CITY: Skopje

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed in Skopje for one night before going to Ohrid and one night after (before flying to Egypt). Weirdly I had health issues while staying at both (some related to the hostel and some not haha)

First night, I stayed at Hi Skopje. This was very far from the city center and it was quite a hike to get there on foot. If you are here just one night and either arriving or leaving by bus, I would recommend staying at Shanti instead (only a 10 min walk from the bus station). Hi Skopje was fairly basic (beds had plugs & curtains), but had a cute golden retriever & some great hammocks outside. Thank god for the hammocks because at 3:30am I woke up with my legs & arms being so incredibly, painful itchy so couldn’t sleep at all. I finally got out of bed and just called my mom (thank god for the time difference) in the hammock outside. Finally got a hold of a doctor who told me just to get antihistamines (spoiler alert it was not an allergic reaction, but more on that later). This was obviously not the hostels fault, but I just didn’t have a great stay here. The host also got slightly snarky at me when I asked some questions (but I was just not feeling well so needed some help). Overall, this place wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great. 6/10

My last night in Macedonia (after Ohrid) I stayed at Shanti Hostel. The beds had curtains & plugs. Smallish kitchen. Little patio outside to sit & chat. Not enough bathrooms. Did have AC. Great location. The people working there were LOVELY. They even let me keep some stuff there while I am in Egypt (I am returning for one night before going to Bulgaria). However, sadly I did wake up at 2:30am to itchiness on my arms & hands…. and sure enough I quickly found 3 bed bugs in my bed 😦 Such a bummer since I had just gotten over the previous health issue while in Ohrid. Also I was leaving for the airport at 5:30am so I decided to just get up and out of the bed/room. I spend the next 2 hours meticulously inspecting everything in my bag and every clothing item to ensure no bed bugs got into my bag. So frustrating! Despite this, I would actually stay here again… and in fact I am as I mentioned, just in a different room this time haha. Bed bugs are bound to happen while staying in hostels for 18 months and when I told the hotel they responded perfectly & said they would refund my stay as well as spending the whole day inspecting the room & working with a outside team to rid the room of them. I thought they handled everyone appropriately, so kudos. 7.5/10.

Where to eat:

I didn’t spend much time in Skopje so the only restaurant I went to was Markt Kitchen. It had yummy salads, avocado toast, and you guessed it, smoothies! It was great to get some eggs + a smoothie in the AC after walking around in the heat of the Old Bazaar in Skopje.

What to do:

I really only had an afternoon here so I chose to just walk around and see all the crazy, large, ornate sculptures & statues as well as the Old Bazaar. It’s really strange how many incredibly large statues there are around the city. It’s like instead of investing money into beautifying the city with greenery, they decided to funnel all the money into over the top sculptures.

The other two main things to do are visiting the caves at Matka canyon & going to the Millennium Cross (with views of the city). If you have time, add these to your list!

Overall Thoughts:

The theme of not loving Eastern European country’s capitals continues with Skopje. I’m glad I only had 2 nights here in total & they are were frankly necessary as it’s a transit hub. I don’t think you really need to spend much time here.

CITY: Ohrid

HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at two hostels, both fabulous in different ways:

Old Town Hostel Ohrid – Wow – this might be one of my favorite hostels of the trip! Sadly I was just too sick to enjoy it much. The beds had curtains, plugs, personal light & a shelf. Great wifi. Cozy space downstairs to read or lounge. Outside had a picnic table under the shade where people tended to gather and meet one another. Staff were INCREDIBLE, especially helping me navigate my health issues, including visiting a doctor. They also organize activities, including some dinners, which were great for meeting people. It’s also in the perfect location, just one street off from the main walking area of town. This place ALWAYS books up, so don’t be afraid to just book this as soon as you know you are going 🙂 10/10

