Travel report: Georgia
Country ranking by area: #120
Country ranking by population: #131
Date of visit: March 2018
Georgia is a rather unknown country to many people and therefore not a major tourist destination yet. I have to admit that I didn’t knew a lot about the country before my visit. I knew that Georgia is a Christian-Orthodox country, a former member of the Soviet Union and the birthplace of Joseph Stalin. In addition, I knew that Tbilisi is the capital city of Georgia and that the country is famous for its amazing landscapes. But except for that? Not much to be honest. Eventually, the nature in Georgia was the main reason to visit this country rather sooner than later.
Georgia has about the size of Switzerland and it borders Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia. One of the reasons for the lack of (mass) tourism is that Georgia is not an easy accessible country. There are not many direct flights from Europe to Tbilisi and most of the travelers arrive via Istanbul. So did I. The bad thing is that most of the international flights arrive in the middle of the night. The good thing: as a citizen of any European country, you are able to travel to Georgia without a visa. You can’t have it all, can you?
I’ve booked that trip almost three months ago and tried to find someone who wants to join. No one did, although some of my friends considered it and decided against in it the last minute. That wasn’t a problem though, as Georgia is a good place for traveling solo. It was also the 17th out of my 70 countries that I’ve visited alone. Besides, one of my childhood friends lives in Tbilisi now. So I knew I wouldn’t be alone for long. To ensure that I would be among other people, I did something I’ve never done before…
Backpacking Georgia: my first nights in a dorm
Georgia is the ideal country for backpackers, as it is cheap and full of hostels, in which you’ll get a bed in a dorm for 4-10 Dollars. I am not a backpacker. I have never traveled with a backpack and I have never slept in a dorm. The only time I slept in the same room with strangers was on tour in Ethiopia and when I was doing couchsurfing in Iran. Anyway, a friend argued that I couldn’t criticize dorms and hostels when I wouldn’t try traveling that way at least once. Challenge accepted. I booked a bed in a dorm for four nights and paid 7 Dollars per night.
I expected it to be a bit like that: a place full of young travelers having parties every night. A fun place in other words. The reality was different. The owner of the hostel picked me up from the airport. One of the first things he told me was that he had almost no guests, three in total. It wasn’t Georgia’s peak season for traveling and the guests would come 3-4 months later. The owner of the hostel seemed stoned, drunk or both and his driver didn’t mind driving with 160 km/h. When he almost crashed into a other car, the hostel owner’s comment was simply “Georgian Michael Schumacher AHAHAHAHA!!!”
Finally, I entered the dorm and another guy was sleeping in it. Well, he did until I entered. He was a 40-45-year old man from Azerbaijan. When I started to unpack my things, the guy didn’t just ignore me and kept sleeping. No, he stared at me and observed every of my movements, mumbling some words in Azeri. It was cold inside the dorm and the bunk bed very uncomfortable. I knew that I was too old for this. Another bad thing was the shared bathroom, which was just terrible. However, what I missed most was privacy. Being alone is something I need from time to time, but you can forget that in hostels. Even if they don’t have many customers. I slept two nights in the dorm before I left and took another hotel. Hey, at least I tried it, but I won’t do it ever again.
Tbilisi: a city full of contrasts
Georgia has three international airports and the one in Tbilisi is the most important. Therefore, many travelers arrive in and depart from the capital. While some leave the capital immediately, I used Tbilisi as a base to explore the country. That was a good decision, as Tbilisi is a city that has a lot to offer.
Exploring Tbilisi is easy as the city is compact. I started my tour by walking along the Kura River from Rustaveli Avenue to the Bridge of Peace. It was a rainy day and the sky was grey. That didn’t help to make the city likeable right from the beginning. However, I quickly got that old world-feeling that I like. Some of the buildings are really old and many of them unfortunately not well maintained.
Tbilisi is a city full of contrasts though. Next to these old buildings, you’ll find skyscrapers or modern landmarks. One of the most famous landmarks is the Bridge of Peace, a pedestrian bridge made of steel and glass. The bridge is even illuminated at night, as the bridge consists of more than 3’200 LEDs.
Visiting all the sights of Tbilisi in one packed day is possible, but it’s even better to do it in two days. I was lucky, because I had one day and three evenings, as I did day trips on the next days, but returned before sunset each evening. That gave me enough time to see the whole city without having too much stress.
Two of the best sights include viewing the city from the top of a hill and a mountain. To get the first view over the city you need to take the Aerial Tram (close to the Bridge of Peace), which takes you up to Narikala Fort and Mother Georgia, a huge statue of a woman holding in her hands a sword for the enemies and a bowl of wine for the friends. The view up there is fantastic and hiking up and down is also possible.
The other attraction that offers a great view is Mount Mtatsminda. A funicular takes you up to the highest point of the city. You can take both the Aerial Tram as well as the funicular until late at night. Therefore, it is recommended to visit both attractions during day and night (shortly before sunset, so you have both).
Another sight you absolutely have to visit shortly before sunset it the Tsminda Sameba Cathedral. I have seen many cathedrals in my life but this one is among the best. The cathedral is illuminated after dark and it’s amazing to see how it changes.
