Bulgaria is a Gem ! And keeps Getting better and Better every Year ! 10% Flat Income Tax too ! Cant Beat in . Fukkk Dubai . been there . To Expensive and Too Hot and I dont like halal Food ! Bulgaria is Perfect place . The Lowest Tax in the EU ! Big Bonus !
Welcome to Bulgaria. Yes, Bansko has changed a lot during the last couple of years and very slowly becoming a humble, digital nomad destination and yes in winter it will get very busy! Recommend also nearby cool places nearby in the region such as Velingrad (spa town) and take the very few remaining narrow-gauge railway lines in Europe Septemvri-Dobrinishte. Razlog also is pretty cool town and busier in winter. Devin is also very beautiful another spa town and very good hiking options and waterfalls. Also, you can go to see the very famous Baba Vanga fortune teller house in Petrich. You also have the sea in Greece which is quite close. The variety of options is large. In winter, Bansko becomes packed with tourists but may become quite touristic and expensive in winter especially February. Many Brits visit it similar to Sunny Beach in summer. The roads in Bulgaria unfortunately are not great but the place where you are is has stunning nature especially Rhodopi Mountains. Central Bulgaria is also very beautiful with very lush landscapes and home to a small Brit DIY community that have bought houses.
I definitely recommend getting an air-conditioned unit at Four Leaf Clovers during the summer, if one is available. The heat waves do come, even in the mountains. This summer it arrived the second week in July, and for over three weeks it was either above 90 F, or in the high 80s. I bailed to air-conditioned hotels in Blagoevgrad and Sofia during the middle of July to be able to sleep. So for $100 extra per month I could have saved the cost of a fan, and not invited in countless flies and mosquitoes by keeping my door wide open for weeks. I would have spent time in Blagoevgrad and Sofia anyway, but I'm sure there were a few nights when I would have had to get an air-conditioned place in Bansko if I had been there. So, about a wash financially, and a larger, more comfortable place. But, even without AC -- and I probably need it cooler than most to sleep -- I'm sure you'll enjoy any time spent at FLC. BTW, I don't recall you doing a video on Blagoevgrad. It's well worth one. Some of the nicest public spaces I've ever seen, and the American University of Bulgaria is there. Just wish I could have been there in cooler weather and done more roaming around. But speaking of which, as always in Bulgaria: be careful on the sidewalks. You won't take a step where your lead foot arrives on the same level as your rear foot.
We were really happy to have had the AC this year! Last year we only had a few days over 90 so keeping windows open worked for us. We also like it a bit warmer anyway 😉 We only visited Blagoevgrad once, but need to return. Perhaps on our next visit. OMG, yeah those sidewalks can get ya! Saranda Albania was similar too and in Portugal we found them super slippery! Thanks for sharing!
FLC is not representative of the whole city and of Bulgaria... If we are not digital nomads, we certainly see things a little differently than the "postcard" that they want to sell us.. We bought an apartment there and we have to do a lot of thermal insulation work so as not to spend a fortune on electricity in winter,,, There are much fewer mosquitoes than at the seaside and there are plenty of natural products to repel them.. Air conditioning is very energy-intensive and not very ecological (..) To discover the towns and the few nice little spots, whether in Blago, Razlog, or even Goltze Delchev, you have to get lost a little on foot... But the advantage of Bansko is that you have everything on site and all year round.. (fortunately we don't just see skiing and digital life..) But we are looking for a house in the countryside closer to the sea (even if Greece is not far away it takes 4 hours minimum to reach the coast)
The video is pretty clearly about our stay at FLC and why we enjoy Bansko in the summer months. Obviously it is told from our perspective, as slow traveling digital nomads. Not sure what "postcard" your talking about. We haven't spent time in the winter but discussed the electoral costs in another of our bulgaria videos based on what our local friends have told us. We dont use AC unless it is VERY HOT like the two weeks it was above 33 C this summer 🥵 We choose to slow travel and use public transport wherever possible to reduce our ecological footprint. for what its worth. We enjoy that there are few mosquitoes in bansko as well (at least in the summer). We agree that you have to visit a place first before you move. We have several friends who go to the coast in greece from Bansko. It takes them about 2.5- 3 hours drive to Kavala, greece on the coast. Good luck on finding another place in the countryside. Bulgaria is such a beautiful country.
@@TheWanderingHartz What number? I'll request right away. You two sold me on the place. Tried St Ivan's first but that was so far away from everything and $40 per night for a long term stay
Great. We like that it is on the outskirts a little but not too far. Yikes $40 an night long term? That is great in other places but you can get decent accommodations in Bulgaria for much less. Why we like FLC! 😊 Ask at the front desk to be added to the group.
@@TheWanderingHartz How far away from the centre is the Four Leaves, and are there supermarkets/stores and places to eat nearby? I'm very interested in this place, it looks amazing!
@@marcusbennett93 Four Leaf is about a 15 min walk to the town center and 20 to the Gondola area. There are several small markets just a few minutes walk and the Billa is the closest grocery store at about 10- 12 min. There are other grocery stores in the Gondola are that are open seasonally. You can also get groceries delivered via Ebag. Check out our grocery haul video for more info.
Thanks for the great video! Do you happen to know any accommodations in other EU countries which are warm during winter (like Portugal, Canary Islands) etc. at a price point similar to Four Leaf Clover? Everything on Airbnb, Flatio etc. in those regions is way more expensive. Cheers
Thank you, glad you found it helpful! Unfortunately no. You might be able to find a long term rental that's cheaper in Portugal or Southern Europe but probably won't find $300-$400 stays. Bulgaria and Albania and the Balkan countries are where you will find the most reasonable accommodations. From our experience if you want warm weather during the winter and cheaper prices you'll have to go to Southeast Asia. Good Luck!
I actually spent a week in Alanya in November many years ago and the weather was still very nice. However, for the coldest months (Dec-Feb) I think it's not the best option@@nanad1408
I'm at the Four Leaf Clover now. How do I get groceries delivered? Billa isn't too far away. Which of the four blocks (leaves) is the big apartment in? Probably B or C. They open up the common space in the evenings?
You can go to ebag.bg, check out our groceries haul video. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-iUcyemZq_S4.html. The maisonettes are on the 5th floor of each building.
Hi, thanks for the info! i want to go! Does those apartments have heating for winter? Also, do you know any accommodations in plovdiv, sofia , or any other Bulgarian cities (not the coast) similar to Four Leaf Clover ? I've been searching but prices are much higher
I didn't hear you mention internet availability in the apartment. Do you use mobile internet? If so, what speeds? Data cap? And is fibre optic internet available?
At the place we stayed the internet is fast, 30-80 mbps. There's also free wifi in the town of Bansko. We had 5G on our mobile phones. We do know the internet has been upgraded since we've stayed at Four Leaf Clover.
I just checked my receipts, and I was able to find them on ebag for 2.69 bgn or about $1.41. Almost half the price of what I've seen back in the U.S. How much are they where you are?
