Hi all,
I was born and raised in Bulgaria and now, after 24 years, I am going to back for a brief visit. I imagine things are quite different now... I'd love to hear your adivce.
First of all, I want to visit Varna, Sunny Beach and Plovdiv. Would it be best to rent a car or is there a better (cheaper? more convenient?) way to travel? I remember the trains as being very noise, slow and unreliable. As a matter of fact, when we left Bulgaria back in 1985, we missed our flight because the train was late...
Also, I do not know how to drive stickshift... Are automatic cars readily available for rent in Bulgaria?
Second, I am gay and will be traveling with my partner. Should I prepare for trouble or at least raised eyebrows when we check in and request a single bed? Are Bulgarians a little more relaxed about homosexuality than they used to be back when I was growing up (1980s)? I really want my partner to have pleasant memories from his first visit to Bulgaria...
Third, I recently became a vegan (strict vegetarian: I do not use animal products). How am I going to manage for a whole week in Bulgaria? What can I order when we eat out? I'd love to get a few suggestions.
Fourth, tell me what to expect. How have things changed since 1985? What do you like? What do you dislike? Any words of wisdom?
Thanks for your help,
Rami
Hi Rami
We first visited Sunny Beach in the 1980's.and been back to the same resort a few times since.
The thing you will notice is the amount of hotels and apartments tha have been built ,the resorts have grown
at an incedible rate.
Lots of the hotels as you can see in the brochures have all the services you need to have
a memorable holiday.Not like in the 80's when you had to go to other hotels.
Can't really comment on vegan meals as i am a meat eater but there were always salads and fruit available.
We last visited a couple of years ago and ther were gay couples in our hotel and there did not seem to be any
discrimination towards them.(mind you the one couple looked very fit ).I think now its more acceptable.
When you check in to your hotel surely you would need a double room and not one with just a single bed.
I would not have thought you could book just a single bed for two people.
As for the best mode of travel some of the other people on this site would give you better advice as we
only traveled short distances on public transport,which was very cheap by the way.
Hope those few comments help you and may I wish you both a happy holiday.
We first visited Sunny Beach in the 1980's.and been back to the same resort a few times since.
The thing you will notice is the amount of hotels and apartments tha have been built ,the resorts have grown
at an incedible rate.
Lots of the hotels as you can see in the brochures have all the services you need to have
a memorable holiday.Not like in the 80's when you had to go to other hotels.
Can't really comment on vegan meals as i am a meat eater but there were always salads and fruit available.
We last visited a couple of years ago and ther were gay couples in our hotel and there did not seem to be any
discrimination towards them.(mind you the one couple looked very fit ).I think now its more acceptable.
When you check in to your hotel surely you would need a double room and not one with just a single bed.
I would not have thought you could book just a single bed for two people.
As for the best mode of travel some of the other people on this site would give you better advice as we
only traveled short distances on public transport,which was very cheap by the way.
Hope those few comments help you and may I wish you both a happy holiday.
Thanks for your kind reply.
About the bed situation... We usually get a queen or king size bed when we travel in the US. Is that not an option in Bulgaria? Or do they just put two twin-size beds together and arrange them into a queen size?
My partner and I are not terribly fit a-la-West Hollywoood... But he IS on Jenny Craig and I try to do cardio a few times a week. So hopefully nobody will want to mess with us
About the food issue, I was thinking of just renting apartments and cooking for myself. Do they rent apartments for two nights at a time, or does one need to reserve a longer period, like a week?
I am actually glad that the resorts have grown. It will look at feel more like Europe and the US - which is what I am accustomed to.
Wow. I had better start practising my Bulgarian with my mom... It's been 24 years. I am kind of nervous. Isn't that silly? I feel like I am going to a foreign land...
Thanks again for your reply. Happy New Year!
Rami
About the bed situation... We usually get a queen or king size bed when we travel in the US. Is that not an option in Bulgaria? Or do they just put two twin-size beds together and arrange them into a queen size?
My partner and I are not terribly fit a-la-West Hollywoood... But he IS on Jenny Craig and I try to do cardio a few times a week. So hopefully nobody will want to mess with us
About the food issue, I was thinking of just renting apartments and cooking for myself. Do they rent apartments for two nights at a time, or does one need to reserve a longer period, like a week?
I am actually glad that the resorts have grown. It will look at feel more like Europe and the US - which is what I am accustomed to.
