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Ed Reeves

I'm the owner of a small travel agency based in Tirana. I'm able to arrange tours through Albania & Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro.

What places and activities do you specialize in?

"My company has an Albanian and Montenegrin team, so we focus on ethnic Albania, including Kosovo, western Macedonia and south Montenegro. "

How did you get involved in travel?

"I got into travel completely by accident - I took a job with Condé Nast Publications in London focused on restaurants, gastronomy and hotels. In 2012 I travelled to Albania to write a story for the UK Sunday Telegraph and one thing led to another... In a bad case of mission creep I ended up setting up a small tour company. "

Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.

"On my first African safari we spent three days searching for a lion. On the fourth, we met a huge male taking a morning nap on the plain. Our arrival woke him up, so he enjoyed a stretch - which scared a lady in our Land Rover so much that she screamed in terror, sending him scurrying into the bush. She was very nearly tumbled out the vehicle after him as a high-calorie apology. "

Top itineraries and travel advice
Road trip itineraries

Recent trip reviews for Ed

Book your Albanian Adventure with Ed!
Albania | Jul 12 - Jul 18, 2024

G
Grace J.
Australia | Reviewed on Jul 25, 2024
From start to finish, our trip in Albania was absolutely phenomenal. Ed was very helpful with the planning of the trip, perfecting an amazing itinerary for my friends and I that consisted of a mix of the mountains and the beach which we wanted. Ed took away the stress of worrying about transfers and destinations, creating an incredible 7 day Albanian adventure. Once in Albania, everything ran smoothly and Ed connected us to fabulous local tour guides who enabled fabulous experiences. I... Read more

From start to finish, our trip in Albania was absolutely phenomenal. Ed was very helpful with the planning of the trip, perfecting an amazing itinerary for my friends and I that consisted of a mix of the mountains and the beach which we wanted. Ed took away the stress of worrying about transfers and destinations, creating an incredible 7 day Albanian adventure.

Once in Albania, everything ran smoothly and Ed connected us to fabulous local tour guides who enabled fabulous experiences. I cannot reccomend Ed and KimKim as well as Albania as a travel destination enough. Thank you so much Ed (as well as Kreshnik and Kledis) for the most fabulous week and the absolute highlight of our European trip.

Hotel Review
Bujtina MBI Kanion

This guesthouse was located in the most beautiful area on top of a canyon providing incredibly scenic views. The food provided was absolutely amazing and the hosts were kind and gracious, going above and beyond for my friends and I to ensure we had a fantastic stay.

Authenticity & Character
Location
No
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Ed Reeves

AAA experience in Albania!
Albania | May 12 - May 26, 2024

bruce
bruce e.
Lawrence, KS | Reviewed on May 27, 2024
Ed was a great local guide! Our trip was a little unique because we had a bike accident on the first day resulting in a broken wrist and surgery. Ed and Nick were massively helpful, providing translation services and basically babysitting me in a coffee shop while my partner was in surgery and recovering. Ed rescheduled or swapped activities on the fly as necessary. He could not have been more accommodating or helpful.
Once we got on the road we found the itinerary to be exactly what we had...
Read more

Ed was a great local guide! Our trip was a little unique because we had a bike accident on the first day resulting in a broken wrist and surgery. Ed and Nick were massively helpful, providing translation services and basically babysitting me in a coffee shop while my partner was in surgery and recovering. Ed rescheduled or swapped activities on the fly as necessary. He could not have been more accommodating or helpful.
Once we got on the road we found the itinerary to be exactly what we had asked for- lots of beautiful hiking, rafting, strolling through ancient cities, no tourist traps, accommodations all mom and pop operations run by the sweetest people you'll ever meet. Highlights were a cooking class in Gjirokaster, dinner at Lili's in Berat, the view from the glamping tents at Nivica. A day spent hiking up to Borsh castle, poking around the ruins and taking in the incredible views, then doing then same at upper Qeparo village are experiences we'll never forget. Ed clearly has great working relationships with his vendors and it shows when you show up somewhere and people are expecting to see you and already know who you are.
This was our second time using a local guide (kim kim both times) after 35 years of planning trips all over the world by ourselves. I'm not sure there is any going back because we had experiences that we never would have found on our own! Thanks Thanks Ed, Nick, and Elio! You are the best. We are looking forward to the next trip!

