Wonderful time in the beautiful mountains We had a great group and superb leader. I echo everything that Susanne has written. Rodopi is just a magical place - it is lush and full of nature: insects, particularly butterflies, wild flowers, lichen and signs of bigger animals who were no doubt watching us. I felt extremely comfortable, more knowledgable and much more aware of my surroundings by the end of the week. The walks are varied and a good length; no rush in the morning and back in time to have a couple of quiet hours in the evening. Five days in a row is reasonably challenging, but it is also possible to miss the odd day; a couple of our group found plenty to do - maybe a short walk, glass of wine with lunch and then wander in the village. Yagodina Hotel is perfect for the trip - very friendly and comfortable, we had wonderful home cooked food - recipes local to the region, Maria could not do enough to help I have been on several Exodus Trips and this is my favourite so far.
Rhodopes - the hidden gem of Bulgaria Following our positive impressions of Bulgaria from our first tour with this local travel specialist, we decided to opt for a self-guided experience, visiting this time one of the most remote regions of the country, close to the border with Greece. Naturally we booked this one with them too. Again the whole organization went very smooth. All local transfers were on time. The navigation materials we were given were very accurate and never let us down. We felt completely safe at all times, although on some of the hikes we didn't meet any other tourists at all. The whole experience walking unguided turned out to be one of our most memorable holidays ever. I dare to say we experienced the rural side of Bulgaria in one of the best possible ways, enjoying also great landscapes of uninhibited mountain ranges, isolated back roads, caves, gorges, rivers, meadows and dense forests. Local hosts have been most welcoming and food was really delicious. We were taken care of with hospitality and treated well during all breakfasts and dinners (especially in Lyaskovo village!). Definitely a place worth visiting before it gets popular.
A wonderful get away in the mountains A good week's walking in a rural location hosted in a great locally run hotel. This week was everything that I expected based on the detailed trip notes, the walks and the hotel were as described and ticked all the boxes for me. I spent a couple of additional days in Sofia which was a good balance.