Bulgaria Ski discussion board

This is our third year in Pamps (off tomorrow!!!!). We had lessons at Castleford before we went the first time - mainly because we're both 'mature' and needed to know that we'd be able to do it at all! I think we had about 6 hours in total; we mastered the basics and felt a lot more confident.
Funny thing Rach - I couldn't bring myself to go from the top at Castleford either, but I also progressed to red by the end of that first week. Even stranger - I STILL can't go from the top at Castleford, even though I'm reasonably competant now.

After speaking to a few people out here this week who are staying in the Pamporovo Hotel, I would advise to try and get somewhere else. They were really not having a good time of it there and were desperate to come home!!! Its such a shame as their experience there was putting a dampener on the whole Pamporovo experience. If you do book for this hotel, don't go half board, we have heard so many people saying how terrible the food is there and that the drinks were extortionally priced! Use it as a base but then head into town, even getting a taxi every night will still save you money and you'll have a much better time - and some superb evening meals!

p.s. Some of the restaurants now offer free transport to their restaurants!

Booked Half board, going 02-09 March, and is the food not terrible in every bulgarian hotel?? I have experienced 3 in Pamps, and 1 in bansko, and the food is always poor, regardless I have found. Just how they eat is it not? I think alot of people go expecting excellent food, and that isn't something that I have ever seen in a bulgarian hotel, apart from in the restauarants where you pay, then it is good. Not sure on getting a taxi everywhere, you can just walk can you not??? we did a few years ago, its only 10 mins towards the murgavets, then to the italian!!! can't wait to get there again!!!!

We have used Hotel Pamporovo every year for the last four years and had no problems, the food is ok, not haute cuisine but perfectly edible. The walk to the centre is only a few mins and you can hop on the bus earlier if you want.

I would recommend that you buy lift pass through your tour operator (they get the best discounts) and hire boots, skis and sticks through Interski. For personal tuition for first timers use Interski again - ask if you can be taught by Desi, she's really good and very patient.

Ok - so it's unlikely Pamps hotels will feature in the Good Food Guide, but what the heck? We've always found the food perfectly edible - and you can always have the odd meal out. We spend so little time in the hotel anyway that it doesn't figure very highly in our overall considerations.
When you look at what most of them charge for half board, compared to other countries, you can hardly expect gourmet stuff anyway.
And I cannot imagine ANYTHING about a hotel making me 'desperate to come home' - it's the skiing we're there for after all!