As a traveller with hearing loss, I have a cochlear implant which helps me hear the beautiful sounds in the world and enables me to communicate with people. However, even though the implant is hard-wearing and can be replaced, it also means that over the years, some doctors have advised me to avoid certain activities. This includes things like skydiving, contact sports such as kickboxing, any water sports, or even going places alone. Believe you me, I've done all of these and I love proving people wrong.
Rafting, hiking and kayaking in Albania was the adventure that I had been looking for: solo, but not alone. It’s nice to share experiences with like-minded people, who are all looking for a trip jam-packed with activities.
One of the other travellers and I arrived to Albania pretty late in the day, meaning that we missed our chance to explore the city of Berat and its castle – but when we arrived at our accommodation, we were surprised and delighted to be staying in a castle hotel with a balcony that came with a view.
The next day, the weather changed our plans to go hiking, so our host Arti swapped this day in the itinerary to go river rafting in the Osumi Canyon. Most of us had never done rafting before and together, we worked as a team. It was amazing being inside the canyon, rafting down some of its narrow gorges with imposing walls and beautiful waterfalls along the side. I loved admiring the view and the chance to be under a waterfall.
I don’t really have the words to describe it, but I enjoy every minute I can take in nature. So in the Osumi Canyon the peace of the wild, the sound of the waterfalls hitting the river, our voices echoing around the narrow gorge... it was unreal. What a feeling to be alive!
Afterwards we went back to the city of Berat, where Arti took me and the other traveller to catch up on exploring Berat Castle during the afternoon downtime, before we met for wine tasting and dinner. Our day ended at the hotel with a full brief of the next day: hiking in the remote Tomorr Mountains.
Wow! What an experience it was be driven along a rocky road by 4x4 to reach the trailhead in the mountains. I was grinning like the Cheshire Cat all the way, as well as on the hike up, the view was breathtaking. Although the trail was quite rocky, I didn't find the hike too difficult, but I was glad that I'd brought my hiking boots with me. These mountains are sacred in Albania, and the paths really felt like a place to wash away any negative feelings and instead think positively.
We then had a picnic with a panorama of Mount Tomori, before we hiked back down to a lovely village for lunch.
The next two days were the best of my life, having done some strength training for few months to prepare myself for kayaking and whitewater rafting. It paid off: I could enjoy the pleasure of the view while I was paddling.
I was grinning like the Cheshire Cat all the way, the view was breathtaking.
As we got fully kitted up with our wetsuit and our PFDs, we were ready to kayak. We paddled our way through a beautiful and calm stretch of the wild Vjosa River for a couple of hours or so. After that, we went to chill at the thermal baths in Benja.
Most of us were excited about the prospect of rafting where there would be lots of splashing and a chance to swim in the wild river. Out of all the things we were doing during the trip, this was the activity that we were most looking forward to – and the host did not fail us.
The excitement of getting into the river, the rush of the rapids... we were all delighted to get stuck in and again, to raft together as a team. The best part was when we had the opportunity to jump into the clear waters of the river and go for a swim. It was freezing cold and we didn’t care!
Booking a holiday with activities alone may sometimes seem daunting at first, but to find friendships within the group is something that hits the heart. I truly enjoyed this Albanian adventure.
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