Bulgaria Ski discussion board

Snow conditions were excellent although bottom part of the Green run was becoming quite icey where people had compacted it so much. Had a great time, bought snowboard and boots out there and brought them back on the plane no problems whatsoever. Ted very helpful at the Snowshack.

Bad points which have got worse over the past year IMO:

- pushiness of bell sellers at the bottom of the slopes

- Bulgarian couples approaching tables in restaurants seeking money from wealthy tourists for their 'sick' child. Yet they show you a black and white tatty photo which was probably taken 20 years ago. This happened to us (group of 6) in different restaurants during the week.

- Flower sellers approaching people having meals in restaurants - similar to the one above. If Bulgaria wants to do well when it joins the EU in 2007 they need to sort this sort of behaviour out.

- ladies of the night much more apparent around Murgavets, Daks Bar and Spiders bar - although they dont do any real harm. They are friends with all the bar staff tough so are allowed to get away with it.

- dodgy taxi drivers - I got to the taxi rank just after the last bus back with 4 others. They got in the first taxi (i didnt know them) which was 11 Levs and I got the second one on my own and they guy said he wanted 16 Levs. I said it should be 11 Levs as the other taxi driver said it would be 11 and called the 2nd taxi over for me. He was a big guy and when we got to the Hotel he had his door open and one foot out and demanded 16 Levs for the journey despite agreeing up front at 11. I argued but he wasnt budging, saying it was out of his hands that we had taken the back roads to the hotel (yet it was the same old route!). I ended up giving him 14 in the end but it really changed my views of the drivers. I know its only 1 bad apple but I will always wonder from now on.


I'll probably still go back but it will make me think about other places when Im choosing now.

I agree about the taxis. I was told by our guide on the transfer bus that taxi drivers would be very helpful in the resorts because they are earning 10 times what they normally earn. There should be set rates for trips between ski depots and hotels. I paid anything between 7 leva and 11 leva between Murgavets and Ski depot 1.

Even better would be to put on more buses in the mornings I gave up waiting twice in a week ( buses didn't come or were full when they got to pick up point) and decided to walk. After the second time I walked every day it's only a 8 min walk between Murgavets and ski depot 1.

Judging by previous comments the taxi drivers are becoming more and more greedy as the season goes on.

I should say I did thoroughly enjoy the hols. The other points were a nuisance but at the end of the day spending 5 Levs over the odds is still only about £2 but its the principle of the thing.

Hotel Murgavets was almost perfect. Nice rooms, hot water all the time except one morning. HB food was ok i you stick to toast and cereal breakfast and cooked meat for dinner. It was generally ok temperature.

The singer at the bufet restaurant was hilarious. My mate bought one of his CDs and had it signed by him. We were falling about laughing at this!!

Powercuts occurred most mornings - make sure you dont use the lift around these times!