Sofia is really special. And unique too. It's one of the capital cities that literally captured my heart. However due to my tight schedule, I have to leave and proceed to another new country, Macedonia. A country in the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe, Macedonia most commonly refers to North Macedonia and it gained its independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Yugoslavia. And the city I'm heading to is Skopje, the capital city of Macedonia.
SOFIA (BULGARIA) TO SKOPJE (NORTH MACEDONIA)
#1: From the hostel I stayed in Sofia, I walked to Sofia Central Station which takes about 20 minutes, or even more. I even got pizza for 1 leva (approx. to RM2.40 / €0.50) and it's huge.
It's impossible to purchase bus tickets online and so, I prefer to get the ticket one day earlier. Always remember to bring along your passport when buying the bus tickets as it involves crossing between two different countries. Sofia Bus Station is kinda confused cause I found out there are two different terminal, but as for the international transfer, the ticket counter just located in front of the Sofia Central Station (as the photo on the top right). For my trip from Sofia to Skopje, the bus company I booked from is Matpu 96 and a single bus ride costs 30 leva (approx. to RM72 / €16). It runs daily at three departure time; 9.30am, 4pm and 7pm and as usual, I prefer to get the earliest departure time.
#2: The bus journey from Sofia to Skopje is about 4 hours and 40 minutes. So make sure grab some snacks and food.
Since the bus journey exit one country (Bulgaria) into another country (North Macedonia), hence there would be border security checking. And again, make sure your passport and your bus tickets come handy, or else you might cause the delay of the bus journey. For Malaysian passport holder, we don't have to apply visa to enter North Macedonia and we are allow to stay in the country up to 90 days.
MY STAY IN SKOPJE
Once I arrived in Skopje Bus Staion, one of the staffs from the hostel I'm staying picked me up from there. How nice and thoughtful they are! I can save my time and my energy too from figuring out how to get to the hostel from the bus station.
#3: Skopje Hostel
Skopje Hostel
Date Stayed: 15 April - 17 April 2019 (2 nights)
Room Rate: €20 for a bed in 6-bed dormitory room for 2 nights (Booked from Agoda)
My review of this hostel - everything is perfect and great including the location, bed and common area, except for one minor issue which is the bathroom. There is only one and only bathroom to be shared among 10 guests. And so if you are urgently need to use it, you might having some problem here. If you know what I mean.
MACEDONIA'S CURRENCY
#4: The banknotes and coins of North Macedonia
North Macedonia has its own currency and it's refer as Macedonia Denar (MKD). So before I start to venture around the city of Skopje, I went to the Old Bazaar to exchange some MKD.
SOFIA (BULGARIA) TO SKOPJE (NORTH MACEDONIA)
#1: From the hostel I stayed in Sofia, I walked to Sofia Central Station which takes about 20 minutes, or even more. I even got pizza for 1 leva (approx. to RM2.40 / €0.50) and it's huge.
It's impossible to purchase bus tickets online and so, I prefer to get the ticket one day earlier. Always remember to bring along your passport when buying the bus tickets as it involves crossing between two different countries. Sofia Bus Station is kinda confused cause I found out there are two different terminal, but as for the international transfer, the ticket counter just located in front of the Sofia Central Station (as the photo on the top right). For my trip from Sofia to Skopje, the bus company I booked from is Matpu 96 and a single bus ride costs 30 leva (approx. to RM72 / €16). It runs daily at three departure time; 9.30am, 4pm and 7pm and as usual, I prefer to get the earliest departure time.
#2: The bus journey from Sofia to Skopje is about 4 hours and 40 minutes. So make sure grab some snacks and food.
Since the bus journey exit one country (Bulgaria) into another country (North Macedonia), hence there would be border security checking. And again, make sure your passport and your bus tickets come handy, or else you might cause the delay of the bus journey. For Malaysian passport holder, we don't have to apply visa to enter North Macedonia and we are allow to stay in the country up to 90 days.
MY STAY IN SKOPJE
Once I arrived in Skopje Bus Staion, one of the staffs from the hostel I'm staying picked me up from there. How nice and thoughtful they are! I can save my time and my energy too from figuring out how to get to the hostel from the bus station.
