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Bulgaria Data Sheets
#1

Bulgaria Data Sheets

Many people have been asking me and others who have visited/lived in Bulgaria to post data sheets on the different cities. I have already posted a few, but here I will consolidate them, and add some info on cities that I've been to and forum members have asked about.

Sofia - largest city and capital, around 1.5m people. Good to visit year-round, although in summer it empties out somewhat as people go to the beach. In winter it is cold but still walkable (climate similar to NYC, for example). Best times to visit, of course, Spring and Fall.
I've written a pretty extensive data sheet here:
http://www.rooshvforum.network/thread-1160-p...l#pid59397

Plovdiv - it is a city of about 500k people most of whom live in what looks like public housing projects from Communist times in the outskirts of the city (no need to go there) but has a beatiful Old Town part where everyone goes to party, to take an evening stroll, to have a coffee, etc.
Unfortunately, I can't give specific clubs/bars to visit as I have only visited during daytime, but there are a lot of good-looking girls on the main drag so there is your chance to ask them what places to hit for the night.
Avoid it from June to August, as it gets very hot (like 35-40 C) - spring and fall are best.

Veliko Turnovo - foreigners seem to like this city for the sightseeing, as it is set upon some picturesque hills and has some Medieval ruins/castles/churches. It is smallish (100k people or so) but has a large college campus so enough girls and young people to party with.

Varna - I like this beach city a lot, and I seem to almost always get lucky when I visit. Again, a lot of people live in depressing-looking buildings in parts of town you don't need to go to, although there are some very nice beach-front and hill-top apartment buildings and condos. The downtown (although not historic like Plovdiv or Veliko Turnovo) has a nice main drag with lots of cafes and restaurants and lots of good-looking young people walking around. There is also a promenade by the beach where all the clubs are - Extravaganza, Momo, and 5-6 others which seem to get remodeled and renamed every other year so I can't remember them all.
Only go there from May to September, and even better - June to August. It is somewhat depressing to see it emptied out after the active tourist season, although it does have a few college campuses so there are still some people who go out and party.

Burgas - this is the other major beach city in Bulgaria, but I don't like it as much as Varna. Nightlife seems to be much inferior. Again, a main drag where everyone goes for a walk and to have a coffee, so you may luck out daygaming.

Beach Resorts
Basically, every village on the Black Sea has been cramped with hotels and condos nowadays, some nicer but some just looking like a pre-fabricated Quality Inn, so they have spoiled the nice nature to a large extent. Some virgin areas remain towards the extreme south but they mostly attract campers, divers, kite-surfers and the like.
The main resort areas are Golden Sands (10km north of Varna) and Sunny Beach (30km north of Burgas). Both of these are something like Ocean City, MD (for those who've been) - a 5-10 km strech of hotels by the beach, with a boardwalk strewn with bars, arcades, souvenir shops, mechanical riding bulls, minigolf courses, and other tourist crap like that. It can get cheesy. However, the plus is that all that crap attracts several hundred thousand tourists at peak time, most of whom are there to party, and you know what that means.

Sunny Beach - I've written about it here:
http://www.rooshvforum.network/thread-3885-p...l#pid48148
Basically, if you want to hook up with Bulgarians - go to the area around Cacao Beach club. There are several other clubs right by it, with different music themes (techno, lounge, balkan folk, etc). Beautiful girls in droves, but some are golddiggers, some only date the local thugs, badboys and hotel owners (often one and the same), some are Bulgarians living abroad who like to visit home for the summer and party, some are just partygoers from the interior cities driving in for the weekend to party, or for a week or two at the beach. Basically, a good variety, including some foreign tourists, but not many.
If you want to hook up with drunken Scandinavian, Russian, German, or other European girls - stay in the central area around Hotel Kuban where the two main drags meet - lots of bars to drink there and hit on girls. This is the place to be from 8pm to 12pm or so, after that go to one of the clubs which foreigners frequent - Lazur, Grand, or the Viking (the first two are 10-15 min walk from the resort center).

