OUR NEGRUZZI FLAT IN CHISINAU IS AVAILABLE ON APRIL 24-28, MAY 2-4, 9-14, 21 AND ONWARDS
ALSO, 10 EURO BEDS AND 15 EURO PRIVATE ROOMS IN CHISINAU AND TIRASPOL ARE AVAILABLE FROM MY FRIENDS
PLEASE, INQUIRE WITH MARISHA VIA EMAIL

What I can do for you

Please donate to support the maintanance of this website. Every penny counts and will help me keep it going! Thank you! Marisha

My speacial thanks to Uncle Pasha who helped to creat this website and keeps supporting it.
Visit Pasha's sites:
Main index: www.unclepasha.com Accommodation
in Moscow:
www.cheap-moscow.com
Horse rides & trips: www.russian-horse-rides.com
Errands & "serious" business services: www.oldmanfriday.com Small towns & villages between Moscow &
St. Petersburg: www.staritsa.info
and others.

Contributions of materials welcomed.
Thank your homestay host by sending me a hint.
Quality materials related to Moldovan travel, work, and living are invited.

- Marisha

Please, note that my hubby Kris, our two doughters and I are currently living in the UK. We usually visit Moldova in summer when kids have summer holidays, but are located most of the year in Manchester.
You will be looked after by my family and friends while in Moldova.
Enjoy Moldova and its people!!!

Marisha's Friendly Moldova

Namecheap

LONELY PLANET RECOMENDED: Marisha and her services are recomended by LP guide to Europe on a Shoestring, LP guide to Eastern Europe, LP guide to Romania&Moldova, 2007 edition

News, announcements, changes, updates

April, 2012

American Peace Corps volunteer Emily, is running a project in Peresecino village in Moldova raising money to built a public bathroom for the community. See more details on Emily's blog page and, please, donate towards this good cause.

March, 2012

Citizens of Australia and New Zealand residing in the UK, EU, Canada, USA and some other do not need an Invitation letter in order to get their Moldovan viza. When applying for your visa, you will have to provide your details/proof of flights to and out of Moldova, address in Moldova where you will be staying and bank statements to show you have money to support yourself while in Moldova there.

February, 2012

Studio apartment in Tiraspol downtown is available for short and long rentals from us. Can sleep up to 5 persons. Clean and cosy. Great location! See more here

One of our guests in Chisinau, Jeff Ball, is raising funds for a school in Ukraine that will go towards building of a new toilet. The school is one of many in rural Ukraine that has an outdoor toilet. The toilet is nothing more then holes in a concrete floor where students, teachers, and people in town all come to use the bathroom. No plumbing, no heat, no way of actually cleaning it, a huge problem and serious health concern for teachers and children. Please, visit Jeff's support page and make a donation that will get the school a new toilet and washing station. Thank you!

January, 2012

American writer and journalist Kim Purcell has published her new book "Trafficked" that tells us a storry of modern days human slavory. The main character Hannah is a young girl from Moldova. Stranded in a foreign land with false documents, no money, and nobody who can help her, Hannah must find a way to save herself from her status as a modern-day slave before she loses the one thing she has left: her life. More about the book read here and leave comments on our blog
AirMoldova the main and only one airline in Moldova has announced its WINTER ON-LINE SALE. Sochi – 52EUR, Moscow – 62EUR, St.Petersburg – 62EUR, Frankfurt – 62EUR, Rome – 62EUR, Milan – 62EUR, Istanbul – 62EUR, Athens – 62EUR, Paris – 72EUR, London – 72EUR, Larnaca – 72EUR, Madrid – 92EUR, Lisbon – 92EUR / one-way, with all taxes included. Tickets can be purchasied via their website and the offer ends on 20 February 2012. So Hurry Up!

An attempt of blogging about Moldova is performed by me here . Useful information, news and our trips in Moldova and Transdniest will be discussed on the blog. Two new posts has been placed on the blog recently : "Playing the Moldovans at Tennis movie is due to release in spring 2012" and "Photos of Moldova and Gagauzia on Flickr by one of our guests"

December, 2011

The fixture list for 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil has been announced. Moldova is playing in the group H together with England, Ukraine, Poland, Montenegro and San Marino. The games that are to be played in Moldova are as following :

07/09/2012 Moldova - England

12/10/2012 Moldova - Ukraine

22/03/2013 Moldova - Montenegro

07/06/2013 Moldova - Poland

11/10/2013 Moldova - San Marino

Please, secure your accommodation in Chisinau long in advance as the demand for the dates of the games is very high.

