Bulgaria or officially known as the Republic of Bulgaria. The Republic of Bulgaria is located in Southeast Europe. It borders Romania in the North, Serbia and Macedonia in the West, Greece and Turkey to the South and the Black Sea in the East. The capital and largest city are Sofia. Among other major cities are Plovdiv, Varna and Burgas. The area is 110,994 square kilometres making Bulgaria the 16th largest country in Europe. One of the earliest societies in modern Bulgarian soil is the Kara novo Neolithic culture which began in 6,500 BC. During ancient time around 6th to 3rd century BC, the region became a battlefield for the Thracians, Persians, Celtic and Macedonians until they were conquered by the Roman Empire in 45 BC. The Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantine lost some part of this territory to Bulgarian invading in the late 7th century. Bulgarian then founded the first Bulgarian state in 681 AD which dominated most other Balkan countries. Bulgaria also serves as a cultural hub for Slavs during the Middle Ages.

The first Bulgarian Empire lasted until the 11th century when the Byzantine Emperor Basil II conquered it. The successful Bulgarian uprising in 1185 established the Second Bulgarian Empire which peaked under Ivan Asen II in 1218-1241. After the war and the dispute occurred, the Second Bulgarian Empire was destroyed in 1396 and its territory fell under the Ottoman rule for almost five centuries. The Russo-Turkish War in 1877-78 resulted in the formation of the Third Bulgarian State. Many Bulgarian ethnic groups are abandoned beyond its borders, leading to some conflict with their neighbours and federation with Germany in both world wars. In 1946, Bulgaria became the only socialist state and part of the Eastern bloc headed by the Soviet Union. The ruling Communist Party left the monopoly of power after the 1989 Revolution and allowed elections for various parties. Bulgaria later turned into a democracy and market-based economy.

Since the adoption of the democratic constitution in 1991, Bulgaria has functioned as a parliamentary republic that is united with the political, administrative, and economical administration. Most commercial and administrative activities are concentrated in the capital and largest city of Sofia. Its population has more than 7 million people occupying major cities in 28 provinces. Bulgaria's market economy is part of the European Single Market and largely based on large-scale services, agriculture, and industrial sectors that focus on mining and machinery construction. Bulgaria is a member of the European Union, NATO, and the Council of Europe. It is a founding nation of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and has taken a seat at the UN Security Council three times. It is also famous for its biodiversity, its achievements in sports and science, and its historical influence on Slavic culture through medieval literary schools and Cyrillic scripts.

For those of you who want to come to Bulgaria, you need to check in advance that you need a visa or not to enter Bulgaria. There are several visa-exempt countries to enter Bulgaria. Bulgaria is one of the countries under the European Union (EU). Therefore, the conditions for entering Bulgaria according to the conditions set by the European Union. In general, if you can enter the country within the European Union, you can enter Bulgaria as well. Most countries do not require a visa to enter Bulgaria. The tourists should have enough money and a valid return ticket before entering Bulgaria. In addition, tourists should also have legal health insurance. All foreign tourists who come to Bulgaria must register in the local police response within 5 days of arriving in Bulgaria. This registration is usually done by your hotel. All travellers must have valid passports and remain at least 6 months from the date of entering Bulgaria. For Malaysians, you do not need a visa to enter Bulgaria and can stay in Bulgaria for 90 days. However, your passport must remain at least 6 months.

Bulgarian is the official language of the country. It is spoken by most of the population of Bulgaria and is used by all of the people there. It is a European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group. The closest language to this Bulgarian language is Macedonian that the difference between these two languages ​​is the only dialect. This Bulgarian is written with Cyrillic. This language is also available in other languages ​​such as Russian and Serbian.

Turkey is the largest minority group in the country. Turks in Bulgaria are descendants of Turkish settlers from Anatolia and the Ottoman conquest of the Balkans at the end of the 14th and early 15th centuries. Romani is the second largest minority group in the country. Romani in Bulgaria is a descendant of Romani nomadic immigrants from India in the late 13th century. Other minority languages ​​spoken are Russian, Ukrainian, Armenian, Tatar, Greek, Romanian, Aromanian and Megleno-Romanian.