Golden Sands - this resort is somewhat smaller than Sunny Beach, but the same general format and the same types of tourists (I would say it seems to get more Russians, though). Good clubs are Arrogance and PR Club, but again, they remodel and rename every now and then so just ask around. For example, there used to be a great club called Amazonia in the forest just up the hill from the resort which had a male erotic show - but not the corny kind, it was actually pretty tasteful. So it attracted a huge crowd of girls, got them horny as hell, and after the dancers finished and left they were there for the taking. I had a great time there with my wing, and the following year when I visited I headed straight there - but the place was closed!

General Info
As others have noted, cost of living is pretty low.
Food - There are many affordable restaurants with tasty local cuisine but there are sketchy places too, so in order to be sure you can just visit a chain restaurant, for example Happy, which is something like the local TGI Fridays or Applebees. There you can get 3 pieces of meat called "kebapche" with mashed potatoes for 5 BGN which is like $3. And a large draft beer is another $1.5 bringing your total bill (with tip) to around $5 for a good meal. And the waitressess are dressed in Hooters-like outfits.
Taxicabs are generally cheap but of course they may try to rip off foreigners (like elsewhere in the world). In Sofia, Plovdiv and other cities you would be mostly fine - just watch the sticker on the cab windshiled which should display the rates, they should be less than 1 BGN per km. However, in resorts like Sunny Beach they may try to charge you 3, 5, or even 10 BGN per km - so just bargain for a firm rate to wherever you are going. Or even better, stay close to where you party so you can just walk.
Clubs - Some clubs have no cover, and those that do it should be 3, 5, or up to 10 BGN at the very nicest places - if they want more, they are trying to rip you off! In most nicer clubs if you want a table you have to buy a bottle but that is usually only around BGN 80-100 for Johnnie Walker Red or J&B, pretty affordable, but look at the price list first before you order. Some places have deals which they advertise, like a bottle of Jim Beam plus 4 red bulls for BGN 60, but that is usually on slower days like Monday to Thursday.
If you drink at the bar, a beer should be BGN 2-3 (local) or BGN 3-5 (import), and a mixed drink BGN 5-8 (with imported liquor) or 3-4 (rail).
1 USD = 1.35 BGN currently.
Others - One thing that bugs me is the closing time, which is floating, basically as long as there are paying customers, a club will stay open. So at some places where it's happening often you can't drag the girls out because they want to stay and dance and party till the sun comes up and by then already noone has any energy left for fucking. Of course, on slower nights it ends earlier and you go home or if your game is strong you should still be able to drag a girl out, but this is just something that bugs me. A positive thing (for me and the G Manifesto) - smoking is allowed at bars and night clubs. At restaurants you either have to go outside or sit in a special section with a glass partition.

Have a good time, and drop a line if you visit, I may be able to join for a beer, although I am not an international travelling playboy nowadays, just a family man with a wife and kid and a 9-5 job.
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#2

Bulgaria Data Sheets

General opinion about the women - Depends where you go. Polvdiv is very studenty so the age range of girls you meet hanging out on the main pedestrian street (there is only one of them so you won't have trouble finding it) and in the bars / clubs is 17-25 which is kinda young for me but ok for Naughty Nomad.

Plovdiv was the first city I arrived in and I felt like I had entered a time warp back to the 1980s. I swear to god, about 20-30% of the chicks were walking around looking like a Cyndi Lauper timewarp. Either that or 1980s Madonna.

If you really miss the 1980s and are longing to hear Europe's 'the final countdown' and other 80s classics being played on the radio all the time - go to Bulgaria.

Another thing. Girls almost all had really badly crimped hair which, in Bulgaria, them seem to think looks really cool.

News flash - it doesn't

[Image: Debby-Ryan-Crimped-Hair.jpg]

Generally speaking I would say girls don't really have bitch shields but they are not really very friendly either and don't seem at all curious about foreigners.

Also felt that, although Plovdiv is a 2nd tier city, it feels like a 3rd tier city in that everyone seems to know everyone which I found a problem when trying to escalate as girls were afraid that they would be seen by someone that knows them.

Sofia, although the Capital actually feels more like a really nice 2nd tier city in a normal country. You still get the silly crimped hair but less so and it feels a bit more grown up and more my style. I picked up my flag in Sofia within 3 days without too much difficulty. Funny thing is we first went out on my 2nd day in Sofia and would not even make out with me due to her 'morals' about first dates. She then texted me the next day basically telling me how much she regrets missing out because of her damn morals and basically apologising for not having sex with me which I thought was funny. Can't even imagine a western girl texting you after a date and apologising for not having sex.

