A story about a faded love for Bulgaria
I must say right away: the purpose of this opus is not to dissuade from the trip, but to tell useful information. 5 years ago I was fine there. But now, if I knew that Bulgaria is a supporter of the Russian Federation and opposes sanctions; one often hears “che”, and in local taverns Bulgarians sing songs in Russian - I would not go there. Never. But let's discard the political and ideological part and talk about Sunny Beach.
Exchange rate: one euro is equal to two leva (change only in banks, in kiosks for 1.5); one lev is 8.5 -9 UAH. You can pay by card in supermarkets, but not in all bars.
1. With the prices that we had the good fortune to see, it is worth going only in all-inclusive. So:
- in cafe "Emona" Shopska salad, one plate of pastry, fish soup, two beers - 30 lv. In the evenings they play Soviet music, to taste for 3+, check that they give you your bill.
- Shopska salad, grilled plate, two beers, two 50 finlyadia vodkas in cafe “Star” – 40 lv. It's not tasty.
- in a cafe on the seashore in Nessebar, Shopska salad, pork barbecue, kavarma, flatbread, 2 beers, 2 rakias - 50 lv. Tasty.
- in the Italian restaurant "Stella di Mare" the choice is different: trout (12 lv), spaghetti (from 11 to 20 lv), steaks (from 20 to 40 lv), tiramisu (5 lv), various wines. Delicious, good service.
- shawarma on the street (large) - 6-7lv, baked potato with stuffing (6-7lv), pizza (2-3lv).
- Zorya supermarket: beer (from 1.5 lv), rakia (from 3 lv), sausage 200 gr (from 2.5 lv), cheese (from 3 lv), tomatoes, cucumbers (from 2lv), water (from 1 . 5lv). Fruit is not to be enjoyed. Imported alcohol is expensive.
2. Never take happy hours cocktails. Nowhere. I used to think that if vodka and cola is called Long Island, this place is terrible, but now I know that Long Island can be called such a mixture - cola, a lot of lemon, and something remotely resembling some kind of alcohol. A normal cocktail starts from 6-7 lv apiece. Beer is best bought in bottles, as well as wine. Of the establishments, the more or less normal "Bounce", "Mania", "Bubbles". There are no toilets in the institutions, on the street they cost from 0.5 to 2 lv.
3. Excursions: to Istanbul - 100 lv, to the open sea - 60 lv, water park - 40 lv. 2 sun loungers and an umbrella per day 24 lv for two. 20% of the beach is for towels and your own umbrellas. It is best to settle in some beach bar, under umbrellas, ordering soft drinks. Then you pay only for drinks. Places to lie on a large bed near the pool and look at the sea with a glass of champagne - I did not find it along the entire coastline. Trip on a banana, plate - 20 lv, flight on a parachute - 50 lv.
4. For myself, I decided that I would never go anywhere by bus again, even if I deny myself everything in order to buy a ticket. But everyone has their own choice. The bus runs 24 hours. If you are lucky with the driver, you will stop at normal places to go to the toilet. To the border every 3-4 hours. Beyond the border it is more difficult. To the border - it is better not to drink. If you are not lucky, you will be stopped near the Romanian forest and offered to go to the toilet. On the Romanian border - the toilet is terrible. For those who are traveling by bus for the first time: take inflatable pillows under your head, tablets for motion sickness, flip flops, water, as it is not clear where you will be staying.
Bulgaria strongly reminded of the not very high-quality dubbing of Turkey. Good hotels according to our observations: Victoria, Helena (5*), Globus (4*), Bellevue (3*). I hope this information helps you. Have a nice rest.
