Golden Sands

Eco-friendly travel guide to Golden Sands advises how to be a responsible tourist. Learn how to explore the attractions in a sustainable way and how to respect the local people and culture. Make your trip green by supporting locally owned hotels, organic restaurants and other businesses. Read more on how to protect the environment by making conscientious choices and how to travel green in Golden Sands, Bulgaria.

View of the sunset from Golden Sands Beach

Air quality: 4 / 5

Exploring by foot: 5 / 5

Exploring by bicycle: 5 / 5

Public transportation: 3 / 5

Parks: 2 / 5

Outdoor activities: 5 / 5

Locals' English level: 3.5 / 5

Safety: 5 / 5

Accommodation: US$25 - $500

Budget per day: US$60 - $700

Responsible Travel

Golden Sands is a North Bulgarian seaside resort town that is located on the Black Sea coast. If you want a relaxing and refreshing vacation in a European city, then Golden Sands is the place for you. It is comparatively a small resort town that is about 17 kilometers from Varna. Golden Sands attract a lot of tourists looking for some quiet and peaceful time. While visiting this resort town, you should follow specific measures that make your trip budget-friendly and give you better exposure to the local culture.

While traveling to a resort town, you must not harm the local communities or the environment. You can do this by respecting the culture, traditions, and environment. By opting for eco-friendly items such as recycled and reusable stuff, you can reduce your overall carbon footprint.

There are not many public buses or vehicles in the city, because of which, the pollution rates are in control. It would be best if you prefer walking or prefer using buses, bikes, or electronic vehicles to decrease your stay's pollution levels.

If you intend to travel responsibly, you must adopt sustainable measures to understand the local culture better. You should prefer eco-friendly accommodation options, as well as local businesses, to support the local communities.

Air Quality and Pollution

The pollution levels in Golden Sands are in moderation. You will find that motor vehicles' use is significantly less as the town is relatively small. It is the reason why the air quality is better than other resort towns in Bulgaria.

Pollution Exp Scale - 110.64
Pollution Index - 63.35
PM10 Pollution Level - Moderate
PM2.5 - 17
PM10 - 43

Respect the Culture

It is very important to respect the people, their ethnicity, and culture. You can do this by indulging in cultural activities, festivals, and other social events. Always be respectful about their lifestyle choices. If their culture is not something that you are used to, always be polite about that.

Top 10 Places to Visit

Aquapolis: A famous landmark in Golden Sands and undoubtedly the most beautiful water park in Eastern Europe, is the first in Bulgaria. The amusement park has a unique Mediterranean style. In the northwestern part of Golden Sands resort, it sits on 40,000 square meters merging a natural park with several artificially created elements like water slides, Jacuzzi, pools, fountains, waterfalls, towers and ncient ruins. This water park is visited by millions of people every year and is the most visited and famous tourist spot in Europe.

Golden Dreams Boat: It is a tourist attraction in Golden Sands, Varna – one of Bulgaria's most visited places. While exploring this attraction, you will see a large boat built during ancient times housing several artifacts of that time. You will be amazed to see the décor of the ship. People from around the world come to see this Golden Dream Boat making it an important spot to visit if you're in Golden Sands, Bulgaria.

Hotel International Casino: Located 2.1 kilometers from Aladzha Monastery, Hotel International Casino lies in Golden Sands Beachfront district with a luxurious establishment dating back to 1969. This place is a nightclub that is a famous spot for visitors to visit and enjoy its luxuries. It features a summer terrace and an indoor swimming pool, luring tourists with its amenities. They serve delicious food all day, along with a facility of a bar counter where you can have refreshing drinks to relax.

Kiwi Market: Kiwi Market is a market full of Bulgaria's smells and spices, making it a must-visit tourist spot while traveling to Golden Sands. Here, you'll find fruit and vegetable stalls selling produce like juicy deep red cherries and flavorful strawberries. The main attraction here in Kiwi Market is for shisha lovers. You will find a famous shisha store full of Bulgarian tobacco's rich smell. Hence, visitors often buy large amounts of flavors for themselves or to gift someone.

Mojito Beach Bar: Located in Golden Sands, Mojito Beach Bar is a fantastic place on the beach where you can drink cocktails and enjoy sunbathing. This place is famous for organizing day and night parties with free alcohol and lots of music along with tons of visitors and locals who come here to chill and relax and enjoy the day. This place provides several amenities like a beach bar, sunbathing, food services, concerts, restaurants, and lots more.

