Winter activity holidays for over 50s
| country: | Bulgaria |
| departures: | 2008: 29 Dec 2009: 29 Jan, 19 Feb |
| price: | From £649 - £669 (8 days) including flights from the UK, from £469 excluding flights |
the amazing things you'll be doing
This snowy week of activity (with time also for relaxation!) is based in Bulgaria's beautiful Rhodope Mountains. Your first base is the village of Gela, a tranquil place with mountain views and an interesting history. As well as skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing there may be the opportunity for optional snowmobile rides or dog sledding. Leaving Gela, you'll drive through the mountains to Devin, joining a local family for lunch and visiting the impressive Devil's Throat Cave en route. The underground waters at Devin feed a number of thermal swimming pools and you'll have the time to enjoy these during your stay. Your holiday ends with time in historic Sofia to see the main sights and of course do some last-minute souvenir hunting.
Skiing & Snowshoeing
This winter activity week is based in the spectacular limestone gorges and peaks of Bulgaria’s Rhodope Mountains. The spa village of Gela is located at 1500m, at the foot of two of the Rhodope’s great 2000m peaks, Orpheus and Grand Perelik. With more than 3000 years of history, Gela is a tranquil place to spend your first few days. From a nearby resort, you’ll try downhill skiing or snowboarding, snowshoeing from the village and a free activity day. Optional dogsledding or snowmobiling are also available.
Culture & Thermal Pools
Leaving Gela you’ll drive through the mountains to Devin. En route you’ll see Bulgaria’s largest canyon, join a local family for lunch and visit the impressive Devil’s Throat Cave. The underground waters at Devin feed a number of thermal swimming pools, where you’ll be able to relax. Your holiday ends in historic Sofia with time to see the main sights. In both Gela and Devin, you’ll have the opportunity to relax at a spa centre (Gela) or in thermal pools (Devin) - what better way to rejuvenate after a day’s activity!
You’ll stay in small, locally-owned character properties in both Gela and Devin. They are centrally located and rooms are comfortable with TV and en suite facilities. In Gela you’ll wake up to mountain views! Trip price includes: 7 breakfasts, 2 lunches & 1 dinner. Both of the hotels feature restaurants and, while meals will be taken in your hotel in Gela, there is a choice of restaurants in the larger resort of Devin. Meals usually consist of a salad (accompanied by the obligatory ‘rakia’ - a strong Bulgarian spirit) and then a tasty meat dish or the great vegetarian option of ‘patatnik’ (potato and cheese omelette). Typically we use a comfortable charter bus with ample room for our group. Expert local guides and all ski equipment required for organised activities are included in the price of this holiday.
Skiing & Snowshoeing
This winter activity week is based in the spectacular limestone gorges and peaks of Bulgaria’s Rhodope Mountains. The spa village of Gela is located at 1500m, at the foot of two of the Rhodope’s great 2000m peaks, Orpheus and Grand Perelik. With more than 3000 years of history, Gela is a tranquil place to spend your first few days. From a nearby resort, you’ll try downhill skiing or snowboarding, snowshoeing from the village and a free activity day. Optional dogsledding or snowmobiling are also available.
Culture & Thermal Pools
Leaving Gela you’ll drive through the mountains to Devin. En route you’ll see Bulgaria’s largest canyon, join a local family for lunch and visit the impressive Devil’s Throat Cave. The underground waters at Devin feed a number of thermal swimming pools, where you’ll be able to relax. Your holiday ends in historic Sofia with time to see the main sights. In both Gela and Devin, you’ll have the opportunity to relax at a spa centre (Gela) or in thermal pools (Devin) - what better way to rejuvenate after a day’s activity!
You’ll stay in small, locally-owned character properties in both Gela and Devin. They are centrally located and rooms are comfortable with TV and en suite facilities. In Gela you’ll wake up to mountain views! Trip price includes: 7 breakfasts, 2 lunches & 1 dinner. Both of the hotels feature restaurants and, while meals will be taken in your hotel in Gela, there is a choice of restaurants in the larger resort of Devin. Meals usually consist of a salad (accompanied by the obligatory ‘rakia’ - a strong Bulgarian spirit) and then a tasty meat dish or the great vegetarian option of ‘patatnik’ (potato and cheese omelette). Typically we use a comfortable charter bus with ample room for our group. Expert local guides and all ski equipment required for organised activities are included in the price of this holiday.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly to Sofia; transfer to Gela |
| Day 2: | Choice of downhill skiing or snowboarding |
| Day 3: | Snowshoeing |
| Day 4: | Free day; your choice of crosscountry skiing, snowmobiling or dog-sledding (optional) |
| Day 5: | Transfer to Devin, lunch with a local family & visit to Devil’s Throat Cave |
| Day 6: | Free day |
| Day 7: | Transfer to Sofia |
| Day 8: | Sightseeing in Sofia; return to UK |
over 50s holidays
This trip has been specially designed for, and is exclusive to, travellers over 50. On these trips, the typical group size is just 12, and we never exceed 16. This means better service for you, the chance to use smaller hotels, more freedom to reach out of the way places and more of a sense of camaraderie and fun. Over half of our travellers book independently and we do not charge an additional single supplement. Most travellers are aged between 50 and 70 and there is no upper age limit. It’s attitude and a love of travel that counts!how this holiday makes a difference
|
We stay in the Rhodope Mountains, a location where the United Nations is working to develop sustainable projects. Lunch with a local family gives you the opportunity to learn about the culture and customs of Bulgaria, and sample home-cooked food. Our agent also has a policy of using family run hotels, training guides in environmental matters and involving clients in Bulgarian culture, this is particularly important given the country’s recent accession to the EU, to make sure it’s traditions are kept intact. Clients who travel with us will automatically receive a copy of our Responsible Travel leaflet. This contains details and advice on how you can make a positive difference when you travel.
 We work in partnership with Plan International. Plan works with some of the world’s poorest communities where three out of four children die before the age of five. We also support Friends of Conservation – an international charity committed to working with local people to develop a balance between their needs and the wildlife with which they share the natural habitat and ecosystems. Global warming is a real issue and is a direct result of your travel. We have teamed up with Climate Care to give you the opportunity to offset the carbon emissions from your flight. You’ll be asked upon booking if you want to donate – with set amounts from £5. As a company we offset the carbon emissions from all staff travel in full. We’ve highlighted a few of the ways in which we offer our support, financially or otherwise, and now you can, too. We have set up our own foundation, which will administer funds donated by you. A small donation of £1 per person will be taken when booking a holiday and that money will be put to good use by one of our carefully selected projects. If you don’t want to make the donation, just tell us when you call. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've lead the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |