Bulgaria: Realm of the Brown Bear

The trip was absolutely wonderful. Julian Perry is so enthusiastic and so so knowledgeable about the wildlife and flowers of the Rodopi mountains it is impossible not to have a great great holiday. The hotel is comfy and the food is delicious and Mari and her team can’t do enough to make sure you enjoy your stay.

Enjoyed all aspects of holiday, accommodation and hotel staff, excellent and friendly guide, welcoming local people, beautiful countryside, interesting facts on Bear , Wolf and other wildlife presence.

This was a wonderful walking holiday with the added bonus of following the "theme" of the bears which live in the Rodopi mountain area. The walks were Moderate, but Julian led at a relaxing pace to ensure that we could explore the beauty of the flower meadows, butterflies and other wildlife. The hotel in the village of Yagodina was brilliant, with substantial and varied local cuisine, rooms to a good quality, and freindly staff. Despite four evening vists to the bear hide (we were only a small group) we didn't actually see any bears, but finding signs of them during the walks, such as footprints, marking treees, etc made us really feal that they were probably "behind you" all the time! Overall, a peaceful, relaxing and rewarding walking holiday.

Very enjoyable trip, excellent guide and guiding, great exploration of local flora, fauna and foods.

This trip was even more that the brochure suggests. Every day was an experience and adventure, every mountain trail an education and sometimes a challenge. A really great opportunity to experience nature at its best!