Bulgaria: Do or Don't?

Bulgaria, if nothing else, is beautiful. Between its vast sandy beaches and its cute, timely old towns, there's plenty of sightseeing to be done. If you're a keen photographer then I'd say it is definitely one for the bucket list. I'm no Annie Leibovitz but even I could capture its beauty.

Before I travelled to Bulgaria one thing people always told me was that booze was ridiculously cheap. Being a self -aught party animal, this was like a dream come true. What more could an 18-year-old want out of a holiday? When I got there, however, I soon realised it wasn't as cheap as I had anticipated. Don't get me wrong pretty much anywhere you went you could get buy one get one free cocktails priced at the equivalent of around £4. From that side of it, it's cheap. And there a couple of nightclubs on the strip near Sunny Beach that offer an open bar all night for around £20. That is a steal! But what about for families? Well I went with a big group of people and a fair few of them were kids. My dad's best friend was in a 2 adult and 2 child family. He spent nearly £1,500 whilst we were there for two weeks. Obviously this didn't all come from the alcohol. I mean you have to consider other things he bought such as gifts. But he did say a lot of what he had spent came from the various nights we didn't spend in the hotel. It really is not as cheap as you first expect. For you Mojito lovers, this is probably your dream. I mean, buy one get one free cocktails? Yes please! But as a family, it's definitely worth bringing a little bit of extra money if you can just to be on the safe side.

On another note, there's no chance of you running out of things to do in the day. Whether you go to one of its many beaches and take part in some of its fantastic water sports or if you take a day trip to the capital Sofia, there's plenty to keep you busy. One thing I definitely suggest, particularly if you are staying in Sunny Beach, is to visit Nessebar. Nessebar is half a quaint old settlement and half a lively atmospheric town. It really has something for everyone. There's a never ending array of shops and even a small beach for you to top off your tan. You will have a fun filled day and will definitely have enough to keep the kids entertained. There's also a fair few bars and street entertainers in the livelier side of the town, so if you're looking for something a little more outgoing, that side of town is definitely worth going to look at.

Food wise, it's as you would expect from a family oriented beach holiday. A lot of stalls along the promenade sell burgers and pizza or pancakes and doughnuts (my particular favourite was when they were covered in melted nutella) if you're looking for something sweeter. My experience with the hotel food was not so great. If you're a picky eater, then I wouldn't suggest going all inclusive. I spent most of my time in the doughnut stall and the children's section in the hotel stuffing my face with chicken nuggets and ice cream. If you're more adventurous then you should definitely try the hotel's food! From shark to kitty pie—I'm still scared to find out what was in that—there's no way you can run out of new things to try.

So, Bulgaria. Do or don't? Why not book a break and find out?