When I mention “Georgia” country, most of them ask; “do you mean the state in U.S?”
This Georgia “No”
Georgia, is at the intersection of Europe & Asia. They say Europe started here and is one of the most ancient European countries.
I was totally amazed with the beautiful landscapes and ancient villages of this country and all these were beyond my wildest imaginations.
So Let’s go 🙂 !
Visa :
Click here to get Visa details.
Flights Preferred :
I flew from Hyderabad (flydubai airlines) to Tbilisi . Airlines service wasn’t that good, picked it cause of Sale fare.
Tip:
Look for flights from Mumbai, the fares are reasonable compared to other cities.
Day 1:
Firstly, immigration in Georgia might not be smooth all the while, especially for solo travelers. So, make sure to carry all the required documents to avoid any surprises from authorities.
Must Do things @Airport:
– Georgians are not fluent English speakers which makes communication a bit difficult; so first thing you do is to get a local SIM with sufficient data. Google maps and translator will be of great help. (Price of SIM is 20 GEL approximately)
Get some currency exchanged and make sure to have few 0.5 coins.
Local taxi drivers keep bothering you. Out of our experience they charge way higher, so it’s better to ignore them. There is a bus stop right at the airport exit; Look for bus No:37 which connects you to most of major stations in Tbilisi and all you need to pay is just 0.5 GEL.
If you are particular about taxi , use TAXIFY application it is like “Uber” here.
We have chosen bus and the first impression I had about Tbilisi during the ride is it is serene and laid back.
We have Reached our stay close to 3 PM and Gege our host received us with a warm smile and a bottle of homemade wine. The property was nice & clean and had access for all essentials.
Freshened up and walked around the city. The streets were busy yet pretty. Peace bridge, Ancient forts with gandolas, Old churches and the whole setup was just wonderful.
There were tiny lanes and in most of them, they were selling flower crowns that look like Snapchat & Instagram filters.
They also have small and cute flower shops here and sell wide range of flowers.
Tried few Georgian dishes like Kachapuri here. They might have been little high on salt for our pallet but the cheese was really
yum and the bread was baked fresh.
17th Century Wine Cellar Cafe is a must visit place. Along with wine tasting, the store is attractive with solitary boards and antique interiors.
The best part is, the sun is up till 8:30 PM, so you can tour late. We took the Gondola ride (cable car) (5 GEL per person – both ways) around 9 PM. With the sunset and city lights sparkling below, it looked festive and vibrant.
That day was Georgian Independence day and we were fortunate to watch the fireworks show. Perfect ending to our first day 🙂
Day 2:
Wine is the answer , what was the question ?
We were all excited to go to the wineries.
Avlabari have many travel agents on the street and I personally suggest to book your wine tour from one of these, rather than the fancy outlets. Cause we were conned, and many places proposed in the time of payment were missed. First travel agents (@ street) quote the price as 200 GEL and after bargaining it would be 140 GEL approximately.
Drive to wineries was super scenic and on the way they stop at a place called view point; That name literally suits this location the best. Don’t believe me? See for yourself. – it was just splendid.
Now we finally reach the winery ‘Tsinandali Palace’ and entry is 5GEL , wine tasting has additional prices.
After the wineries visit we were pretty hungry and decided to have lunch at this restaurant called “Wine Land”. With beautiful surroundings and scrumptious dishes it was a win. Pan fried mushrooms are a must try here.
Got to depart in the early hours next day, so relaxed in our room in Tblisi while watching a Georgian movie :-).
Day 3:
Mini buses leave to Mestia from Tbilisi around 6 A.M and they have limited seats, so we were there by 5 A.M. These buses were parked near the main station – Station Square and they charged between 40-60 GEL.
Changed our mind and opted for taxi over bus to do the journey in a more luxurious way, and this decision was such a blunder. Our car broke down in the middle, turning into a major time wastage.
As our car has broken down near to a station called Gori. With the help of Google and some locals, we have taken a train from there to Zugdidi.
Best Thing to do:
– Choose train from Tbilisi to Zugdidi directly (Get your tickets at Station Square) and I don’t recommend bus or taxi at all to Mestia , because the journey is long and tiring.
Arrived Zugdidi at 2 P.M and from here there are mini buses to Mestia directly for a fare of 20 GEL per person.
Ride to Mazeri was incredible with wonderful snow caped mountains all around. There are halts at two cute tiny coffee shops and do not miss to try Khachapuri here.
Our host Murman met us at Becho bus-stop and from there he drove us to Mazeri. We were totally bowled over by the place, and home-stay surrounded by snowy mountains looked like heaven on earth.
Rooms here had stunning views of Mount Ushba and Caucus mountain range. Everything has been so good about this place and we were absolutely overwhelmed.
Coolest thing about this village is, it has very less tourists and mother nature – insane it is!
I was walking on one of the best paths of the world and it appears as way to serenity.
Our dinner was tasty home made Georgian food. We have tasted our very first glacier water in its purest form here. The experience was surreal.
Concluded the day with finest star gazing. Just look up and get lost 🙂
Day 4:
I wake up to this magnificent view 🙂
Our breakfast was a scrumptious meal just like the dinner the night before. Potato dish on this day was exceptional; so when you are here ask for this exclusively.
The weather was bad and not that good for trek. Inspite of slight drizzle we decided to go for it.
Entire path had breathtaking sights with magnificent landscapes, water falls, brooks and valleys.
All through the way there were cute little water streams and some times you might come across few wide streams to cross. Since all these streams come from glaciers, the water here was extremely cold.
After 4 hours, we finally reach the glacier we were looking for. The view was picturesque from the top and rain was an added beauty that day.
Overall it was an 8 hour trek; Ensure to carry suitable food stuff & be cautious with slippery passage.
