Summary of My 22D19N Balkans Travelogue (2019) Covering Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania & Montenegro

SUMMARY OF MY 22D19N ITINERARY

Day

Destination

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

Kota Kinabalu → Singapore Singapore → Istanbul → Bucharest Bucharest Bucharest → Brasov + Bran Brasov + Sinaia Brasov + Sighisoara Brasov → Bucharest → Veliko Tarnovo Veliko Tarnovo → Sofia Sofia Sofia → Skopje Skopje + Ohrid Skopje → Pristina Pristina + Prizren Pristina → Tirana Tirana + Berat Tirana → Kotor Kotor Kotor Kotor → Podgorica Podgorica → Istanbul Istanbul → Singapore Singapore → Kota Kinabalu

FLYING WITH SINGAPORE AIRLINES

This is my second time flying with this prestigious and award-winning airlines? Why I chosen this airlines? One of the main reasons is because it's connecting the flight between Istanbul and Kota Kinabalu with transit in Singapore and the airfare was pretty affordable. 

VISA & CURRENCY EXCHANGE

Visa is not required for Malaysian passport holders to visit all these 6 countries. However, this will change from 2021 onwards. Malaysians will need to apply for an ETIAS visa waiver, which will be obtainable through the online application system. For more info, you can check out here.

As for currency exchange:

• Only Kosovo and Montenegro are using Euro (€)
• Romania - National currency is leu (€1 = 4.60 leu). I exchanged at Bucharest Airport and Bucharest Old Town (of course I would recommend the latter)
• Bulgaria - National currency is lev (€1 = 1.91 lev). I withdraw some from Veliko Tarnovo train station and exchanged the rest in Sofia
• Macedonia - It's known as denar (€1 = MKD61.40). I exchanged denar at the Old Bazaar of Skopje.
• Albania - It's national currency is lek (€1 = 123 lek). I went and exchanged at the shop opposite of my hostel.
  
  

RECAP OF MY TRAVELOGUES

• From Kota Kinabalu to Bucharest, Romania
• Bucharest - The First City of Romania I Wandered
• To Brasov From Bucharest
• Short Trip To Bran Castle From Brasov
• Peles Castle of Sinaia, Romania
• Sighisoara, Transylvania's Medieval Fortified City
• Train From Brasov To Veliko Tarnovo
• Goodbye Veliko Tarnovo and Hello Sofia
• Sofia, Bulgaria - Things To Do & See In A Day
• Skopje, The Capital City of North Macedonia
• Short Trip From Skopje To Ohrid, North Macedonia
• Leaving Skopje To Pristina
• A Day Trip From Pristina To Prizren
• Tirana, The Beating Heart of Albania
• Berat, The Town of A Thousand Windows
• Kotor, A City of Montenegro That Stole My Heart
• Hiking San Giovanni Fort of Kotor, Montenegro
• The Island Gospa od Skrpjela (Our Lady of The Rock) & Bay of Kotor Cruise
• Podgorica, Montenegro
• Istanbul Tulip Festival 2019

MY TRAVEL HAUL

A handful of fridge magnets I bought

Chocolates. It's funny I don't really into chocolates but then, I love to buy chocolate as souvenirs to friends and family.