Saturday, October 3, 2026

Balkans 2018: 10-Day Tour

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                                     AhPek Biker - Riding Adventures                                   
Balkans 2018: 10-Day Tour 

The Balkans: 28th April to 7th May 2018
Medium Group (Non-cycling) 10-Day Tour of the Balkans:
(Italy, Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Slovenia):
Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)>KLIA>fly Emirates>Dubai Airport (Dubai) (transit)>fly Emirates>Venice Airport (Venice, Italy)>bus>Opatija (Croatia)>Plitvice Lake>Šibenik>Split>Dubrovnik>Kotor (Montenegro)>Budva>Mostar (Bosnia)>Sarajevo>Zagreb (Croatia)>Bled Island (Slovenia)>Ljubljana>Postojna Cave>Noveta Di Piave >Venice Airport (Venice, Italy)>fly Emirates>Dubai Airport (Dubai) (transit)>fly Emirates>KLIA>Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia).
(See day-to-day blogs for more detailed routes)
The Balkans is an intriguing place covering several countries, mainly those of the former Yugoslavia. It's intriguing because of the complicated process of how it became one country and later broke up into several countries from 1918 to 2006. It came into existence following World War I, under the name of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, following centuries of foreign rule over the region under the Ottoman Empire and the Habsburg monarchy. The kingdom was invaded and occupied by the Axis powers in April 1941, during World War II, and the Communist-led Partisan resistance went on to proclaim it the Democratic Federal Yugoslavia. Partisan leader Josip Broz Tito ruled the country from 1944 until his death in 1980. In 1963, the country was renamed for the final time, as the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). The six constituent republics that made up the SFRY were the socialist republics of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia. After an economic and political crisis and the rise of nationalism and ethnic conflicts following Tito's death, Yugoslavia broke up along its republics' borders during the Revolutions of 1989, at first into five countries, [with the republics of Montenegro and Serbia forming a reduced federative state, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY)], leading to the Yugoslav Wars. The FRY was dissolved when Montenegro and Serbia each became independent states in 2006.
So here we are visiting these countries that have gone through almost a century of strife, with some still having clear memories of their difficulties.
(Note: This is an expansion of a brief blog of our Balkans 2018 tour, which is now expanded to more detailed daily blogs.)
(Click here to go to the Main Balkans 2018 FB Album)

BLOGS
Below are the daily blogs of our tour. click on the respective photos to read. Further below are some travel trips for this region. It was an interesting and awesome tour, so come and have a look:

DAILY BLOGS COMING.....
STAY TUNED!!!!!


(Next...  Russia)
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Balkans 2018: Day 01 to 05 Map (Venice to Budva - 986km)
See respective daily blogs for detailed daily route maps.

Balkans 2018: Day 06 to 10 Map (Budva to Venice - 1006km)

See respective daily blogs for detailed daily route maps.
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Related Balkan Blogs:

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TRAVEL TIPS FOR BALKANS

Below are some general tips on travelling in the Balkans:

1. Traffic Directions!
    ?Driving in Russia is left-hand drive, and driving is on the right-hand side of the road. Do look to the correct side when crossing roads.
    Speed limits are between 60 km/h within urban areas, 110 km/h along expressways, and 120 km/h on highways.

2. Getting to & around the Balkans.
    ?Since Russia's "special military operation" into Ukraine, accessibility to Russia by air has been limited. But several airlines (including Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad, and Turkish Airlines) still operate flights to Moscow and St. Petersburg.
     We flew return with Thai Airways from Kuala_Lumpur (KLIA) to Moscow (Domodedovo Airport) with short transits at Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi Airport). Presently, Thai Airways still flies from Bangkok to Moscow but now lands at Vnukovo Airport.
     We booked hotels, train tickets, and several meals via the internet. Ground arrangements (and airport transfers) in Moscow were made through Alexander of Angel Tour, who can be contacted through WhatsApp at this phone number: +7926-435-86-87.
     Ground arrangements (and train station transfers) in St. Petersburg were made through Tayna (contact no.: +7921-923-12-27), a local agent in St. Petersburg.
    Travelling around the cities was in a 16-seater van. Travelling between Moscow and St. Petersburg was by the Red Arrow Sleeper Train and the Sapsan High Speed Train. Within Moscow, we got around using the Moscow Metro.
    For out-of-pocket spending, we exchanged some Russian Rubles before leaving. We also brought along our Big Pay debit cards, as these can be used to withdraw Russian Rubles at ATMs. Debit and credit cards can also be used, but many smaller shops or market stalls only accept cash transactions. Click here for exchange rates to Rubles (presently 1MYR = 18.67 RUR, i.e. Russian Rubles).

