Winter Reverse Travel | This Niche Country Has the World's Cheapest Beach Resorts

| This niche country has the world's cheapest beach resorts. South of Saranda is another coastal town, Ksamil, known as the "Turquoise Pearl." As early as the socialist period, it was famous for its olive oil, lemons, and oranges. Today, it is one of Albania's most popular holiday destinations and was once named one of the world's 20 cheapest beach resorts by The Guardian, making it a great alternative to the Greek coast. · So after we returned from Butrint, we arranged to stay here for one night. Ksamil is small, with almost no high-rise buildings around. The houses here remind me of Southeast Asia, with no European feel at all. · Our homestay is on a hill behind Ksamil Beach, with a small garden, and it's only a 10-minute walk to the beach. The rooftop of the homestay is a great place to have breakfast, with a good view overlooking Ksamil, but not facing the sea, only some side coasts. · Walking to Ksamil Beach, it was already crowded. Unlike Southeast Asia, with its vast beaches, this place is made up of many small beaches. Walking on the beach, the sand is clean and delicate, and the blue sea is not bone-chilling, much better than the stone beaches of the Mediterranean countries. · But what shocked me the most was the beach chairs and umbrellas all over the beach, which really filled the beach as far as the eye could see, making me feel a little claustrophobic. But there are indeed many tourists here in the summer, and the reputation of being an alternative to Greece is well-deserved. This is probably the place where I met the most tourists in Albania. · But I personally don't think the cost here is cheap, only that it's okay in Europe. Beach chairs range from 15 to 30 euros depending on the location, and dining by the beach is even more expensive, with a casual pasta costing 20 euros per serving. · At dusk, I wanted to find an open place on the mountain to take pictures of the sunset, but it was either blocked by trees or private property, so I only managed to take a silhouette. · In general, Ksamil doesn't have any great scenery, but it is more suitable for a short holiday, but only for Europeans, and it can't be compared to Southeast Asia.