Quest Bulgaria Property and Lifestyle Magazine

For those visiting their holiday home in Bulgaria, those who own a property or even if you are simply visiting the country on holiday, there are some fabulous walks to be had through Bulgaria's National Parks.

With the "indian summer" we are experiencing in Bulgaria, not many of us are thinking about winter yet but ski-lovers will be counting the days to the start of the new season. Most are familiar with the old choices of France and Austria but with purse strings ever tighter, Bulgaria can be a fantastic option for those on a budget. There are many small resorts but the most popular remain Bansko, Borovets and Pamporovo. Non-skiers are well catered for with off-slope options: spa treatments, indoor swimming pools, beauty centres and more. Bansko is suitable for families as there are children's facilities so that they are kept amused.

Please give a thought to these beautiful, mythical creatures the next time you are on holiday strolling down a Bulgarian beach and they are offered to you as take-home souvenirs from the beach sellers. Over the last five years sea horse populations have been dwindling. Seahorses are particularly vulnerable to overexploitation, due to low mobility, and are used as a traditional medicine in China, Japan, Korea, Indonesia and the Philippines. Dried seahorses are viewed as a cure for a range of conditions such as asthma and skin disease. They are most commonly used as a treatment of sexual dysfunction! Asian nations consume around 45 tons of dried seahorses annually and yet there is no clinical proof that dried seahorses have any medicinal benefits.

Kite surfing is sweeping across the Bulgarian coast line as the latest fad in extreme water sports. It is still a sport in its infancy, but its growing popularity has lead to the formation of numerous clubs and as this adrenalin busting form of wind surfing takes off it is set to become a competition sport here as well as being included in the sports programmes of many tour operators.

Hunting is not everyone’s cup of tea. In the UK there is much controversy about the ethical issues of hunting as a sport. However across most of Europe it is considered perfectly acceptable with many countries having hunting museums, holding competitions and staging exhibitions explaining the logic behind this pastime. Hunting arose from the need to feed oneself and in Bulgaria local people still see hunting as a necessity to feed their family rather than a sport although clever entrepreneurs have developed hunting as a form of tourism bringing much needed revenue into the country, which actually goes towards preserving and managing the country’s reserve of wildlife. If hunting is a past time you would like to try then Bulgaria with its rich wildlife stock is the place to visit.

For many the idea of staying in holiday accommodation described as a guest house rather than a hotel sends shivers down the spine. Guest houses have frequently been labelled as being cold, dank places with overzealous, nosey landladies who serve questionable food. However, if you want to experience the real Bulgaria and are confronted with the quandary of whether to stop in a hotel or a guesthouse, head straight for the cosy atmosphere of a family guest house and experience some genuine Bulgarian hospitality.

The potholes of Bulgaria deserve some positive media attention for a change! They are a Bulgarian institution just like the Lada, Communist panel blocks and Rakiya. Of course, it’s easy to complain about Bulgaria’s potholed roads when your Renault Megane or Honda Civic suffer from regular punctures, rattles and issues with the suspension all caused by the poor state of the roads in rural Bulgaria. The fact is though that few expats consider the severity of driving on roads, where the tarmac has worn away to reveal the dirt beneath. The effect on your vehicle is not good vis a vis long term maintenance, but the simple answer here is, “you should have bought a 4x4.” Those savvy expats who did invest in a jeep or ATV may not realise that they have one of the best motor toys around and are living in off road heaven.