Have a good time Tony

Hi Tony,

Have a great time! Just over a month for me now.....

Baldur

Enjoy yourself. 3 days to half term, then a long haul until late July. You are so lucky. Nels

thanks Tony
When youre back give me a shout for your next visit in BE.

Hi all, just waiting for dinner, so here is what we have found so far in Albena.
Peters Bar is no longer. It is now a Mexican Restaurant
Mumbies (Next to poco loco) is now and Italian Pizza House.
Izvora Restaurant on Beach, no longer there.
Most prices are up by 20% to 30% another icrease pending on June 15th as told to me by Hotelier.
Ice cream now 1.50 was 1.00
Coffee and Torte now 4.99 was 2.99
T. Bone Steak and Chips now 27 was 21
English Breakfast now 11.90 was 8.90
small beer now 2 was 1
cappuachino now 2 was 1
noddy train now 2.50 was 2.
Cigs are averaging 2.40 to 2.80
Crazy Golf now 5 for kids and 7 for Adults was 2 and 4
Bus Fares
Varna now 4 was 3
Dobrich now 4.50 was 4
Sunny Beach now 16 was 12
In Baldurs favourite watering hole. (Beer Cartel) Large Beer 3.90. Shopska 3.50. chips 3.50 soup 2.50
Taxis Albena to Nessebar now 180 was 150
Albena to Golden Sands now 40 was 30
Albena to Varna now 60 was 45
Exchange rate in Hotels and Banks in Albena 2.30. We got 2.41 in atm in Dobruja Hotel

All above are priced in Levs. will do another update after weekend.
Tonyt and granddaughter Zoe.

Hi Tony and Zoe, There are some steep increases there in various things. Think people are in for a shock this year especially with the poor exchange rate, it feels like a double whammy.

Toonman

Hi Tony & Zoe,

Looks as though I'll be spending even less time in Albena & more in Dobrich this year, seeing those prices.....

Just seen that 500ml (i.e. "large beer-sized") cans of Kamenitza are on a 24 case offer in Metro at 72 Stotinki per can, so I'll have to get my Bulgarian friends to acquire a few cases ready for my arrival next month.

Baldur

At a rate of 2.30 levs to the pound. I make it that 1 lev is worth about 45p. Last year 1 lev I think was worth 33p. Plus the fact that prices have gone up. So it is not going to be anywhere as good a deal as last year. Mind you 1euro was worth 60p now its 80p. So spain will be even more expensive.

Hi Paul,

Mind you 1euro was worth 60p now its 80p.

That's the reason for the current exchange rate on the Lev, as the currency is tied to the Euro at a rate of €1 = 1.9558 Leva.

The banks & hotels in Albena operate virtually as a cartel, tending to offer the same (low) cash exchange rate in the resort but, if you go to Varna or Dobrich, the rate will be significantly higher in high street banks (yesterday's rates ranged from around 2.4 - 2.44 Leva to the Pound) - using a Nationwide Flex Account Debit Card to withdraw Leva from ATMs will give a better rate again.

At today's best Bulgarian bank (Raiffeisen Bank) cash exchange rate of 2.437, one Lev costs around 41 pence - with VISA's interbank exchange rate, I'd expect to receive a rate from my Nationwide Flex Debit Card of around 2.46 when withdrawing Leva from a Bulgarian ATM (making 1 Lev cost around 40 pence).

Baldur

Once again, very usefull advice. I shall use my nationwide flex account. Thanks. Baldur.

Mind you, you are not allowed to 'chat' with eachother inside a Dobrich bank
If things going up with 1 Lv at the time (thats 0.50 euro or 40 old belgian francs) people will not going back to Albena or just stay inside the All-In hotel..
Not a good direction for Albena I think.

Enjoy your holiday Tony and many greetings to Zoe!
*what kind of cigs is she smoking now???

Mind you, you are not allowed to 'chat' with eachother inside a Dobrich bank

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, Tanny.

Baldur

As promised another update on prices
Sunbeds 6 lev, mattress 2 lev parasol 6lev
Bank in Bazaar now closed.
Jet Ski 50 lev for 10 mins
Para Sailing 50 lev
Pedalo 20 lev 1 hour
Banana Boat 10 levs
rings 50 lev for 3 persons
Cossacks Show, 24 lev for 1 hour 40 min show.
Chinese restaurant now "Green Apple" for healthy eating.
Restaurant in Luna Park by Dodgems, no food now only drinks (Food to dear to buy, as told to me )
Drouzbha Hotel not opening until 5th June now
Cigs due to go up this week by 10/20 stotinki per 20. English Fags ???? up by 4 lev per 200
Fanta 3/4 lev, Varna 1.50 lev, Dobrich 1.30 lev
Cherries 6 Lev Kilo, Varna 3 lev Asparahauvo 2.50 lev
Club Sarnie, 6.99 Lev Dobrich 3.85 lev
Varna Buses in city now fixed rate of 80 Stotinki up from 60 stotkinki
In Town of Asparahauvo loaf was 60 stotkinki now 1 Lev
Friend in this town had to get blood presure tabs for wife. cost 43 levs
call out of Doctor was 7 Lev.
Now Baldur Your Kamenitza 4 lev in Albena in your Dobrich Supermarket 2.49 for 2 Litres
Tanny, Zoe is on Eva Slims (Menthol) 2.40 lev for 20.
Speak to you all when I get home. weather still very good, got 2.46 with card in Bank at Dobrich yesterday, still 2.30 in Hotels and Banks in Albena. Tonyt.

Hi Tony & Zoe,

Thanks for the update!

Now Baldur Your Kamenitza 4 lev in Albena in your Dobrich Supermarket 2.49 for 2 Litres

Yes, I have noticed that the supermarket has been rebranded from 'Burlex' to 'CBA', having been taken over by the Hungarian chain. They also have Shumensko at 2.20 Leva for 1.5 litres & Astika at 1.28 per litre.
The ATM rates would have been the same at the SG Expressbank one (near the Administration offices/Post Office/BTC booths in Albena) as they are set by Visa's interbank rate.

Have a good journey home.

Baldur

Blagodaria Tony!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Taxi fares from resort rose by another 10% on 2nd June. Albena is running with just 25% of beds occupied, some Hotels are not yet open and if my info is correct some will stay closed. On my last night Tuesday I walked the main drag at 10.00 and counted the following, Mexican Restaurant 9 persons plus the band of 6
Drouzbha 4 persons
Italain Piuzza Place 7 persons
Poco Loco 9 persons plus about 10 waiters and a group of 5
Shamrock Bar 7 persons
Green Apple closed.
more on Varna Airport later. Tonyt

Sounds around the same as a few of my visits last year Tony.

Albena AD's aspirations to attract only 'upmarket' tourists certainly appear to be backfiring on them, at least in the short term.

Baldur

Thanks for the update Tony, hope you had a lovely time. Nels