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RS Tour of Bulgaria

Posted by (Republic of Texas / U.S.A. / Magyarország / Budapest) on

To answer another question I looked at a few RS tours. I've never been on one and to be honest, not sure I ever will. Just not my style which is more about me than the tour.

So, while looking I saw the Bulgaria tour. I've have been to Bulgaria three times. I love Bulgaria. All three times with a private guide, twice with the same one. I have seen everything on the RS tour, a few twice. If I were to customize it for just me there are a few things I would change but my taste is a bit ... well ... odd maybe. I have looked at a lot of the RS tour itineraries and this one is absolutely outstanding. Good job Rick.

Posted by
96 posts

I can vouch for your endorsement having just rolled off the RS Bulgaria tour. I agree "Good job Rick" but me thinks all the heavy lifting and curation is done by Stefan Bozadzhiev at lyubatours.com. Is that who guided you on your private tour? Kind of fan boy myself. Stephan has got to be one of the most connected and articulate guides we have encountered. Apparently, he is on a Bulgarian government Tourism committee. Bit of a renaissance man even for Bulgaria.. He seemed to know authentic interesting people wherever we went. Really committed to making Bulgaria a better place. One evening he arranged for a presentation from a group involved with educating the population on communist rule and preserving the history of one of the labor camps, lest they/we not forget. Really interesting to hear how that shared experience influences modern culture, government and the generation divide. etc... Stephan himself shared a deeply personal story of how the communist would suppress the religious expression and not just isolate the worshipper, but there families. His own grandmother smuggled him out of his house and arrange to have him baptized by a priest all in secret , shielding him and them from the communist. Just an example of one take way. Very enlightening tour.

Posted by
26719 posts

You present an interesting dilemma for me. When a tour company hires a guide and then that guide actively uses the opportunity to market in competition with the tour company; I can't say that I blame the guide, but if I were the tour company, I can’t say I would ever hire them again. As a customer I also wouldn’t choose them first because my gut tells me that there is bound to be other points of contention between us.

Now, if he is in Rick's Book l, that's a different thing. But then I factor in the RS markup factor and just know that anyone in the RS book or who shows you a photo of them shaking RS’s hand is going to cost more than an equally good one that RS has never met. BUT, the recommendation of the RS employee who edited the book or hired the guide isn’t bad so …

If this sounds judgmental it’s not, because as I started its more of a dilemma so I just go with my gut and no blame.

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