Arrogance Music Factory: It is a famous disco club in Golden Sands, Bulgaria. Arrogance Music Factory is famous amongst tourists and Bulgarian people to truly experience the Bulgarian nightlife. This place is a must-visit spot for tourists to hang out with friends or colleagues where you can find varieties of drinks and traditional meals along with the beautiful décor of the place. You will have an amazing time here, trying different drinks, some of them made with natural ingredients, mingling with people and dancing the night away.

Rock Bar: Golden Sands is blessed with bars on the beachfront area with neon lights and crazy dancing till dawn. One such bar frequented by tourists and locals alike is is Rock Bar. This place attracts tourists and provides them with various amenities to stay here all day and enjoy the never-ending fun you'll get to experience here. Since Golden Sands is a seaside resort town, this place houses several beach bars, but Rock Bar is in a league of its own with the kind of atmosphere and amenities it offers.

Escape the Room: If you're in Bulgaria, Escape the Room is a perfect destination for you to stop by and roll over this amusement center, which is one of the most visited places in Golden Sands. This amusement center is a place with several amenities and luxuries attracting people to experience the beauty of this place. This place also houses a restaurant that serves the best traditional Bulgarian food.

Harry's Diving Center: Harry's Diving Center is most visited by those who want to have an unforgettable scuba diving experience. This place is run by a well-known Scuba instructor, who will make the experience even more memorable for you. Best-suited for people who want to have adventures and explore the town,

Partystadl Goldstrand: If you want to explore places outside the town, a full-day off-road adventure with cultural activities, Partystadl Goldstrand is a perfect destination for you to go. It is a party location that is part of Megapark Dolphin, whose primary purpose is to bring most German guests on Golden Sands together in one place full of fun till the end of the night. This place allows you to experience great nightlife where you can find German live concerts two times a week, along with VIP – Parties, lots of promotions, German DJs, and many more.

Explore

Being a central seaside resort town on the northern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, Golden Sands is a perfect destination for holidays and hangouts. This place is full of resorts and villa communities where you'll get plenty of options to stay and explore this beautiful town. It is about 17 kilometer north of downtown Varna. From a famous monastery to beaches and other landmarks, Golden Sands gives you immense opportunities to explore and enjoy every bit of this town. Listed below are some places you can think of visiting while having a tour of Golden Sands.

City Parks

There are no city parks in Golden Sands as it is a resort town and homes resorts, beaches, and other touristic places.

National Parks

There's only one nature park in Golden Sand, Bulgaria – Golden Sands Nature Park. This park sits on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast in Varna Province. Spread over an area of 13.2 square kilometers and was declared a protected area in 1943. This park houses various flora species here, including moss-capped oak, hornbeam, wild vines, ivy, wild orchids, and many more. Animals, including two amphibians, eight reptiles, 78 avians, and 25 mammal specials, inhabit the park. Tourists come here mainly to see its rich biological and landscape diversity.

The beautiful and scenic Golden Sands Nature Park

Beaches

Beach Golden Sands: Being the most popular beach resort, Golden Sands has a beautiful beach named Beach Golden Sands that comprises of soft glorious golden sand with clear waters and moderate waves. The water here might not be good enough to surf or indulge in water sport activities, but you can enjoy and experience the best beach-life on this beach. Not so crowded but is sure a must-visit beach to indulge in the beauty of nature. You can also find several Bulgarian restaurants and clubs nearby where you can enjoy the best of Bulgaria's drinks and traditional foods.

Nirvana Beach: A famous public beach in Golden Sands, Nirvana Beach, is one of the most visited beaches. This beach houses several beachfront restaurants and resorts with immense amenities for you to have a perfect holiday here. This place is present in an ideal location, from here you can travel to several other attraction points within a few minutes. Here, you can enjoy snorkeling and paragliding at its best. The only beach in Golden Sands where you can enjoy water sports activities and several dining options with an excellent traditional taste of Bulgaria.