Hotel Reviews
Berati Castle Hotel
Berat

Our stay at the Berati Castle Hotel was fantastic. The hotel is in the old part of Berat, which gave us a real feel for the history and culture of the city. The ambiance was exactly what we were looking for, and the location made it easy to explore the beautiful “City of a Thousand Windows.

Camp Nivica

Staying at Camp Nivica was a really cool experience. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking, and it was made even more interesting by the presence of a Swedish film crew shooting a documentary. The setup was like glamping, and it was a refreshing change from traditional hotel stays.

Activity Reviews
Berat - Exploring The "City Of A Thousand Windows"
Berat - Exploring The "City Of A Thousand Windows"
Berat

We did get to explore Berat, and it was a lovely experience. The city is just beautiful, and the architecture is something you don’t see every day. The atmosphere in Berat was calm and relaxing, which was a nice change from the chaos of Tirana.

Mt Dajti MTB Experience
Tirana

This was a huge letdown. What we were expecting was an easy ride up to the foot of Mt. Dajti, take a cable car to the top, and then gently ride down winding country roads with a nice lunch break somewhere. Instead, we ended up riding through city traffic, which was a nightmare, and then up a steep, dirt road filled with heavy construction traffic. It was brutal and not at all what we signed up for. The guide didn't even mention the cable car anymore. My wife had a bad accident on this trip, which just added to the frustration.

Quality of Experience
Local specialist: Ed Reeves

My friends and I travel together every other ...
Albania | Apr 20 - Apr 28, 2024

Sue
Sue O.
Chicago, IL | Reviewed on May 17, 2024
My friends and I travel together every other year and we try to choose places none of us have ever been. We chose Albania as our destination as it was a new to all of us and the hotspot for 2024.
I am so glad we did. As we were researching we decided to get some expert advice and found Kim Kim and Drive Albania.
Ed helped us with our custom itinerary and had great suggestions. He quickly responded to all of our many questions.
Upon arrival in Tirana, Ed and our guide Margil picked us...
Read more

My friends and I travel together every other year and we try to choose places none of us have ever been. We chose Albania as our destination as it was a new to all of us and the hotspot for 2024.
I am so glad we did. As we were researching we decided to get some expert advice and found Kim Kim and Drive Albania.
Ed helped us with our custom itinerary and had great suggestions. He quickly responded to all of our many questions.
Upon arrival in Tirana, Ed and our guide Margil picked us up at the airport and made us feel comfortable. All of our hotels were comfortable, safe, and in great locations. They had great suggestions for lunches/dinners.
Margil was an excellent guide. He knew the history of the country very well. He was a safe driver on the mountain roads. Most of all he was personable and had a great sense of humor.
We enjoyed our trip very much. I would highly recommend Drive Albania and Margil as a guide.

Sent from my iPhone

Hotel Reviews
Art Hotel Rruga Kavaja

Great location, clean rooms, lovely breakfast.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Easy walking
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Musée
Gjirokastra

This hotel had such amazing character. The owners were friendly and helpful. The hotel was in a great location. The breakfasts were delicious.

Authenticity & Character
Awesome!!
Location
Staff
So friendly and helpful
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Panorama Kruje
Krujë
Authenticity & Character
Beach hotel
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Ed Reeves

Our southern Albania and northern Greece tri...
Albania | Apr 23 - May 7, 2024

Brenda
Brenda H.
Astor, FL | Reviewed on May 08, 2024
Our southern Albania and northern Greece trip was perfect in every way. Ed, our travel consultant, was terrific. We had some last minute scheduling hassles that were out of his control and he got us wonderful last minute accommodations. Everything he suggested regarding the itinerary, hotels and restaurants were spot on. He was easy to work with and lots of fun. We are using Kim Kim for our next trip and have recommended you to many friends. Albania was so refreshing with kind people,... Read more

Our southern Albania and northern Greece trip was perfect in every way. Ed, our travel consultant, was terrific. We had some last minute scheduling hassles that were out of his control and he got us wonderful last minute accommodations. Everything he suggested regarding the itinerary, hotels and restaurants were spot on. He was easy to work with and lots of fun. We are using Kim Kim for our next trip and have recommended you to many friends. Albania was so refreshing with kind people, gorgeous scenery, interesting culture and good food. We enjoyed the guesthouse near Permet and the mountains. Also the guesthouse in Ano Pedina, Greece nestled in the Zarori area near theVikos gorge. We wouldn’t change a thing about the trip. Thanks Ed.