July, 2011

Offers of private flats in Odessa are available to book through us. Apartments in downtown Odessa and near the beach. Cost from 50 USD per night in high season. Check out our page for more details

Our Romanian driver does transfers from Chisinau to Brasov or from Brasov to Chisinau. Comfortable car. Up to 6 passangers. 160 Euro one way. Please, book by email

Rock Festival "Forest Kap 2011" will take place on July 23 and 24 in Capriana forest reservation. Among participants : Bad Captain, Prepare of the Worst, SoundPark, Compas, El Pepino Feliz, Cronograf, Iron Bee, Old School, Ferrum, Alive, Inside, VV Krab, CheMD, Morons, Before Christ, Deadline, Main Engine, The Cursed, Linia Out, Timur i ego komanda, Svinarium, Tsepesh, Abnormyndeffect, Infected Rain, Aeon of Death, Gandul Matei, Puti Sonta. Ticket cost 50 MDL for one day and 80 MDL for two days. Book your ticket via phone : +37379401079, + 37360258723 and +37379694320. Videos from last year festival can be seen on YouTube

May, 2011

For accommodation in our neighbourhood, please, check out the list of budget to top range hotels in the center of Chisinau at the walking distance from our flat and from the train station in Chisinau.

We didn't come first, but we made a colourful entrance! For those of you who liked the performance of our Zdob si Zdub band at Eurovision 2011 in Dusseldorf, please, visit their website . They will be having gigs in Romania, Ukraine and Germany this year and tickets can be booked by email .

April, 2011

For those of you who are looking to spent a night or more in Gagauzia, please, check out our page with suggestions of hotels in Comrat, Ceadir-Lunga and Vulcanesti

December, 2010

We would like to wish every visitor of this website and to all of our guests a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!! We hope you enjoyed our services in Moldova and look forward to seeing you all in the New coming Year! Have a Joyfull holydays and do come back in the year 2011!!!

November, 2010

The timetable of the suburban train Odessa - Chisinau has been updated. The train leaves Chisinau at 7 am daily and Odessa at 15:30 daily. For more details see the page

TEECH 2010 Shoe Box Appeal : TEECH is returning to Moldova for Christmas 2010 to visit several orphanages and schools and they need your help with orphan and food parcels, as well as winter clothes and shoes to take on this mission. More information on this event can be found on the website http://teech.org/shoe-box-appeal-2010

Please make a difference by donating your Xmas shoebox untill December 17 and make Christmas special for these poor families in Moldova.

The heating has kicked in at our Negruzzi flat in Chisinau and it's nice and cosy in the flat now. We are ready for the winter cold and long days now!

September, 2010

Car transfers from Otopeni airport and Baneasa airport in Bucharest to Chisinau are available for 100 Euro per car. Can fit up to 6 people in one go. 8 hours one way. Please, email me for details or to book.

Train Odessa - Chisinau is coming back on rails starting from 1st of October. Timetable to be updated

Moldova won the game of football vs Finland 2:0. Go on Moldova!!! But lost 2:1 in Hungary :( Boo!!!

National Day of Wine or Wine Festival 2010 will be taking place between October 9 and 10 at MOLDOEXPO exhibition center in Chisinau. The programm should be announced shortly on its webstie http://en.moldexpo.md/exhibitions

August, 2010

GUSTAR Ethno Music Festival first edition takes place in Orheiul Vechi on 29th of August. The program of the festival comprises tours of Orheiul Vechi, craft shops, exhibitions, tasting of traditional food and wines and live concert of ethno groups from Moldova and abroad.