I would say the aveage girl you see in Bulgaria walking down the street would be a 4 or a 3.5 so they are not the hottest girls in Europe but there are enough 7s and 8s (and the occasion 9) to keep you busy.

In Sofia my favourite bar was Rocknrolla which is in the centre and, despite the name, is not a sawdust on the floor kind of place but a club that someone has spent some serious money decking out and even has bottle service and table reservations (reservations recommended if there is going to be a few of you).

Also in Sofia take a taxi to the student area - studentenskigrad - the bars there are all walking distance from each other.

Nightlife is Sofia rocks literally 7 days a week (if you know where to go) unlike most capital cities and everything is ridiculously cheap.

Hostel recommendations -

Sofia : Both Hostel Mostel and Art Hostel are good and you can upgrade to their private rooms (which are basically like self contained apts) when you are bringing girls back. Art Hostel has their own bar, dj and a nice garden.

Plovdiv : Hikers Hostel

Varna : Yo Ho Hostel

Food : As Bulgaria is so cheap you can actually get a delicious meal at a proper restaurant including a glass of wine for less than the price of a meal at mcdonalds. In Sofia, check out Cactus. Ugos is good and is open 24 hours a day - perfect for nice meal at 6am after a night of partying. Happy Bar & Grill is a small chain but tasty and cheap especially for grilled meats. Pri Yafata is great, packed with locals eating local food and is super cheap. They have a few branches now too. Also open late. Remeber eating here at 7am one the way back home with my girl during a weekend night.

Summary : Although not without its quirks, Bulgaria is a hidden gem and I could quite happily live there.
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#3

Bulgaria Data Sheets

Quote: (06-15-2011 03:31 AM)K-man Wrote:  

I am not an international travelling playboy nowadays, just a family man with a wife and kid and a 9-5 job.

...and who is a regular on this forum for what reason?? Hehe.

Very nice write-ups K-Man & Lumiere. I just want to add that I like the way Bulgarian girls look -- good faces and nice bodies. To me they are a littler better looking than Poland but maybe not quite as good as Serbia. The Bulgarian girls that I knew were not slutty. Might take you 3-4 dates to f-close.
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#4

Bulgaria Data Sheets

So, a "No-go" for a week of vacationing then (unless you go to Golden Sands/Sunny beach to hit up tourists).
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#5

Bulgaria Data Sheets

You could have a great time in a week but I would say 1 week is not enough to see Bulgaria.

With a week either :

- Hit up the 2 major towns. 4-5 days in Sofia and 2-3 days in Plovdiv and party your arse off or
- Hit up the black sea coast and split your time between Varna and Sunny Beach
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#6

Bulgaria Data Sheets

Lumiere, Kman - nice insights guys. Much appreciated.

Bulgaria looks very interesting.

Lumiere - that must have been some sight, being swept into the 80s. Makes me want to see it for myself.
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#7

Bulgaria Data Sheets

Quote: (06-15-2011 06:08 AM)Lumiere Wrote:  

- Hit up the 2 major towns. 4-5 days in Sofia and 2-3 days in Plovdiv and party your arse off or
- Hit up the black sea coast and split your time between Varna and Sunny Beach

But then the focus in both these cases would be for partying, rather than sampling the natives?
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#8

Bulgaria Data Sheets

Quote: (06-15-2011 08:53 AM)Luckystar Wrote:  

that must have been some sight, being swept into the 80s. Makes me want to see it for myself.

For some reason, there seems to be an obsession with 80-90s music (though I would not say with style, too). Every other club in Sofia either plays that music or at least has a "Retro" night. The only other more popular music is the Balkan Folk, which some foreigners find loud and offensive but Bulgarian middle class loves it. More educated people however dislike to be associated with it, since it sounds Oriental, and prefer Western music instead.
But in Sofia at least I don't think you will find even one night club that plays Top 40s/Lady Gaga/Katey Perry type of music - it's either 90s, balkan folk, house/trance, or lounge.
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#9

Bulgaria Data Sheets

At rocknrolla the crowd loved Metallica and AC/DC. They also like Bon Jovi, Whitesnake, and Def Leppard. You see people walking around with Iron Maiden t-shirts. I was dancing with a girl wondering if she had even been born when the music was first released.
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#10

Bulgaria Data Sheets

Quote: (06-15-2011 10:20 AM)K-man Wrote:  

Quote: (06-15-2011 08:53 AM)Luckystar Wrote:  

that must have been some sight, being swept into the 80s. Makes me want to see it for myself.