Beach Golden Sands

Landmarks

Holy Trinity Monastery: Known as the most famous monastery that must be visited by every traveler, Holy Trinity Monastery, also referred to as 'Aladzha Monastery.' This monastery has walls decorated with artful murals that are well-preserved until now. People visiting this monastery also visit the most beautiful mural adorning the monastery's chapel to observe all monastery premises with detailed artworks. You can come any time to see this beautiful spot in Golden Sands.

Church of St. John: Church of St. John the Baptist is no less excursion and religious monument of the city, making it one of the crucial landmarks in Golden Sands, Bulgaria. This church is present in the heart of this famous seaside resort town where visitors can see this graceful chapel distinguished by unique architectural style and rich decoration of interior halls luring them towards this part of the city. The entrance charge is free for every day with no time limits allotted; hence you can come whenever possible to see this exceptional beauty of creative artwork.

Holy Trinity Monastery

Museums

Chiflika Exhibition Complex: Located in the suburban area of Golden Sands, in town Batova, Chiflika Exhibition Complex offers you to observe an exciting collection of ethnographic items that will help you to learn about the traditions, culture, and living of local farmers in the past. The excursions offered here are nothing similar to tours in numerous cultural institutions hence making it a unique and must-visit museum in town. After the exhibition, you can also taste the popular dishes of Bulgarian cuisine, and every visitor can participate in national entertainment and learn about local traditions.

Eat

In Golden Sand, Bulgaria, visitors are offered several restaurants with good quality food. Every restaurant in Golden Sand specializes in cooking the best Bulgarian dishes with a vast selection of seafood treats. Here, seafood is considered the main ingredient in every food item and is used in various platters and added to salads. Whether local or vegetarian, some best restaurants are listed below, along with some delicious street foods trending in Golden Sand.

Traditional Local Restaurants

Steak House Krivata Lipa: Steak House Krivata Lipa is a must-visit restaurant for every traveler to enjoy its delicious delicacies in full Mediterranean and European cuisine. The Best-served dish here includes mussels with wine and garlic bread, tarator, a baked fish dish with vegetables, and many more. This place is amicable and supportive to customers with pleasant ambiance and décor. The food is fantastic here, but this restaurant's overall feature lures everyone to taste the best traditional Bulgarian food.

El Kapan: Serving you with the best taste of an unlimited menu filled with incredible culinary pleasures, El Kapan restaurant will provide with best of traditional food that will immerse you in the Caribbean temperament. This restaurant offers you 33 kinds of aniseed drinks along with delicious food that you may have never tasted before. This restaurant is open from 9 am to 1 am on all days throughout the year. Best-served dishes include sea bass – fillet and roasted – served with roasted potatoes and ratatouille.

Restaurant Prima: Restaurant Prima is the best option for tourists to spend their day here with best served traditional foods. You are also offered the best dining options and facilities for private parties and conferences. It is best suited for both personal and professional life. You may find this restaurant a bit expensive, but it's worth visiting if you want to enjoy a luxurious meal with loads of options on the menu.

Vegetarian and Vegan

Ivan's Place: Ivan's place is the best eastern European restaurant in town, serving you with good-quality Bulgarian and European cuisine. This vegan-friendly restaurant is famous for its steaks as it is cooked to your specifications perfectly. Pizzas, burgers, rolls are also the most served meals in Ivan's Place. It can be an excellent choice to indulge in light meals with affordable prices and good ambiance.

Havana Steak House: Being one of the best steakhouses in Golden Sands, Havana Steak House serves you the best seafood and international cuisine in the city. It is open every day from 12 am to 11:59 pm to the public. Best-served dishes include mushroom soup, mushroom leg, flatbread, and lots more. The staff here is amicable and helps you with the selection of best-served foods in Havana Steak House.

Gerena: Gerena – a vegan-friendly most visited restaurant in Golden Sands, serves you the best of European cuisine along with drinks made with homemade ingredients. You can come here any day between 9 am to 12 am to enjoy its delicious delicacies. Cheesy chips and peach melba ice cream are the perfect food combinations to have in Gerena and best-served drinks with nice outdoor seating.

Street Food

Shkembe Chorba Soup: It is made of several types of meat with milk, vinegar, and oil, making it a must-try street food in Golden Sands. The broth's taste is very original and is usually liked by locals and visitors, making it famous in Bulgaria.

Kyufte: Kyufte is a famous street food dish cooked from minced meat roasted with lots of herbs and spices. This dish is like a treat to yourself. The taste and flavor of Kyufte are such which you can not forget your entire life. If you're visiting Golden Sand, must-try Kyufte to bless yourself with Bulgarian food culture.

