Bulgaria Ski discussion board

Firstly, it is just a little irritating to constantly read about how expensive it is in Bulgaria (Pamporovo) now. I would agree that it is a little more expensive than I had previously experienced (199 However what I would say is that there is a major improvment in a lot of areas, particularily Hotel Food (Prelik great). We went 96 97 and 98 and the food could only be described as awful, we lived more or less permanently on pizzas from the roof top restaurant in the Mourgavetz and Goulash soup on the hill. These three years we were a large group and some of the number about 6 - 10 were total pisheads, we would sit in a small hill side cafe 'BOHEMI' all day owned by a gem of a man, Niko. During these times eating and drinking there all day cost around £10 each. This year, when some of the pisheads returned, we were between £15 and £20 a day each. Okay so the price has gone up but so has the standard and choice of food also the surroundings. When we first went to his place it was best described as a shack with no toilet. It is now on two levels, double glazed, ladies and gents, big log fire etc etc. Perhaps I shouldn't be mentioning the place because the best bit about it is that it is little used by Brits.
He even let us use the kitchen to cook Haggis Neeps and tatties on one of the guys birthday.
Also, in the resort if you drunk the local hooch it was still very cheap 3 Lev a bottle for beer, what are you for a bud or miller at home about £2.50+, about 6 or 7 Lev. However I did notice a large hike in ski equipment and clothing there was stuff there apparently 'sale' price which I knew for a fact I could get cheaper at home in a shop not e-bay.
So stop bloody moaning it is possibly still one of the cheapest places you will get for a skiing holiday, take advantage of it before they get the Euro because that will really screw it.
We had a great time albeit we discovered that we are no longer as indestructable as we used to be and began to suffer the over indulgence after a couple of days and switched to moderate mode. We also started to drink known stuff instead of the local brews, okay it was a bit dearer but it was kinder on the old gut.
Taxis, yes very much more expensive apparently you can haggle prior to starting the journey, we couldn't be arsed and just paid. That being said the first time I went in 96 all the taxis were wrecks of Ladas which ran on some dubious smelling fuel.
Bell sellers, well they are the constant aren't they, love them hate them put up with them....so what.
Prostitutes, always been there, they do however understand go away once you have got fed up trying to be polite in declining.
All in all we had a great time apart from.....................PLOVDIV it is still a hole, hour and a half coming in and nearly six hours on way out. Neither time would have been to great a concern if there were adequate facilities. If they are going to continue to use this as an 'airport' they need to wisen up a bit and get it sorted out.
To sum it up when I was there 96 to 98 I always said there would be no way way I would take the wife and kids there. However I would now becuase of the improvements that hve been made.
Just a parting note for those of you that think it is dear, the week bfore I went to Pamps I was at Aviemore (Scotland for the uneducated) a hot chocolate with rum cost me £3.50 9 Lev or so we were having cocolate and brandy for 6 Lev in Pamps also my son had Macaroni and Chips at Aviemore which cost him £7.50 (no drink) nearly 20 Lev, for 14 Lev I could have a huge Pizza and Coke in resort or for the same price on the hill a large mixed grill which was enough for two. Also i was about 80 odd quid for mine and my sons lift passes for a weekend in aviemore we could have a weeks pass each in Bulgaria for that.
I will return at some point in the main to do some proper skiing instead of getting drunk...........for all you moaners just shut up.
Sorry about the lingo but some folk just p you off

Spot on report Bob,couldnt have worded it better myself even if i can ski better than you !!!!!! i was first there in 94,and still had a good holiday,a credit for the Bulgarians who have also worked hard to bring the resort to todays standards.
Only thing i had to complain about this year was the way First Choice dumped us and left us at Plovdiv airport,even the rep didnt stay to make sure all left the country safely,and when i called the FC rep,i was told we were now the responsibility of the airline,bull sh-t,possibly First Choice could pump some of their profits into help improving the facilities at the airport !!

bob j , sorry your wrong matey , you make some good points are are obviously very experienced and i respect that, however all you people who claim borovets is so cheap are offcourse wrong, except to say it is cheap compared to europe, which is a nonsense, as the cost of living in bulgaria is a fraction of the cost of living in europe.
How can Borovets possible be considerd cheap when they charge 8 lev for a chockie brandy in borovets and down the road in a bar in samokov town they charge 12lev for a round of 10 drinks including chockie brandys and beers and dont say you have to pay for the lifts and the pieste grooming as i have allready paid for a liftpass,
further more you no right to tell people to shut up,tis a disscussion board and as such people have the right to disscuss these issues, they are not moaning , just disscussing
Kel

Ive no intereste in the price of a lap dance here or in borovets nor do i feel the need for one, however a pound for a pint is indeed cheap,so you were buying beer of approx 2.5 levs per pint , in the samokov i paid 4 lev , most bars charge 3 lev , the rila charge 3 lev for a glass of beer which is not much more than a half , and the average price for a pint in samokov town 5 miles down the road is about half a lev so would i be correct in assuming the samokov is charging 8 times the national average for a pint , equal to you paying £24 for a pint in a tourist area in england, think about it brad,