For some reason, there seems to be an obsession with 80-90s music (though I would not say with style, too). Every other club in Sofia either plays that music or at least has a "Retro" night. The only other more popular music is the Balkan Folk, which some foreigners find loud and offensive but Bulgarian middle class loves it. More educated people however dislike to be associated with it, since it sounds Oriental, and prefer Western music instead.
But in Sofia at least I don't think you will find even one night club that plays Top 40s/Lady Gaga/Katey Perry type of music - it's either 90s, balkan folk, house/trance, or lounge.

Wow!! I'm with you Luckystar. A country stuck in the 80's? It couldn't possibly get any better. It's like walking onto an episode of the Headbangers Ball. I walk down the street and see girls dressed like Lita Ford or The Bangles I'll never come back.

@Lumiere & K-man- Nice data gents. Thanks.
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#11

Bulgaria Data Sheets

Quote: (06-15-2011 08:55 AM)Vicious Wrote:  

Quote: (06-15-2011 06:08 AM)Lumiere Wrote:  

- Hit up the 2 major towns. 4-5 days in Sofia and 2-3 days in Plovdiv and party your arse off or
- Hit up the black sea coast and split your time between Varna and Sunny Beach

But then the focus in both these cases would be for partying, rather than sampling the natives?

You can do both but, be warned, Sunny Beach is the single least Bulgarian part of Bulgaria.
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#12

Bulgaria Data Sheets

Quote: (06-15-2011 12:21 PM)Lumiere Wrote:  

Quote: (06-15-2011 08:55 AM)Vicious Wrote:  

Quote: (06-15-2011 06:08 AM)Lumiere Wrote:  

- Hit up the 2 major towns. 4-5 days in Sofia and 2-3 days in Plovdiv and party your arse off or
- Hit up the black sea coast and split your time between Varna and Sunny Beach

But then the focus in both these cases would be for partying, rather than sampling the natives?

You can do both but, be warned, Sunny Beach is the single least Bulgarian part of Bulgaria.

yeah when I was there I met English, German, Swedish, etc but very few Bulgarians. That being said I was at the club where tourists go.
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#13

Bulgaria Data Sheets

I'm intrigued by the look of Bulgarian women. I have some uber-smokin' hott chicks on my FB friends. I've never been there, but I'd kill to hit it up.

Caco Beach Clubs:

http://cacaobeach.bg/en/clubs/
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#14

Bulgaria Data Sheets

Quote: (06-15-2011 02:34 PM)Global Baller Wrote:  

I'm intrigued by the look of Bulgarian women. I have some uber-smokin' hott chicks on my FB friends. I've never been there, but I'd kill to hit it up.

Caco Beach Clubs:

http://cacaobeach.bg/en/clubs/

I didn't know they have a site. What's missing from it is the Peak Hour club - the Balkan Folk place that probably gets the most crowded these days, and has some of the hottest girls. Bedroom is also good, but smaller (plays lounge music). Cacao Beach itself is nice but so loud (thumping techno and drum'n'base) that I don't see how you would pull there, it's practically impossible to talk. If you are dressed sharp and look good (and bring some blow) you could still do fine there.
Finally, Brilliantine plays 80-90s music, is fairly large, and has lots of hot Bulgarian girls too.
All of these are open-air and full of Bulgarians. Few foreigners go there as they are a little bit off the main drag of Sunny Beach. But when there is a major DJ playing like Tiesto or Van Dijk, then foreigners come too. For these events, they put plates on the sand, right on the beach in front of these clubs, and the party happens there. Usually charge 50-60 BGN for tickets, though. These are all-nighters and draw 10-20k people.
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#15

Bulgaria Data Sheets

Bulgaria is close to where I live so I should consider going there while flights are cheap.

How about the gypsy stuff, I hope they arent everywhere in the cities
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#16

Bulgaria Data Sheets

One more major tip

In Plovdiv eat at Potomtzi (in english heirs) restaurant. It is on Mitropolit Paisii 6 street,in the Old town (just off Saborna street).