Local specialist: Ed Reeves

Albania Experience
Albania | Apr 20 - Apr 28, 2024

R
Rosina B.
Canada | Reviewed on May 05, 2024
The trip was one of the best I have been on - and I have visited 50 countries. I usually do organized trips with small operators. It was great to experience a customized trip for our small group. Ed did a great job helping us organize our trip and Margil was a very good driver and guide. It was great to be picked up by both at the airport. A couple of suggestions: 1. A list of activities / plan for Tirana so no double tracking on sites already visited on our own.
2. Restaurant...
Read more

The trip was one of the best I have been on - and I have visited 50 countries. I usually do organized trips with small operators. It was great to experience a customized trip for our small group. Ed did a great job helping us organize our trip and Margil was a very good driver and guide. It was great to be picked up by both at the airport. A couple of suggestions:

1. A list of activities / plan for Tirana so no double tracking on sites already visited on our own.
2. Restaurant suggestions were a bit off - especially dinner on second night - a bit far from hotel and we were taken to a restaurant for a large lunch.
3. Guide should wait more for entire group to catch up before giving information on sites.

Will recommend KimKim and Drive Albania to my traveler community.

Hotel Reviews
Hotel Panorama Kruje
Krujë

Great location close to old bazar and castle. Great restaurant!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Look
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Riviera
Himare

Nice hotel! Rooms a bit dark.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Musée
Gjirokastra

Beautiful traditional Albanian house converted to hotel! Fabulous hosts!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Art Hotel Rruga Kavaja

Great breakfast options! Centrally located.

Authenticity & Character
Great art on the walls!
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Gjirokastra - Exploring Albania's "Stone City"
Gjirokastra - Exploring Albania's "Stone City"
Gjirokastra

Excellent overview of the castle.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Tirana - Welcome to Albania's Chaotic Capital!
Tirana - Welcome to Albania's Chaotic Capital!
Tirana

A clearer itinerary for our time in the city would have been better so we could plan things we would do on our own.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Ed Reeves

Amazing Albania
Albania | Apr 20 - Apr 28, 2024

T
Terri L.
Canada | Reviewed on May 04, 2024
Put Albania on your travel bucket list and use Drive Albania to make it happen before more people discover this spot. Albania has warm, welcoming and kind citizens, eye-popping scenery, beautiful and interesting ancient sites and natural, fresh and mouth-watering food and of course homemade wine and raki at every stop. We worked with Ed from Drive Albania to create the tour that worked for us – 4 young middle-aged females. He worked with our itinerary sketch to create a trip that delivered... Read more

Put Albania on your travel bucket list and use Drive Albania to make it happen before more people discover this spot. Albania has warm, welcoming and kind citizens, eye-popping scenery, beautiful and interesting ancient sites and natural, fresh and mouth-watering food and of course homemade wine and raki at every stop.

We worked with Ed from Drive Albania to create the tour that worked for us – 4 young middle-aged females. He worked with our itinerary sketch to create a trip that delivered the sites and experiences we wanted while minimizing the amount of hotel hopping we did.

Our guide/drive Margil made this a once-in-a-lifetime experience with his passion for delivering high customer service, his knowledge of Albanian history, his safe driving and his pure joy and zest for life. After consultation with us, on our off days, Margil arranged our activities and made reservations at the best, out-of-the-way eating spots. From the moment he met us at the airport with his wide grin to our final send off, he was professional and attentive, adjusting to our needs, all while sharing his love

Local specialist: Ed Reeves

KimKim is a recommended travel company
Albania | Apr 20 - Apr 28, 2024

C
Cathy R.
Ashburn, VA | Reviewed on May 02, 2024
Margil was our guide for 9 days during our trip to Albania. He was an absolutely amazing!. He was patient, kind, funny, responsible, and trustworthy. He explained each day with detailed plans and carried through with these plans. We were impressed with Margil's knowledge; not just with the understanding of specifics of the tour but with world wide comprehension. The four of us felt very safe with Margil, especially when driving the coast in Albania. Margil was open to ideas from us and... Read more

Margil was our guide for 9 days during our trip to Albania. He was an absolutely amazing!. He was patient, kind, funny, responsible, and trustworthy. He explained each day with detailed plans and carried through with these plans. We were impressed with Margil's knowledge; not just with the understanding of specifics of the tour but with world wide comprehension. The four of us felt very safe with Margil, especially when driving the coast in Albania. Margil was open to ideas from us and didn't' get offended when we wanted a change in the itinerary. We would recommend Margil to anyone wanting a great vacation to Albania.