Shkembe Chorba Soup

Drink

Cabbage Juice
Grape Juice
Herbal Tea
Compote
Ayran
Boza

Tap-water

The water in Golden Sands is relatively safe to drink, if not always the best tasting. Even though you should not depend entirely on tap-water, you can brush your teeth or other activities with the provided tap-water, but it is generally safe to drink bottled water here. Bottled water is available at a very cheap rate in the whole of Bulgaria, so it must not be a problem for outsiders or for local people too to depend on bottled water. According to reports, the locals should be careful with tap waters as they could be polluted while transferring from factory plant to home tap water.

Organic Cafés

You can find some places here in Golden Sands, Bulgaria, where you can have light meals along with views of the beachfront areas. Bulgarian dishes are undoubtedly the best of its kind, but visitors can go for burgers or pizzas to travel all around. Since it's a small seaside resort town, you might not find plenty of options in café categories, yet you can enjoy your day enjoying light meals at affordable prices in the following cafés:

Seven Café
Wiener Café
Graffiti Café
Sombrero
Asteri Café Fresh

Breweries

Golden Sands is a place where you will get cheap alcohol in entire Bulgaria, as the beer is cheap here, so you can find many places to drink. Visitors here take back plenty of memories while exploring Golden Sands. They serve great meals and breweries in places where you can find good quality and good value in each restaurant and bars. Some places where you can enjoy good alcohol are listed below.

Biergarten Ambassador
Craft Bar – The Bar
Averi Beers
Beach Club Malibu
The Black Sheep Pub
Three Lions Pub

Activities

Whether you are a sport-loving individual or nature-loving person, this city is healthy for every type of activity opening with water, sports, land, jungle, and many more. The activities are never-ending; thus, you must plan accordingly. You can even gain knowledge by visiting museums or feel fresh by walking in the garden.

Visit Historical Landmarks: There are many monuments built in the city depicting the cultural heritage and ancient architecture. These monuments and architectures will help you increase your knowledge and correct it because visual attracts more than text. It will give you a sense of respect towards the culture and the predecessors of locals. It also gives us various ideas about how ancient people lived. It gives us knowledge about the art and the category of art; the people of the city you are visiting prefer, which will help you create a tight bond.

Try Rock Jumping: Rock jumping aims to get to the summit of an arrangement or the endpoint of a frequently pre-defined road without falling. Rock climbing is an extreme sport that continually tests a climber's power, patience, quickness, and equilibrium along with mental control. Because of the broad range and diversity of rock formations worldwide, rock mountaineering has changed into different styles and sub-disciplines. These include scrambling, another movement connecting the scaling of hills and similar buildings, differentiated by rock climbing's proper utilization of hands to support the climber's weight and provide balance.

Snorkeling: It is a popular recreational activity in which a person swims on or through a water equipping snorkel, which helps him breathe underwater a diving mask swimming goggles for clear vision and swim fins. In this tour, you will get a snorkel mask and snorkel. They have strict policies like masks essentially required and proper social distancing. The tickets which you will get are entirely contactless. If you are fond of marine life, you must discover the various ocean and underwater life features. You'll also get a cruise ride while coming back. They offer complimentary breakfast and lunch with local delicacies.

Scuba Diving: Scuba diving is a sort of undersea diving where the diver uses underwater breathing equipment, which is contained by himself completely independent supply to breathe underwater. They usually have their breathing gas, which helps them freedom of movement and more extended underwater presence. Scuba diving in Golden Beaches is a reason to visit this Wonderland as this town has clear blue waters warm and temperature, which gives a fantastic view of marine life. For experienced divers, there are different marine parks built for the adventure. Even if you are a beginner, you won't be disappointed with the water quality or quantity of diving. You can also try marine photography if possible. Proper instructors are present for instructions of all levels with different learned languages.

Yoga and Retreats

Yoga is a practice that is running for a long time in Europe. It makes your mind stronger and helps in obtaining inner peace. Besides helping raise the elasticity of muscles, it reduces stress, which lowers the rate of anxiety and depression. There are a lot of yoga studios in the city intending to focus on a healthy lifestyle.