Typical local food. Once I found this place I basically ate there several times a day, every day until I left. The lamb and mushroom dish there is one of the best meals I have had this year easily and, even with 2 glasses of red wine (which they make themselves) the bill still only comes to about 4 dollars.

Surreal.
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#17

Bulgaria Data Sheets

Quote: (06-15-2011 05:34 AM)Lumiere Wrote:  

I would say the aveage girl you see in Bulgaria walking down the street would be a 4 or a 3.5 so they are not the hottest girls in Europe but there are enough 7s and 8s (and the occasion 9) to keep you busy.

Really? At least they are not fat. How would you rate the average American girl in that case - 3?
In my book, the average for all girls in the whole world is 5 by definition (mean of the 10-scale). So the average Bulgarian girl I would rate perhaps 5.5 since they are somewhat better than most other countries I've been to.
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#18

Bulgaria Data Sheets

5 on my scale is a girl that is in no way either cute or ugly.

Average american girl? About a 3.5.

Bulgarian girls are not fat but a lot of them are carrying puppy fat due to their diet and the sense of dress and style in Bulgaria is comically bad.

Like I said, the place has its quirks but I like it.
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#19

Bulgaria Data Sheets

Quote: (06-16-2011 02:25 PM)Lumiere Wrote:  

5 on my scale is a girl that is in no way either cute or ugly.

Average american girl? About a 3.5.

Bulgarian girls are not fat but a lot of them are carrying puppy fat due to their diet and the sense of dress and style in Bulgaria is comically bad.

Like I said, the place has its quirks but I like it.


I never really found their style to be bad or them to be carrying 'puppy fat' in the 6 or so weeks I spent in Sofia. Girls there were about as in shape as anywhere I've ever been.
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#20

Bulgaria Data Sheets

Quote: (06-16-2011 02:25 PM)Lumiere Wrote:  

the sense of dress and style in Bulgaria is comically bad.

I don't want to be mean, man, but this coming from someone who did not pass face control at a Bulgarian club because of his dress style, it just does not have any cred.
Actually, you are right in a sense that there ARE sloppily dressed people out in the streets - I agree with this. But if you go to any of the places we discussed above, the girls there are in no way less stylish than elsewhere in the world. Fashion? What is fashion - what Cosmopolitan and Harpers Bazaar tries to cram down the consumers throat, just so Guess and Tommy Hilfiger can make more money?
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#21

Bulgaria Data Sheets

Quote: (06-16-2011 02:25 PM)Lumiere Wrote:  

the sense of dress and style in Bulgaria is comically bad.

I agree with this statement.

But no doubt the girls dress very feminine. Not western at all, no hipsters, little colors. Wether you like it or not is a matter of taste (and perhaps boner).

To see puppy fat in quantity on EE girls, go to polish capital.
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#22

Bulgaria Data Sheets

Quote: (06-17-2011 02:05 AM)K-man Wrote:  

I don't want to be mean, man, but this coming from someone who did not pass face control at a Bulgarian club because of his dress style, it just does not have any cred.

I routinely get complimented by women on my dress / style and that all that matters (apart from the fact I like it of course). What door douches think is neither here nor there.
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#23

Bulgaria Data Sheets

"Bulgaria, from where I write this letter, is an interesting case. As the poorest member of the EU, there is a lot of opportunity at face value. Labor is dirt cheap. Property is dirt cheap. Living costs are a joke. English is widely spoken and is, in fact, more prevalent than Russian in the capital city."

http://www.sovereignman.com/expat/where-...tually-pay

Can anyone confirm this?

Especially, "English is widely spoken and is, in fact, more prevalent than Russian in the capital city."?
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#24

Bulgaria Data Sheets

Quote: (07-05-2011 01:01 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

Especially, "English is widely spoken and is, in fact, more prevalent than Russian in the capital city."?

When I was in Bulgaria I had no problem communicating with any of the locals in English, granted just about everyone I struck up a real conversation with was younger than 40.. but still I got around better on English in Bulgaria than I did in France. [Image: dodgy.gif]
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#25

Bulgaria Data Sheets

I'm not getting triangulation on Bulgaria. Lots of differing views here and on the ground.
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