Ed, was very valuable when planning our whole trip. He was patient to work with us and plan a beautiful, memorable trip to Albania. From the restaurants to the lovely hotels to the continuous communication , we would recommend Ed (KimKim) to our friends and family. It was also a nice touch, that Ed showed up throughout travels in Albania.

Hotel Reviews
Hotel Panorama Kruje
Krujë
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Riviera
Himare
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Musée
Gjirokastra
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Art Hotel Rruga Kavaja

Excellent stay. Best breakfast!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Ed Reeves

Excellent tour company
Albania | Oct 29 - Nov 8, 2023

L
Lara N.
Australia | Reviewed on Dec 12, 2023

Ed planned a fantastic trip for me based on both the places I wanted to visit and his own extensive local knowledge.
During the trip Ed and his team provided friendly and efficient service and assistance as needed.
I would recommend anyone to book a trip through the team!

Local specialist: Ed Reeves
Ed
Ed Reeves
Local specialist in Tirana, Albania | Replied on Dec 18, 2023

Thanks so much for the kind words, Lara! Glad you had a good tour with us!

Tirana and south of Albania
Albania | Aug 24 - Sep 3, 2023

G
george g.
Saint Clair Shores, MI | Reviewed on Sep 04, 2023
We had an amazing trip to south of Albania! As we got so used to from the Kimkim team (and we are getting spoiled after the years), from the first contact with Ed to the final goodbye at the Tirana airport from "Nik" (Kreshnik), our guide and driver, all went great. The trip was as we envisioned in our request: explore as much as possible the "real" Albania, stay away from tourist traps and crowds and get to see how "real" people live. Nik was a treasure trove of history, culture, politics... Read more

We had an amazing trip to south of Albania! As we got so used to from the Kimkim team (and we are getting spoiled after the years), from the first contact with Ed to the final goodbye at the Tirana airport from "Nik" (Kreshnik), our guide and driver, all went great. The trip was as we envisioned in our request: explore as much as possible the "real" Albania, stay away from tourist traps and crowds and get to see how "real" people live. Nik was a treasure trove of history, culture, politics and everything else. He knows his country like back of his hand and he seems to know everyone (and everyone seems to know him....) so he/we were treated like locals. The only downside: we ran out of time (but that was out problem).

Hotel Reviews
Guesthouse Chri Chri
Përmet

Remote, relatively inaccessible location but terrific experience with the host family.

Authenticity & Character
private house converted into a guest facility; a true "mom and pop place"
Location
remote location, high in the mountains, accessible only by ATV via a poor road
Staff
very friendly, accessible and accommodating
Cleanliness & Comfort
everything was spick and span
Hotel Boka
Tirana

Very nice hotel in a nice location in downtown Tirana, close to the local market, many restaurants and shops. Friendly staff and very nice breakfast. The only issue was the air conditioning seemed to be turned off at night which was nit fun in the hot weather...

Authenticity & Character
small, boutique hotel with friendly staff
Location
as above
Staff
pleasant, approachable, accommodating
Cleanliness & Comfort
everything seemed to be clean...
Local specialist: Ed Reeves
Ed
Ed Reeves
Local specialist in Tirana, Albania | Replied on Sep 06, 2023

Thanks so much for the kind words! Hope you can make it back one day and Nik can show you the north and Kosovo - he spent a lot of time in Prizren when working on the infamous Pristina-Tirana highway so has a lot of friends in Kosovo too! I know he had a great time showing you around, so thanks for choosing us!

We would go back tomorrow
Albania | Jun 18 - Jun 25, 2023

Christine
Christine R.
Australia | Reviewed on Jul 02, 2023
Margil was an amazing guide. He was prompt, energetic, extremely knowledgeable and highly personable. He genuinely likes people and loves to show off his country. Notwithstanding this, he doesn’t shy away from its less savoury past snd present. We left with an abiding love for the country and a great appreciation for its people. They are remarkably resilient, hardworking and engaging. We would go back tomorrow, with Kimkim, if we could. Read more

Margil was an amazing guide. He was prompt, energetic, extremely knowledgeable and highly personable. He genuinely likes people and loves to show off his country. Notwithstanding this, he doesn’t shy away from its less savoury past snd present. We left with an abiding love for the country and a great appreciation for its people. They are remarkably resilient, hardworking and engaging. We would go back tomorrow, with Kimkim, if we could.

Hotel Reviews
Hotel Panorama Kruje
Krujë

This surpassed our expectations in every way.

