Summer vacation in Varna, Bulgaria

We decided to go on a relatively short and relaxed vacation this year. A bit of abroad, a bit of traveling, and a lot of relaxation. So, we chose Varna, Bulgaria.

We booked a deal through Issta that included Israir flights and transfers to the International Hotel in Varna.

We landed late in the evening. The shuttle was already waiting for us at the airport, and the bus filled up with Israelis heading to the Golden Sands area.

The guide, who spoke Hebrew, explained along the way about all the entertainment spots, currency exchange, shopping, and tours. He also gave recommendations for restaurants and allowed those who wanted to exchange money with him on the spot.

We arrived at the hotel around midnight, about a 40-minute drive from Varna Airport.

At the hotel, they were waiting for us at the reception desk. They asked us to leave our luggage and head to the dining room, where dinner was waiting for us.

After the meal, we received our rooms and went to sleep.

The next day, we spent time at the hotel. The hotel has a heated indoor pool (great in any weather) and an outdoor pool with an alcohol bar offering a stunning view of the sea. On cooler days, the wind there is strong and unpleasant. The water in the pool was cold.

We went out to spend some time on the promenade just across the road. The promenade is very reminiscent of the one in Eilat. Sales stalls, a booth for braiding hair and henna tattoos, necklaces, beachwear, hats for sale, and more...

Fast food shops, bars, and restaurants, and even a swimming pool that apparently opens in the evening for parties.

Fish pedicure, and more...

We had lunch at a Mexican restaurant called SOMBRERO.

When we returned to the hotel, the weather changed, and suddenly the sky darkened, and it started to rain.

The next day, we had pre-booked a day trip with a driver who came to pick us up from the hotel. The route we chose:

Karting - Varna Karting Track

The Stone Forest Pobiti Kamani - The Bulgarians call the place "Pobiti Kamani," which means "stones stuck in the ground." These strange rocks are not solid on the inside but hollow and filled with sand.

The Stone Forest covers a vast area of 7 square kilometers and is located 18 km west of Varna, on the road between Varna and the capital, Sofia. It is one of the first nature reserves declared in Bulgaria.

The magical spring - spring water emerging from the ground and the roots of the trees.

The village of Klimenty (an authentic Bulgarian village with an inn featuring an excellent restaurant and activities for children).

The next day, after breakfast, Matan, Noam, and I ordered a taxi for a shopping tour in Varna.

A lovely driver named Magdalena came to pick us up. She spoke excellent Hebrew with a Bulgarian accent. She played an Omer Adam CD for us, which gave the feeling that we were in Israel...

On her recommendation, we started at the store Sport Depot, a shop with various sports brands, clothing, shoes, and sports equipment.

From there, we continued to the large Jumbo store. Imagine a giant Max Stock, add a small Zebra clothing section, and on the way to the checkout, suitcases, a snack area, drinks, chocolates, and popsicles near the registers...

From there, we planned to stop at Decathlon but decided to skip it and went straight to the Grand Mall. It’s a modern mall with three floors. The third floor mainly has food, a cinema, and a large children’s activity area: bowling, a gymboree, a laser tag arena, and an arcade game area (you buy a card for 1 lev and load it with money; each game costs 2 lev. I loaded 40 lev for the kids, and they got a 10 lev bonus. They won lots of tickets, which they exchanged for candy and keychains as souvenirs from Bulgaria...).

The mall has H&M, ZARA, PANDORA, dm, sports stores, fashion, and makeup shops like in any mall. The prices are similar to those in Israel, but I believe that if you search well and during sales periods, you can find bargains.

Coffee with soy milk - doesn’t exist!!!

Anywhere.

Dan and Guy skipped the shopping day and spent time at the beach, with a fish pedicure, and relaxing at the hotel.

When we returned, the kids went together to the hotel’s indoor pool, which is open until 8:00 PM, and no rain stops it 😆.

The next day, we went on a jeep tour through the forests and villages. Noam and I prepared surprise shirts for the jeep tour. We found a shop on the promenade that prints on shirts on the spot and by order, so we got excited about it.

The pickup for the tour was from the hotel entrance. We met the other jeeps at a meeting point for a briefing and set off.

We tasted homemade arak, stopped along the way to search for gold in the stream, and shot an air rifle.

From there, we continued to lunch, enjoyed a short show, and returned.

The weather was wonderful.

During lunch, there was a downpour... but we were under shelter.