Bulgaria Ski discussion board

Hi Everyone

I have only just discovered this website/discussion board so thought I would say a "hello" to everyone.

I first visited Bulgaria when I went to Borovets about 10 yrs ago. Two weeks ago I came back from a week away in Bansko, my first visit there. I had an absolutely FANTASTIC time there, I hate being back and cant wait to go again next year!

I had not skiied for a few years and it was the first time that I had taken my 5 yr old son skiing. Being a single parent and with no friends that ski it was just me and my son. A few friends thought I was mad going on my own with him - "how would I cope with the travel", "what would we do once there", "what if he didn't like it", "Bulgaria??!!" were some of the comments. Anyway luckily my son seems to have inherited my highly independent and outgoing nature (!), does not bat an eye if he has to leave me and loves any form of activity. I booked myself into ski school and him into the ski kindergarten. I have to be honest, I had not realised at the time of booking that ski school was 4 hrs per day. I had sort of planned to do ski school in the morning and then perhaps ski/play with him on the slopes in the afternoon. I soon realised that ski school was 10-12 lunch 12-1 then skiing until 3. My son therefore stayed with the kindergarten from 10-3.30pm and loved every minute of it!

As for me, well the old addage "it's just like riding a bike" was true - 5 minutes in skiis after an absence of 7 yrs and it was like I had never stopped going. FAB!
I had an excellent ski instructor and a lovely group - an English couple, two girls from Greece and two ladies from Denmark - what a mix! It was lovely for me though as I had people to mix with/ski with and I have remained in contact with the instructor, 1 Greek and 1 Dane!

When booking I had also done something never done before and booked a hotel purely on "artists impression" as this was the only picture available in the brochure at the time. I went to the Hotel Perun and thought it was absolutely brilliant. I felt really pampered and "posh". I would highly recommend this hotel.
We had an enormous room - all brand new and done out really lovely. After a full day skiing my son and I would often go for a walk or a wander round the town and then back to the hotel for a swim and jacuzzi. My son loved the jacuzzi! There were loads of other facilities - steam/massage etc etc but we just concentrated on the swimming. The food was great, the staff were nice - I was really impressed. So much so that I intend to go back there next year.

I do wonder if I was spoilt a little this year with the snow being so plentiful and the great conditions and wonder if it will seem so magical next year....I don't know...but I do know that I love Bulgaria, think Bansko is a lovely new resort and while the prices are still low then that is where I will go.

I do wonder what will happen in terms of Bulgarian prices and in particular Bansko. I gather that in 2007 Bulgarian will enter the EU which will immediately increase prices. In terms of Bansko, as anyone who has been will know what I am referring to, the place resembles a building site and the planned expansion seems never ending. My instructor told me that there are talks of an airport being built nearer Bansko and then of course, there is the bid for the winter Olympics. How many people will this draw to the area, will the amazing week I had - with superb snow but the thing that hit me the most - the near-on empty slopes and absolutely no queueing - become a thing of the past.....?

As for property - another pastime of mine at the moment is to be glued to websites selling ski apartments in Bansko! When I was there it seemed that nearly everyone I spoke to had the additional agenda of looking at/buying property whilst they were out there on their ski hol. I would love to buy a ski appartment if I could sort out the funding - and Balkan are building a complex at the foot of the gondola which would be great - but I don't know..... Part of me thinks now is the time to buy, while it is a new "developing" resort as prices could shoot through the roof but part of me is terribly unsure. If anyone has any views or information about buying property in Bansko I would love to hear from you.

I will end this for now (1) as I am work so really ought to do some! (2) Because I am sure I have bored you all to tears by now (though I hope not!)

I look forward to being a member of this discussion board - just wish I had discovered it sooner!

Bye for now.

Kim

Hi Kim and welcome,

I'm glad that you and your son loved Bansko, as I am also a fan after my first visit there this winter. Like many others, I went to Bansko looing to buy into property there. I didn't go as a speculateive investor looking for instant return, but was looking for a 3 bedroom holiday home for the family. My hotel was full of guests looking to buy property (1 guy had bought 8 apartments off plan, and was out for the first time to see where they will be built).
Eventually, I opted not to buy since I had an overwhelming feeling of being ripped off by the estate agents. They seem to think that people from the UK are all idiotic millionaires. I was shown 5 houses:
#1 was already sold
#2 was three times the size and three times my ceiling price that I had advised them
#3 looked good, but nobody could tell me how much it was since they couldn't trace the owner
#4 was a ruin and exactly at my ceiling price
#5 was the estate agents own house

If you consider that Bulgarian airline pilots were engaged in industrial action in March to negotiate a pay rise to an annual salary of less than €2,500 house prices seem ridiculous. A 2 bed apartment in Bansko is about €90,000, which is 36 times an airline pilots salary.
Imagine what you could buy in the uk for 36 times an airline pilots salary!

I decided to stick to buying holidays from the brochure for now, but would be tempted to buy in Bansko if prices returned to a more realistic level (realistic to me & my budget). I know of 1 guy who has owned a property in Bansko for 2 years, and is now selling whilst prices are too good to refuse. Regardless of buying or not, I will definately be back in Bansko for a family ski holiday.

Good luck

Steve