MY flight hadn’t even taken off before one of the country’s residents, a passenger in the neighbouring seat, asked why in the world I had decided to visit their homeland.
She may have been the first, but she was by no means the last to question my travel choice.
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Once there, pretty much every local I met was shocked to see a tourist doing a spot of sightseeing.
Their confusion was understandable though, as the largely forgotten country of Moldova – squeezed between Ukraine and Romania – holds the title of “least visited country in Europe”.
But as someone who’s always looking for something a bit different from my holidays, Moldova is charming and its capital city of Chisinau was perfect as it allowed me to feel like a true explorer – on a budget.
Chisinau is a city that has been through a lot – a mind-boggling 70 per cent of it was destroyed in wars across the twentieth century.
Despite sharing a continent, it feels a world away from the UK with its stark Soviet design.
During my stay in the city in early March, as the UK was seeing temperatures of 6C, I was wandering around the city in a T-shirt thanks to highs of 24C.
Felix Naylor Marlow
The State Circus, the Cosmos Hotel – where you can stay for £25 a night – and the abandoned Hotel National, brightly painted with Moldova’s colours, are the highlights.
There are plenty of restaurants and cafes to keep you fed and watered during your exploration for very little money.
La Placinte is a chain of restaurants serving local dishes, where I enjoyed a traditional Borscht – a sour soup made with beetroot – washed down with a pint of the local beer, Chisinau Blonda.
For something fancier, there’s Jeraffe, Chisinau’s third-best restaurant on TripAdvisor. On the ground floor of a Soviet-style block with two bizarre giraffe statues outside, its exterior doesn’t fill you with confidence.
But the food is a hearty mix of European styles, and three generous courses with several drinks only set me back £38.
For nightlife, there is plenty to choose from but Marlene is your best bet – Chisinau’s first high-end cocktail bar.
I spent a very pleasant evening ordering several martinis in the bar’s cute cocktail garden, enjoying the unseasonably warm weather.
During my stay in the city in early March, as the UK was seeing temperatures of 6C, I was wandering around the city in a T-shirt thanks to highs of 24C.
It was here that I met Alex, a Chisinau resident who explained why so many locals were baffled by my visit.
It’s not that Moldovans aren’t friendly people – my experience was anything but – nor that they aren’t proud of their country. It’s simply that they “aren’t used to foreigners”.
It’s an attitude in stark contrast to that of anti-tourist protesters in Spain, fed up with holidaymakers spending money in their towns and cities.
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Alex explained that many Moldovans want to change the country and especially love Western visitors.
They live in a nation at a crossroads, half of it pulling towards Russia, the other towards Europe.
President Maia Sandu only beat her pro-Russian opposition by a narrow margin last year.
Shockingly, the frontline in Ukraine is about the same distance from Chisinau as Manchester is from London.
The complexity of the country and region was brought home by a day trip to the breakaway region of Transnistria – a tiny strip of land still loyal to Moscow, complete with a hammer and sickle on its flag.
What is remarkable about Tranisitria is how normal it feels… the capital Tiraspol’s cinema is showing the latest blockbusters and there’s an ad board featuring Lewis Hamilton.
Felix Naylor Marlow
As I arrived at the border of the semi-independent and barely recognised state, I was greeted by Russian “peacekeepers”.
And as we crossed the border, my guide Valera broke out into a rousing rendition of The Beatles’ song ‘Back in the U.S.S.R.’
But what is remarkable about Tranisitria is how normal it feels.
They’ve got Lenin statues and a Soviet jet and tank proudly on display.
Yet the soldiers on the border were disinterested, the capital Tiraspol’s cinema is showing the latest blockbusters and there’s an ad board featuring Lewis Hamilton.
So was there as much to do in Moldova as the many tourist hotspots across Europe? Was I living in the lap of luxury? Again no.
However, if you fancy somewhere completely different, cheap as chips, and where people are genuinely pleased to see you, book a flight.
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