Of course, Old Town is an attraction itself. The old buildings are charming and this part of the city is full of restaurants, bars and vine cellars. It’s without a doubt the most beautiful part of Tbilisi. Generally, all the sights in Tbilisi are within walking distance from Old Town. Therefore, getting a hotel close to this part of the city is the best choice if time is limited.
You will see another contrast when you walk from Old Town to Freedom Square and then to Rustaveli Avenue. The city becomes more and more modern the closer you get to Rustaveli. After seeing the charming old houses of Old Town, you will find malls and stores of popular brands before you arrive at the parliament building. This street could also be part of a modern city like Paris or London. Another beautiful sight is the Opera building in Rustaveli Avenue. I realized once again that this city is full of contrasts.
Tbilisi is one of these cities that needs some time until you value it. To be honest, I didn’t like the city that much in the beginning but I loved it when I left. It’s the details that make the city likeable (see: City Rating: Tbilisi).
Day trips from Tbilisi
Georgia is a country you ideally visit for a minimum of 10 days. In 10 days you will be able to see almost the whole country. I had only three days and there are so many places to visit. I had the agony of choice. One day was already reserved for Tbilisi, so I had two more days for traveling to the countryside. The good thing is that Tbilisi is centrally located and you can use it as a base for day trips. My hostel recommended me a company called Holidays in Georgia (Facebook page) for tours. They have three offices in Tbilisi and I went to the one in Rustaveli Avenue. I also found another tour operator in Rustaveli Avenue, but they didn’t have enough customers for group tours and offered private tours only. 300 Lari (~120 USD) for one (!) tour was too much in the end.
The lady in the office of Holidays in Georgia recommended the two tours to Mtskheta and Kazbegi, which I eventually booked for 110 Lari in total. Actually, you don’t visit one place only when joining a tour. The Mtskheta-tour also stops at the Jvari Monastery, in Uplistsikhe and in Gori, whereas the Kazbegi-tour makes a stop at Ananuri Castle as well. Other possible day trips are for example:
- David Gareja: a complex of (cave) monasteries
- Kutaisi: Georgia’s third largest city full of UNESCO World Heritage sites
- Sighnaghi & Tsinandali: two charming medieval cities/towns, where you can see churches, ruins, museums etc.
- Akhaltsikhe & Vardzia: in Akhaltsikhe you can see the stunning Rabati Fortress and Vardzia is a city carved in stone
All the tours start in the morning (approximately at 9.00 AM) and you’ll be back in Tbilisi in the evening.
Road to Mtskheta, the former capital of Georgia
As soon as you leave the city center of Tbilisi, you’re witnessing the ugly side of the city. The outskirts of Tbilisi are full of awful communist buildings and show you once again the contrasts, from which Tbilisi is made of. The good thing is that it doesn’t take long until you reach the countryside.
Georgia is a green country full of meadows, lakes, rivers and trees. For this reason alone, driving through the country is an amazing experience. After a bit more than 30 minutes, we already arrived at the first sight: the Jvari Monastery. And yes, most of the sights and attraction in Georgia are monasteries or cathedrals. Many of these monasteries wouldn’t be worth mentioning, but the surrounding nature make them spectacular.
The Jvari Monastery stands on a mountaintop and offers an amazing view Mtskheta. The monastery is a nice building. However, I have seen hundreds of Christian buildings abroad and wasn’t too impressed with the monastery itself. As I said, the surrounding nature is the real attraction here.
The second stop on this tour was Uplistsikhe. What sounds like a Finnish Black Metal Band is actually an ancient town carved into rocks. Archaeologists identified this town as one of oldest urban settlements in Georgia. Our tour guide explained that it is not clear if the people constantly lived there or were using this town as shelter in times of war. Apparently, it’s also unclear how many people could have lived in these caves. Impressive sight.
Dark tourism: “Stalin very good man!”
Georgia’s biggest celebrity is Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili. Never heard of him? Okay, he changed his name after a few years into Joseph Stalin. His birthplace is Gori, which is a major tourist spot in Georgia therefore. They made also a museum to honor the former leader of the Soviet Union, and this was the next place we stopped.
The Stalin museum is one of the weirdest tourist attractions I’ve ever been to. Almost as weird as the Cold War Museum aka Bunker-42 in Russia… which is also known as Stalin’s bunker. What a coincidence. It seems like Stalin has sort of a legend status in Gori, as you can already see his face on the window of a super market before you arrive at the museum. Obviously, the museum is full of Stalin pictures and statues, and the tourists are taking selfies in front of it. So did the Indian guy, who was part of my group. A few hours earlier, he took a selfie with a Jesus statue in Jvari Monastery, and now one with Stalin. Selfies with the who is who of world history.
The museum is not big, but actually very beautiful. “Stalin very smart man,” said our guide in a monotone voice. Forget about the fact that Stalin killed millions of people, he is still a hero in Gori. “Five time he escape Siberia!” explained the guide enthusiastically. When someone asked about the millions of people who died in the gulags, the guide simply said that “these were not easy times”. The more time you spend in the museum the more you feel like being in a house of worship or a pilgrimage. Next to all the pictures and statues of Stalin, you will find some of his personal belongings like his cigarettes. Stalin’s personal railway carriage is located outside the museum. Inside the train wagon, you can see how his kitchen and his toilet looked like.
