• Bulgaria

    An honest review of Bansko in May

    Bansko is a small town on the outskirts of the Rila National Park. In winter, it is a prime destination for budget British ski holidays - not my usual criteria when picking a place to stay.

  • Bulgaria

    Spirituality +10 points: visiting Rila Monastery

    We set off from Sapareva Banya on Sunday morning with zero Levs in our pockets in search of breakfast in the next town (Dupnica). We quickly gave up on this idea after walking into the first alcohol-soaked establishment at 8am to a group of local kids sitting in the near darkness and polishing off their pancakes with the first beer of the day. Fortunately, we were able to get cash at least and set off in the direction of Rila Monastery, grabbing a croissant and a coffee on the road with a view of the mountains. I don’t know what you have read or heard about Rila Monastery but I…