Bulgaria was becoming increasingly popular destination "for curious Brits", the Sunday Sun newspaper, which covers the north-east of England, reported.

"Affordable, welcoming and varied in the scale of activities on offer for beach bums, skiers and all types in between, it [Bulgaria] is attracting holiday-makers and investors by the plane-load," the newspaper said.

Bulgaria had a `blooming' real estate market for holiday property and was a `burgeoning golf scene'. While describing her experience at Golden Sands coastal resorts, author Vicky Anderson notes that the prices were "so ludicrously cheap" that she "actually felt guilty".

"Wherever you go along the coast, fresh fish is available in abundance, in more shapes, sizes and species than a cod- reared Brit could dream of," the article read.

Some of the biggest names in metal loved to play in the town of Kavarna, the Sunday Sun said, as the town mayor was a "devoted metal-head".

Bulgaria's second biggest city, Varna, was an "intriguing (…) mix of ancient and modern. Often our party's eyes would be drawn to stalls full of historic tat alongside the usual postcards and keyring malarkey, only to find an array of authentic Nazi memorabilia for sale. Pretty odd in itself (...) but especially so when one of the stalls is selling the stuff outside a cathedral! We wondered why anyone would want to try and smuggle an SS death's head ring through customs and politely moved on, but these curious stalls were to be found everywhere," the article read.

The five things to do at the Bulgarian coastline were to visit the Sea Garden at Varna; the medieval Aladzha rock monastery, a few kilometres south of Golden Sands; the summer palace and beautiful Botanic Garden of Balchik; to go to neighbouring Kranevo and to the Evksinograd government residence at SS Konstantin and Elena resort.

Useful advise on visiting Bulgaria could also be found at the weekend in the Canadian newspaper The Expositor. "Letting a room in your house to tourists is a common way to make a few bucks so, if you don't have a hotel booking, take a look at the pictures they'll show you. Make sure the place isn't too far out of the way and that you're not sharing the room with a stranger. You'll almost certainly share a bathroom. Don't be afraid to dicker over the price. And be aware that the person may speak better English than he or she is letting on. If you're in the slightest doubt about the situation, walk away," the newspaper said.

The newspaper agreed on the prices "Bulgaria is easy to get to (though it's less easy to get around once you're here), beautiful, sophisticated and -- for the moment, anyway -- cheap."