Georgia – a visual travel guide
Georgia is a country in eastern Europe that is the size of Switzerland – and some may argue that it has the landscape to rival it.
For reasons unknown, I had been intrigued by Georgia for sometime now. Last month, I finally got to spend 2 weeks travelling through it. Below is a visual summary of my experiences.
Border crossing from Turkey
Farm stay in the village of Pari (near Mestia)
This rural farm stay in Svaneti region was the highlight of our Georgia trip. The pictures will explain why.
The host family was lovely. They welcomed us into their home like we were part of their family.
The food was the best we had during our entire stay in Georgia. Everything was homemade, including the cheese from the freshly milked cow, honey from the beehive, vegetables from the garden, wine made from the pear tree and eggs and meat from the farm animals.
Tbilisi – a city full of character
Tbilisi is the capital of Georgia. Not knowing much about it, we had expected to stay for 2 days, but liked it so much that ended up staying for a week!
Just wandering around the city, we found a tunnel that was converted into a photography gallery, many vendors selling their home-brew and old bath house domes.
We wandered through the streets and found intriguing courtyards. The “Mother of Georgia” statue looks over this one and over many tucked away churches.
We stopped by a “hole in the wall” bakery and pick up some fresh bred for 10 pence.
We visited Narikala fortress on top of Tbilisi. We had decided to walk up instead of using the cable car and enjoyed it.
TOP TIPS (based on our experience):
- When in Tbilisi, try to stay in the old town. There are plenty of Airbnbs of a good standard and at affordable prices.
- There are several mountainous regions to go hiking in – but many of them are touristy. So make sure you find one that suits your needs. We found Mestia too busy for our liking.
- Try the local food. “Khinkali” (dumplings) are amazing and filling. Make sure to eat them with your hands like the locals!
- Be careful when trying the local alcoholic drink of “cha-cha“, as it is extremely strong.
- When travelling within the country, the cheapest form of transport is a shared mini bus, also known as a “Marshrutka“. However, I found it to be a hair-raising experience in the mountains where we were going at high speeds on hairpin bends, while the driver was smoking with one hand and texting with the other. Additionally, don’t expect much personal space or comfort on these mini-buses and they don’t run to timetables, they go when they are full!
Accommodation recommendations
Tbilisi Airbnb – We stayed at this well situated and reasonably priced Airbnb for 1 week. The host Levan was extremely accommodating and prompt at communicating. We would definitely stay here again
Pari farm stay (Guest house Irakali)– This was the highlight of our Georgia trip. The family is extremely lovely and we got to experience the real village life of Georiga, with stunning walks and the best homemade food.