Robinson Sunset House– as I mentioned, Old Town books up, so I was only able to snag 2 nights there. After I moved to Robinson Sunset House, which has a very different vibe. While Old Town is very social and in the heart of Ohrid, Sunset House is a 15 min bus ride out of town along the lake, and is a tranquil little paradise. Both were fabulous, but make sure you are okay with being out of town with more limited access to town. Although it was very easy to grab a bus or hitchhike into town (I did both). That being said, the family who runs this hostel are incredibly chill, almost too chill. Like I had to track them down to pay because they were no where to be found. Another backpacker checked me in and showed me to the room because they were no where to be found. While comical, and while it all seems to work out in the end, it’s slight too laid back given this is still supposed to be a hostel. The room was very basic and clean. Had an ensuite bathroom. Best part of this hotel was by far the views. It’s perched up on the hill so sunset is dreamy. I loved hanging in the pool & the hammocks. Truly this place is special. 8.5/10

Where to eat:

All these places are in Ohrid:

The Lion – Another backpacker recommended this place to me. It was delicious! Classy vibe and slightly nicer than the normal backpacker dinner spot. Also right along the water front. Great spot for a drink + dinner.

Fruit box – Are we even surprised at this point that I sought out a smoothie spot haha. I went here so often that the people knew my order by the end 🙂 Luckily it was about a 3 min walk from Old Town hostel. The smoothies were dynamite & the customizable Chia pudding was perfection. This is the a great breakfast, lunch or snack spot.

Bros. Burgers– Honestly one of the best burgers I have had. The fries also had a really yummy seasoning on it. Don’t miss a dinner here!

There were also tons of cute little stands that had desserts at night – not sure if that’s just because there was a festival going on though. I had some gelato and a waffle stick covered in chocolate that was so delicious.

What to do:

SWIM IN THE LAKE! Also just enjoy being in the sun & walk around the lake front. There’s a beautiful church to watch sunset from. But truly the main things is to slow down, read by the lake and then cool off with a dip in the water. My favorite kinda place.

The other main thing I did was finally go to the doctor 😦 After waking up in Skopje with the itchiness & starting to take the antihistamines (per the tele-doctor’s instructions), I didn’t really start to feel better (still was itchy + really exhausted) & my joints started to feel incredibly swollen & stiff (which I had never felt before). After getting past the American anxiety of having to go to a doctor and not know how much of my net worth I will have to shell out, the owner of the hostel told me to go to a clinic a 5 min walk away and that it would likely cost $30…So I trudged over and was seen immediately & had blood drawn. They told me to return 3 hrs later to get my results! I couldn’t believe how easy it all was. I went & treated myself to a smoothie from Fruit box before heading back to the clinic. While waiting in the clininc for the doctor to read me my results, I admittedly started to get very scared/nervous/sad/defeated/homesick and began to silently cry. Feeling sick in a foreign country with no one familiar to lean on is not fun!! I was verging on a mini anxiety attack, when a sweet Macedonian grandmother sat next to me noticed and in broken English began chatting with me. She snapped me out of the panic spiral I was heading down and I am eternally grateful for this kind person. She probably doesn’t even know how much I needed the distraction in that moment. Soon after, I saw the doctor, and with the help of a nurse to translate, it was revealed that I was very anemic & had low red blood cells. They said the itchiness is from the anemia & the stiff joints were from all the antihistamines I was taking that weren’t actually treating anything. My friend said maybe all the smoothie bowls are taking a toll, but regardless it was a huge relief to finally know what was going on, and that it wasn’t anything more serious. With my new iron pills in hand, I was already starting to feel better… Oh the joy’s of traveling!! Also, the two doctors visits, the blood draw & a 2 month supply of iron pills cost me $75. Healthcare outside the US is a dream.

Overall Thoughts:

Despite feeling quite unwell while here, I still loved it! I just wish I could’ve spent more time swimming & meeting fun people at the hostel. I truly would’ve been happy to spend another week here. Hopefully I get back here at some point in my life!

BUDGET FOR 6 DAYS IN North Macedonia:

Accommodation: $98 ($24 per night)

Food: $82

Groceries: $15

Health: $83

Local Transportation: $73

Miscellaneous: $5

Total: $362 (Daily average: $60)

Transportation to next destination: $250 (Flight to Cairo)