Blue Sky Yoga
Hot Yoga Studio
Dolce Yoga Studio
Yoga Hjornet

Accommodation

There are many different options obtainable for accommodation. You can prefer a hostel with the necessary services if you are a solo tourist. However, many hostels in Golden Sands are so low-priced that anybody can have enough money for payment. If you plan to stay for a more extended period and come across that hotel rooms are expensive, you can have an apartment on rent, giving you the necessary facilities. Anywhere you stay, you must adopt eco-friendly measures to reduce pollution and should stop the utilization of plastic as the pollution rates are low.

Poolside of Hotel Mimosa, Golden Sands

Green Hotels

Cabacum Beach Residence

Paradise Green Park

International Hotel Casino & Tower Suites

MARINA GRAND BEACH HOTEL

Grifid Hotel Encanto

Hostels and Guest Houses

Royal Hostel

Hotel Varshava

The Castle

Bamboo Guesthouse

The Castle

Family Hotel Pier

Vila Mari Guesthouse

Apartments

La Mer Apartments

Sea View Apartment Golden Sands

Cabacum Plaza - Guests apartments

Apartments, Kabakum Beach.

Princess Palace Apartment,

Couchsurfing

No one tries couch surfing in Golden Sands because the different accommodation options are so cheap that you can easily afford one. However, it is possible to couch surf in this city because the people here are amicable and humble towards tourists. In exchange for couch surfing, you can help them develop a proper and friendly relation with each other in their daily work.

Camping

Bellahoj Camping

City Camp

Tangloppen Camping

Ishoj Strand Camping

How to Get There

There are many ways to reach Golden Sands, but you have to be present in the country as the town doesn't own any airport. You can use the waterways and roadways to reach here in an efficient manner. You can also use airways to get here, but you will first have to land at the Varna Airport and then take a bus or rental car to reach Golden Sands.

Air

Varna Airport in Varna is the international airport that serves Golden Sands as well. It is the third-largest airport in Bulgaria, which is about 10 kilometers from the center of Varna. Built-in 1916, this airport is connected to 25 countries. A total of 24 aircraft are present near the runway. It has three terminals from which Terminal 1 is now closed. This terminal has 21 check-in counters and six checkpoints of security. Various other facilities are available in this terminal, like restaurants, food courts, cafes, and currency exchange counter. It also has a VIP area for business class - reconstructed in 2010. Opened in 2013, the construction of Terminal 2 began in 2011. It has a seating capacity of 180,000 passengers annually, with 25 check-in counters built over an area of 18,000 square meters.

Varna Airport

Bus

Several intercity buses travel daily from this city to another. The buses here are air-conditioned and well maintained with a Wi-Fi facility available. The fare is usually meager, and buses move across various bridges, making your bus experience full of freshness and memorable. You can even monitor the buses' movements by its app, which gives live GPS navigation tracking. You must book the bus tickets in advance because they fill up quickly due to the high tourism rate.

Train

The train ran in this city 20 years ago before 1948, after which it converted into a private station in 1948. In early 1986 the station opened only for a particular train service, which was for the people who were using this station; this is why the tourism rates were comparatively lower in the past. Later, it converted into a holiday camp, and these trains came into use as fire engines. At present, this site is undergoing renovation as a housing estate. There is a nearby railway station in Varna at 13 kilometers, a well-established railway system connecting it with other cities.

Hitchhiking

Hitchhiking is possible in this city only if you are on the highway. You can ask for a lift by raising a flat palm. There are not many cars in this city, but many drivers will agree to drop you to the town on their way.

Others

You can take a ferry ride to reach Golden Sands, which will take a very long trip from nearby cities and be cheaper. If you plan to be in Golden Sands for more than a month, this is the best traveling option to reach this city. Another option is a taxi ride that might be costly in this city and will create a lot of pollution and is time-consuming.

Yacht Port

Moving Around

You will not find much trouble moving around the different Golden Sands regions with such a small area. You will not find many transportation facilities as the town's population is meager and prefers walking or cycling to travel. You can walk around the streets or rent a bike to explore this beautiful resort town.

Walk

You can walk and visit many tourist spots in this city because the crime rate is shallow, and the town's area is not too much. Some of the precautions you have to take while going out for a walk are that you need to be hydrated adequately because the walk along the coastline can be very tiresome. Therefore you must take a water bottle with you every time you go out. It will be a new place for tourists, so if you are a solo traveler and have no guide with you, you must always take a mobile phone to avoid getting lost.