The untouched nature, the remoteness of this place, the hardship of the walk and the adventure carves this place deep into my heart 🙂
Day 5:
Murman (host) was our guide for the day and he agreed to do the entire tour for 300 GEL, which was fair. Firstly, we went to Mestia; this place is more touristy and we felt there is nothing much to do here. All mini buses operate from here and on the way you can see the iconic “Svan towers”.
From here, we have started to Hatsvali. Hatsvali happens to be a ski resort. Since it wasn’t winter, we have settled down for the ropeway ride for 5GEL to mountain Zuruldi, where you can enjoy the marvelous sights of Mount Ushba, white slopes of Tetnuldi and get some fresh air.
The ride to the top was lovely and it has a nice restaurant to chill which was just perfect.
December to early April happens to be the perfect weather for skiing here. So if you are a skiing enthusiast, you know when to visit.
Next stop was Ushguli and while on the way don’t forget to check the tower of love.
The drive was a bit hard, but it was definitely worth the visit. The nature here was pristine and the village happens to be an ancient settlement which is one of the UNESCO World heritage site.
Flat landscapes give you some serious hallucinatory visions.
Every village here has its own charm and history and still looks like it did hundreds of years ago, like something out of fiction.
Reached Mazeri by 9 P.M and Murman arranged a campfire for us 🙂
Cold air, dark night, warm fire, bright stars, Country music; and as they say good friends around a campfire is always a great night out .
Day 6:
When you leave a beautiful place you carry it with you wherever you go and now with heavy heart we have left Mazeri. Murman arranged a mini bus to Zugdudi and we were there by 10 AM, which was a bit early. There was only one bus at 2 PM to Martvili Canyon for 6 GEL per person.
FYI : You can prefer taxi’s if you are in a hurry.
Walked around Zugdudi to kill the idle hours.
After some 45 minutes of delay we finally arrived at Matrvili. From here you need to take an other local bus (1 GEL/person) and go to the canyon.
Our visit to this place was short , but we had a lot of emotions. Martvili canyon is a natural wonder and ideal for some excellent photography.
Terrific canyon with blue waters and water falls.
Pay 5 GEL for a gentle walk round the canyon and another 10 GEL if you want to leisurely paddle through a short path.
After reaching Matrivili, we got to know that there are no direct buses to Batumi. You need to take a bus to Kutaisi first and then go to Batumi from there.
An other foremost thing is that you will not find buses back to Matrivili centre regularly. People in Georgia are very kind and you can hitchhike anytime; so we took a lift back to centre from a friendly old guy 🙂
Found a taxi guy who has agreed to drop us to Batumi directly for 90 GEL. Being a good deal we chose taxi over bus. We have reached the Batumi City at 8 PM and our stay here was fancy with a fascinating balcony view.
[Tip : Never ever pay any advance when they say need to fill gas ; don’t do it. Pay only after you reach the destination]
As it was late and we being tired, we ended the day with dinner at a beach side Indian restaurant and a stroll on the Beach.
There are quite few pubs nearby and you can do some club hopping in the night 🙂
Day 7:
Left to another beach called Kvariati beach by using a public transport bus.
With pebbles all over and rushing blue waters, beaches here are unique and got their own charisma.
Go swimming and leave all your worries behind 🙂
After chilling for a while we came back to Batumi Promonade. For lunch, we went to this restaurant called “The White”. This building is turned up-side down and is the wackiest of all I had seen till date.
It is one of the most delicious food places in Batumi. Food is extraordinary and a must visit place.
As the sun sets on the Black Sea, Batumi’s vibrant nightlife bursts through the remnants of the day, with bustling dance clubs, casinos and restaurants.
And don’t miss to check out the famous alphabet tower, moving Ali & Nino sculpture and Batumi ferris wheel in Miracle park (Walkable from our stay).
Day 8:
Our host was very kind; he let us place the luggage even after check-out time. So after sight-seeing all night we took the late night bus at 2 AM and left to Tbilisi. It is an eight hour ride.
Having less time , did some quick souvenir shopping and said bye to Georgia, promising ourselves that we would visit again to explore more wonders of this alluring place.
If you would like to know about our stay details, please click here
Superb write up. Makes me want to pack my bags right away!! Lovely pictures as well!
I suggest you to pack too 😛 Thanks for the feedback 🙂
Nice sreedhar, exploration of gorgeous Georgia is awesome,very informative.Thank you ,looking forward for more and many more
Thanks a lot!!! Please stay tuned for the upcoming blog.
Such great blog, much wow!!
Thank you so much 🙂 Let us know if you would like to publish your travel stories here. You are most welcome 🙂
Very well written Sreedhar. Like the website and its name too 🙂
Good luck for more trips. We’ll be tuned..
Thank you so much for your kind words 🙂
Very nice to see the entire trip in a simple way with lovely pictures.
Thanks much 🙂
Beautifully narrated! Which time of the year did you happen to go here?
Thanks a lot! It was during late May and early June 🙂
Wonderful Writeup Sridhar… I feel my presence with your presentation… Done with Meghalaya Trip recently… Will be waiting to see how U portrayed it’s beauty.
Thank you for your wonderful feedback! Meghalaya is indeed an ethereal beauty. Once I publish Meghalaya story Will be waiting for your feedback on that as well 🙂
Wonderful write up with extraordinary pics and videos 😁
Good one Sreedhar. Nice way to put your memories in a blog and presenting it. Good luck mama. 🍾🤙🏼
Thank you!
Very informative and well written!
Thank you so much!
Nice post. I was checking constantly this blog and I am impressed! Very helpful info specially the last part 🙂 I care for such information a lot. I was seeking this particular info for a long time. Thank you and best of luck.|