Bulgaria has a dynamic climate that stems from a meeting point between the Mediterranean and other continents combined with its mountains. North Bulgaria has an average temperature of 1 ° C cooler than the weather in Southern part of Bulgaria. The North of Bulgaria also has more rainfall than the Southern region of the Balkan Mountains. Different temperatures vary in each of these Bulgarian places. The lowest temperature recorded was -38.3 ° C while the highest temperature recorded was 45.2 ° C

There are various known foods in Bulgaria, including skewered meshana, roasted meat, Gyuvech, which is boiled with meat, mushrooms, onions and other ingredients. Kiselo Mlyako is also famous in Bulgaria. It is one of the varieties of yoghurt served with classic Bulgarian food.

How to get there?

By Flight

For those of you who want to come to Bulgaria, you can use the flight service. There are many airports in Bulgaria. The main airport in Bulgaria is Sofia Airport located in the city of Sofia and also Burgas Airport located in the city of Burgas. Both of these airports are the busiest airports and have the most outbound passengers.

Sofia is the capital of Bulgaria. Thus, the city's airport is the busiest airport in Bulgaria. For those of you who want to travel to Sofia from Malaysia. You can take a flight from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Kuala Lumpur to Sofia Airport. There are several airlines that fly from Kuala Lumpur to Sofia such as Turkish Airlines, KLM, Qatar Airways and British Airways. However, no direct flights are offered by any flight. The cheapest airline fare is offered by Turkish Airlines at MYR 3,720. Flight ticket prices can vary by date and time you want to make a flight.

Apart from the city of Sofia, you can also go to Burgas. Burgas is the second busiest city in Bulgaria. The city also has a variety of interesting places to visit. If you come from Kuala Lumpur, you can take a flight at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to Burgas Airport. Some companies provide flights to Burgas. However, no direct flights are provided by any flight. You need to transit at some airports first before travelling to Burgas. The cheapest airline ticket is offered by Emirates for RM 4,679. Flight ticket prices will change according to the date and time you want to fly.

What to do there?

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia

The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, located in Sofia, is one of the places you must visit while in Sofia. The Cathedral is incredible because it has very interesting architecture. Within the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, there are chandeliers, artwork, paintings and more. The tomb in it is also very interesting. It dates back to 1600. The cathedral location is also very easy to find as it is located in the city and there are many cafes and restaurants here too.

Boyana Church

This Boyana Church is located in Sofia. This church is one of the Orthodox churches in Bulgaria. It is located in the outskirts of Sofia. In 1979, this church became one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Sea Garden

This Sea Garden is located adjacent to the harbour in Burgas, Bulgaria. This park is the largest park on it and is located along the Black Sea. It is a place frequented by tourists.

Where to stay?

Hotel Marinela Sofia

Hotel Marinela Sofia is located in the city of Sofia. It is close to the numerous public amenities of the city such as the metro station. The hotel is just a 3-minute walk to the nearest metro station. The hotel is a 5-star hotel in Sofia's town. It provides various facilities for its visitors. The hotel is also just 3 km from the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.

Hotel Anel

Hotel Anel is a perfect hotel for you while in Sofia. It is just a 15-minute walk from the Museum Gallery in Sofia. The hotel is also just 2 km from Sofia Railway Station. The hotel provides free Wi-Fi service in all its rooms. The hotel has a restaurant offering attractive views over the hotel's rooftops.

Grand Hotel & SPA Primoretz

Grand Hotel & SPA Primoretz is located in the city of Burgas. This 5-star hotel is ideal for you when you are in Burgas. Staying at this hotel, you can easily go to various attractions. Not only that, but the hotel also provides a variety of facilities for guests' convenience such as free Wi-Fi and a swimming pool.