Bansko :Skiing in Bulgaria : January to April 2013- Bailey's Tours - Adventure and Travel.

                                         Skiing and Living in Bulgaria  -
Bailey's  Tours -Adventure and Travel ;THREE MONTHS IN THE PIRIN MOUNTAINS!

How and Why we decided to live in Bulgaria for three months 

We had always longed to have a really good go at skiing and picked out Bansko as we'd heard lots of good reports about Bulgaria from friends and Bansko sounded like the best ski resort in Bulgaria  to experience living in a skiing environment for three months. To be honest , the underlying  reason was  the associated costs- we all know that skiing is not cheap but the reports from Bulgaria were very promising and so we decided to give it a go.

First of all we found cheap return  flights from Luton to Sofia with Wizz Air and booked them in October 2012 at a great price of £360 for the two of us, plus three 32 kg hold luggage - a great bonus when we were spending so long away in a much colder climate. We then searched the Internet for good long term rentals and arranged a deal with the owners of Green Peace Spa, a new hotel on the outskirts between Bansko and Banya . In total we paid €200 for the first month, for a large one bedroom self contained apartment - again good value . The largest item of expenditure was our

The two of us , sat outside by the main gondola.

 ski passes, costing us around £480 each. (A lot of money as an initial outlay but well worth it in the long run, as a daily ski pass was costing around £28 each day.)

Price list for ski passes 

  We soon got into a routine with our skiing and most days we took up the offer of a complimentary taxi from the hotel to the main gondola, five minutes by car away from our hotel. We found the slopes challenging as they were more intricate than the slopes we'd encountered in Whistler, Canada (See our Blog from March 2012) on our last skiing trip a year previously as Whistler had lots of very long , wide cruising blue and red slopes. However our first impressions of Bansko were great as it was totally different from anywhere else we'd ever experienced in both language and culture and it was cheap too , which is always a bonus .(even on the ski slopes a beer or a hot wine would cost only 6 levs , equivalent to £2.20 - nothing compared to other ski resorts especially in Europe !)

Map of the ski runs in Bansko 

        

A good place to stop after your last run of the day -(We later started to walk to the building behind me -Happy End , where there was a good apres ski atmosphere.

At the end of our days skiing we would always sit outside this bar at the bottom of the ski road and have a beer under the outside heaters . We would also pop into 'Happy End ' on our way to our taxi pick up point, here we we met lots of skiers and it was here we met Svet , a Ulen ski instructor who really helped Viv improve her skiing .

British and Proud !

After spending two and a half weeks being transported by the hotel taxi to and from the main gondola, we both decided the hotel we were staying in was not for us, as basically we did not like to set a pre determined time to when we were being picked up and wanted more flexibility.  Therefore we started to make enquiries, using the internet into alternative self catering accommodation. We couldn't find anywhere as cheap, but we found a couple of places for the last six weeks that were close to the main drag costing roughly £120 GB  per week. When we finally arranged to look at various rentals, it was the first day we had experienced a full Bulgarian snowstorm. As we walked around Bansko, uncovering road signs , smothered in snow we could have been on another planet. The map I had was in English, but the road names were in Bulgarian ! So basically it was down to asking people and this is where I think divine intervention once again came in to our rescue.

The main street into the old town .( we had walked miles trying to find accommodation until we fell into Martin Phelps ;www.explorebansko.com

 As I  passed a restaurateur, attempting to entice me in for a meal in his restaurant I heard him speaking decent English. I went and asked him where the flat was I was looking for and at the same time asked him if he had any friends or family who had property they were trying to rent. He was so helpful and walked us ten metres around the corner to his English  friend , Steve. As he took me into a ski hire shop and introduced me to Steve, Steve told me he was actually called Martin - the rest is history as it goes as from then on Martin Phelps became a very close friend whilst we were in Bansko and joined us along with his wife Leanne on our Aegean Gulet Cruise in September 2013 too . For anyone going to Bansko to ski or snowboard Martin's company www.explore-bansko.com comes highly recommended, through trip adviser. His  company is much cheaper than the major companies, you get personal service and collection from your accommodation to the ski slopes and they also arrange  for your transfers to and from the airport , plus accommodation if you need it too .

Todora Towers Apartment ;This open fire was lovely to come home to.

 Martin sorted us out with a lovely one bedroom apartment .in Todora Towers ,right opposite the Kempenski Hotel .(It cost us 580 euros for six weeks .)We could not of wished for a better location and it had its own ski locker downstairs ,plus a built in log fire in the main living room - wonderful after a full day out on the slopes .It took us a little time to realise just how good a location it was , but after Sam ,Holly and Matthew three of our children  visited us for a holiday ,plus our two good friends Lynne and Richy too  ,(see more of them in our Blog  Baileys Tours does   Blackpool Weekend , in October 2013 )it was wonderful. As well as 'Happy End ' being just over the road , we had Euphoria,Penguin and Emerald and Harry's Bar to name just a few  just one minute away .We were never stuck for somewhere to go out for a drink or food and this convenience really made our holiday .

