| country: | Bulgaria |
| trip type: | Moderate wilderness trekking holidays |
| departures: | 2008: 21 Dec, 28 Dec 2009: 25 Jan, 15 Feb, 22 Mar, 20 Dec, 27 Dec 2010: 24 Jan, 14 Feb, 14 Mar, 19 Dec, 26 Dec |
| price: | From £579 - £799 (8 days) including flights from the UK. From £319 - £529 excluding flights. Local payment £100. Optional single supplement £55 |
| late availability: | Late availability on 25th January departures |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |

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the amazing things you'll be doing
The Rila Mountains hold some of the highest and most beautiful peaks in the Balkan Peninsula. Offering great summer walking, in winter the mountains here are transformed into an even wilder and more dramatic environment. Over the course of your week you’ll enjoy a variety of snowshoe treks. In the shadow of Mt. Maliovitza (2729m) you’ll trek in this beautiful wilderness area. Whilst snowshoeing from your pension in Guiletchitza to Panichiste, you’ll enter the celebrated Seven Lakes area.
Rest your limbs on a gentler day visiting some thermal pools and enjoying lunch with a local family. Snowshoe amongst frozen lakes to reach the 60-metre ice-encrusted Skakavitza waterfall – possibly the biggest icicle you’ll ever see! Finally you’ll visit two of Bulgaria’s historic highlights, Rila Monastery and Sofia.
No longer the wooden ‘tennis rackets’ of old movies and story books, modern snowshoes are made of robust, lightweight materials, making them easy to put on and straightforward to use. Two trekking poles aid balance and away you go – into the deep white yonder!
Rest your limbs on a gentler day visiting some thermal pools and enjoying lunch with a local family. Snowshoe amongst frozen lakes to reach the 60-metre ice-encrusted Skakavitza waterfall – possibly the biggest icicle you’ll ever see! Finally you’ll visit two of Bulgaria’s historic highlights, Rila Monastery and Sofia.
No longer the wooden ‘tennis rackets’ of old movies and story books, modern snowshoes are made of robust, lightweight materials, making them easy to put on and straightforward to use. Two trekking poles aid balance and away you go – into the deep white yonder!
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly to Sofia; drive to Rila National Park |
| Day 2: | Guiletchitza; trek in the Maliovitza area |
| Day 3: | Trek from Guiletchitza to Seven Lakes area |
| Day 4: | Short forest walk; lunch with a local family; visit thermal baths |
| Day 5: | Trek to Skakavitza waterfall |
| Day 6: | Snowshoeing in Seven Lakes area |
| Day 7: | Visit to Rila Monastery; drive to Sofia for sightseeing |
| Day 8: | Fly to London |
how this holiday makes a difference
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On this trip: This trip benefits many local Bulgarian people, from the owners of the pensions where we stay to our local family-run agency, the Group Leader and drivers. We also visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of Rila Monastery, where our entrance fee contributes towards the upkeep and further restoration of this historic site. This area of the Rila mountain range, away from the Borovets ski station, is largely undiscovered by foreign tourists and the people you do meet are more likely to be locals or visitors from other parts of Bulgaria. Groups can get a further insight into local life in the region when we have a meal with a local family.
Our Responsible Travel Code: 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. If you would like a copy in advance of travel please contact us. Charity Partnerships: 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. Other charities that we work closely with include Born Free Foundation and The Travel Foundation, a UK charity that has been established to promote responsible travel practises throughout the whole of the travel industry. Carbon Balancing: 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. Our Foundation: 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 book. |
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 led 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. |












