Na družbenih omrežjih se je pojavila nova turistična uspešnica, tokrat je v ospredju balkanska destinaciija, na katero ne pomislimo pogosto.
TikTok in Instagram imata novo turistično obsesijo, to je reka Shala oziroma Lumi i Shalës na severu Albanije, ki so jo razglasili kar za evropsko Tajsko. Vzdevek seveda ni uraden, a se je hitro prijel ob prizorih turkizne reke, ki jo obdajajo visoke pečine, in rečnih plaž, na katerih pristajajo čolni z obiskovalci. Uporabniki družbenih omrežij so složni: ob teh prizorih vsi pomislijo, da so nastali nekje v jugovzhodni Aziji, ne pa na Balkanu.
@olam281 📍A hidden place in Albania that looks like Thailand ☀️ #hiddengems #placestovisit #hiddengemseurope #europesummer #cheapdestinations #albania #lumiishales #visitalbania ♬ Praise Jah in the Moonlight – Uzii BigTalk
Reka Shala teče v Albanskih Alpah, izvira blizu vasi Theth in se po 37 kilometrih izliva v Komansko jezero. Na družbenih omrežjih navdušuje predvsem zadnji del reke pred izlivom, saj ima voda tam intenzivne modrozelene odtenke, reko pa obkrožajo strme pečine, zaradi česar deluje še posebej filmsko.
@fitondalipi The Shala River in Albania🇦🇱 #shqiperia #shqiperiaime_ #shqiperia🇦🇱 #kosova🇽🇰 #kosova #kosovatiktok #diasporatiktok #lumishales #lumiishales #shalariver ♬ original sound – ︎fitondalipi
Do teh točk obiskovalce običajno s čolni prepeljejo s Komanskega jezera, kar je že samo po sebi del čarobne izkušnje. Pot vodi skozi ozke kanjone, obkrožene s pečinami, in mnogi pravijo, da je pot enako osupljiva kot prihod na samo destinacijo.
@showmealbaniaa Shala River #lumiishales #shalariver #albania #albanianriver #fyp ♬ Wicked Game – Chris Isaak
Poudariti pa velja, da primerjava s Tajsko sloni izključno na vizualni podobnosti, saj ob reki Shali ni tropskega podnebja, kot planinska reka pa ima tudi poleti hladno vodo. Nedvomno gre za kraj, ki obiskovalcem, predvsem tistim iz Evrope, deluje hkrati eksotično in blizu, predvsem pa drugače od klasičnih poletnih destinacij. A skupaj z viralnostjo na družbenih omrežjih pridejo tudi dobro znane težave: gneča, ki je destinacija ne prenese.
@discoverkomanilake 🎥 Lumi i Shalës – Parajsa sekrete e Shqipërisë 🇦🇱 Ujë kristal si xham, male që të marrin frymën dhe qetësi që s’gjen askund tjetër… Ky vend s’është Tailandë – është zemra e Alpeve Shqiptare! Një copë parajsë që duhet ta përjetosh të paktën një herë në jetë! 🌿💧 #LumiShales #Shqiperi #ExploreAlbania #HiddenParadise #tiktoktravel ♬ suono originale – Mrizi i Zanave
Tam vsaj za zdaj še ni velikih hotelov in letovišč, prespati je mogoče le v preprostih nastanitvah in kampih. Zaradi tako osnovne ponudbe in omejenih kapacitet veliko ljudi tja prihaja le na enodnevni izlet, zato ob dnevnih špicah infrastruktura pogosto ne prenese navala, kar so nekateri uporabniki družbenih omrežij tudi izpostavili.
@just_wandr 👇🏻Read the caption The Shala river is always pictured as this paradise in Albania but very few people will tell you about the logistics and mess that you have to go through before reaching this place. So let me giving a more realistic picture: First, you have to drive from Shkodër to Koman, a 1h45 drive, including 40 min on a dirt road with massive holes. If you rent a car, chance is your rental car company won’t allow you to drive on this road in the contract and will charge you extra for doing so. The alternative is to board a bus in Shkodër early in the morning. Once arrived in Koman, if you drive, NEVER enter the tunnel that leads to the port. Park your car before the tunnel and walk inside the tunnel or you will be stuck in there for hours in your car. Once at the port, it’s absolute chaos. This place is very small and very crowded. People looking for their boat, boarding the ferry with their car and motorbikes, etc. The experience gets better only from the moment you boarding your boat. It usually cost ~20€ both ways and one way trip lasts ~1h30 to reach the Shala river. I’ve tried to find an operator that would take only a small group but could not find one. Expect at least 20-25 people on the boat. Very little explanation during the trip, it’s basically a taxi service more than a proper guided tour. Landscapes on Komani Lake are stunning and the Shala river truly has this crystal clear water though (keep in mind it’s absolutely freezing!). Sadly this place is getting more and more commercialised every year. You’ll understand once you get there! Unless you decide to sleep for 1 night there, expect to spend only a few hours on site because boats are leaving mid-afternoon. You’ll basically spend more hours in transport than actually enjoying the river (min 6h of transport for 3h on site). Overall still worth the trip but lower your expectations compared to what you might see on social media! I post tips like this daily to help you plan your trip in the Balkans, so follow for more! #albaniaitinerary #albaniatravel #shalariver ♬ som original – erick
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