Wow. I had better start practising my Bulgarian with my mom... It's been 24 years. I am kind of nervous. Isn't that silly? I feel like I am going to a foreign land...
Thanks again for your reply. Happy New Year!
Rami
Hi Rami.
Well lets go through your points . yes you will notice lots of changes especially in the resorts, yes it would be cheaper to rent a car try either rent in bulgaria or T.S travel both have web sites.
Also I think you will find the attitude to Gay's has eased slightly now in Bulgaria. I remember when my wife and I travelled to Bulgaria in the early 90's that our friends were considered I think the expression used was Bad Boys .
as to bed sizes we found that in some of the larger hotels in Sofia and Plovdiv the beds tended to be larger more towards the queen size.
Sorry can't help much on the eating side of things as not sure whether you eat fish or not but if so plentyfull supply of good fish and vegetables are not usually a problem.
as to likes and dislikes we love everything about Bulgaria and think of it as our second home and would hope to retire there in the future hope all this helps .
Well lets go through your points . yes you will notice lots of changes especially in the resorts, yes it would be cheaper to rent a car try either rent in bulgaria or T.S travel both have web sites.
Also I think you will find the attitude to Gay's has eased slightly now in Bulgaria. I remember when my wife and I travelled to Bulgaria in the early 90's that our friends were considered I think the expression used was Bad Boys .
as to bed sizes we found that in some of the larger hotels in Sofia and Plovdiv the beds tended to be larger more towards the queen size.
Sorry can't help much on the eating side of things as not sure whether you eat fish or not but if so plentyfull supply of good fish and vegetables are not usually a problem.
as to likes and dislikes we love everything about Bulgaria and think of it as our second home and would hope to retire there in the future hope all this helps .
Hi Mondeo,
Thanks for your reply and advice. My partner and I are hardly "bad boys" (I wish!). We like our peace and quiet and don't cause much trouble. I'm afraid I don't eat fish. I am a vegan, so I use no animal products - no meat, dairy, eggs, honey, leather, wool... Technically I am not supposed to use white sugar either (at home I use stevia or turbinado sugar), but I imagine in Bulgaria that will be unavoidable. I imagine I can always order a salad, but I'll need to find something more substantial than that on the menu. You know, one of my cousins (to whom I have not spoken since 1985), owns a couple of restaurants in Varna. I should ask him...
I hear that the roads in Bulgaria are in piteous state... Is that true?
It warms my heart that you like Bulgaria as much as you do. Thanks again for writing. More later,
Rami
Thanks for your reply and advice. My partner and I are hardly "bad boys" (I wish!). We like our peace and quiet and don't cause much trouble. I'm afraid I don't eat fish. I am a vegan, so I use no animal products - no meat, dairy, eggs, honey, leather, wool... Technically I am not supposed to use white sugar either (at home I use stevia or turbinado sugar), but I imagine in Bulgaria that will be unavoidable. I imagine I can always order a salad, but I'll need to find something more substantial than that on the menu. You know, one of my cousins (to whom I have not spoken since 1985), owns a couple of restaurants in Varna. I should ask him...
I hear that the roads in Bulgaria are in piteous state... Is that true?
It warms my heart that you like Bulgaria as much as you do. Thanks again for writing. More later,
Rami
Hi Rami,
You should find alternative sweeteners to sugar, one of my friends in Varna certainly uses them - probably obtained from Piccadilly stores or Metro Cash & Carry, knowing his shopping habits.
The main coastal roads are OK(ish) but others can be pretty dire. I travelled from Kardam to Sarnino last August/September and spent most of the last 5 or 6 kilometres driving on the fields alongside the road, as the road surface was extremely broken up & hazardous - the well-worn tracks at the side of the fields showed that this was the 'normal' route for local motorists.
Baldur
Technically I am not supposed to use white sugar either (at home I use stevia or turbinado sugar), but I imagine in Bulgaria that will be unavoidable.
You should find alternative sweeteners to sugar, one of my friends in Varna certainly uses them - probably obtained from Piccadilly stores or Metro Cash & Carry, knowing his shopping habits.
I hear that the roads in Bulgaria are in piteous state... Is that true?
The main coastal roads are OK(ish) but others can be pretty dire. I travelled from Kardam to Sarnino last August/September and spent most of the last 5 or 6 kilometres driving on the fields alongside the road, as the road surface was extremely broken up & hazardous - the well-worn tracks at the side of the fields showed that this was the 'normal' route for local motorists.
Baldur
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