Tour Review: 18 to 35s 9-day Essential Southern Balkans with Intrepid Travel

This Melbourne winter, I decided to escape the cold and booked Intrepid Travel's Essential Southern Balkans tour. The journey began in Croatia, winding through Montenegro and Albania and finished on the gorgeous Greek island of Corfu. Nine days along the Adriatic with a knowledgeable guide and a group of like-minded travellers was a wonderful way to experience the region for the first time. From restaurant recommendations that led me to the best grilled octopus I’ve ever tasted, to smooth, well-organised border crossings, there’s much to love about travelling with a tour company like Intrepid.

Travelling solo or with a partner can be fantastic. You have the freedom to go at your own pace, follow your own

interests and customise each day exactly how you like it. But it doesn’t come without setbacks. Scheduling and working out the best route on public transport is hard enough, but doing it alone in another language adds an extra dose of stress. As a female traveller I’m constantly aware of safety risks, which can mean sometimes missing out on experiences like exploring the local nightlife. And sometimes you just want to chat, share laughs and a meal with new people.

That's where the joy of an organised tour like Intrepid comes in, taking care of the logistics and safety concerns, while providing opportunities to befriend like-minded travellers.

It might sound obvious, but one of the best things about an organised group tour is that everyone there has chosen to be part of it. You’re surrounded by people who already share plenty of interests with you. Whether it’s eagerness for a particular style of travel, such as bike riding adventure or a food focused holiday, or simply wanting that social element where you can swap travel tips, discover new destinations and make connections that turn into friendships around the world.

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On my Southern Balkans trip, I met a friend who was always up for a proper swim at every beach stop when most of the group were content to just dip their toes. It was a blast having someone who would dive in with me and really make the most out of the gorgeous beaches. In Corfu, one of my tour mates found the absolute best gelato on the island, we ended up going back there at least four times to try all the flavours and cemented our unbreakable gelato-loving bond. It was exciting moments like these that made the trip truly special, the connections that form when everyone is equally eager to soak up the experience.

The biggest downside to group travel is not being able to design every second exactly how you would do it solo, maybe wanting to stay longer in one town, or not being interested in a particular museum or monument. But I think the tradeoff is worth it, I still remember being on a bus crossing the border from Croatia into Montenegro, clutching my passport and thinking how much more confusing (and expensive) it would have been to organise that on my own. With a group, you just hop on the bus and go, ticking off one beautiful town after another, spending time on the bus making new friends or listening to the guide share the history of the country, without spending half your trip figuring out how to get from here to there.

Having a group to explore with completely changes the experience. Our guide introduced us to incredible local restaurants and hip bars I wouldn’t have found on my own. While we didn't have to eat meals together, with big group dinners full of laughter, stories and fantastic seafood the evenings quickly became trip highlights. The fun didn't stop after dinner, we reveled in the nightlife, like when we checked out a bar in Tirana that had over 40 different flavours of Albanian rakia. I got to try so many flavours of the fiery Balkan liquor that night! Something I certainly wouldn't have done on my own. The tour included tickets to museums and exhibitions, like the old town of Kotor, Montenegro, that had beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and Bunk’Art, a fascinating insight into Albania’s communist history where I got to explore a museum within the tunnels of a real 1970’s bunker.

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My favourite group activity was undoubtedly a boat tour in Himarë. We cruised to hidden beaches, stopping to swim in refreshing water and watched out for the fish that swam beneath us using snorkeling gear provided by the boat company. Himarë has many gorgeous caves, each with its own tale our helmsman eagerly shared with us, like the ‘Mermaid Cave,’ a cave leading to a small tunnel out to the other side of a cliff face which swimming through allegedly turns you into a mermaid. Although I’m still waiting for my tail, all of us did venture through the tunnel and basked in how the water glowed turquoise from a combination of the sun and shadows. Between stops was almost better than the swimming, while we sped along I loved the feel of the wind in my face, the spray from the waves and the excellent company.

There is another benefit to Intrepid that I didn't even consider, which is how environmentally conscious and community focused their journeys are. Intrepid kept things local, staying in family owned guesthouses, eating at small restaurants, and providing plenty of opportunity for us to positively contribute to the towns we visited through activities run by locals. The whole trip was carbon neutral, with Intrepid’s sustainability values shining through all of the trip, like the reusable tote bag given to everyone on day one to cut down on plastic use. Not to mention the Intrepid Foundation, putting part of what you pay for your trip right back into nature and wildlife conservation and community projects. It made responsible travel easy, and it was nice to know that while I was making new connections, the way I was travelling was giving something back too.

Travelling with Intrepid gave me freedom to focus on the fun and opportunity to form new connections, instead of worrying over the logistics. Stress-free and full of genuine experiences, If you’re thinking about your next journey and wondering if group travel is the right fit for you, take this as your sign to book with Intrepid.

Ready for your own Intrepid adventure? Contact us and one of our expert Travel Advisors will help you choose the best Intrepid trip style and itinerary for you, along with sorting out your flights, pre and post tour accommodation, travel insurance and anything else you need.

All images courtesy of Cassie Spanger