No visas for Albanians and Bosnians for EU travel

Bosnians and Albanians have something to celebrate this week and that's being granted visa-free travel to the European Union. Travellers must hold the new biometric passport to be granted the free passage which was initiated on December 15th, 2010. Currently Kosovo is the only Balkan country left that doesn't have visa-free status to travel into Europe.

The first cars to cross the boarder to Greece were celebrated with fireworks and in general there was a huge burst of Albanians travelling ay train, air, car and ferry to the EU in celebration. Bosnians were generally less enthused despite the travel deals and cheap hotels available on the table to celebrate the occasion.

The European-standard biometric passports cost €50 and more than a whopping one million Albanians have signed up to get the new passport compared to the 400,000 Bosnians that currently have one.

Is it because of the money?

It is inevitable that there will be a jump of asylum applications from poor families hoping to make more money either legally or illegally thanks to the loose borders now. We won't see Europe change over night but we can expect a rise in immigration from these two countries now that visa's won't be an issue.

Albania's Ionian Coast, an adventure into the wild

Wouldn't it be nice to go swimming here? Dark blue waters and rugged shorelines, Albania is just a child when it comes to outdoor tourism but it's something that is picking up which means the Ionian Coast is going to be where it's at in a few years. Wild landscapes and ancient ruins, turquoise pools and lone wolves. So beat the crowds and enjoy it while you can!

How to get there:

You can find cheap flights from Belfast to Tirana, the capital of Albania, from a number of airlines like British Airways, Lufthansa and SAS. Albania's main international airport is Rinas International Airport (TIA) which is located just 10 km north of the city.

What to see:

 Llogaraja Pass

If you're an outdoors junkie who seeks thrilling heights around the world, then need you head to Llogaraja Pass. It is a road that travels south from Vlora and reaches 1000 m in height. Albania has never looked to beautiful than from above. From the top you can see mountains disappearing into the clouds, the steep cliffs that effortlessly fall into the sea and thick forests that are home to wolves and wild boar. Albania is majestic and completely wild.

Syri i Kalter

Lose your sense at the Blue Eyed Spring, a pool of water that is surrounded by vibrant blue edges, like the iris of an eye. The pool flows into the Bistrica River and no one knows exactly how deep it is, adding to the mystery. Enjoy a picnic, take a dip and relax under the shade of an oak.

Butrinti

Butrini is both home to some of the country's most renown ancient ruins and part of a national park. It is the perfect place to spend an afternoon exploring the place once inhabited by Greeks centuries past. It was later occupied by the Byzantines and then abandoned until the late 1920s when it was discovered by archaeologist.

Have you ever been?