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John from Sydney, Australia
(Date: 26.09.2019)
(Date: 26.09.2019)
Rating: 10/10
Tour: Cycling from Rodopi mountains to Halkidiki sea shore (Bulgaria & Greece)
The two of us from Sydney, Australia completed the "Cycling from Rodopi mountains to Halkidiki sea shore (Bulgaria & Greece)" tour with Penguin Travel in September 2019. Our guide was a young Bulgarian sports specialist called Kosta who was a wonderful and experienced cycling specialist and guide. The back up vehicle was a wonderful sedan with bike racks on the back and an additional bike for emergency purposes. Kosta had loaded very healthy snacks and lots of bottled water for us which was very useful, although we used the spring water where we could in Bulgaria (delicious) and in some locations in the hills in Greece. The choice of cycling routes and hotels was excellent. I must admit that at very little extra cost we had asked to upgrade all the Greek hotels, but as it turns out this was not really necessary - the ordinary tour hotels would have been absolutely fine. We thoroughly enjoyed each and every day of cycling. And on our day off we took a boat trip out to Mount Athos which was fascinating. The two Bulgarian dinners were excellent, and all of the breakfasts were perfect. Kosta was able to find us a little stop along the way with good views and some food for lunch or he had some fruit waiting for us. Day 1 of cycling was the toughest but because we were so excited and the views were so amazing we didn't really notice how big a cycling day it was. We completed the full days and were always pleasantly exhausted at the end of the day, but of course it was always possible to stop at anytime and have Kosta drive us onwards to the evening's accommodation. I would highly recommend this tour and Penguin Travel to any level of cyclist.
Sonya Johansen
(Date: 19.10.2018)
(Date: 19.10.2018)
Rating: 9/10
Tour: Balken Kalaidescope
This was an amazing tour for my partner and I. We didn’t really know what to expect, but hoped it was less expensive than the rest of Europe. It was, we got great value for money. Absolutely blown away by the beautiful landscape, this has to be the upcoming popular destination of all time. The people so humble, honest and unassuming. The food so abundant, nutrious and fresh. Impressive infractstructure that must be the envy of the rest of the world. The roads and bridges are second to none. We found our tour guide “Rumi” so capable, and Bus driver had our complete confidence.
Thankyou Penguin travel for such a great experience.
Regards
Sonya and Ross
Robin G./US
(Date: 09.10.2018)
(Date: 09.10.2018)
Rating: 10/10
Tour: Orpheus Trail Ride, Bulgaria
Had a fantastic time! We were a little disappointed at first to find out there were no other travelers on this tour when my friend and I arrived, but our guide, Lubo, was so friendly and personable that we quickly realized it didn’t matter. From the beginning to end, he was both entertaining and informative. He managed everything perfectly and we never felt rushed even though we had to fit in long days of riding.
The horses were amazingly calm and willing so the riding was super easy with several fun, fast canters. This was a relaxing and peaceful way to see the mountains and old villages.
The guest houses were comfortable and clean and the food was good and plenty. We really enjoyed meeting our hosts and the local people. Everyone was happy to share personal stories and knowledge of Bulgarian culture and interesting history.
Thank you for a memorable trip, we would definitely recommend it!
charlotte freeman
(Date: 29.07.2018)
(Date: 29.07.2018)
Rating: 9/10
Tour: Balkan Village Trek. ( 8 days )
I had a wonderful time on this trek. Penguin Travel sent me all the relevant info promptly and I was met by a taxi to take me to the small but comfortable hotel in Sofia for the first night. I was collected at 9 am the next morning for the hour's drive to Stara Planina for the first day's ride. I was happy to see that the horses were well cared for and they behaved well too! They use Western saddles but do have English ones too. Be sure to ask for one though! Their owner and my guide for the next 6 days was Marian, who took me up hill and down dale through stunning mountain scenery with wild flowers everywhere. The first 2 nights were spent at Lubka's guesthouse in a picturesque village with a lovely garden where we ate delicious home cooking. Lubka was a warm and welcoming host. Try the local raki.. apple brandy..it is a great tonic after a long ride! We then moved on to Yanko's beautifully restored traditional Bulgarian village house. Yanko himself cooked yummy food and was great company while eating. The last 2 nights before returning to Sofia were spent in 2 different hotels, both very pleasant, which was a good way to explore the area and take in the pretty villages along the way. I was really well taken care of by main guide Lubo, who did the driving and accompanied me for lunches and dinners. As a lone traveler this was much appreciated. He was super efficient and everything ran like clockwork. Nothing was too much trouble. He was fun to have around too! So I would highly recommend this tour and look forward to riding with Penguin Travel again next year.
