November 1st to March 31st 4. Travelling to Epidaurus, Parking and Toilets Epidaurus is a 30 minute drive from Nafplio through pretty rural countryside. There is plenty of free parking and there are free toilets near Epidaurus's entrance gate. 5. A Brief History of Epidaurus According to ancient Greek mythology, Epidaurus was the birthplace of Asklepios, the healing god and son of Apollo. Epidaurus was the most popular healing center in antiquity. In the sanctuary, there was a temple, dormitories and baths to help patients recover from various diseases. Epidaurus's heyday was in the fourth and third centuries BC. The main monuments date back to the 4th century BC. In 395 AD Epidaurus was sacked by the Goths and 30 years later it was closed by Emperor Theodosius II as it was a pagan sanctuary. 6. What to See at Epidaurus 6.1. The Theatre at Epidaurus The theatre is the main attraction at Epidaurus and it is spectacular. It was built in 340 BC and is the best preserved theatre in Greece. The theatre has a capacity of about 14,000 spectators. Epidaurus's theatre is famous for its remarkable acoustics which allows voices to be heard from the stage all the way to the last row. All groups, and a lot of individual visitors, try to demonstrate the acoustics. They either drop a pebble on the stone in the centre of the stage, clap or sing! It is entertaining, although in peak season the guards stop people singing. The Theatre at Epidaurus 6.2. The Propylon The Propylon is the outer monumental gateway to Epidaurus's gymnasium. The Propylon 6.3. The Temple of Asklepios The temple of Asklepios was built in the early 4th century BC. The Temple of Asklepios 6.4. The Abaton The Abaton is a 2 level structure and you can enter the lower part of the building. Patients would sleep here awaiting a visitation from the healing god, which was believed to be a serpent. Harmless snakes were released at night for this purpose. The Abaton 6.5. The Stadium at Epidaurus Epidaurus's stadium was constructed in the 5th century B.C. to host the nude athletic games! These games were hosted every four years to honour Asklepius, the god of healing. The participants and spectators were mainly pilgrims at Epidaurus's sanctuary. The Stadium 6.6. The Museum at Epidaurus The entrance ticket for Epidaurus's main site includes entry to the small and interesting museum. The Museum 7. My Other Blogs on Greece Monemvasia, Greece: Travel Guide Mycenae, Greece: Travel Guide Tiryns, Greece: Travel Guide Nafplio, Greece: Travel Guide Corinth, Greece: Travel Guide Delphi, Greece: Travel Guide The Monasteries of Meteora: Travel Guide Naxos, Greece: Travel Guide Mystras, Greece: Travel Guide Tinos, Greece: Travel Guide Syros, Greece: Travel Guide Andros, Greece: Travel Guide North Macedonia to Greece - Week 4 Nafplio, Greece to the Peloponnese - Week 5 Peloponnese to the Greek Islands - Week 6 The Greek Islands - Week 7 The Greek Islands to Albania - Week 8