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Archive for October, 2006

Summer Holidays in Bansko, Bulgaria

Thursday, October 19th, 2006

 

Summer Holidays in Bansko, Bulgaria

Yes, Bansko is known for the its skiing. People flock to the area from all over Europe to enjoy the new facilities and the ideal ski conditions. But what about the summer? Well, summer holidaying in Bansko is also fun. There are plenty of things to do in the mountains and in the town itself to make it a worthwhile holiday destination.

Bansko is crowded in the winter. The taverns are filled with people and the slopes are crowded. Parking can be a problem. But, in the summer, the peace of the mountains and the beauty of the village make it an ideal location for your summer holiday.

The Taverns (Mehani)

If you’ve been to Bansko in the winter, you know that the mehani are filled with people. Finding a table is difficult. Parking your car is difficult. When all you want to do is relax after a day on the slopes, this can be frustrating.

Not so in the summer. The mehani are significantly less crowded. This means that you will be able to enjoy spending time with the people you are traveling with and can enjoy a few drinks without worrying about the noise or without waiting for a place to sit.

The Mountains

Bansko is an ideal place if you want to spend your vacation enjoying the surrounding mountains. Hiking is a popular activity, and so is picnicking. The surrounding Pirin Mountains, for example, are a popular destination and there are trails and picnic sites located by streams and in meadows. If you are interested in doing either of these activities, ask a local for advice or ask at your hotel.

The picnic sites are well used because it is a popular activity for the locals. They feature stone slabs that are designed for cooking and roasting. The locals prepare dishes such as pork chops and stuffed green peppers. If you do decide to cook using the stone slabs, smear it with bacon grease to prevent food from sticking.

A great hike to try is to climb Vihren, which is 2914 meters high. Vihren is a the highest mountain in the Pirin Mountain range. Since it is the highest peak, climbing it is quite an accomplishment. But, be careful. Vihren means “the gale” and the locals refer to it is “the peak of storms”.

Mountains tend to have their own weather patterns, especially when they are tall. The day could start off beautifully but halfway through your climb a storm could roll in. Just be careful and practice good judgment. Don’t be afraid to turn around. The mountain will always be there and you can try again some other time.

Other things to do

There are plenty of other things to do. You can watch the sunset near the micro dam, take a train ride, or soak in the mineral springs in Banya, a nearby town. The springs offer a great way to relax and rejuvenate after a stressful week, or even after a physical day climbing Pirin Mountain. There is also a golf course in Bansko.

Although the ski slopes are closed in the summer, it is still a great vacation destination, especially if you enjoy the outdoors. Stay in one of Bansko’s hotels or rent a vacation home or apartment. Once you get there you can enjoy activities such as golfing, hiking, soaking in the mineral springs, or picnicking.

 

Popularity: 69% [?]

Summer Holidaying in Bulgaria Popularity Increases

Thursday, October 12th, 2006

 

Summer Holidaying in Bulgaria Popularity Increases

It seems that going on your summer holidays to Bulgaria is becoming more of an option to 1000s of holiday makers from Britain, Ireland and further afield.

Holidays to Bulgaria
Market Day, by Peter Hartley, 10th October 2006 

A lot more people these days are choosing Bulgaria for their summer holiday. As more and more people are discovering Bulgaria as holiday destination the tour operators and flight companies are starting to expand their service into this country. There is still an awful lot for Bulgaria to do before they get accession into the EU (which is currently set for 2007).

Bulgaria has a lovely coastline and there are 2 main holiday destinations one in the north called Golden Sands and one in the south called Sunny Beach. These 2 destinations are where the main hotels accommodations are located.Large tour operators are based in these resorts the likes of First Choice. When having a holiday in Bulgaria there is two options to choose from. The first being the normal package holiday from travel agents which you will be staying in the normal hotel at half board or all inclusive. The second option would be a private villa or apartment booked directly with the villa or apartment owner. After that you will have to book your own flights to the country.

The second option of the private villa or apartment in Bulgaria is a very cost effective option. Lets have a look at the process.

There is a few websites offering villa or apartment Holidays to Bulgaria. Your first point of contact would be the internet to search for the options available to you. Now because the private rental market in Bulgaria is in its infancy the prices of villas or apartments are very reasonable. This would cost you a lot less than booking a private rental in the likes of Spain. Once you have chosen the property you are wanting to book you would contact the owner directly to either check availability or to book the property.

Flights is the harder bit there is a few companies that have just come on the market offering cheap flights to Bulgaria the likes of wizzair but with this company it is not a directly flight you usually have to stop off in Budapest. The main company is First Choice which offer the best deals I have seen on the internet to date. As Bulgaria gets more and more popular with British tourists then more of the cheap flight companies will introduce regular flights to the country making it an easier option for people. Generally a private rental Holiday done through the internet yourself should save you roughly about £100 - £150 per person.