Summary of our Bansko  Experiences;

SKIING .

Our most enjoyable skiing holiday ever - sat outside in the small Bulgarian bar/ restaurant on your left ,5 minutes from the end of the ski road.

 Previously we had spent four weeks skiing in France, one week in other places  (Canada 5 Days, USA  1 day and New Zealand 1 day ) in total. We had the bug and Bansko was ideal for us both .Viv, through private lessons built up her confidence so much that she did the Black runs before I did! When Viv had her weekly lesson I tried every ski run out in turn and became more confident too . We decided to leave our skis in Bansko for 2014 as we now have no intention of trying anywhere else out in the near future , as for us Bansko provides everything. If you intend to try skiing for a season ,then buying the season pas is a must .You get privileged entry into the fast lane at the gondola and after 20 days skiing the pass has paid for itself 

The only problem is queuing for the gondola and already plans are underway to build another one .

Skiing costs per person. (Including Ski Pass, Ski service ,plus  new outdoor ski walking boots)= 510 GB pounds .

* We did sell our ski passes on too, when we left at the end of March  to an English family for 100 GB pounds as they were coming for the Easter holidays. This was a great deal for  them and better than we expected. It would have cost us 560 GB pounds if we had not done this.

(Many thanks to Ian Holbrook, another very helpful expat who works the ski season in Bansko.)

Living in Bansko:

 It would be fair to say that we experienced a culture shock , initially when we arrived in Bansko. Being a ski resort it caters mainly for the tourists who don't necessarily want to spend a week in the supermarkets looking for god quality good value produce .

We had lots of pizzas during our stay in Bansko - they were good value and kept us going whilst on the slopes.

 However we did want both choice and quality  and until we met people , choice was the key word that we never had to use much as the supermarkets were very limited .(Ok if you lived off ,chocolate, sausage type meats , biscuits and of course alcohol ) Once we got used to where to seek out butchers , bakers etc  , especially in the old town life got easier. 

The Log House became one of our most popular eating places -here we were invited to a meal with mainly British people , who now work and live in Bansko .(We were made very welcome , evn by Kjeld , the token Dane -front left )

 Also towards the old town ,away from the main ski area  you had lots more choice for eating in Mehanas, the local Bulgarian bar / restaurants . We had lots of Chopski salads,farmers salads and Ipersonally loved the cheeses too . We found many restaurants as mentioned but two stand out .The Log House , near Euphoria bar if you want a traditional Bulgarian , Pork Knuckle .We went there on Valentines Night and it was lovely and probably our favourite , The Irish Harp .Here the hospitality is brilliant and their fillet steaks unbelievable - again everyone we took there were bowled over by the place .(They also provide a free collection service too )

 Bansko does have plenty of choice for socialising and there is quite a large expat population too. As the weeks progressed we met lots of lovely , helpful fun to be with people .Scott and Kirsty, Mike, Kjeld and of course Martin and Leanne Phelps.An amazing social life developed and at times we had to make ourselves stay in our apartment as there seemed to be always something going on .

Karaoke time -Penguin Bar  (Mrs Phelps , leading the singing!) 

Finally , the living costs we incurred through living in Bansko were probably the cheapest we have ever experienced . We thought Turkey was cheap ,as it is far cheaper than Europe .However Bulgaria is cheaper than Turkey and when you are enjoying yourselves anyway , the fact that your money goes a long way makes everything even better .

Living costs per person  for ten weeks ,(Including accommodation, electricity,logs for fire and shopping bills .) = 

£650

Socialising per person (eating out, going to bars with family and friends, etc )

£500

Our good friends Lynne and Richy joined us too - (We did lots of socialising, but at Bulgarian prices it was all very affordable .)

Transport. to and from Bansko from the UK.

 As I've already mentioned we arranged cheap flights with Wizz Air from Luton to Bansko. We booked a return transfer with www.resorthoppa and would use both again. We hired a car from Darlington to Luton and with the one way drop off fee that cost us 170 GB pounds .On the way back from Luton to Darlington we used National coaches which cost us 100 GB pounds .

Transport costs per person =

£345

Total per person for our ten wek Bulgarian experience = 

£2505

A wonderful adventure that I would recommend to anyone wanting to experience living in a ski resort for ten weeks .

Bansko -BaileysTours  KEY EVENTS , that forged our Bulgarian adventure into something really special. In other words the  unofficial bits where we had a really good time , fun and a laugh with fellow Brits on holiday, expats or locals/visitors to Bansko .

Thursday 17 th of January. Ellie and David the owners of Greenpeace Spa Hotel, invited us for snacks in their living room .They produced local Bulgarian  red wine out of a coke bottle, costing 50 pence for two litres and it was great! Along with their hospitality and helpfulness, we had a great evening , sharing our joint experiences of life .

(This is an aparthotel and is new , well cared for and just 1.5 km out of Bansko on the Banya road. If you like to be away from the hustle and bustle of a ski resort , but still want to access it then this could be hte place for you .Contact Ellie Krasteva on greenpeacespa.bg/ or ring her on +359 2 944 11 )

Photoshoot with one of the locals dressed in traditional costume .

