MONICA HAS RELOCATED TO SINGAPORE, MAYBE TO START A NEW HOSTEL HERE, MAYBE JUST FOR A CHANGE OF CAREER. HOWEVER, MY DEAR GUESTS, AFTER YOU VISIT ROMANIA, OR BEFORE, JUST E-MAIL ME AT:
LONELY PLANET ROMANIA 2010 marks HIGH CLASS HOSTEL as THE AUTHOR'S PICK for the 3rd edition in a row and says:
"Monica, your interminably good-natured, problem solving host is a licensed tour guide for all of Romania and has particularly encyclopaedic knowledge of Bucovina, Neamt and Maramures. Not surprisingly she leads outstanding monastery tours. The comfy hostel occupies a flowery villa, five minutes walk from the bus station. A self catering kitchen and laundry service are available."
We do organize fully guided tours to UNESCO World Heritage painted Monasteries. We won't just drive you to see these places, but we'll also explain lots of the stories behind those 500 year old frescoes that have resisted through rain and wind and 70 degrees Celsius (-35 in the winter and +35 in the summer). Fully guaranteed value of the tour or money back if you are not happy!
*** TERMS AND CONDITIONS: The prices include gas, car, driver and licensed tour guide. All the monasteries are still functioning with nuns or monks who committed their entire lives to serving God. Since you can only see their faces and their hands, it is obligatory for visitors to show respect and wear adequate clothes. NO SHORTS FOR MEN AND NO SHORT SKIRTS FOR WOMEN ARE ALLOWED. WOMEN MUST NOT WEAR TANK TOPS OR CLEAVAGE HANGING DOWN OR TOO - REVEALING CLOTHES. MEN MUST TAKE OFF THEIR HATS WHEN GOING INSIDE THE CHURCH. Also, you must not take pictures of the nuns or the monks, as they are in those monasteries not to exhibit, but for a life time. Since the churches are holy places, IT IS NOT ALLOWED TO TAKE PICTURES INSIDE THE CHURCH ITSELF, YOU CAN TAKE PICTURES ONLY ON THE PREMISES. Remember that all these monasteries are self sustained: the money you pay for entrance fee or photo tax or buying something goes back to caring for these places, cleaning the painting and keeping them functioning. 2. EXTRA 4 TRIP includes another 4 churches of major interest: Putna, Arbore, Patrauti and Dragomirna. This trip is meant to settle in the knowledge you gained in the BIG 4 TOUR. Just like BIG 4 TOUR, this is a one day trip covering 200km of scenic drive through traditional villages When booked a few days in advance, we can also organize a lunch of 3 courses (soup, main and desert plus drinks) cooked by the monks at Putna for just 35 lei per person (= Euro 8) and the priest himself at Patrauti church will be your guide, telling lots of details on 15th century painting. Terms and conditions as listed above apply as well. listed above. 7. BUCIUM WINE TASTING TRIP: Come along for enjoying some of the best white wines in Romania. Bucium has a 600-year old history of cultivating vine in its area and making the wine out of red and white grapes. The quality of Bucium wine is renowned all over the world by countless medals. This is a 320 km trip return from Suceava. The wine tasting includes 4 unique wines made from grapes grown exclusively in the region: The prices do NOT include entrance fees to the wine tasting (20 lei per person) and lunch. This trip needs to be booked minimum 3 days in advance, due to the regulations of the Bucium winery. 9. You can also call us up for a guided trip even if you are not staying at HIGH CLASS HOSTEL. We'll be more than glad to pick you up from any of the hotels in Suceava and offer you the best deal for a trip to the monasteries in Bucovina or anywhere else.
monika.romania@gmail.com
THERE ARE 2 THINGS I CAN DO FOR YOU MAINLY: ONE IS TO HELP YOU WITH INFORMATION ABOUT ROMANIA, THE SECOND IS TO MEET YOU FOR A CUP OF COFFEE, BEER OR SOMETHING ELSE OR JUST SHOW YOU ROUND HERE IN SINGAPORE!!! JUST E-MAIL AND I WILL TRY MY BEST TO GIVE A HAND!
Here are some options for tours around the area:
1. BIG 4 TOUR includes Humor (1530), Voroneţ (1488), Moldoviţa (1532), Suceviţa (1585) monasteries and Marginea Black Pottery Center. All these 4 monasteries are part of the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1993. This is a one day trip covering 200 km of scenic drive. It starts at 9.00 am and gets back at 6.00 pm. Entrance fees and lunch are not included.The entrance fee is 3 lei per person per monastery and the photo tax is 6 lei per camera per monastery. Photo tax applies as soon as you take pictures on the premises of the monastery. Since these churches are holy places, photography inside is not allowed.
3. NEAMŢ HERITAGE TOUR includes Neamţ Fortress (1375), Neamţ, Secu, Sihăstria and Agapia monasteries. This is also a one day tour covering 250 km of picturesque landscape, gas, car, driver and licensed tour guide. Neamt, Secu and Sihastria monasteries are still functioning with monks. Agapia is painted by one of the most famous Romanian painters, Nicolae Grigorescu back in 1852. Agapia is surrounded by a small village where no usual people are living: some 400 nuns have their little houses here. We will be able to see how they hand weave wonderful carpets and paint icons. It starts at 9.00 am and gets back at 6.00 pm.Terms and conditions as listed above apply as well. as listed above. Entrance fees and lunch are not included.
4. BICAZ GORGE AND CANYON TOUR includes driving though the National Park Bicaz Canyon and the unique Red Lake. It is a one day tour which covers 400 km scenic drive up and back from Suceava. We'll make many stops for wonderful views along the way. Lunch is not included. We can either pack some lunch or stop somewhere for a snack.
5. MARAMURES WORLD HERITAGE TOUR in 2 days. This trip covers 600 km scenic drive up and back to Suceava over the Carpathians. We'll drive over Mestecanis Pass, over Prislop Pass (1416m high), making many stops for wonderful views along the way. On the first day we'll visit the Memorial Museum of Anti - Communist Resistance (set in the former prison where many of the Romanian intellectual elite died) in Sighetu Marmatiei and the Merry Cemetery at Sapanta. We'll find out why this cemetery is unique in the world, even if it is not even 100 years old. On the second day, we will visit Barsana Church and Barsana Monastery, Rozavlea, Ieud and Bogdan Voda. We'll also make a stop at a famous wood carver to see him working: Toader Barsan. We'll pack some lunch with us.Entrance fees are not included. Accommodation is not included, but we will arrange it at Casa Muntean: www.casamuntean.ro The cost of 3 course dinner, accommodation and breakfast is 85 lei per person.
6. Overnight stay at Dragomirna Monastery (the tallest church in Bucovina, and one of the most elegant churches in Romania). We can also arrange overnight stay at the monastery in a beautiful room with a view to the main church. You can also have 3 courses dinner and breakfast cooked and served by the nuns. The room has ensuite bathroom. The cost for accommodation, dinner and breakfast is 200 lei per night for 1 person. If there are 2 people, the cost is 250 lei for both of you. This can be arranged between April and October; it is not possible between November and March. The transportation to and fro will be arranged with a taxi and the cost will be 35 lei per trip.
8. We also do any other trips, transfers and shuttle services to match guests' requests. We can pick you up from anywhere around Moldavia area and drive you anywhere. Just let us know which your plans are!!!
*** Terms and conditions apply. Prices can be subject to minor change.