Marina Vlamir
(Date: 12.07.2018)
(Date: 12.07.2018)
Rating: 8/10
Tour: Balkan Kaleidoscope
We had a great tour in the Balkans.
Small nice group of people of different generations and origins.
Our guide Andrey Stratiev was fantastic and the driver Bobby did an excellent job.
On some days it was a long drive, but the beautiful landscapes compensated for the time spent on the bus. Andrey also spent sufficient time for sanitary stops, drinks/snacks and lunch.
Each country had its own characteristics and history, very varied.
The almost daily exchange of money went smoothly thanks to the good tips from our guide.
During the city walks, the physical conditions of the different people were always taken into account.
We also had good local guides, Tirana and Sarajevo were the toppers.
Varying location and quality of hotels but all good.
Despite the many rain showers in the second week, we still have very good memories of this Balkan Kaleidoscope.
A few tips for possible adjustments of the tour: 1 or 2 extra days in Sofia and more variety of sights (eg war cemetery, museum, ...).
My husband and I want to thank the organization and the tour leader for the excellent course of this trip.
Johanna Sanchez
(Date: 11.07.2018)
(Date: 11.07.2018)
Rating: 8/10
Tour: Balkan Kaleidoscope
It was exactly what I was looking for when researching the Balkan region. I'm glad I decided to do a tour and not a solo trip. My tour guide Andrey was very helpful and knowledgable and without him I would have been completely lost.
Meron
(Date: 14.06.2018)
(Date: 14.06.2018)
Rating: 9/10
Tour: Balkan Kaleidoscope
I booked this trip only a few weeks before the start of the tour and the booking process was very smooth and efficient with Penguin – questions were addressed very promptly. The tour was very enjoyable and hassle free. Initially the schedule looked very busy but it actually wasn’t that bad however adding 2-3 more days to the tour would have made it better. The 1st and last day are not really ‘tour’ days. Also, the time on the bus didn’t seem as long because the scenery along the route was beautiful – didn’t get tired of it at all.
Our tour guide Remy was excellent. She was very organized, professional and made the whole thing go very smoothly. And our driver Emile was great – easy to tell that he has a lot of experience and he was so patient. Overall, great value for the money. The accommodation and breakfast was overall very good, some better than others but nothing to really complain about. Some hotels don’t have elevators but rooms would be on the 2nd or 3rd floor, so factor that in when packing. And due to short stays in the different cities, doing laundry is not always possible and sometimes it’s just too expensive.
My first but certainly not last time I will be traveling with Penguin Travel, and can’t wait to jump on another one of Remy’s tours.
Mary Lawlor
(Date: 08.06.2018)
(Date: 08.06.2018)
Rating: 9/10
Tour: Balkan kaleidoscope
This was a wonderful trip with a beautiful guide who was so professional and pleasant.
It is well organised and runs smoothly. If I have a complaint it's just too short I would love to have spent longer in almost everywhere but especially Montenegro .
I was worried about this trip because I found it the week before online and knew nothing about penguin travel I took the chance and for sure I'll travel again with penguin.
I hope to do the Romania Moldova Belarus Ukraine trip very soon with them especially since Remy our guide is the guide . Remy was a brilliant guide and very nice young lady I look forward to seeing her again.
I would recommend this trip and penguin travel
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