Read our suggestions of restaurants, pubs, bars, fastfoods in the center of Chisinau here

European Football championship is soon and Moldova is paying in group E with Finland, Netherlands, Hungary, Sweden and San Marino. The games will take place on the ZIMBRU football ground in Chisinau on the following dates :

Moldova v Finland, Gp E, 17:30, Friday, 3 September 2010 European Championship Qualifying (Moldova 2:Finland 0)

Moldova v Netherlands, Gp E, Friday, 8 October 2010, European Championship Qualifying

Moldova v Sweden, Gp EFriday, 3 June 2011, European Championship Qualifying

Moldova v Hungary, Gp E, Tuesday, 6 September 2011, European Championship Qualifying

Moldova v San Marino, Gp E, Tuesday, 11 October 2011, European Championship Qualifying

Other international fixtures in Moldova are the following :

Moldova U21 v Romania U21, Gp 1, 14:00 Wednesday, 11 August 2010 UEFA Under-21 Championship Qualifying

Moldova v Georgia, 17:00 wednesday 11 August International Match

Moldova U21 v Faroe Islands U21, Gp 1, 16:00, Saturday, 4 September 2010 UEFA Under-21 Championship Qualifying

June, 2010

Train Chisinau - Bucharest is running on daily basis now. The timetable is changed and it leaves Chisinau at 16:10 and Bucharest at 21:30. See more details on this Prietenia train on here

Our Negruzzi flat is undergoing some improvements this summer. We have put new thick curtains in the master bedroom to protect our guests from the burning hot sun this summer. Also, we've got a broadband in the flat and now our guests can check their emails/internet in the flat. Wi-fi is coming soon.

Strawberry season is opened at Katherine's guesthouse and farm. Every guest who is staying with us or having a lunch on the way after a tour of Orheiul Vechi monastery will be given a big plate of sweetest and most delicious strawberies collected strait from the field. Our seasonal salat is made of raddishes, spring onion, latuce. Cucumbers and tomatoes are coming soon.

The legendary English writer and comedian Tony Hawks is launching a movie this year based on his book "Around the Ireland with the fridge". On his website Tony has announced that he is filming a new movie based on his other book about Moldova "Playing the Moldovans at Tennis". Extras are needed for this movie!

We can organize a tour to KVINT factory for our guests. From 60 USD per person for a tour of the factory with tasting of 10 types of cogniac, lunch & souvenirs. Please, request with Lena with a cc to Marisha if interested.

May, 2010

I've been recently suggested a link that may be interesting to travellers visiting Chisinau http://www.fest.md . It has information on theater, cinema, club performancies in Chisinau and museums programs. Has an English version as well as Russina and Romanian. I personally use http://afisha.md/ for outings, but it's only in Russian.

Times of buses from Odessa to Chisinau have been updated.

January, 2010

Read about the immigration rules for Business owners and how one car obtaine a residency permit in Moldova on "Law in Moldova blog"

We have updated the page of our Negruzzi apartment in Chisinau center and placed a map with direction on it.

ARCHIVE 2009, 2007-2008 ; 2006 ; 2005 ; 2004

Odds 'n' ends

Transport connections

Visa information

Moldovan key phrases

How to marry a Moldovan

Orphanages in Moldova

Restaurants in Chisinau

***Marisha's guide to Kishinev / Chisinau***

TransDniestr

Accommodation in Odessa

Accommodation in Gagauzia

I recommend

Valuable links related to Moldova

Books/articles about Moldova

Uncle Pasha's services in Russia

Recommended by:

LONELY PLANET guide to Europe on a Shoestring, 2007 edition

LP Romania & Moldova Editor 2006-2007

"Morning Star", March, 06

"Esquire" UK magazine, June, 05

Guests' comments:

