11 Jun 2019
We recently visited Bucharest and wanted to see some of the rock monasteries and Veliko Tarnovo in northern Bulgaria. We are not really big tour group people so we booked a private tour through our hotel which was perfect. Cristi was the tour guide assigned to us and he picked us up in a nice, clean and comfortable sedan that took us to Bulgaria and back. He was very knowledgeable about all things Romanian and Bulgarian -history, culture, politics, etc. That said, he left time for quiet contemplation and also was very accommodating of his guests (me and my husband). For example, I could not bring myself to use the Turkish toilet at Basarbovo Monastery so he helped us find a nice gas station with toilet seats and flushing capacity etc. We also got caught in a HUGE rain storm while on top of Tsarvetes Fortress but he was kind enough to make the 20-minute walk back to the car alone to come fetch us, huddled under some restaurant awning. Cristi was also essential to our crossing the Romania-Bulgaria border and then back again. I suspected that the crossing would take longer with a large group and it was confirmed during the crossing so I was happy we sprung for the private tour $. He picked us up at 7:45AM in Bucharest and we got back to the hotel around 6PM. We went to Basrbovo rock monastery first, then to lunch at a fabulous restaurant that Cristi picked for view and good food, then we walked up to the Fortress. Funny enough the walk to the Fortress, despite arduous (Wear good shoes!), was my husband's favorite part of the whole trip! We skipped Arbanassi due to rain potentially causing flooding, which was happening all over the countryside. Regardless of any hiccups, Cristi was wonderful and I highly recommend this tour company and his services.