#3: Skopje Hostel
Skopje Hostel
Date Stayed: 15 April - 17 April 2019 (2 nights)
Room Rate: €20 for a bed in 6-bed dormitory room for 2 nights (Booked from Agoda)
My review of this hostel - everything is perfect and great including the location, bed and common area, except for one minor issue which is the bathroom. There is only one and only bathroom to be shared among 10 guests. And so if you are urgently need to use it, you might having some problem here. If you know what I mean.
MACEDONIA'S CURRENCY
#4: The banknotes and coins of North Macedonia
North Macedonia has its own currency and it's refer as Macedonia Denar (MKD). So before I start to venture around the city of Skopje, I went to the Old Bazaar to exchange some MKD.
€1 = MKD61.40
EXPLORING SKOPJE
It's my first day in Skopje and I try not to go further away. What I normally do is to get to know well of the city's surrounding first, before taking any trips out from the city. Almost all the city's top attractions are just around the corner (except for one or two), therefore I don't have to bother of getting any transportation day pass or doing my research on how to get around the city.
#5: Memorial House of Mother Teresa - Do you know that the humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mother Teresa was born in Skopje? This memorial house is just next to the building of the hostel I stayed
#6: Porta Macedonia - Gate of Macedonia
#7: Not far away from my hostel is the Macedonia Square, the main square of Skopje. You will see countless of statues and monuments here.
#8: Government building by the Vardar River
#9: The Old Bazaar, sits on the eastern bank of the Vardar River, stretching from the Stone Bridge to the Bit-Pazar and from the Skopje Fortress to the Serava river. This is where I exchanged my money to denar and I got my postcards, stamps and fridge magnets here. And if you are looking for halal food, there is the right place to be.
#10: Variety of colourful fridge magnets. Now this is causing me a headache, which one should I choose? The cheapest I found is 60 denar (approx. to RM4.50 / €1).
#11: Skopje Fortress. Some known it as Kale Fortress.
#12: Does this red double-decker ring a bell to you? Yes, this London's famous bright red Leyland double-decker bus is currently the city's public transportation.
#13: A ship restaurant. I love walking along this Vardar River, especially during the glory sunset time.
#14: One photo with the Stone Bridge, the city's symbolic. This bridge is the one connects the Macedonia Square to the Old Bazaar.
#15: Macedonia Square at night. Though I was wandering alone, I felt pretty safe and I was enjoying walking around the square even during the night time. I can assure that it's pretty safe for a female travelller to travelling alone in Skopje but always be careful on your valuable belongings, especially money.
#16: Last but not least before heading back to the hostel, I dropby at the supermarkets. There are two supermarkets located at the basement of Vero Center Mall, less than 5 minutes walk from the hostel.
Some travellers found that Skopje seems to be unattractive and boring cause there are plenty of statues and monuments which cause the city looking significantly messy and chaotic. When I said plenty, I really mean it. It's like almost everyone around the city. However on the other hand for me, I found it differently - I felt the city is genuinely calm, peaceful but at the same time, lively and vibrant. What I love the most was strolling along the Vardar River where the cool breeze of wind softly touch my face, listening to the flowing river sound and the city is lit with hundreds and hundreds of tiny yellow lights when the day gives way to the night. This is definitely an ideal spot for the couple, but not me cause I was all alone. How pity?
Macedonia Square is beautiful.... This place is attractive and interesting enough for me to visit. I would admire at the statues one by one. In Chengdu, I visited Liu Bei's mausoleum and looked at over hundreds of statues there!
ReplyDeleteThat pizza was huge and cheap too. I just bought one slice from AEON and costs RM4 for half of yours.
I knew Mother Teresa was born in Macedonia while my friends said India. Lolol.
Hello Diana - out of the Balkans countries you have visited, which is your favourite and why (if possible)? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteP/S - picture #5 looks like a very welcoming place
Well, this is tough one. For Balkans countries, actually I enjoy visited all but if speaking about cities, I love the most would be Dubrovnik, Sofia, Skopje, Brasov.
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