Bulgaria Experience

A week in Albena

Advantages: Fantastic Beach, great bars and friendly people
Disadvantages: Probably very noisy/busy in high season

...of the main street. Albena, like other coastal resorts in Bulgaria is not exactly what you'd call pretty. Some of the hotels are in fact, pretty ugly but this is made up for by the gorgeous beach. In addition, our hotel didn't have a pool but arrangements are there to use a pool just down the way at a minimum price (less than £1 each). There are plenty of bars and restaurants along the main road and also along the beachside which serve large portions ...
...you're planning to travel to Albena, you do have to be aware that there are 'ladies of the night' plying their trade along the main street in the evenings. I don't know how they dress in high season but when we were there, they were not provocatively dressed. I was told that the police pick them up and move them outside town during the summer but can't guarantee this was the case. If men are standing or walking on their own then they are likely to ...

BristolBud 23.09.2007 · Read full review
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Review of Albena, Bulgaria

Sun, sea, sweetcorn and swingers

Advantages: Nice beaches, good seafood
Disadvantages: A bit grubby, few facilities

...If you are booking for Sozopol, do your research or risk lots of noise. THE BEACHES It seems that most visitors to Sozopol come for the beaches. Unusually for us, we spent six days of seven on the beach and saw the same people every day. The more sheltered town beach appeals more to families and the other longer, more open beach tends to be frequented more by couples and single sex groups of young people; however, many families do use it too. This ...
...from the road which runs its length; along here you'll find loads of bars, cafes serving greasy food and stalls selling beach toys, towels and sun cream. Every day we would walk along here to the quieter part of the beach; "running the gauntlet" we called it - trying to get through "Burger alley" before we were sick. The stench of chip fat hangs in the air and ugly Russian men stroll along, their huge paunches resting over a strained g-string. The ...

fizzytom 31.10.2006 · Read full review
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Review of Sozopol, Bulgaria

Meal time- it must be cucumber and tomato again.

Advantages: Sun, sea, trees and more
Disadvantages: Some dodgy hotels

My first visit to St Konstantine was in 2003. If I had been writing this review then I would have given a very different perspective on the resort. However being a brave or foolish lady I decided to go back and give it another chance. I am so glad I did because I had a brilliant holiday although not without minor inconveniences. Prelude Holiday 2003 - What a disaster Looking at holiday brochures my friend and I decided that we would pay a few pounds ...
...one week. We rather liked the look of Bulgaria and as neither of us had ever been there - we like to try new places - We liked the look of the 4* Hotel Ritza in St Konstantine so duly booked a half board holiday from Balkan Holidays at a cost of about £450 - bargain so we thought. August 9th 2003 Arrived at Varna airport and speedily reclaimed our luggage, found the Balkan Holiday rep and climbed aboard our air conditioned coach for the transfer ...

baeswoman 29.08.2006 · Read full review
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Review of St. Constantine and Elena

Ebony and Irony do Golden Sands

Advantages: Proper brand name Coke and large bottle servings - I'm easily pleased, y'see
Disadvantages: The busy areas are even busier at night

...my overriding thought is that Golden Sands could have been anywhere, really, or at least any package holiday destination - it has bits of Greece, bits of Spain, bits of Malta and bits of lots of other places if you take the time to look Though people who (a) live there or (b) stayed a small distance away from the centre may claim otherwise, Golden Sands is, in my mind, essentially just one long road. It starts with an Ampitheatre and ends, several ...
...Quick' hats. We stayed in Golden Sands for a week and very rarely strayed off this one road, as everything you need for a relaxing holiday is pretty much right there. By day, the promenade is busy but not packed. By night it fills up drastically and it can be hard to move quickly, which unfortunately gives the leaflet touts chance to grab hold of you. Having established they all seemed to speak both German and English, we promptly decided to speak ...

zoe_page 21.08.2006 · Read full review
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Review of Golden Sands Resort

Veliko Tarnovo - Bulgaria's hidden treasure

Advantages: Quaint & beautiful town, lots of history, fortresses, museums
Disadvantages: Litter, stray dogs

...attractive National Revival era buildings, Veliko Tarnovo must be one of the most charming paces in Bulgaria. Although it is a firm favourite on the backpackers trail, I must confess to never having heard of the town until planning my trip around the Black Sea in 2006. Veliko Tarnovo is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Bulgaria and it's easy to see why; it really is picture postcard beautiful. However, the town has not succumbed to ...
...are well catered for, Veliko Tarnovo remains (mostly) unspoilt. The town is a couple of hours from the capital, Sofia, in one direction, and slightly less from the Black Sea coast in the other. Getting to and from Veliko Tarnovo is easy, there are plenty of buses and trains making the town well connected with destinations all over the country. We arrived from Ruse, a town just over the border with Romania, a train journey of a couple of hours. The ...

fizzytom 12.04.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Veliko Turnovo