Bicycle

There are mini bike rentals spread throughout the town. You can rent out a bike if you are in any area in the city. It can be cheaper and eco friendly. You can even join different cycle clubs, guiding you, and helping you with places to visit. If you visit sites on a bicycle, you must wear a hat, sun cream, and glasses because the amount of harmful radiation from the sun in northern Europe is higher. It may cause heat stroke, skin problems like sunburn, or the light can harm your eyes.

Electronic Vehicles

There are no traces of electronic vehicles in this town. It can be because of two reasons those are either the size of this town or the population. The size of this city is minimal; therefore, there is no need for electric vehicles. The town's population also affects the technical revolution as bringing electric cars would be of no use because this city's population is not strong enough to support this.

Public Bus

There are not many buses present in this city, but those available are good and well-maintained. There are very few buses, but those are efficient in making this town's transportation network efficient.

Tram, Train and Subway

There are no trains or subway present in this town because the locals didn't feel the need to have it as it is just a small resort town.

Sustainable Shopping

Products that affect health and the environment towards its positive sides are sustainable. Purchasing such products is known as sustainable shopping. As the pollution rates are moderate, many people and the government try to lower the pollution rate as much as possible. Therefore many markets are available which offer sustainable shopping.

Food Markets

FAVORIT Supermarket

Aldo Supermarket

Kiwi Market

Alni Market

Mini Market

Flea Markets

Farmers' Market

Market "Chataldja."

Second Hand Stores

Shop Humana - second-hand clothes

Humana Dubrovnik

Second-Hand Hypermarket

Shop Super Shano

STYLE DELUXE

Mebeli Ot Holandiya

Hiron 2000

Eco-Fashion

WE Fashion Store

GLOBUS | FASHION

Esprit Store

Recycling

Earth's resources are depleting day by day; therefore, there is a need to recycle as it will save a lot of energy, which is usable in making a new one. If not taken care of, garbage will require a landfill to gather all the trash in one place. That can be very dangerous for the residents nearby as it will stink, causing air pollution and soil pollution. Sometimes, the waste can be so toxic that it can damage marine life and aquatic plants if it reached the water. Also, the landfill's land is usable for other works instead of dumping waste. The statistics show that recycling is not done in many parts of this city, increasing its daily garbage.

Waste

This city's waste management policies are inefficient because the statistics show that percent of 70.01% of people are dissatisfied with the garbage disposal, which is more than the majority. Many people dump their garbage in the river, resulting in increased water pollution to 48%. The government should develop strict policies regarding waste management because it is essential in reducing this city's pollution rates. The main reason for waste is the tourists because this is a tourist town, and according to various hotel staff, many tourists do not feel a sense of belonging because they throw their garbage everywhere. It is your responsibility to stand against tourists' image by throwing the trash only in dust bins.

Work and Study Abroad

You can find many jobs in a different category in this city as many MNCs have their office here. You must have a proper education qualification to work here because many companies are concerned with employers' educational qualifications. You can even apply for managerial posts in companies in this city. You can apply to different universities or colleges to study here as education is of good quality. Learning in a foreign country can make you independent as you have to do all your work on your own and boost your self-confidence, and there are many career opportunities in Varna, a province of Golden Sands.

Exchange Student

Golden Sands is a tourist town; therefore, it has more tourist spots than schools and colleges; hence, no university facilitates exchange student programs. However, its province, which is Varna, has many universities. The central university is named the Varna University of Management, which facilitates this program and sends students to the partner universities to different colleges.

Au Pair

Au pairing is a concept where a foreign individual or a couple can opt for taking care of a family in a different country by providing them specific assistance such as financial, household, education, etc. You will find a few families in Golden Sands that are part of such a program and can live a quality life full of opportunities.

Volunteering

There are many NGOs in this city where you can volunteer readily. These NGOs spread awareness about various social issues that the people of the town must know. They often indulge in cleaning public places like beaches, parks, and gardens every weekend. These NGOs are very active in their work, which makes them quite influential organizations.

SolidarMed

Arabia Felix NGO

Comundo

You can participate in these organizations' activities and get a sense of self-satisfaction by helping out the Golden Sands' local Bulgarians.