Transylvanian Long Weekend

Transylvania is a beautiful part of Europe and the sights on this trip are stunning. Unfortunately the awful traffic in the mountains did cause a lot of delays leading to both a shortening of time to visit the bear hide and long days (leaving at 8am and not returning to the homestay until 10pm), with no time for café stops on Days 2 & 3, just a quick lunch. I was caught out by how much colder it was in the mountains but the Homestay was warm and comfy - note that they don't supply shower gel. I really enjoyed the walk and found the poles supplied by the Homestay very useful as it was steep going up and down.

Unfortunately due to traffic problems we only had 45min in the bear hide, had intended a return the following day but again stuck in traffic. Apparently bears had plenty of beech nuts in the forest so were not approaching the hide at the time. It was very disappointing not to see them as that was the main attraction for everybody on the trip but obviously this can't be guaranteed however if this is usual for the time of year, (end September), then perhaps the tour shouldn't run on those dates. Tour leader was v accommodating when whole group requested we go to bear sanctuary the following day & re-scheduled Bran castle trip to accommodate. The accommodation in Transylvania was less than comfortable, our room had 2 narrow single beds & a couple of side tables plus 3 hooks on the wall, no shelves or wardrobe & as we had 3 nights there it would have been nice to be able to unpack, instead we had to walk around opened cases on the floor. The only area to sit was at the dining table. The food available for breakfast was plain & same each day, we did have a typical dinner when we arrived & that was fine. The guesthouse was remote & nowhere to walk unless along a busy road with no pavement so the other 2 nights we had to eat as a group. It would have been better to stay closer to the sights we were visiting & not have so much travelling so we didn't keep getting stuck in traffic & to also be able to walk around in the evening or go elsewhere for food or a drink. We spent far too much of our short trip in the minibus. The guide was knowledgeable & helpful but constrained by Explore expectations, I think he should have had more flexibility with the itinerary & perhaps we could then have avoided the long holdups.

Too much emphasis on bears when in reality the itinerary of the trip meant that we only spent an hour of the weekend actually in a bear hide. Romania itself was interesting and guide was friendly and knowledgeable but the trip let itself down by advertising itself as a wildlife experience when in reality it is more of a history tour.

This was my first ever trip of this kind and I am so glad I did it! Being a solo female traveller, my prime concern was being safe when abroad. Explore went above and beyond this expectation. The trip to Romania covered a lot of ground and was full on, but my goodness do you see some amazing sights! Although not guaranteed, seeing bears in the wild was definitely a highlight of the tour and was remarkable. But for me, it was staying in a cute romanian guest house in the mountains that was the most enjoyable part. It was a truly authentic experience and we were made to feel very welcome. If I was to change anything about the trip, I think a bit longer for lunch / coffee breaks would be nice, however I am also aware that this is not the purpose behind it.