Rila Monastery

We had a great group and superb leader. I echo everything that Susanne has written. Rodopi is just a magical place – it is lush and full of nature: insects, particularly butterflies, wild flowers, lichen and signs of bigger animals who were no doubt watching us. I felt extremely comfortable, more knowledgable and much more aware of my surroundings by the end of the week. The walks are varied and a good length; no rush in the morning and back in time to have a couple of quiet hours in the evening. Five days in a row is reasonably challenging, but it is also possible to miss the odd day; a couple of our group found plenty to do – maybe a short walk, glass of wine with lunch and then wander in the village. Yagodina Hotel is perfect for the trip – very friendly and comfortable, we had wonderful home cooked food – recipes local to the region, Maria could not do enough to help I have been on several Exodus Trips and this is my favourite so far.

Jo Heath Bulgaria: Rodopi Mountains

This trip far exceeded our expectations in many ways! The area is unspoilt & very quiet-we only saw one other group of hikers during our week in the mountains! Every day was filled with lovely walks through stunning scenery & we enjoyed discovering all of the flora & fauna in the area as well as spotting traces of bears! The Family Hotel Yagodina was spotlessly clean with decent size rooms & the food was amazing-all locally sourced & freshly made! Nothing was too much trouble for Maria & her team & we felt truly spoilt!

Susanne Maden Bulgaria: Rodopi Mountains

A whistle-stop tour of stupendous scenery and fascinating history. Each day brought something new to wonder at.

MAggie Dawson Balkan Explorer