North Macedonia was the starting point for a tour of the Balkans in 2021. Prior to the trip I would not have been able to locate the country on the map, but at the time of Covid it was one of the few countries allowing unrestricted access from the UK making it a useful destination to start travel from.
Reasonable selection of airbnbs in the centre of the town. If visiting outside of the peak season you should have your pick of apartments at a very reasonable price.
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New legislation
Recent changes introduced by the Turkish government has made short-term rentals for under 100 days more restricted. Keep an eye on Reddit threads for up-to-date assessments of how the new legislation is impacting short-term rentals in practice.
There's only one real option for coworking in the town at present, although there is a large range of cafes. If planning to work from home, I would not assume the internet would be of sufficient quality.
Like the rest of North Macedonia, food and drink is very reasonable priced throughout, however compared to larger cities, there isn't an enormous selection of choice. Prices for local excursions and bicycle/car hire prove to be very good value.
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The yen is currently at a 34-year low
While this is undoubtedly a negative for the Japanese, it makes for an exceptionally good time to visit Japan from abroad. Although this trend is unlikely to reverse significantly in the short term, it's still worth checking before visiting.
Read moreAs you would expect from what is essentially a large town, Ohrid isn’t the most dynamic place to spend your time, especially if visiting outside of peak season. The town centre can be walked in its entirety in under 10 minutes, and there is scant evidence of any meaningful nightlife.
North Macedonia operates on Central European Time (CET), aligning with Western Europe.
I've written a guide on how to structure your day to get the most out of the time difference.
Without doubt, being able to speak Spanish with a degree of fluency is a huge asset when visiting South America. I had always put off visiting the continent due to my Spanish skills not extending beyond requesting a "cerveza grande".
But even with my incredibly primitive linguistic capabilities, it was not in any way to the detriment of the trip. English is spoken sparsely, but armed with a few phrases, some polite enthusiasm and a translator, it shouldn't deter you from visiting.
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