Of course, there is also a “fan shop”, which sells shirts, cups, bottles and other objects with Stalin’s visage on it. I couldn’t resist and purchased a cup. My coffee now tastes even more delicious in the Soviet Führer’s cup.
Last stop: Mtskheta
Mtskheta was the last stop on this tour and in my opinion the most unspectacular one, although everyone praises this town as the number one must see in Georgia. I really don’t know why. Mtskheta is the former capital city of Georgia. Not a bad one but nothing special. Its highlight is a gigantic cathedral (one more…) and a few nice, little alleys full of souvenir stalls. There was a ceremony going on and they denied the entrance to the cathedral to many of our group. But well, I don’t think that we really missed something.
We arrived back in Tbilisi at 6.30 PM. It was a nice tour that included many amazing sights and beautiful nature. This raised the bar for the trip on the next day.
Kazbegi – the Caucasus Mountains
Another highlight in Georgia is Kazbegi, the 3rd largest mountain in Georgia and the 8th largest in the Caucasus. It takes approximately 3.5 hours from Tbilisi to get there, therefore the tour started a bit earlier than the one on the previous day.
About an hour after we left Tbilisi, we arrived at Ananuri, an ancient fortress complex. The complex is located on a hill overlooking the Aragvi River and Zhinvali Reservoir. Unfortunately, the river is dry in winter months, which makes the panoramic view less spectacular than in summer. It was still ok, but the pictures I’ve seen online look way more amazing. As I said, it was not peak travel season in Georgia…
The way to Kazbegi doesn’t come without hurdles. We were stuck in traffic jam in the mountains for one hour, as one tunnel on our way was blocked, so don’t count on being back in Tbilisi on time. We stopped at a small village and changed from the minibus into 4WD cars. Half an hour later, we were on the slope of Kazbegi. The total time of traveling (including the traffic jam) was about 4.5 hours.
The attraction of this tour is the Gergeti Trinity Church, which is perched on top of the mountain. A short hike on muddy ground gets you up there and the view is spectacular. It reminded me of the Swiss Alps. Generally, the nature in Georgia is quite similar to Switzerland.
Georgia: a food and wine paradise
If beautiful landscapes aren’t your cup of tea (which I doubt), you can also travel to Georgia for another reason: the food!
In my humble opinion, Georgia has one of the best cuisines in the world. The food is unique, although one will find elements of the Balkan, Turkish and Russian cuisine. Khachapuri, a cheese bread, and Khinkali, dumplings filled with cheese, meat, mushrooms or potato, are the most famous dishes. Many dishes consist of meat, beans, cheese, potato, spices, onion, garlic and vegetables. Vegetarian food is available too. To be honest, one of my greatest joys in Georgia was that I always knew lunch or dinner was coming soon.
Not only is the food great in Georgia but also the beverages. A signature drink is pomegranate juice. You can find stalls selling this juice at each tourist attractions. It’s delicious and addictive. Moreover, Georgia is a paradise for coffee lovers. There is coffee in all different variations. Outside of cafés and restaurant, Turkish coffee is the one that the stalls are selling.
Not convinced yet? Georgians claim they have the best wine in the world. And that statement isn’t a surprise, as wine made out of grapes wasn’t invented in France or in Italy but in Georgia. Although the Chinese already produced rice and honey wine 9000 B.C., the first grape wine was created in the Caucasus Mountains 6000 B.C. Of course, the Georgians are proud of their wine. There are wine cellars everywhere. You can also buy wine from stalls on the streets for 5 Lari (2 Dollars) per glass.
Georgia – is it worth it?
Georgia was the fifth ex-Soviet country I’ve traveled to after Latvia, Estonia, Russia and Ukraine, and I have to admit that this part of the world has become one of my favorite. This country is a bit the poor man’s Switzerland, but I mean that in a positive way. The landscapes are similar to my home country (Georgia has a coastline though), but everything costs only 20-25% of what I have to pay back home. Another plus is that the country is small and travelers can see many things in a short amount of time.
Is there anything negative to say about Georgia? The lack of friendliness maybe. Not that Georgians would be impolite, but they are not very warm-hearted. The way they talk to you is often emotionless and smiling seems to be a foreign concept. That has also an impact of the service quality in restaurants or hotels. Of course, it’s not always like that, but I guess you will feel more often being treated coldly than in other countries. However, that doesn’t mean that travelers will have bad experiences with the locals. All in all, chances are very small that Georgians will threaten or scam you.
Unfortunately, my time in Georgia was way too short and I definitely have to come back someday. There is so much to see and do in this tiny country so that it’s somehow a mystery that it’s not on many people’s radar. So, is Georgia worth the trip? Definitely! Not only if you’re a country collector, but also if you’re just looking for a great travel destination, which is not that overrun by tourists yet. If I had to rank my 70th country as a travel destination in comparison to the other 69 countries I’ve visited yet, Georgia would certainly be in the upper quarter.
Find the travel reports of the other countries I’ve visited here!
