Starr Session Varga is a travel blogger in Budapest and known to be the voice behind the popular site Black Girl In Budapest. When she’s not busy with her life as a mom and wife, she’s inspiring people to travel to Budapest and hosting monthly meet-ups for the black community in the city.
Devon is a writer and travel planner who goes by What Devon Discovered on Instagram. The ladies met through a shared follower on the social media platform and have been friends ever since.
Recently, the two joined forces to create the ultimate experience for people traveling to Budapest.
The experiences, which will be held in July and October 2020, will feature river cruises, biking tours, the best photo spots for Instagram, art tours, and so much more.
In an interview with Travel Noire, the two women discussed their motivation behind The Budapest Experience and debunked some myths about Budapest:
Spoiler Alert: There’s a Black community in Budapest.
Travel Noire: What inspired the “Budapest Experience?”
D + S: We love this city and want to share it with people who don’t feel comfortable visiting all alone. So much inspiration came from my inbox and DM’s. Daily if not weekly I receive questions about the safety of Budapest in regards to racism or solo travel. I also get the generic questions about things to do, when is the best time to travel and so on.
Devon and I decided to team up because we are friends! We hang out several times a week. She has hosted this type of trip before. Combine that with my list of curious Budapest travelers and our combined following of travel lovers and it was a no-brainer.
What do you think is the biggest misconception of Budapest that you want to clear?
D + S: Well, my number one question is safety in Budapest for solo travelers and/or black people. I always say, YES and invite them to come to see for themselves. You, of course, have to travel smart but this city is really has something for everyone! Nightlife, thermal spas, castles, ruin pubs, and the Danube river is just gorgeous all glittering with lights. It’s so selfie-ready and ready to show you a good time.
This is a city made for eating, drinking and enjoying the good life without busting your wallet.
Who is your target audience for this experience?
D + S: Age ain’t nothing but a number as we have a retired widowed traveler interested in our trip down to an eager young traveler that has already visited the normal European stops like Paris or Rome.
We welcome anyone who is looking to have a good time, see the sites with an inside local’s perspective, and travel with ease as your itinerary is partially planned for you. The one thing everyone has in common is a curiosity about the world we live in. Diverse ages, genders, and nationalities only add to the experience. Let’s see the world together.
What are you planning to accomplish?
D + S: We are looking to create a community! Solo travelers, black travelers, and people interested in making lifelong friends from all over the world. Really fun is the most important item on our to-do list
Is there a difference between the July experience and the October experience?
D + S: The only difference is the season! We polled our followers and most people asked to take a summer vacay and others simply stated that they wanted to see the sites in cooler weather. So, we decided on these 2 months. July is great for enjoying some of the water activities and the foliage in October is gorgeous.
Anything else you would like to tell us that I didn’t ask?
D + S: You don’t have to be black to join the trip, and you don’t have to be a girl to join the trip. This trip is whatever you want to make of it from couples, solo travelers, a friend trip, etc. We will provide a unifying structure, but the rest is for you to customize as you wish. We’ve planned something special and we can’t wait to see how charmed people are by this city. We both loved it so much, we moved here!
