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 ... Read review
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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 ... ...a 2 week holiday rather than just 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 ... more
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 extra and have a 2 week holiday rather than just 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 to our hotel. Driving through the back strrets of Varna I began to get a little worried What a bleak view came through the windows -drab buildings and railway sidings - what had we let ourselves in for. We pulled up outside a bleak looking hotel and some holidaymakers got of the coach.I began to get REALLY worried not just for us but for those poor people dropped in such a bleak place. Speeding down the motorway the sun was setting as we arrived at the Hotel Ritza. What a pleasant surprise...A beautiful modern hotel with views of trees everywhere. Going to our room was an even better surprise. Beautifully furnished, airconditioning,bidet in the bathroom everything you could want including a sewing kit. But no kettle. Good job we had the foresight to take our own. The beds were a bit worrying as two single beds were placed together with one cover over them. We are good friends but not THAT good!!!! Feeling extremely shattered we swifly unpacked made a cup of coffee and collapsed into bed.
10th August 2003 We awoke in the morning - another cup of coffee and then a bit of a rush downstairs to get our breakfast...Serving was between 8.00 and 10.00am and with a 2 hour time difference we nearly missed it completely. Arriving in the neat dining room the first thing we noticed were the white linen tablecloths and the flowers on the tables..Very welcoming and beautifully clean. Then our first encounter with tomatoes and cucumber...Yes thats right ...on the breakfast buffet bar along with a selection of meats cheeses, eggs ,bread, cerealsand fruit were tomatoes and cucumber rapidly demolished our meal -tomatoes and cucumber with cheese tasted extremely good for breakfast. Hurrying back up to our room we packed our swimming costumes and towels and headed off for the beach. First downside -it was a very long walk. Not an unpleasant walk though along a quiet tree lined road with lots of interesting things to look at on the way, including the very handsome security guards by the entrances to the bigger hotel complexes. Then the beach, beautiful golden sand and clear blue sea..a few rocky bits but not too many. Settling on two sunbeds under an umbrella we settled back to start our work on out tans....First nasty shock ......The cost 11lev ...14days at 11lev =154lev (You get about 2and a half Lev to £1 That comes to around £60)We paid up and decided to buy our own umbrella and use our towels in future. Around lunchtime we began to get hungry. There was a restuarant overlooking the beach so we decided to climb the stairs to try it out. This was a bit of an adventure because suffice to say the steps would not have passed any EC regulations. On the way up we noticed a smoker full of fish..Obviously fresh smoked fish was on the menu.....Arriving at the top of the steps with some releif we emerged into a ricketty looking platform nestling amongst the tree tops with shaded tables set out in two rows....But the views were spectacular..We also noticed that there was another bigger beach area just along the coast. Much bigger and more crowded...By chance we had arrived at the better destination. We ordered our food ..Smoked mackerel and shopska salad (Tomatoes and cucumber with local cheese) with a glass of wine each...Oh it was so tasty my mouth is watering thinking about it. The cost? About £7 for both meals together. Back to the beach for more rays. This was our first sighting of thong man and his wife. Both large germans he had an extremely large stomach and bottom. We did giggle at his thong. He stood on the beach doing a passable impression of an immobile penguin but turning an eighth turn after every 5 minutes. We were fascinated.......and spent the afternoon watching him and his slightly better clad wife......As the beach was emptying we were even more fascinated when he adjusted his trunks to their proper more decent dimensions covering his ample bottom completely. We packed up our belongings and headed back for our evening meal in the hotel -served between 18.00 and 20.00...Again a buffet with plenty of choice including...tomato and cucumber... Before we had a meal we had a surprise when we went back to our room our beds had been made and our nighties had been arranged beautifully on our pillows. Then a short walk to see what the resort had to offer. Lots of hotels hidden away amongst trees, including the appropriately named Grand Hotel Varna, a multitude of restaurants and the buzzing market with stalls selling almost everything at ridiculously low prices - fake rolex watches, fake designer perfumes, shoes, clothes, jewellery,spices,souveniers and yet more restaurants. Dotted amongst the stalls were a number of artists who were making copies of photographs. I studied these closely as I had been asked to get a picture painted for my cousin whilst I was in Bulgaria.
August 11th 2003. Creatures of habit that we are we repeated our experiences of the previous day.....including watching thong mans penguin impression ....He kept it up for most of the day......We had purchased an umbrella in the market the previous evening( and a bottle of white rum and a bottle of diet coke) so today cost us even less...Walking back to the hotel we noticed a tapping sound. Looking up into the trees we saw a brightly coloured woodpecker industriously tapping away at the trunk of a tree
August 12th 2003 I didn't feel very well...Understatement...I wanted to die.The toilet was my best friend. I didn't go out i spent the day between the bathroom and my bed.....My friend hovered around feeling helpless and spent the day alone at the pool.
August 13th 2003 See August 12th
August 14th 2003 My friend was getting worried so she fetched the doctor-conveniently his surgery was in the basement of the hotel. He took one look at me and ordered me downstairs to his surgery.. In no time I was hooked up to a drip and here I stayed for the next 2 hours.......
