Travel With A Local On A Road-Trip Through Bulgaria: Mountains, Culture, Food and Hidden Gems ⛰️

Hey, beautiful people! I'm Viktoria from a little Eastern European country called Bulgaria. I have travelled quite a lot in the last 7 years and from my experience, I can say that Bulgaria has very beautiful corners but I know not many of you heard about it. That's why I want to show you Bulgaria through my eyes. I think that's a really good opportunity for you guys to discover a country that is a little bit off the radar and you don't have to worry about anything because you have me as a local there who also speaks the language. Do you love nature, and exploring not-so-popular places while also enjoying traditional food? Keep on reading! About the trip: The trip would be a good combination of doing exciting activities and having time to relax. I'd love to be accompanied by people who want to go out of their comfort zone (at least a little bit :). I have some things planned but I also didn't want to create a super strict by-the-book schedule. We will start this journey from the capital, Sofia, where you will be flying to. We will spend the first and last night there and will have some time to see the main landmarks. In Sofia, we will be staying in a hotel in the city center. For the essence of the trip, we will be going to the beautiful Rhodope Mountains, located in the south of Bulgaria, where we will spend a few days in nature. There is a saying that exactly this mountain is the birthplace of the mythical hero Orpheus. Rhodope, undoubtedly, also holds the mystery and history of some events that happened in the past, so we will be making our way through a centuries-old land. We will be accommodated in a beautiful lodge just for us right next to a scenic lake. It has a very good location and all the activities planned are a short drive away. The place also offers spa service, bike rentals, kayaking, and a restaurant with local food (all this is not included in the price). During our time there, we will experience tranquility, beauty, and hopefully fun and unforgettable moments. We will be wandering through forest paths, wooden bridges twisting around the rocks, and high mountains leaving us with speechless views. We will be moving our bodies, relaxing our minds, breathing fresh air, and taking it all in. If you want to escape from the stress and noise in your daily life, this trip is for you! About our accommodation: - In Sofia, we have 3 twin rooms with 1 bathroom in each bedroom - In the mountain lodge: Bedroom 1: 1 single bed and 1 double bed; Bedroom 2: 2 single beds; Bedroom 3: 2 single beds. We have one private bathroom as part of our lodge and free parking. Of course, the best part is the lake and mountain views that will be all around us. - Wifi is available in all of our accommodations. However, bear in mind that we will be in the mountains and the internet there may not be the strongest but will be enough for some basics such as sending a text or checking an email. But what better way to disconnect, eh? *Accommodations can be subject to change depending on the number of trip mates but would try my best to find similar options if that's the case :) Also, this trip is created mainly for the experience. Driving situation: - I don't have a driving license, so I'm looking for 2 of you that are willing to drive our car. It will be nice if you feel confident enough and have experience as the roads we will drive are in the mountain, and are pretty tiny and sometimes bumpy. There are also a lot of turns. Despite the fact that I cannot drive, I've been on these roads quite a lot and can always give advice, if needed. Please let me know if you'd like to be one of the drivers :) Food situation: - Eating out is still fairly cheap in Bulgaria. In Sofia, we don't have a kitchen so we most likely have to eat outside but there are plenty of options for any kind of cuisine and also some traditional options. In our mountain lodge, we have a microwave and a kettle as well as a barbecue area. They also give us all the kitchen utensils we might need as well as the essentials to cook such as salt and oil. There is also a restaurant with traditional food options as part of the villa complex. This region has very good specialties and the quality of food is high because it is mostly locally grown. For lunches, we can either shop and prepare our own food or stop in restaurants nearby our places of visit, or a mix of both. Breakfasts are included for each day of our trip. What is included? - 6 nights accommodation (x2 nights in a central hotel, x4 in a mountain villa) with breakfasts - Car Rental - Safari ticket What is not included? - Personal expenses - Flight tickets - Rest of the meals - Transport to and from the airport to the city center - Fuel - according to approximate calculations should be around 20 euros per person for the entire trip but cannot fully promise that as fuel prices are changing. I just want to give you an idea of more or less of our expenses. I think the best for all of us is to split the exact price of the fuel at the moment of payment using the app Splitwise. Let's spend some quality time with ourselves and each other! Looking forward to meeting you! 🥰 If you have any questions you can let me know in the Q&A section and I will make sure to come back to you as soon as possible!