Lets have a look at the destinations for Bulgaria. Golden Sands is the smallest of the 2 big resorts it is found about 20km outside Varna and is a beach resort to rival any of the european resorts and with the prices of things in Bulgaria it is likely that you would not spend as much on a holiday to Bulgaria as you would to other European resorts.

Sunny Beach is the southern resort and is 4 times as big as Golden Sands. Again Golden sands is a beach resort like any european resorts with a multitude of hotels apartments and villas for rent. The restaurants are delicious and the friendliness of the locals always make you feel at home.

There are other not so well known smaller resorts the likes of Albena, Kranevo, Sozopol, Sinemorets, Balchik that are worth visiting and all within easy reach of either a City the likes of Varna or Bourgas or one of the bigger resorts.

What is becoming more popular these days is the rural holidays to Bulgaria where people just want to get away from the hustle and bustle of normal life and want a more relaxed, friendly atmosphere. Staing in a rural area and experiencing the real Bulgarian way of life is a must. The locals are so friendly and are only too happy to invite yo to experience their way of life. Village life in Bulgaria is recommended if you are looking for relaxation or de-stressing as nothing is more calming than life in a real Bulgarian Village.

In Summary as Bulgaria gets more popular with british tourists there is an abundance of private rental property for holidaymakers to choose from. Bulgaria is a lovely country which is waiting to be explored. It is an unspoilt country with plenty to offer holidaymakers that are looking either for a busy nightlife or the peace and quiet rural life of the countryside. So why not have a look at what is on offer in Bulgaria and book your Holiday to Bulgaria now.

 

Popularity: 61% [?]

More Golf Courses are Planned for Bulgaria

Thursday, October 12th, 2006

More Golf Courses are Planned for Bulgaria

According to the a New York Times’ article Bulgaria is now in the process of constructing 6 golf courses and 10 other golf courses are planned.

Tourist numbers in Bulgaria have been increasing year after year and the golf course developments should bring a steady flow of golf enthusiasts to the former eastern bloc country.

In Bulgaria’s Future: Clubs, Caddies and Golf Carts
The New York Times, 27th September 2006, *with excerpts 

Golf is not a favorite pastime here. Bulgaria, one of the poorest of the former Soviet bloc countries in Europe, never developed a tradition of playing and has just three golf courses.

But as the country has become one of the Continent’s hottest second-home markets, all that is about to change.

Six golf resorts are being built with courses by internationally known designers, including two by Gary Player and one by Jack Nicklaus. Three of the courses are on the Black Sea coast, two near the ski resorts of Bansko and Borovets and the sixth near the capital, Sofia.

Ten other courses also are being planned across the country, most with residential components, but more focused on the domestic market.

Overall, real estate is one of the fastest growing sectors in the national economy, which grew by 5.2 percent in 2005. Foreigners were involved in 23 percent of the 220,000 property deals registered in Bulgaria in 2005, transactions that totaled more than 4 billion euros, or $5 billion, according to the National Real Property Association of Bulgaria. The year before they generated 18 percent of all sales, or 3.36 billion euros.

Much of the interest is linked to the country’s expected entry into the European Union in January. With sale prices in Sofia still averaging only $66 per square foot, construction costs, sales prices and incomes are all expected to jump after membership, fueling a ‘‘now or never”’ air of urgency among citizens and foreigners alike.

The first portion of the Ibar project is expected to be finished in January, and 25 percent of the villas already have been sold, with prices ranging from 120,000 to 200,000 euros, or $152,000 to $254,000. As in most golf developments in Bulgaria, Mr. Lazarov said, almost all the buyers are British and Irish. ‘‘They are about 60-40 mixed between investors and golfers. I think in the future it will reverse and there will be more golfers,” he said, as golfers are less comfortable than investors with the practice of buying properties before they are completed.

There are no direct flights from New York to Sofia, but the Bulgarian capital is just a short flight London, Paris or Vienna.

Michael Lenihan, publisher of Golf Management Europe magazine, said, ‘‘I think a lot of people are looking at places like Bulgaria and the Czech Republic for a way to make a quick killing and I’m not so sure it’s going to be sustainable long term.”

With the spread of cheap air travel throughout Europe, these high-profile Bulgarian golf developments will not be competing with each other, but with golf property destinations in the Mediterranean and Europe in general, said Andrea Sartori, head of the Travel, Leisure and Tourism Group for Central and Eastern Europe at KPMG, a global firm that provides tax, audit and advisory services.

Mr. Stoychev also is vice president of the Bulgarian Golf Association, which is trying to popularize the game. He expects golf to become more popular as Bulgaria becomes a more prosperous country.

‘‘If you don’t have a supply of golf courses, you can’t create a golf market,” said Mr. Sartori of KPMG. ‘‘There is not a market because there are no golf courses, it’s a Catch-22 situation.”

‘‘Nowadays you have more than 52 golf courses and 24,000 golfers in the Czech Republic, while in 1990 I think there were 3 courses,” he said. ‘‘Demand helped to grow the supply, but supply also helped to grow the demand.”

 

Popularity: 68% [?]