August 15th 2003 Feeling a bit better..just as well as we had booked a tour for that day to the villages to see a traditional Bulgarian house and to see traditional bulgarian dancing.....My friend says she can't go anywhere with me without running into someone I know..This was no exception..Unexpected in the middle of Bulgaria.. but nevertheless as I got off the coach I had a tap on my shoulder and "Fancy seeing you here" Managed a bit of the local fire water,but didn't eat anything..Returning to the hotel I realised that I really wasn't any better at all. Hello bathroom my old friend.
August 16th - 18th dry toast and water diet...cemented my friendship with the bathroom. Drank water and ate dry toast.
August 19th 2003 Back to doctor another 2 hours with a drip in my arm. I left clutching a prescription for tablets which I sent my friend to the local pharmacy to collect.
August 20th 2003 Trip to Nessabur - Best not thought about...Thousands of tourists and seemingly thousands of pushy young men trying to get you to buy something. Loads of old churches all turned into art galleries with pushy sales people...The old buildings were beautiful but the whole experience was a nightmare.. I was so glad to get back to the peace and quiet of St Konstantine.
August 21st 2003 Revisited the beach - No thong man..Had coffee in the Grand Hotel Varna. Very cheap very nice.
August 22nd 2003 Caught the bus to Varna...1 lev for a 15 minute ride on a cattle truck ...Very regular well used public transport system between St Konstantine and Varna.... Dolphinarium....Performing Dolphins.. I didn't expect that. I thought I would see dolphins swimming around happily not jumping through hoops....Through the Sea gardens to the zoo. How awful the animals were kept in dreadful conditions in tiny enclosures with concrete floors.....Further walk through Sea gardens and back to the bus stop to catch the bus back to St Konstantine. Went out for evening meal to a little restaurant half way down the market Wished I had ordered tomatoes and cucumber as the meal was so salty we couldn't eat it. Collected amazingly cheap picture from artist. How was I going to get such a huge awkward thing home with me?
August 23rd 2003 Flying home today..Time for a few hours on the beach and a last meal in our favourite restaurant before we were picked up to go to the airport....I could't wait to leave. Boarding the plane I swore that I would never go back.....
That was until.......
End of July 2006 ... Still haven't booked up my summer holiday with my cousin .....Searching the internet I found Balkan Holidays website and a last minute offer to St Konstantine....Well it was a beautiful place...Lightening doesnt strike twice in the same place does it?? Phoned my cousin ..Yes she quite fancies going to Bulgaria.
2nd August 2006. Back to Balkan Holidays website...3* Hotel Panorama, Bed and Breakfast on offer for £289 per person for 7 days. Quick phone call to my cousin for her to say OK then a quick phone to Balkan Holidays call and the holiday was booked. No going back now.Time to pack cases and ready to go..Remember to pack extra strength IMODIUM
4th August 2006 Tickets arrived. Great service from Balkan Holidays.
9th August 2006 Full of fear and trepidation clutching my clear plastic bag containing my passport, travel documents and a small purse I headed for East Midlands Airport with my cousin.
St Konstantine and Elena 2006
The first thing I noticed was the amount of new buildings and construction sites that had appeared since my last visit..The prospect of EU membership certainly attracts property developers to countries that will allow them to make a huge profit.
WHERE TO STAY There is a huge choice of hotels to stay in. However if you are booking a holiday be selective with your choice. Anything less than 3* is very basic Avoid the Hotel Neptune on the outskirts of the resort. There were a large number of people at our hotel who had transferred from there as it was so awful including glass in the swimming pool. The Grand Hotel Varna is beautiful but I suspect may be a bit noisy as it is in close proximity to the market. M.ost Hotels are surrounded by trees and almost invisible from the main roads
HOTEL PANORAMA(3 star) The front of the hotel faces the main road into Varna. The rooms at the rear of the hotel all have sea views. 159 rooms over 5 floors.The lift only goes to the third floor and our room was on the fifth. There were strong young men to help us with our cases but we declined the offer as we had no levs to tip them with.(Fools 46 steps with heavy cases no laughing matter. Thank god for suitcases with wheels) Our room was clean and basic with a small balcony overlooking the pool and with spectacular views over the trees to the sea.A line to dry towels was provided. The bathroom had a toilet, sink and bath with an over bath shower. Anyone with restricted mobility would have trouble getting in or out of the bath as the sides were so high. There was plenty of wardrobe and drawer space, bedside lights, a dressing table, an armchair, a small table, a mini fridge, television and telephone. The two single beds that were pushed together were the most comfortable hotel beds I have slept in for a long time even in 5* accomodation. There were loads of sockets so we could dry our hair and boil a kettle at the same time. It is recommended that you use a safety deposit box for passport and valuables. This cost us 20 lev for the week (about £1 a day) It was possible to change money at reception and the rate of exchange was not very much less than that given at a bank. The reception area on the 3rd floor level with the road at the front of the hotel was clean and spacious with comfortable seating. The reception staff were friendly and spoke reasonable English. Much of the public area of the hotel including the bar which was open in the evening was hardly used. Pool and table tennis tables were available to use. There had obviously been a spa area and massage at one time but although massages were advertised the whole area had a dusty unused appearance.
