7 Day Horse Riding Trip to Sarandapor Thermal Water in Leskovik

Day 1

Arrival at the airport at around 3 p.m. and transfer by van to Farma Sotira; the trip lasts about 5-6 hours, you will be accommodated in a hotel.

Day 2

There will be horse riding trips in the suburbs of Farma Sotira. Breakfast will be served at 8 a.m. The journey starts from Farma at 9 a.m. You will travel to some of the most interesting places near the farm. Lunch will be served in the form of a picnic and return to Farma in the afternoon.

Day 3

Set off from Farma Sotira to the thermal waters of Leskovik at around 9:30 a.m. The road will pass through picturesque landscapes with forests and meadows. Along the way, you will see Shelegur Lake where a short stop will be made. After that, the road continues to a place called Malishte; then, the descent to the lodge begins.

Along the way, the climate varies from continental to the Mediterranean. After arriving at the campground, Farma Sotira will prepare for camping, equipping the horses, and then bathing in the thermal waters. Dinner will be organized in the form of barbeque.

Day 4

The journey to Leskovik city begins along the Sarandapori River. The ground is straight during the first hour and then starts ascending; the ascent level is 500 meters. Along the way, you will visit some traditional villages in the area. After arriving in Leskovik and equipping the horses, visit some tourist sites in the city. In the evening, there will be a dinner accompanied by traditional music and your accommodation will be at a hotel.

Day 5

After consuming breakfast, set off to Farma Sotira. The road passes through the forests of Shelegur, the terrain will be ascending first for 500 meters and then descending for 400 meters. The scenery along this journey will be surrounded by pine and fir forests. Afterward, the road descends to the plain of Shelegur and continues towards Farma Sotira. You will be accommodated at a hotel for the night.

Day 6

This day trip will be organized to the village of Pode. The road passes through a pine forest; upon arrival in the village of Pode, visit the old church and the seven-water sources of Pode. The return route passes through some panoramic areas of Radanj village. The stopover will take place at the village lake where you can swim (optional); then the road crosses the Has field. Return to Farma Sotira in the afternoon and spend your last night at the hotel accommodation.

Day 7

Departure to the airport.

Horses

They are from American Quarter Horse (Father) and Albanian Mounting Horse (Mother) mixed breeds; they are good, trained, and adapted to the region; they have docile characters too.

The location is near national park Germenj-Shelegur, it is in the middle of pure and almost untouched forests of the southeast of Albania; the forests are mostly pine, the views from the mountains are spectacular, the meadows are wide and wild, and there are several lakes near the farm where a nice stop for swimming would be pleasant.

The farm is on a 1000-meter altitude and it is usual to see footprints of wild animals such as bear, wolf, hogs, and deer; it seldom happens to see those animals too. All regions are pretty wide and there are almost no fences in all areas.

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Food is mostly farm-produced meat, fish, cheese, butter, jam, salads, fruits, and vegetables. Meat can be pork, veal, or lamb; fish is trout, and if someone is vegetarian or allergic to any of these foods, Farma Sotira can arrange to replace your meals with the proper kind of food.

They work hard at Farma Sotira to keep everything organic and they like to cook in a traditional way. Here are some of the traditional dishes you can taste when visiting:

• Meat

Farma Sotira only uses meat from the farm, cows, sheep, pigs, goats, chickens, ducks, and gooses. Meats are cooked mostly using traditional recipes. The meat is placed in a baking pan and covered with a well-heated cap filled with wood ember. When you don't have too much time, they will just grill it in wood ember. You can ask your meat to be cooked in a different way or if you like cooking, you can try it yourself!

• Fish Casserole with Vegetables

This is a traditional recipe for cooking fish in Albania. They use the Trofta fish they grow at the farm. The fish is cut in big pieces together with fresh vegetables and is placed in a baking pan, afterward, they put over it a very well heated big-cap filled with wood ember. Farma Sotira recommends to add a glass of white wine made from the farm grapes.

• Chicken/Duck/Goose with Rice
• Traditional Pie

This is a dish found in many countries but Farma Sotira cooks it their own way; they use wheat flour or cornflour depending on request. It can be filled in different ways: tomatoes and onion, wild cabbage, nettles, mushrooms, cottage cheese and eggs, cottage cheese and leek, etc. They bake it always on a wood oven for a better taste.

• Baklava

Baklava is a dessert originating in the Middle East made of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and soaked in honey or sherbet. It takes 2-3 days to prepare so you can order it before you arrive there. Farma Sotira cooks it mostly on national holidays.

• Homemade Bread and Cheese

Usually, Farma Sotira makes bread themselves. The use mostly organic wheat flour and sometimes, they use cornflour as well. They bake it always on a wood oven for a better taste. It is recommended to be consumed near the fireplace accompanied by cheese and a glass of red wine.

• Dried Meat

This is an old traditional way of preserving the meat for the winter where the fridge was not yet invented. The meat is cut in slices and smoked near the fireplace until it is dried. Farma Sotira uses cow, sheep, or goat meat for this purpose. It can be tasted, grilled lightly near the fireplace, or cooked with beans. They like to consume some glasses of raki when tasting it.

• Grilled Fish

It is the most known way of cooking fish and the fast one as well. Farma Sotira uses only their Trofta fish they grow at the farm. If you like to grill it yourself, the staff will be glad to help you. You can add a glass of white wine or raki when tasting it.

• Fresh Chicken and Duck Eggs
• Honey

• Camping
• Hiking
• Swimming
• Barbeque
• Cycling

• 5 horse riding days
• 6 nights accommodation
• Daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner
• 1 drink during meals
• Use of tents during camping nights

• Extra drinks
• Sleeping bags
• Bags
• Backpacks
• Airfare
• Airport transfers
• Additional activities

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• A reservation requires a deposit of 20% of the total price.
• The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
• The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.