Most Inspirational Moment
Being on the top of one of the highest mountains in Bulgaria!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Amazing, knowledgeable and very friendly and sweet!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Bring poles and ankle support shoes
Reviews
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Reviews
Beautiful wildlife everywhere!
Beautiful wildlife everywhere!
Being on the top of one of the highest mountains in Bulgaria!
Beautiful wildlife everywhere you looked, really nice hikes and beautiful home cooked food!
Most Inspirational Moment
Being on the top of one of the highest mountains in Bulgaria!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Amazing, knowledgeable and very friendly and sweet!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Bring poles and ankle support shoes
Mountains and meadows, raptors and bears and legend.
Walking in the peace of thick pine forested mountains and grassy meadows, with cool crystal clear streams, but in the domain of wild brown bears and raptors. The legend of Orpheus never far away. Meticulously kept hotel, with good food.
Most Inspirational Moment
Finding clear sign of wild brown bears - scat, overturned stones and a bear paw print set INTO the tyre tread of a jeep - which had passed us on the forest track only five minutes previously! Seeing raptors flying, possibly peregrine or maybe a saker falcon.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Svetoslava was an excellent guide. She was organised and fully explained each day's activities including timings etc. She is also qualified in bear studies.
Advice for Potential Travellers
The hotel is meticulously kept by the family owners, who clearly take pride in their hotel. For example, every morning over an early coffee I saw even the patio being swept clean. Every day. The food is prepared with fresh produce and is very good. The bathroom is a wet room (without a separate shower enclosure) and there is a plastic bowel for washing shirt and smalls if you wish. (Take half a dozen pegs). The mountain tracks can be a little stony in places, a good boot with ankle support is useful on those days. There are some short but steep ascents to be prepared for, but the views are well worth it. The hotel's tap water is quite safe to drink and there are also mountain streams and these have a tap dispense in places for bottle re-filling, but in hot months one or two may be dry - the guide will inform you. Carrying two litres of water is sensible. Take a wetproof top though - just in case of rain even if it looks like it won't, and a plastic sealed container for the lunch sandwich. The trails were not heavily used and there was a sense of having the place to ourselves. The forest tracks open into wide meadows, here the air shimmers with the beating wings of butterflies. Look above for birds, buzzards and raptors were frequently seen. The wall creeper eluded us this time though. Snakes? Never saw any, as they was well gone, alerted by the vibration of our footfall, or else our scent. You are in the realm of wildlife. Chamois were seen as were the signs of wild boar. You are also in bear country. We saw bear droppings and overturned stones where they had been looking for food under. We saw a tree with bear fur trapped in the bark where they had rubbed their backs, and then the bear paw print noted above. It's important to remember though that there is little risk here. Svetoslava explained that any bear would have heard us through our normal walking noise or the inevitable chit-chat amongst the group and would have moved off, or like the snakes detected our smell with the same result. So although it is exciting to know these animals are present, it is equally reassuring to know there is little risk either. I carried a small pair of 8 x 32 binoculars. The border "dead zone" (in communist times) is an interesting day, perhaps take a torch that day to go into the interior troops' bunker, and there are also T72 or PT76 pits each with a concrete shelter for its crew to have a look at. Peace, quiet, thick forests, open meadows with beautiful vistas, cool crystal clear streams, beautiful butterflies and raptors. But it is the presence of the brown bears which sets this trip apart. Like Orpheus you will always want to look back, but in your case with a much happier outcome than his!
Stunning landscape, fascinating guide
An under-appreciated gem. The mountains are stunning, the walking is moderate and achievable in breathtaking scenery, and we saw very few other people on any of the walks. Lots of additional interest in terms of flora and fauna, and the tour guide (Svetla) was extremely knowledgeable on a wide range of subjects, patient and had a great sense of humour.
Everything that was promised by the trip notes and earlier reviews
A lovely week in an undisturbed mountain environment. We hardly saw anyone else on our walks, and Yagodina village is completely calm. It feels such a healthy week – unspoilt and wholesome.
Most Inspirational Moment
Probably when our tour leader confided that he is housing in his roof both a large colony of horseshoe bats AND stone martens (which I had never heard of before). Talk about walking the walk as a conservationist..