The grounds at the rear of the hotel contained a pool with a childrens pool area. Sunbeds and umbrellas were available free of charge. There was a small poolside bar that was open from about 10 in the morning until 6 at night. The extensive grounds sloped gently down to a quiet road that led to the beach. There were gentle steps down to the road lined with flower beds. There had obviously been quite a spectacular water feature with waterfalls pools and streams but this was completely dry when we stayed.
The dining room seemed huge with plenty of tables inside and outside on a sunny terrace which had covered and open areas.
The selection of food for breakfast was more than adequate. A table with fruit, yoghurt, jams, honey, biscuits, cereals and breads. Another table with tea coffee, warm milk, hot water and a selection of tea bags including herbal teas.The buffet area contain a choice of hot and cold dishes. Hot dishes included a selection of sausage and eggs,pasta,The cold selection had spam, yellow and local cheese, olives, pate and yes you have guessed; tomato and cucumber.
Dirty plates were cleaned away from the tables quickly, the downside was there was no non smoking area even inside.
Evening meals served between 6 and 8 pm were optional and could be purchased at the time of booking(£4.50 a day) or from the hotel (10 lev per meal - slightly cheaper). However the meal choice looked most unappetizing so we didn't sample it so I can't let you know what it tasted like.
WHERE TO EAT
There are a plethora of restaurants around the hotels and near the sea front including Indian Chinese and Italian, We avoided these as we were in Bulgaria and wanted to eat local food. Near the rear entrance to the hotel Panorama next to a small supermarket we found a superb eating place called Cafe Bar Ray. A tiny place in the courtyard of what looked like someone's home. Superb food friendly service and incredibly cheap prices. You have to be prepared to share a table with stangers as it is justifyably popular. We returned to the little restaurant overlooking the beach up the ricketty stairs..It was still there from my previous visit.. The food was just as good and the price was incredibly cheap(sorry I don't know the name) Towards the edge of the resort are two 'traditional' restaurants.We watched tradtional bulgarian folk dancers whilst we ate our meal followed by the gand finale.. FIRE DANCERS.. Not to be missed. You will have to go to Varna if you crave McDonalds or Kentucky Fried Chicken
WHAT TO EAT We were rather conservative sticking to fresh fish - Blue fish and Scad are delicious and salads..Most are a variation on the theme of tomato and cucumber. Shopska salad and Village salad were our favouites. Avoid the stewed vegetables unless you like bland tasteless food. Portions are generous and it is possible to be completely stuffed for £10 a day including local drinks. Local beer and wine are as cheap as chips and a cocktail will set you back between 3 - 5 levs.
WHAT TO DO
-Sunbathe but if you go to the beach buy your own umbrella and avoid the sunbeds - rather expensive. -Swim in the sea - Warm and clean. with lifeguards. -Go up in a parachute or ride on the banana boat ..Go on a short boat ride from the beach for 6 levs -Eat - Drink in the many restaurants or hotel bars -Visit the mineral spa on the sea front.I think it costs about 12 lev including a locker and everything else. -Catch a bus into Varna at a cost of 1 lev - Packed buses regular service. Bus stops are on the main road at the rear of the Hotel Panorama. -Shop in the market.. It opens late in the morning and stays open until about 11 pm. -Get a painting from a photograph. - minimal cost and you can get them framed, this makes it difficult to transport home though. -Go on an excursion there are several on offer both in the resort and through your tour operator. The prices are about the same _ Choose a pool in any hotel. The Grand hotel Varna has 'four poster beds' around the pool. You can use any hotel pool so long as you buy drinks. - Walk along tree lined roads and look for woodpeckers and red squirrels. - Have a massage on the beach - about 10 - 20 lev You have probably gathered by now that this is a fairly quiet resort There is no loud disco to disturb your sleep although we did see advertisements for a 'gentlemans club' in the resort.
LOCAL INFORMATION. The local currency is the Lev (about 2.7 lev to the £) As the average wage for hotel and restaurant staff is between 250 and 300 levs a month tipping is expected around 10% of the bill is recommended.
There are a number of doctors and medical centres in the resort
Public Transport is cheap and regular although buses are packed and you are warned to be careful of pickpockets.
Taxis are also cheap but it is essential to agree a fare before you get into the taxi.
If you want to buy a holiday home a new 2 roomed apartment can be obtained for around £50,000. - That would be out of the reach of locals earning 300lev a month!
Safety Deposit Boxes are recommended in all hotels.
Car hire is best booked before you leave the UK but I wouldn't like to drive there - wrong side of the road and the local drivers are crazy.
The local airport is Varna and flights here are available from many UK airports sometimes at really cheap prices.
DO I RECOMMEND? Despite my awful experience I am certainly glad that I went back here. But go within the next 5 years before it is spoilt by new developments with the accompanying all day english breakfasts and all that goes with them.
