Written by Kach Medina Umandap
I’m just gonna say it: Kala Festival is the bougie backpacker’s Coachella… if Coachella had better food, better DJs, cheaper everything, and was located on the edge of a cliff in the Balkans. Albania, of all places.
Photo: Kala Festival
I know what you’re thinking — Albania?! Like, Taken-the-movie-Albania? First of all, rude. Second, yes. But the only thing getting taken these days are your inhibitions and any sense of linear sleep patterns. Especially during the Kala Festival, where the music doesn’t stop, your phone dies before 9 AM, and your serotonin forgets it’s Filipino.
But wait, why the Balkans?
Because it’s the next Southeast Asia, but for Europeans. And unlike Schengen zone girlies, Albania actually wants us. Filipino passport holders can apply for an eVisa online, or just waltz in with a used Schengen/UK/US visa. Entry granted. It’s that simple.
Photo: Kala Festival
And no, you don’t need to pretend you’re going for “cultural reasons.” You’re going for the festival. You’re going for the music. You’re going to finally be That Girl™️ watching the sunrise at Splendor stage, half-sober, half-saltwater, fully emotional, hugging strangers from Bristol.
Let’s talk about the music (and why your brain won’t shut up after)
Kala is not your usual Manila bar crawl or Makati roof deck scene. It’s four — no, five — distinct zones designed for different versions of your personality:
- Yacht Club: Think BGC basement rave, but on an actual dock. DJs spin until 4 AM and people wear mesh tops with no irony. You’ll meet five British men named Jamie here.
- The Cove: A cove. Literally. Like the earth carved out a DJ booth and said, “Here. Feel something.” Smooth rocks. Clear water. Deep house. You’ll ugly cry and call it healing.
- The Main Venue: Two stages, live acts. Less rave, more performance. It’s the closest thing to a legit concert setup. This is where you say things like, “They sound even better live” just to sound cultured.
- Splendor: Where your soul goes when your body is done but your FOMO says “not yet.” Lounges. Pillows. Looks like a Berlin burnout retreat but with beach lighting. Whenever I walk to Lemon Lounge, it reminds me of the AfrikaBurn where everyone was both alive and slightly possessed.
- The Poolside: Budget Nikki Beach for British 20-somethings who spent all their money on Zara and Ryanair. Chaotic good energy. Order a cocktail and commit to your Euro trash phase.
How to survive Kala (and Albania) if you’re Filipino
- Get the eVisa. Takes a few weeks so plan ahead. Or better: enter with a used UK or Schengen visa and avoid the bureaucracy.
- Eat everything. Albanian food is like Greek’s chill cousin. Feta, grilled meat, mountain honey. No regrets.
- Tirana is low-key cool. If Manila and Eastern Europe had a lovechild who went to art school. Great coffee, fast Wi-Fi, and everyone thinks you’re exotic (read: not Australian). Stay before or after the Kala Festival, if you work remotely, just ask everywhere if you have Starlink.
- Balkans are cheap but not THAT cheap. Think ₱180 beers, not ₱40. But still better than ₱650 cocktails in Bonifacio Global City.
Why you, yes YOU, should care
Because you’re tired of Palawan. You’ve outgrown the Boracay bar crawl. Your passport needs new stamps and your soul needs new BPMs. And most importantly: Albania is cool right now — and no one from the Philippines knows it yet.
Photo from Kach Medina Umandap
This is your chance to be early. To be the first Filipino on your feed dancing in Dhërmi. To be the one who says, “Oh, that sunrise video? That’s from Kala.” And when the Balkans blow up (they will), you can smugly say, “I went before it was mainstream.”
So pack your kaftan, download a set from Keinemusik, and practice saying Faleminderit (“thank you” in Albanian, because we’re polite like that). You can start your Balkan saga here — sweaty, euphoric, and sunburned in the best way.
Photo from Kach Medina Umandap
PS: Tag me if you go. I’m building the Filipino Digital Nomad Embassy of Albania one rave at a time. Follow me on social media @kach.umandap or just type Travel with Kach.