Authenticity & Character
It could have been s hôtel anywhere in Europe, but it was an excellent example to of one.
Location
Brilliant!! Even the 6am call to prayer from the adjacent mosque was mellifluous.
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Riviera
Himare

One got the impression that the owners of this hotel are working very hard to improve the facilities and ambiance of their hotel. It was entirely comfortable, but still in yhrr we process of becoming more.

Authenticity & Character
Location
The location was pretty, but there was not much “activity”. As we were there for two days, without a car, it gave us time to rest up from our busy schedule.
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
The hotel room was basic but clean and comfortable.
Hotel Praga

This was a quirky, but charming hotel. It was well situated within walking distance to the market and the castle.

Authenticity & Character
The bedroom was filled with historical pieces and the communal areas were similarly decorated
Location
Staff
The staff spoke excellent English snd were eager to be if assistance.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Guesthouse Chri Chri
Përmet

This was the only time on our trip that we got to speak with other travellers. It made a delightful change. Gilberto had access to the key to a local, rarely available to the public, orthodox cathedral and he gave us a private tour.

Authenticity & Character
The walls of the guesthouse were made of 3ft thick stone. The outbuildings were original. The road was … an adventure.
Location
While we did not see Përmet, we did enjoy the rural location of the guest house.
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Onufri

The ceilings in the rooms of this hotel were unbelievable. Such craftsmanship!

Authenticity & Character
The woodwork was so very special.
Location
Very central and within east walking distance to most things. (We drove to the fortress)
Staff
When present, the staff were very helpful.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Boka
Tiranë

We stayed, NOT at the Hotel Boka, but the Hotel Art. This was a lovely hotel, perfectly located and spotlessly clean. The staff were excellent and the breakfast was exceptional.

Authenticity & Character
It was an old building that had been beautifully repurposed as a hotel. It was true to the name Hotel Art, with wonderful local and European art at every turn.
Location
Close to the Skandereg Square and east walking distance to all that we wanted to see.
Staff
Nothing was too much trouble. Their English was excellent.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Gjirokastra - Exploring Albania's "Stone City"
Gjirokastra - Exploring Albania's "Stone City"
Gjirokastra

Gorgeous city! Loved everything about this place. Don’t miss the markets.

Quality of Experience
It was very easy to get by with just English, wherever we went.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Tirana - Welcome to Albania's Chaotic Capital!
Tirana - Welcome to Albania's Chaotic Capital!
Tirana

We initially thought we would self drive, but a friend who lives in Albania convinced us otherwise. Thank goodness. Hectic, doesn’t begin to describe the traffic. Tirana is so much prettier than I had anticipated and so rich in history. We loved it.

Quality of Experience
It suited our interests. It was tailor made for us.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Driving through morning peak hour was probably the one time we really appreciated the mighty Kaz
Berat - Exploring The "City Of A Thousand Windows"
Berat - Exploring The "City Of A Thousand Windows"
Berat

We love the city of Berat. It’s like no other place. The sunset tour of the castle was breathtaking

Quality of Experience
Dinner at Lili’s was so much fun! Everything was designed to relax us, make us laugh and feel very special.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Brilliant
Transport
We walked everywhere (except up to the castle).
Kruja Bazaar - Albania's Best Shopping Opportunity
Kruja Bazaar - Albania's Best Shopping Opportunity
Kruje

Great fun - colour and movement and a feast for the eyes.

Quality of Experience
The unsurpassed views; the extraordinary history museum I’m the castle precinct and the hotel’s location, combined to make this a fitting hurrah to an extraordinary holiday
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Margil was like so many of the prolly we met - gracious, keen to show their country, interested in learning from us.
Transport
Home-cooked Evening Meal
Përmet

It was a lovely meal, on the terrace, with good company.

Quality of Experience
My grandparents were Albanian. I found myself in Albania.
Food
Loved it. Margil was a great help with this, too, those we wished that he would have joined us.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Margil was exceptional. Words fail to do him justice.
Transport
I’m not going to lie, the Jaz was the one thing we would have changed. It was poorly air conditioned, poorly sprung and underpowered. It’s a good thing the countryside kept us diverted.
Local specialist: Ed Reeves
Ed
Ed Reeves
Local specialist in Tirana, Albania | Replied on Jul 03, 2023

Thanks so much for the kind words - and all the photos! Margil really enjoyed showing you Albania, and we hope you make it back one day for the north and Kosovo!