Thoughts on Group Leader
Excellent. As a walking leader, Julian had put great thought into a lovely variety of walks; his relationship with the people in Yagodina and the hotel is deeply impressive and it felt as though we got special treatment because of him; and his knowledge of the wildlife is HUGE. An expert on bears, but so much more besides. And he is good company
Advice for Potential Travellers
Trip notes are very good, so nothing to add there. I thought that it was worth spending an extra day at the end to visit Sofia, especially as I was able to get a more convenient flight home that way
Walking in the Rodopi Mountains
Great week walking in the environs of Yagodina, an isolated village in the Rodopi mountains. Super hotel, serving wonderful traditional food.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Excellent. A very Knowledgeable individual with extensive knowledge of the mountains and the flora and fauna. Keen to share his expertise.
A fascinating visit to a beautiful and remote area of Bulgaria
Just returned from an excellent week in the Rodopi mountains. Faultless organisation throughout, from the warm hospitality of the Family Hotel Yagodina, its excellent and plentiful local food, to varied walks through deep forests, sunlit meadows, mountain tops. The leader’s knowledge of the area is second to none and he is generous with his knowledge of the wildlife you may encounter and sharing his understanding of this mysterious landscape, its history and myths, its people and way of life. One of the best Exodus trips I’ve ever been on, highly recommended. Thank you.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Excellent throughout
Wonderful time in the beautiful mountains
We had a great group and superb leader. I echo everything that Susanne has written. Rodopi is just a magical place – it is lush and full of nature: insects, particularly butterflies, wild flowers, lichen and signs of bigger animals who were no doubt watching us. I felt extremely comfortable, more knowledgable and much more aware of my surroundings by the end of the week. The walks are varied and a good length; no rush in the morning and back in time to have a couple of quiet hours in the evening. Five days in a row is reasonably challenging, but it is also possible to miss the odd day; a couple of our group found plenty to do – maybe a short walk, glass of wine with lunch and then wander in the village. Yagodina Hotel is perfect for the trip – very friendly and comfortable, we had wonderful home cooked food – recipes local to the region, Maria could not do enough to help I have been on several Exodus Trips and this is my favourite so far.
Most Inspirational Moment
Loved the information about the bears - I felt very privileged to be able share their territory.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Julian is an excellent leader. He is friendly and unbelievably knowledgable, calm and organised with an enormous passion and respect for the Rodopi Mountains.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Book now if you love being immersed in nature.
Unspoilt beautiful mountains & meadows!
This trip far exceeded our expectations in many ways! The area is unspoilt & very quiet-we only saw one other group of hikers during our week in the mountains! Every day was filled with lovely walks through stunning scenery & we enjoyed discovering all of the flora & fauna in the area as well as spotting traces of bears! The Family Hotel Yagodina was spotlessly clean with decent size rooms & the food was amazing-all locally sourced & freshly made! Nothing was too much trouble for Maria & her team & we felt truly spoilt!
Most Inspirational Moment
Walking through the meadows seeing all of the varieties of wild flowers, including many orchids as well as moths & butterflies, many that we have not seen before!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Julian stepped in at the last minute to lead our group & he was just brilliant! He has lived & studied brown bears in the region for many years & was eager to pass his knowledge on to us! It's fair to say that his enthusiasm was infectious so by the 2nd day we were all spotting signs of bear activity including scat! He allowed people to take the walk at their own pace & was happy to educate us on the massive variety of flora & fauna we saw along the way! The weather was often rainy in the afternoons so Julian swapped walks around so that we remained safe & avoided most of the bad weather!
Advice for Potential Travellers
The weather in the mountains can change very quickly so defiantly take waterproof jackets & leggings that you can put on easily! Be flexible! Again, the weather means that walks were changed or moved days but this is to ensure that you are safe & can enjoy spectacular views on the higher walks on the better days!
Great trip
New to Bulgaria, great week discovering the landscape, flora & fauna and culture of this unique region.
Most Inspirational Moment
Walking the plank at the Eagle's eye
Thoughts on Group Leader
Fantastic and inspirational. Passionate and happy to share his extensive knowledge of the country and region. Excellent walk leader - pace and support for strugglers.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take a microfibre cloth to dry the bathroom floor. Take tea bags - although the herbal tea is fine, really missed a good cuppa. Consider adding an extra day or two at the end to explore Sofia.