Monday 21st  January-Viv's birthday. Great day skiing , mulled wine on the slopes then back to change and go out for the night .The  corner  Bulgarian restaurant, (Just along from Amigos on the main street by the traffic lights )was perfect for celebrating a birthday in. Live music Bulgarian style , lots to choose from and Viv was serenaded by the artist at the end of our meal. This was followed by a trip to the casino - never again as we were escorted around the casino which was dead, it all felt very authoritarian and unfriendly - not quite Vegas. (The large glasses of free spirits on entry though helped us through our ordeal though.) We lasted for ten minutes , then got a taxi home ...

Of the three casinos in Bansko , this was the biggest (Not quite Vegas is an understatement!)

Sunday 27 th - Viv had her first private ski lesson with Svet - a great confidence boost and a decision that really helped us both take full advantage of our unique opportunity ..

Tuesday 29 th of January - met Martin Phelps- www.explorebansko.com . From that date onwards , we really started to get to know Bulgaria,Bansko and what it is like living in Bansko.

1st February- Met Pete and Tracey from Birmingham and alot of other people who were clients of Martin- Great evening ,ended up in Mr.Singhs (If you like and Indian meal ,with a free drink for under 8 GB pounds a head -this is the place to go .)

6th of February -moved in to Todora Towers - Fantastic place thanks to Martin  organising us a good deal with his client from Israel ,Dr .Igol Walman- (to book this apartment and or others , contact Martin at www.explorebansko.com.

10th February -Bumped into Mike and Elayne from England whilst having a coffee break on the slopes , who were really taken by what we were doing .It turned out that they were planning to do the same as soon as the situation is right for them in the uk .What was amazing is that know Didim where we have our holiday home in Turkey and from there we arranged to meet them in the summer .....(See blog Weekend Away on the Sexy Lady - September 2013 , where they had finally done it !)

Friday 22 February - Sam arrived, he tried out snowboarding for the first time and took me right out on the slopes 

After  Sam had wiped me out -  It was funny , but was I  smiling?

After a full day on the slopes we went straight  on to our longest apres ski ever ! We left Sam in Amigos Bar (A very lively British themed  ski bar) in the capable hands of Scott and Kirsty our friends wed met living also in Todora Towers. We  got in at 2.00 am ,Sam at 5.00 am .

It had been a long day , but we had a good time in Amigos.....

Sunday 24 th February . I was wiped out on the slopes whilst stopping to help someone who'd fallen - Viv did a Black run and we were were all sat , suffering in the Penguin Bar waiting for Holly to arrive  safely. (She arrived a little later, but by then we were all worse for wear as the injuries were taking their toll.Eventually we hobbled back,  knowing we had to recuperate  to go skiing as a family for the first time in years and meet our good friends Lynne and Richy who were also arriving the following day )

Tuesday 26th February. A blizzard hit us ,everyone was falling over alot and Viv fell badly on the highest blue. We all had a laugh though and enjoyed the fresh snow. On the night we went to the Irish Harp - a  wonderful evening with the best steak ever according to all 6 of us .

See ; www.tripadvisor.com for great reviews .

Friday 28 th February. Sam and Holly had flown home and our chaotic week continued with Lynne and Richys last full day. ( Viv and I were starting to feel the pace .) We ended up skiing little, but enjoying the weather with Lynne and Richy and the small Bulgarian bar near the bottom of the ski road .We arranged to meet up in Happy End , but funnily enough  , somehow  as  couples entering the bar at different times we  didn't see each other and bought rounds of 8 beers - thus we ended up finding ourselves with 16 beers to consume. (Luckily it was our last night with Lynne and Richy ...)

March 10th - Matthew arrived and we had another really good time showing Matthew the slopes, town and introduced him to some of the people we'd met. He particularly liked the Emerald Bar where two draught beers cost just 5 Levs.- Under £2 The only thing that spoiled the afternoon / evening was England losing out to Wales in the six nations.

March 30th-Checking out SOFIA -

 We said goodbye to Bansko to spend two nights in the capital  Sofia to do some sightseeing .We hd heard mixed reports about Sofia , so decided to give it a try.

Our Hotel was right next door to the government building as when we got up on our first morning of sightseeing we heard and saw lots of Bulgarians protesting. It was noisy, but peaceful enough and we went off trying to do the city sights on foot . 

Here are some lovely buildings ,showing the architecture of the pre Communist period very well. Unfortunately our impressions were influenced more by the grey,  post war buildings, plus the state of the roads and pavements .Many of the pavements had one metre sized holes in them just waiting for someone to fall in . 

Overall it was interesting , but not somewhere we would rush back to or suggest our friends to visit in a rush .

Bailey's Tours -Adventure and Travel ; Its not the destination : its  the journey !

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N.B . We are still awaiting more photos to add to this Blog from family and friends . Hopefully before we go again in 2014 from the 10th to 24th of January it will be updated .

See you in Bansko !

    

The main square in the old town , what a stunning background view of the Pirin Mountains .