Reviews

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

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.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent throughout

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.

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!

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.

Most Inspirational Moment

This isn't the sort of trip that has one stand out moment, the experience and enjoyment builds through the week to give you a really satisfying glow at the end.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We were lucky, we had two, both of whom were excellent, on the top of their game, and with a great sense of humour. Svetla was always cheerful, knowledgeable and helpful. Here unusual academic background in anthropology and a host of other subjects meant that she could impart a lot of very interesting insights into the social as well as natural environment. Julian has an encyclopedic knowledge of the area and years spent in bear research which gave us the bonus of having his enthusiasm and expertise, as a result of which I can now identify a worrying number of species by their poo! They were both great fun to be with and I would very happily sign up for a trip knowing they were the leader.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Come and enjoy it! Make sure you have a reasonable level of fitness, bring a plug for the wash basin and think about doing an extra couple of days in Sofi,a either at the start or the end of the trip, it would be time well spent. Mountain weather can be variable, so come prepared.

Most Inspirational Moment

Everyone mentions the lunch stops - but it was so lovely looking at the wildflowers, the birds and the views. There are not many places left in Europe that are so unspoilt. We rarely saw other people when we were out walking. Finding bear paw prints on a walk through some woods was unexpected!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nelly was excellent. One of the best guides I have encountered on a holiday. She spoke English fluently and was a good communicator with the group. Her knowledge of the local flora and fauna was extensive. She gave us a lot of background on the history and culture of Bulgaria. She was very helpful and attentive to the needs of the group.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I spent an extra day in Sofia and I can recommend this. There is a lot to see in the city centre. The Metro system is easy to use and cheap. Be prepared for showers when out walking and take lots of sunscreen.

Most Inspirational Moment

All the walks were lovely, but the lunches among the wild flowers, sitting in a high meadow, were something special.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Neli was an outstanding leader. She was attentive to the needs of her party, patient, and was a great source of knowledge about Bulgaria, its history, politics, and culture. She really knew her local flora and fauna, and even knew all the names in English! She also boasted just about the best English language skills I've come across in a local guide, indeed her vocabulary would have put many native speakers to shame! Most importantly however, she was absolutely passionate about Bulgaria, and the Rodopi in particular.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring a waterproof, it showered on most days, although only in the afternoon. Bring binoculars for the wildlife. Bring at least a one-litre water bottle - it can get hot, and although the walking is not arduous, the days were quite long. If you get Exodus to book flights with a stopover, check the timings. They wrecked our first day by allowing just one hour at Frankfurt airport. The plane was late taking off in the UK, and mayhem ensued. We eventually arrive many, many hours late, after many changes in flights! This was the only negative about the whole holiday however!

Most Inspirational Moment

The consistency of how beautiful the views were each day when we lunched. The other aspect that really appealed to me was how natural the food we ate during the week was and how little processed food was served during our stay at Hotel Yagodina.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nelly's command of the English language is the best I have ever experienced in a non native speaker. Her willingness to help and accommodate people in the group was outstanding. Her passion and knowledge of the flora, fauna, folklore and history of Bulgaria was unsurpassable. I believe she has found her forté as a guide and I intend to nominate her in the Exodus Annual Leader Awards.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Some of the group members who didn't spend a night or two in Sofia either at the beginning or the end of the holiday regretted their decision. I really enjoyed my two day stay in the capital and saw more of it than I imagined I would when I joined an organised cycle tour of the city that covers about 20kms and lasts about three hours.