Wesley from the UK, April 2012, property market research and translation services
"GM MARINA- JUST TO SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP AND AS I SAID I MAY NEED YOUR HELP IN FUTURE-SO ONCE AGAIN THANX AND BYE FOR NOW , WESLEY
Hipolito, April 2012, accommodation in Tiraspol
"Report of my trip to Transnistria I have been very recently in Transnistria, Transniester o Pridnestrevia, whatever you want to call it. Since I know that there is not much information about this country I would like to help any one that could be thinking about going there, with my impressions. First thing I have to say that in some places in the Internet you can read that you will have problems crossing the border between Moldova and Transnistria. I thing that these problems could have happen in the past but they don’t happen nowadays. I travelled from Chisnau, in Moldova, to Tiraspol by minibus. There are buses and minibuses all day every 20 minutes. They depart from the Central Bus Station in Chisnau and the price is only about 2 Euros. The driver of the minibus gave me a form to fill in, for the control of the Transnistrian authorities. After one hour we reached the border. I was the only foreigner in the bus. I got down the bus and went into the border office. I gave my passport and the form that I have already filled, to the officer in the window. I don’t speak any Russian and he couldn’t speak any English, but I perfectly understood that I had to register with the Militia in Tiraspol, because I had written my intention to stay 2 nights in Transnistria. I had 2 dollars prepared because I had read that I had to pay this amount at the border, but I was not required to pay anything. When I reached to Tiraspol I went to Lena’s house. I had known about her in the Internet, and I had booked an apartment from her by e-mail (lena_lozinskiy@inbox.ru ). Lena lives right in the center of Tiraspol with her family, and the apartment that she rents is only 15 minutes walking from there, at Pravda Street, a very good area, with a bus stop very close and also an Internet cafe, shops, bars and restaurants. For me the best was Andy’s Pizza. This is the same chain of restaurants that you can find in Moldova. They have the menus with pictures of the dishes and one of the waiters could speak perfect English. They also offer free wifi. Prices are here very low, as everywhere in Transnistria, and the quality good. A bottle of local wine quite acceptable is less than 3 Euros and a half litter bottle of beer is only 1 euro. In the afternoon I went to visit Bender. This town is very close. The trolley is very frequent and will take you just 15 minutes from Tiraspol and the cost is only 15 cents. Bender is a small and relaxed town at the West side of the Dniester river. There is a fortress that I saw only from the bus because It’s been used by the army. I visited a Church and the local market, and I walked along the park, at the riverside, as many locals do, until I reached the memorial of the 1992 war. Tiraspol is also a small city, but bigger than Bendery and much more interesting. It has very wide avenues with very little traffic. The main street is 25 October, commemorating the Russian Revolution. There you can see 2 interesting statues of the father of Communism, Lenin, the House of the Soviet, and a memorial of the 1992 war, similar to the one in Bender but more impressive. The second day I went with Lena to register with the Militia, because the previous day it was a kind of holyday and they had closed the office at 12 am, before my arrival. Lena did the registration for me without any problem. You don’t have to do anything else, apart from presenting your passport and give them half the form you filled at the border. You don’t have to pay anything. Next day I went back to Chisnau . I was again the only foreigner on the bus. At the border, a Transnistrian official checked my passport and he kept my registration paper for himself. That was all. I recommend visiting Transnistria to everybody. It is a very interesting country and very safe, and I also recommend Lena’s apartment. I had the apartment only for me and I had to pay 20 Euros a day. It has a balcony, kitchen, 24h hot water, and can accommodate 4 people. Lena was also very helpful and even lent me a map of Tiraspol. That was very convenient for me, with all the names written in Russian, as they actually are in the streets.

Jennifer and Mark, March 2012, tour of Cojusna winery and Capriana monastery with Michael
"Hello Marisha, You asked to know how our outing went yesterday (Sunday). It was mixed. Our first stop was the winery, Cojusna. Mark and I enjoyed the tour. It was interesting to walk through the stacks of bottles and learn a little about how they make and store the wine. Our translator did a pretty good job, although there were a few specialty wine terms which he was not as familiar with. The tasting was disappointing, though. There was a good variety of wines, but Mark and I did not think they were a very good quality. We have had much better wines from Moldova. Your suggestion for snacks was excellent, though. That was definitely helpful with the tasting. Afterwards, we went to Capriana. Here the tour guide was excellent. He explained a lot about the buildings on the grounds of the monastery and some of the history. He gave us plenty of time to look around and answered many questions for us. The monastery was beautiful, too. The guide was also very helpful during the drives. I asked him many questions about life in Moldova, folk tales, holidays, and other such questions. He answered them all and was a good conversationalist. I hope my comments are helpful to you. Jennifer "

Jens from Germany, March 2012, tour of Chisinau with Michael
"Hello Marina, Thank you again. Michael makes a well job and was a good guide. ;-) We learned a lot about Chisinau. Vielen Dank. Bis zum nächsten Mal. Jens"

Jacob from the UK, March 2012, transfer from Bucharest airport to Chisinau
"Marisha, We had a great trip! Thanks for your help. Jacob"

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