Author Archives: Jean Nguyen

Shkoder and Tirana

I’ll be honest. Compared to other major cities in any European country, Shokoder and Tirana were quite abysmal, but I can’t blame a recent post-communist/post-totalitarian country for not offering much to the wandering traveller.  Sure, there were notable sites of interest, and … Continue reading

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Lake Koman and the Albanian Alps

When it comes to the Albanian Alps, it’s tough to say what is the highlight—the journey or the destination. Getting there entails a long day of transpotation: Shkoder -> Lake Koman -> Fierze -> Bajram Curri -> Valbona. Most people … Continue reading

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Kotor

During our passing through of Montenegro en route from Croatia to Albania, we made a stop in Montenegro’s popular town, Kotor.  Day trippers from cruise ships and Dubrovnik flooded this town, but its old town and classic hike up the … Continue reading

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Dubrovnik

There’s nothing new to say about the most glorified old city in Croatia (perhaps even in all of Europe!).  Absolutely stunning and breathtaking, but expensive and crowded.  Our day spent in Dubrovnik was on a rainy Monday in June and it … Continue reading

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Off the Beaten Path Croatia

Getting off the beaten path in Croatia is truly the best way to fall in love with Croatia. I’m not exaggerating.  Seriously.  After spending time in somewhat well-trodden Pula in the Istria peninsula and the super well-trodden Split, and knowing … Continue reading

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Mostar

When I read that Mostar was not only Bosnia’s most beautiful (and visited) city but also the most devastated city during the Bosnian Civil War, I knew I had to see it. I bookmarked it on my map, and found … Continue reading

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Split

I found Split to be somewhat pleasant but more so underwhelming, perhaps due to having roadtripped around Europe the past four months.  Croatia has been a hot tourist destination for a long time now, so it’s no surprise that everyone … Continue reading

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Istria – Our Intro to Croatia

Croatia’s northernmost coast is the Istria peninsula, the largest peninsula in the Adriatic sea. Naturally this was our first stop in Croatia after crossing the border from Slovenia. Because Istria’s largest city, Pula, stood out from the rest of Croatia with its … Continue reading

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Ljubljana

Ljubljana. That’s right. Keep staring. You don’t even know where to start right? Just replace the j’s with y’s: Lyublyana. There. That’s how you pronounce it. Like the country, the capital is small with a population of less than 300,000 people.  But … Continue reading

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Triglav National Park

I couldn’t wait to step foot into a country that I (and my friends) hardly knew about, and little did I know that I would immediately be awe stricken by Slovenia’s only national park, Triglav National Park.  Driving from Venice to … Continue reading

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