BULGARIA - AFFORDABLE, FUN, FRIENDLY
With wall-to-wall bars and night clubs Golden Sands is an ideal resort for young - and young-at-heart - sun and fun seekers. Shops sell mainly budget price souvenirs, ice cream and essentials like sun cream, so if your tastes tend to the more luxurious you’d be advised to do your shopping in Varna.
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Golden Sands Aquapolis water park is a great alternative to the beach. Daredevils love the high-speed ‘Kamikaze’ ride where they are launched from an 18 meter high platform at around 60km/h. More gentle thrills are at the 300m long Slow River where a bridge and waterfall connect a swimming pool to the balneology zone, somewhere to relax in a Jacuzzi or enjoy a hydro-massage.
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For lunch one day we visited a traditional Bulgarian restaurant where the names of some dishes obviously got lost in translation. Then again, perhaps it’s just as well when the menu offered ‘lamb intestines’, ‘nervous rissole’, ‘pig jaw’ and ‘stew a la granny.’ I chose the simplest option, an omelette, but the chef still managed to burn it. Never mind, the salad and dessert were excellent.
We travelled to nearby Varna during our visit, this green, clean city was once the country's capital. Although the beach is pretty top notch, history hounds delight in visiting the Greek and Roman settlements including Bulgaria’s largest Roman bath complex. The pedestrian zone has all the shopping and dining options you could possibly need and night birds are spoiled for choice with clubs and bars to suit all tastes.
Oh and what's that? The moles? (See here if that's confusing you.) Well, I never did see any moles, but there are lots of shopping malls. The misunderstanding was due to our excellent English speaking guide’s minor pronunciation hiccup.
images (c) Gilly Pickup
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Tips for visiting Bulgaria
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