3. Immigration & Customs Requirements
    ?Tourists entering Russia will need a tourist visa, which can only be obtained via a TOURIST CONFIRMATION VOUCHER issued by a Russian travel agency or a Russian hotel that has the license to invite foreign tourists. This can be done through a local travel agency with affiliation to a Russian travel agency to obtain this invitation letter. The following is a list of countries that are visa-exempt to enter Russia.
    For Malaysians, leaving and returning to Malaysia, getting through immigration is easier now. Just install and register MyBorderPass, and getting through will be a breeze. A QR code will be generated, have this scanned, and you're through.
 
4. Places & Things of Interests  
    ?There were many scenic and interesting places of interest, but one should not miss the following:
    a. St. Basil's Cathedral (Храм Василия Блаженного) (GPS: 55.75252, 37.62308) in Moscow.
    b. The Moscow Kremlin (Моско́вский Кремль) (GPS: 55.75097, 37.61757), and kremlins of other Russian cities.
    c. The Diamond Fund (Алмазный фонд), a secured chamber within the Moscow Kremlin, which holds the Imperial Crown of Russia, and other Russian Crown Jewels.
    d. Tour of the Moscow Metro stations with their beautiful architecture.
    e. The Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius (Тро́ице-Се́ргиева Ла́вра) (GPS: 56.31068, 38.13047), and other Russian monasteries of the Russian Orthodox Church, within the Golden Ring Cities.
    f. Catherine Palace (Екатерининский дворец) (GPS: 59.71612, 30.39565), and Peterhof Grand Palace (ГМЗ "Петергоф") (GPS: 59.88458, 29.90880) in St. Petersburg.
    g. The State Hermitage Museum (Государственный Эрмитаж) (GPS: 59.93983, 30.31455) in St. Petersburg.
   
5. Food
    ?As Russia is a big country with diverse people and culture, Russian Food is wide-ranging. But do not miss the following:
    a. Russian Caviar, especially the black caviar and the highly prized Beluga Caviar.
    b. Borscht soup, and 
    c. Russian Vodka.

6. Accommodations
   ?Accommodations were mostly at hotels booked via the internet. Cost of accommodations varies and is more expensive in Moscow. 

7. Communicating with Each Other
    ?When travelling in a group, it's important to be able to communicate with each other, especially if one gets lost from the rest. Back then, it was not easy to buy Russian Sim cards, and our Moscow guide got the Beeline physical SIM cards (with 14days unlimited data) at 700 RUR (MYR37.50) for us before we arrived.
    Even now, it is not easy to purchase a SIM card. However, it is possible to buy Russian Sim cards online; just be aware of the restrictions posted earlier.

8. Communicating with Locals
    ?At hotels and tourist spots, locals speak fairly good English. In the smaller towns, most locals speak only Russian. As such, it would be good to know some basic Russian.

9. Dressing
    ?When entering churches and monasteries, it is advisable to wear long pants, especially for women. Ladies will also have to wear headscarves or veils. Caps and hats should be taken off when in churches and monasteries.
    
10. Weather
    ?Temperatures across Russia are generally pleasant in May, and warm later in the month without being too hot. You'll need a light jacket and sweater even for the daytime, but nothing extreme.
     In May, expect highs of 18°C in Moscow, 16°C in St. Petersburg, 17°C in Irkutsk, and 15°C in Vladivostok.
     Useful weather forecast sites for Russia is AccuWeather. For more detailed weather, including cloud cover and wind speed, use Weatherspark and Ventusky.

11. Navigation
    ?I used MapMyRide to track our routes and stops. Geo-tagging of places of interest was via FaceBook or Google Maps.
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