Casting one last glance at the charming old streets and striking neo-Gothic buildings in Bucharest, I took a brisk stroll, with a heavy backpack strapped to my shoulder, slowly navigating my way to the train station. From there, I was about to embark on a long-haul overnight journey to Istanbul. Having walked incessantly for days in Bucharest, I was looking forward to long hours of doing nothing at all, just sitting still on the train and getting my much-deserved rest. I booked a sleeper cabin for about USD 65 to […]

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Ski season is already under way tempting passionate skiers worldwide to the snowy slopes of the most popular resorts in the Alps. Those of you who have already spent a few seasons skiing in award-winning ski tourist hotspots know that a weekend’s holiday may be financially draining. To those who are planning their first ski trip, the grand total in most ski resorts across Europe may seem daunting and worth giving up on the whole idea. However, European mountains hide a few less conventional ski resorts that offer the same […]

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Rila Monastary is located about 2 hours outside of Sofia, the capital city. You can hire a taxi (be sure to bargain – and note that hiring taxis from public transportation places such as bus or train stations are usually higher in price), take a bus or go with a number of Bulgarian based tour companies that visit the monastery (Traventuria, Tandem Travel, Bulgaria-Guide). The road past the small village of Rila is narrow and winds up a river canyon. There are several nice hotels/restaurants located along here which would […]

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John M. Edwards chows down on subpar “Vulgarian” grub and survives a dangerous dispute over a restaurant bill in the Balkans. Oh well, there is always the region’s lip-smacking yogurt. . . . Bulgaria has by far the best yogurt in the world, partly because they invented it. They also are (supposedly) responsible for the regional cuisine shared by many of its neighbors: Bulgar wheat, stuffed grape leaves, baklava, kebabs, goat cheese, and “Bulgarian coffee” (the thick syrupy brew also known as “Greek” or “Turkish”). Indeed, an ethnic-eats expert such […]

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If you have always assumed that a skiing holiday is out of your price range, or you’ve been on a trip but were put off by busy slopes and over-crowded restaurants, then think again as there might be another option. Go ‘off-piste’ with your choice of resort. Mainstream does not suit everyone, and whilst the big famous resorts are well-established and set up with great facilities, by their very nature they bring in a lot of tourists at peak season. That of course pushes up prices and means there are […]

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In Plovdiv, Bulgaria, John M. Edwards snitches on the mystery-shrouded Balkans’ best-kept secret: an ancient (and enduring) heresy I was on the way slow train from Budapest through the Balkans, on my way to Bulgaria, chainsmoking and guzzling Egri Bikavier (Bull’s Blood) wine, when the train came to a juddering halt and was boarded by heavily armed Serbian soldiers. A Serb with an impressive handlebar moustache and an assault rifle demanded my passport. “Americansky!” The Serb spat. “You must get off train!” Knobby knees buckling, I asked, “The train won’t […]

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Packed with culture, heritage and beautiful scenery, Bulgaria is a holiday destination that’s fast becoming the next big thing in the summer holiday brochure – and it’s not hard to see why. Its beautiful coastline boasts miles of Blue Flag beaches, many of which feature bubbly holiday resorts, gorgeous golden sands and lovely warm shallow waters. There are plenty of family-friendly areas along Bulgaria’s coastline, many of which offer sheltered bays and shallow shores – perfect for little paddling feet. Accommodation in this part of the world is also plentiful […]

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Many people looking to ski on a budget are turning to Eastern European countries as their destination of choice. The neighbouring countries of Romania and Bulgaria in particular, are up and coming ski destinations. Since their entry into the EU, the infrastructure has improved and getting around has become a lot easier than in the past. Romania is being talked about as possibly the cheapest ski destination in Europe, but does that make it one of the best? If you want well organised skiing with plenty of well groomed and […]

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The image blazed in my mind of my several stays in the Bulgarian capital from the past few weeks comes from several sightings of a wheelchair bound heavily bearded homeless man. I first came across him several weeks ago – he was perched on the sidewalk surrounded by metal garbage containers and piles of trash all around him. The stench was tremendous. His wheelchair contained a large tray and on it was quite a spread of people’s half eaten lunches, drinks, chicken drumsticks and other pieces of food. He was […]

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Los Angeles, CA (13 December 2011) – America’s traditional blue-chip AAA’s Leisure Travel Index shows that more American’s will be hitting the road this holiday season, but a deeper look into more 21st century mashup travel metrics point to an even bigger year for international travelers in 2012. The World’s Greatest Travelers 2012 Aggregate Travel Metrics, as selected in expert focus groups and online survey data at the WorldsGreatestTravelers.com website, reveal that optimistic travel trends are looking up with international travel high on the list of travelers in 2012 as […]

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Travelers who are interested in exploring Europe by train will find that there are two main types of rail passes: Eurail Passes and InterRail Passes. The choice is made simply based on the passenger’s country of residency; they will be eligible to buy one and not the other. Here is the general rule: *** The Eurail product line is available to residents of a non-European country. You are eligible if you have been a resident of a non-European country for at least 6 months. *** The InterRail product line is […]

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UCUTI & TARA BEACH RESORTS AND DESTINATION WEDDINGS – A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN Resort’s unsurpassed natural beauty and eco-consciousness attracts couples from 26 countries around the world EAGLE BEACH, Aruba (October 28, 2010) – Bucuti & Tara Beach Resorts, Aruba’s top romance and eco friendly property, has recently become somewhat of a mini United Nations for couples who choose to have an exclusive destination wedding. In 2010 alone, Bucuti hosted 60 couples from 26 countries who have come to the island to wed or simply renew their vows. The […]

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Most Votes Cast, across More Countries and Categories, in Program’s Eight-Year History – with Many New ‘Faces’ Taking Top Honors NEW YORK, NY October 22, 2010 – SpaFinder, Inc., the global spa and wellness resource, today unveiled the winners of its 2010 Readers’ Choice Awards, honoring spa-goers’ favorite spas across the globe on six continents and in 35 countries/regions, along with their top ten picks in 31 unique categories. The 2010 Readers’ Choice program attracted an unprecedented level of worldwide consumer participation than ever before in the Awards’ eight-year history. […]

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Beverly Hills, CA – Sixty-five countries, including first-time entrants Ethiopia and Greenland, have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 83rd Academy Awards’. The 2010 submissions are: Albania, ‘East, West, East,’ Gjergj Xhuvani, director; Algeria, ‘Hors la Loi’ (‘Outside the Law’), Rachid Bouchareb, director; Argentina, ‘Carancho,’ Pablo Trapero, director; Austria, ‘La Pivellina,’ Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel, directors; Azerbaijan, ‘The Precinct,’ Ilgar Safat, director; Bangladesh, ‘Third Person Singular Number,’ Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, director; Belgium, ‘Illegal,’ Olivier Masset-Depasse, director; Bosnia and Herzegovina, ‘Circus Columbia,’ Danis Tanovic, […]

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The village of Beli Iskar is approximately an hour from the capital Sofia and located only a short distance from Borovets the oldest ski resort. Its appeal as a holiday destination exceeds not only the obvious winter attraction of snow sports. Although it is this that Bulgaria’s mountain resorts are renowned for the activities available during the summer months are equally attractive and diverse. Sofia offers a range of interesting museums and art galleries. As well as this it has a number of new shopping malls, and restaurants offering food […]

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