If you are an independent traveler, you have many options to do your own research through guide books and online searches. However, Bulgaria is not a destination that is comprehensively covered and many of the most wonderful attractions - think small organic farms, magnificent but lesser known mountain villages, scenic drives - are often not written up in English at all and not discoverable through a Google search in English. 

The custom travel advice service that I offer is designed to complement the planning you do on your own. Think of it this way - you can spend hours reading travel sources and forums, you can post questions and then weed through answers for nuggets of relevant advice. Throughout all this, you will battle the language barrier and the somewhat relaxed concepts of customer service and response time that can still be part of working with a local business in Bulgaria. Alternatively, you and I can spend some time going over your specific needs and travel style and you will receive targeted, reliable, and up-to-date information that can save you hours of research and planning. When I plan your trip, I will research reviews and sources in the local language. This means I can recommend hotels, restaurants, and activities outside of the popular tourist range, many of which I will have vetted personally. And once you are in Bulgaria, I can serve as your on-the-ground virtual helper through the On Demand Consultation. As a result, you will have a customized, written, well-researched, and well-organized itinerary with sights to visit, places to stay, food to enjoy, and unique experiences to discover that will take the stress and uncertainty out of the process.  

I love to travel and I love to plan travel. I also understand how to plan travel. I have traveled to over 45 countries for both work and pleasure and have been planning my own and friends' trips for years. This has helped me build a systematic approach to travel planning and an understanding of what a good final product should be - an itinerary that results in a richer, smoother, more enjoyable experience. I have been contributing reviews and travel tips on TripAdvisor for several years with a global readership of over 35,000, which according to TripAdvisor puts me in the top 4% of contributors.

Having lived and worked in the US for 18 years (see my LinkedIn profile here), I understand the expectations of US travelers and the concept of excellent customer service. I approach travel planning with the highest level of professionalism.   

I can source very customized experiences for you. Interested in a private cooking session where a local grandma shows you how to make and enjoy a delicious bread, cooked under a cover of live embers? Or discovering a wine that only grows in one region in the world? Through my knowledge and my large personal and professional network in Bulgaria, I can discover and arrange experiences you won't be able to find on your own or through an organized tour.

I take pride and joy in helping travelers get to know my home country. For me, planning a trip for you goes beyond a business transaction. It's an opportunity to introduce you to the country, the people, and the culture and help you delight in them.

Please email me at petia.whitmore@gmail.com with any questions about traveling to Bulgaria.