Eastern
Europe’s Best Kept Secret
Eastern Europe’s
best kept secret, The Republic of Moldova, the land of the cheapest
beer, cigarettes and property in Europe but to put the icing on
the cake it possesses the highest concentration of beautiful woman
you will ever see. Moldova is a forgotten small land locked country
squashed between Romania to the west and The Ukraine to the East.
The capital Chisinau is a vibrant lively city with a population
of roughly one million.
So why come do
you ask? Well there are a few reasons, whatever your salary you
can come to Moldova and live the rich life for a short time, you
can come just for the culture and friendly atmosphere before Europe
gets its claws too deep or you can come as a potential investor
in the property market. Here’s how it works.
As a group or a single individual a visit to Moldova will give
you a taste of the good life. A beer here costs as little as 35
pence a pint and for the smokers amongst us quality cigarettes
cost form 25 to 35 pence. You have to bear in mind that the average
salary here is about £100 to £150 a month and because
of this there is a perception by the locals that all people from
the west that visit are rich. What about the women I here you
ask? Well this is not Bangkok the streets are not full of sleazy
bars or women offering themselves for sex or trying to entice
you in to spend your money, but Moldova is wall to wall with the
most naturally beautiful women you will ever see. I asked the
question to a friend, ''why are most of the women in Moldova in
such good shape and so beautiful''? I was told, because it’s
like a competition, there are so few good catches in the way of
men that we keep ourselves fit and look the best we can every
time we walk out of the door. When I first came six years ago
you only had to open your mouth to get attention both from men
and women. Today it’s you that have to make the move. Moldavian
men are quite forward, whether it be on the street, a bus or a
bar they see a women they like and they just come out with it.
There’s no point sat on your bum waiting, you have to be
a bit Moldavian about it, offer them a drink or something, it
often works. The nightlife is very good with bars and clubs all
over the city. most clubs have pole dancing for your entertainment
but beer can cost as much as two pound in these places, so look
at the price list first. Any night is a good night to go out,
as people tend to work one week then have one week off. It’s
not worth going to a club to early, as the locals will tend to
go for cheaper drinks elsewhere before hitting a club, then they
will often sit and dance all night with one drink. When it comes
to accommodation I have found the best thing is to get a flat.
This will cost from 20 Euros a day to as much as you want to pay.
If your stay is for a month you could get something from 150 Euros
to 250 Euros. A mini hotel can be cheap but standards will not
be high and the big hotels start to become very expensive for
the average traveler.
For the person who has a little money and fancies a small property
in Moldova as an investment why not buy an apartment here. Where
else can you buy a flat in a capital city from £15,000 upwards
depending on age and facilities and condition? It is possible
to buy much cheaper but in need of more modernization. With rental
income you can get between 8 and 10% return on your investment
per annum or you could just sit on it for a few years and sell
it later. A friend of mine bought a plot of land that would be
big enough for a small housing estate just outside the city for
£2,000. Unfortunately estate agents are not really here
yet so most properties for sale are to be found in abundance in
a local paper. For the bigger investor there is a lot of construction
going on and there are some unfinished projects in need of foreign
investment. Legitimate projects are not easy to find so help from
trustworthy sources is often needed. My advice is to be aware,
there are many con men here and they are by no means least all
Moldavian.
Moldova doesn't’t have much in the way of sightseeing, apart
from the wineries, one of which has an impressive 40 miles of
underground caves for storage, and the odd monastery here and
there, I can only say come for the culture and a little flavour
or the former Soviet Union. The main language is Moldavian, which
is a mixture of Romanian, and Russian but most people speak Russian
and Romanian as second languages. To visit Moldova will not disappoint
any traveler. The people are so friendly and helpful, but you
will only find out the real Moldova and it’s culture if
you make the effort to mix and socialize with them. Don't get
stuck in a hotel or be told where you should go, as Moldavians
tend to think your not interested in the normal day to day places
but just the places designed for the rich here. I have met and
shown many people around this country and all have gone away with
a feel good factor, In fact most have returned and some even live
here like myself.
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