Romania

Romania is a southeastern European country known for the forested region of Transylvania, ringed by the Carpathian Mountains. Its preserved medieval towns include Sighişoara, and there are many fortified churches and castles, notably clifftop Bran Castle, long associated with the Dracula legend. Bucharest, the country’s capital, is the site of the gigantic, Communist-era Palatul Parlamentului government building.

My Trip

• 2017 August 31 to September 4 (4 Days ): I travelled to Romania from Doha during Eid holidays and a day later a friend also joined. We did guided tours and covered some of the famous attractions.

Visited Places/Attractions

• Bucharest: Palace of the Parliament, Victoriei Avenue, Old Town, CEC Palace, Unirii Square, Constitution Square, University Square, Stavropoleos Monastery, Triumph Arch, Macca Villacrosse Passage, etc.
• Curtea de Arges Cathedral
• Transfagarasan mountain pass road
• Vidraru dam
• Balea glacier lake
• Peles Castle
• Brasov City Square
• Bran Castle (Dracula's Crib)
• Slanic Prahova
• Berca mud volcanoes

Day plans

• Day-0: 2017-Aug-31, Thursday
  Landed in Bucharest, Romania at night and checked into the hotel on old town area.

• Day-1: 2017-Sep-01, Friday
  Did a free guided walking tour through the Bucharest city at morning visiting major attractions there. Afternoon, took a guided tour inside the Palace of the Parliament.

• Day-2: 2017-Sep-02, Saturday
  Visited Balea glacier lake on top of the Carpathian mountains today by a road trip through the world famous Transfagarasan mountain pass road. On the way also visited a 14th century Orthodox monastery and Vidraru dam. Bears were expected on the mountain roads, but we didn't see any. Saw a beautiful wild fox sitting calmly on the road side wall while coming back.

  Road Trip: Bucharest - Curtea de Argeș - Poenari Kalesi - Vidraru Dam - Valea Cu Pesti - Bâlea Lake - Bucharest (477 kms)

• Day-3: 2017-Sep-03, Sunday
  Visited Dracula's Castle in Transylvania today. It was not up to its hype though. The outer view of the castle on top of the cliff was told to be spectacular but the continuous rain didn't let us get that view. However, a near by Peles Castle where the Romanian royal family once lived was really stunning. Also did a walking tour of the beautiful medieval city of Brasov.

  Road Trip: Bucharest - Peles Castle - Brașov - Bran Castle - Bucharest (377 kms)

• Day-4: 2017-Sep-04, Monday
  Last day in Romania. Saw active mud volcanoes in a remote north place. They are like normal volcanoes, but bit small... and the lava is just hot mud popping out from the ground with a thud sound. The drive to that place through villages was amazing. Most of the houses had apple and pear trees and grapes in their front yard with full of fruits. Also saw lots of corn fields and walnut trees on the roadside.
  Returned back to Qatar at night from Bucharest.

  Road Trip: Bucharest - Slanic Prahova - Vulcanii Noroioși Pâclele Mari - Henri Coandă International Airport (341 kms)

Timeline

• 2017-Aug-21 : Decided to go to Romania. Blocked return tickets from Doha to Bucharest for 31-Aug to 5-Sep for 3,600 QAR. Cancelled it later on.
• 2017-Aug-22 : Applied for Schengen visa through French Embassy. Travel agency charge: 250 QAR.
• 2017-Aug-23 : Submitted visa application and biometric data at the visa agency (CAPAGO MENA). 410.5 QAR
• 2017-Aug-27 : Schengen visa of Type C with multiple entry and 6 months validity. Booked Qatar Airways ticket to Bucharest for 52,500 QMiles and then 205 QAR.
• 2017-Aug-30 : Booked hotel through Mosafer Travels. 300 QAR per night for double bedroom.

Expenses

• Air Ticket: 205 QAR = 55 USD = 3,500 INR (+ 52,500 QMiles)
• Visa: 660 QAR = 178 USD = 11,400 INR
• Hotel: 750 QAR = 202 USD = 13,000 INR
• Mobile roaming cards: 200 QAR = 54 USD = 3,500 INR
• Travel (Tours, Taxi,Tips,Tickets): 585 RON + 180 EUR = 1,354 QAR = 367 USD = 23,500 INR
• Souvenirs & Gifts: 264 RON = 253 QAR = 69 USD = 4,400 INR
• Food: 422 RON = 404 QAR = 110 USD = 7,000 INR

Total: 3826 QAR = 1033 USD = 66K INR (+ 52,500 QMiles)

Notes

Romania is situated in the north of the Balkan Peninsula on the western shores of the Black Sea. It enjoys great natural beauty and diversity and a rich cultural heritage. Romania enchants visitors with its scenic mountain landscapes and unspoiled countryside areas, and with its historic cities and its busy capital. Things for which Romania is famous include: the Carpathian mountains, sculptor Constantin Brancusi, wine, salt mines, George Enescu, medieval fortresses, Eugene Ionesco, "Dacia" cars, Dracula, stuffed cabbage leaves, Nadia Comaneci, primeval dense forests, the Black Sea, Gheorghe Hagi, sunflower fields, wolves and bears, painted monasteries, the Danube Delta, etc. etc.

Bucharest is Romania's capital and largest city, as well as the most important industrial and commercial center of the country. With 2 million inhabitants in the city proper and more than 2.4 million in the urban area, Bucharest is one of the largest cities in Southeastern Europe.
Its iconic landmark is the massive, communist-era Palatul Parlamentului government building, which has 1,100 rooms. Nearby, the historic Lipscani district is home to an energetic nightlife scene as well as tiny Eastern Orthodox Stavropoleos Church and 15th-century Curtea Veche Palace, where Prince Vlad III (“The Impaler”) once ruled.

Transfăgărășan Highway (DN7C) is a high altitude highway 90 km long, which traverses the crest of the Fagaras Mountains (Carpathian Mountains), the highest massif in Romania. It starts near the village of Bascov, near Pitești and ends at Sibiu.
A journey along this highway takes you through breathtakingly beautiful places. You pass by the Balea Glacial Lake (2034 m altitude), the Vidraru Reservoir, through the Capra, Balea and Cartisoara glacial valleys. Along this highway, you encounter no fewer than 27 viaducts and bridges and 550 smaller bridges. At Lake Balea, the Transfagarasan passes through the longest tunnel in Romania (887meters). This was selected as world's best road trip according to Top Gear in 2009. http://www.losapos.com/transfagarasan

Brașov is a city in the Transylvania region of Romania, ringed by the Carpathian Mountains. It's known for its medieval Saxon walls and bastions, the towering Gothic-style Black Church and lively cafes. Piaţa Sfatului (Council Square) in the cobbled old town is surrounded by colorful baroque buildings and is home to the Casa Sfatului, a former town hall turned local history museum. Visitors also may want to take a stroll down Rope Street, which is the narrowest street in the country.

The Berca Mud Volcanoes are a geological and botanical reservation located in Scorțoasa commune close to Berca in Buzău County in Romania. Its most spectacular feature is the mud volcanoes, small volcano-shaped structures typically a few metres high caused by the eruption of mud and natural gases. As the gases erupt from 3000 metres deep towards the surface, through the underground layers of clay and water, they push up underground salty water and mud, so that they overflow through the mouths of the volcanoes, while the gas emerges as bubbles. The mud dries off at the surface, creating a relatively solid conical structure resembling a real volcano. The mud expelled by them is cold, as it comes from inside the Earth's continental crust layers, and not from the mantle.