ABOUT US & A SLICE OF BALKAN

The Story Behind A Slice Of Balkan

June 2018, we traveled to Sofia, Bulgaria, for the first time. We knew very little about Sofia because there was not much information available on the Internet.

We arrived in Sofia on the rainy days and almost decided to never come back again.

Our first impressions were a lot but far from positive. Many old grey buildings are spreading in the city, there is no old town, many pavements for pedestrians are not in good condition, and there are dog poops on the streets.

We managed to follow some recommendations from a few bloggers about Sofia. We went to a few cocktail bars and walked around Vitosha Boulevard. We sat on one of many benches in the park of the National Palace of Culture (NDK). Also, we did the Sofia free walking tour.

After our 5-day trip, we evaluated our decision to be an ex-pat in Sofia. We gave it a chance and moved to Sofia at the beginning of Autumn 2019. The original plan was to stay in Sofia, Bulgaria, for 6 months for my husband’s work.

Today, We have been living in Sofia, Bulgaria, for more than one year and still counting.

We are in love with Bulgaria.

Who Are Authors Behind A Slice Of Balkan?

My husband (Sven) has the opportunity to work in Sofia, Belgium, for a temporary period. I (Efrata Kristina) quitted my previous job and joined him. Since then, Sofia becomes our home until now.

Sven and I met each other years ago when we traveled solo in Vietnam. Since then, we have visited many places together. We have another blog (https://travelmotivationmores.com/) where we share our stories about motivation, love happiness and our experiences in life and during traveling.

In Sofia, we continue our passion for discovering new places around Bulgaria and outside.

For more than a year living as ex-pats in Bulgaria, we have experienced many unknown and rare places in Bulgaria, to mention a few:

1. We have been to more than 9 Bulgaria Spa Resorts, check our Best 7 Bulgaria Spa Resorts.
2. We have traveled to Varna, Burgas, Sozopol, Tsarevo, Varvara, Sinemorets, and Rezovo, which is the border with Turkey.
3. We have also traveled to Kyustendil, Blagoevgrad, Melnik, and Sandanski, which is the sunniest town of Bulgaria and lies near the border of Greece.
4. We rented a car and made a road trip to Belograchik rocks, some caves, and traveled to Vidin and enjoyed some coffee on the boat on Dunav river, which is the border between Romania and Bulgaria.
5. Outdoor activities are Sven’s passion, and Bulgaria is a wonderful country for his hobbies. We hiked on the 7 Rila lakes, Lakatnik, Boyana waterfall, Vitosha mountain, Melnik, and many other places.
6. …

No matter how much we like being in Bulgaria, whenever we have time and possibilities to travel outside Bulgaria, we will say `YES.` Finding cheap flight tickets and choosing the right accommodations are often my tasks. I am always excited to find amazing deals, and I have more free time than Sven as I am on a sabbatical year.

Here are a few unforgettable moments during our trips:

1. We watched a bright night with Milky Way and falling stars on our camp in Wadi Rum, Jordan. We hugged each other tightly when our eyes watched the sundown behind the rock formation in Wadi Rum, Jordan.
2. We attended and became witnesses of our friends’ wedding in the island of God, Bali, Indonesia.
3. We swam with Giant Manta Rays on one sunny day around Komodo Island, Flores, Indonesia.
4. We biked a few times around tiny Agistri, an island not far from Athena, Greece.
5. We walked through via Dolorosa in Jerusalem, Israel.
6. We experienced the hospitality of Albanian.
7. …

As foodies, we were surprised with so many quality foods and drinks that we have tried in Sofia, Bulgaria. Since we live here, we eat out more than four days a week. Sven has always bookmarked all the places we have been visited in Google maps. Places for tasty cocktails, pizza, fine dining, soups, local bars, delicious spareribs, etc., are noted. Also, I bookmarked some boutiques, art shops, cinemas, parks, and many more.

The Idea Behind A Slice Of Balkan

Our posts on my Instagram @efratakristina and A Slice Of Balkan Facebook page bring curiosity among friends in Belgium and Indonesia. Many didn’t know about Sofia and Bulgaria. Bulgaria is not on their bucket list of places to visit. Many would not visit Sofia and Bulgaria if we were not living here.

We have been living in Sofia for 17 months. In this short period, more than 30 friends have been visiting us and traveling together with us in Bulgaria. There were two or three friends each visit, and some of them have visited us for 2 or 3 times.

Bulgaria is not a popular destination among tourists. It grows slowly, and there are a lot of works. It’s still challenging to find clear information about places in Bulgaria, such as how to get there, prices, working hours, accommodations, etc.

Here are A Slice Of Balkan’s goals:

1. Providing valuable information that helps you plan your trip to Bulgaria and other countries.
2. Helping you to choose the right addresses for restaurants, bars, pubs, hotels, hostels.
3. Giving you some ideas of itineraries and things to do during your stay in Bulgaria.

A Slice Of Balkan has a positive approach, and we never put addresses to shame on the blog. That is because we only write about locations that we like on A Slice Of Balkan.

Collaborating & Contact With A Slice Of Balkan

Would you like to collaborate with A Slice Of Balkan? Please contact me on [email protected].

If you have a question about planning your trip to Sofia or Bulgaria, please contact us on A Slice Of Balkan Facebook page or via email. We will personally answer it there.

Do You Have Any Tips?

Every day, we could learn something new, and we can make something better. So does my blog. I would be pleased to receive your feedback about A Slice Of Balkan. Please contact me if you want to give some tips and comments to improve the overall quality of A Slice Of Balkan.