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The Albanian coastal town of Dhermi is one of those rare hidden gem. Pearly white beaches, chrystal clear sea water, great hotels and bars. It´s every beach bum´s dream destination and very affordable to boot! Don´t just take my word for it, watch the video after the jump.

Try the Dhermi Hotel. It´s clean and very affordable at around $20 per night. For a sea view!!!

Fresh seafood at bargain prices. This truely is the riviere experience at a fraction of the price. So just remember, Dhermi is our little secret!

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The city of Kruje (or Kruja) is one of those places that´s just bursting to be discovered. 500 meters above sea level, on the slopes of Sari -Salltiku mountain.

Kruja lies 32 km to the northwest of Tirana and is a great place for a day trip or a more extended stay. “Kruj” means spring and there is plenty of fresh water in this area. The most important attraction however is the castle, best known because it withstood sultan Mehmet II ´s sieges from 1450 until 1478 under its leader Skenderbeg. When staying overnight in Kruje, you may consider the Panorama Hotel. It has lovely views of the city and the castle and rooms are between $20 and $40.

Pogradec is a bustling city in Souteastern Albania. Apart from all the things to see and do here, it´s also a great place to do business. As business hotels go, Hotel Millenium on Lake Ohrid is a good bet. The views over the lake are stunning and they just finished bulding new annexe.

The name Pogradec literally means “the city below the castle”. Pogradec castle has been inhabited since the fifth century b.C. Many famous Albanian writers and painters, such as Lasgush Poradeci and Vangjo Vasili come from this part of the country.

If you are going to lake Ohrid, don´t forget to visit the small village of Lin with its lovely mosaics and even lovelier beaches. Mulliri i Vjeter is a great place to bring a picnic.

Apollonia is one of the main tourist attractions in Albania and rightly so. Now Unesco world heritage sight, Apollonia was founded on the banks of the river Vjosa by the Greeks in 588 b.C.

Cicero called Apollonia magna urbs et gravis, a great and important city. As an important sea port, Apollonia grew rich under Roman rule. In the 3rd century aD an earthquake shattered the hopes and dreams of the Apollonians: it changed the flow of the river Vjosa, and split the harbor in two, turning the inland area into a mosquito paradise, spreading malaria.

Apollonia declined as the nearby harbor town of Vlöre, or Vlora, prospered and was mostly forgotten until excavations started in the 20th century. Today, a lot still lies undiscovered, though through the years, many fine artefacts have been dug up, on display at the monastery and at the archeological museum in Durrës.

The nearby coastal town of Fier offers plenty of wonderful hotels to make your stay a memorable one.