Sitting quietly on Manta Beach in Ksamil, I found turquoise water, pale sand and a Maldives state of mind—without ever leaving Albania.
Manta Beach Ksamil gave me one of those rare moments when travelling stopped being about moving and became simply about being still. I sat down on the pale sand, looked across the turquoise Ionian Sea and allowed myself to do absolutely nothing for a while.
The colours immediately brought the Maldives to mind: clear water changing from transparent blue near the shore to deeper shades farther out, bright sand beneath me and an almost cloudless sky above. But this was not the Indian Ocean. I was in southern Albania, on the Albanian Riviera, enjoying a place that clearly had no intention of feeling ordinary.
Only a short distance away stands the famous Hand of Ksamil, rising from the water as if Poseidon had left his signature on the beach. Here, however, I was not looking for another playful pose. I simply sat beneath the shade of a straw parasol and watched the gentle waves reach the shore.
This photograph captures one of the quieter parts of my travels. No rushing, no carefully planned pose and no need to search for the next attraction. Just warm sand, calm water and enough time to let my thoughts wander wherever they wanted.
Sometimes the Maldives are not a destination but a state of mind. On that afternoon at Manta Beach, I found mine in Albania.- Date
- 2026-01-01