Country in the clouds and snow in early summer
Tbilisi, Sighnaghi, Mestia, Mazeri, Ushguli, Latali, Gudauri, Kazbegi

WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN TWO WEEKS
- Get married in the city of Sighnaghi
- Visit the highest mountain settlement in Europe
- Climb to the glacier on Mount Ushba on horseback
- Climb to the mountain lake
- To make a snowman
- Play snowballs
- Find mushrooms and even eat them!
- Learn how to mine gold using the ancient method

I learned that I cannot live without the Internet for more than a day))))

Khachapuri is delicious, but not every day!

DRIVING
This is extreme in its purest form. Here they overtake on turns, drivers rush along the serpentine roads as if they were in a go-kart, and not on the road on one side of which there is a cliff of several tens of meters.

Locals love to honk. What do they have to do with this kind of Morse code, by which the driver knows: they tell him "gamargoba!" or scold beautifully.

On the road from Sighnaghi to Tbilisi, I learned that on a two-lane road with two-way traffic, 4 cars can easily pass each other at the same time. And they can turn from anyone to any lane.
I learned that the norm is overtaking when the oncoming car is already rushing towards you. And if she runs fast, then you can signal to her like this: stunned! Don’t you see, I’m overtaking here, and you’re in the way!

Think twice before renting a car. In my opinion, taking a taxi here is cheaper and quieter.

FOOD
Georgian portions are not big, they are huge! Everyone thinks that you are constantly hungry and tries to feed you. Even if you had lunch half an hour ago, even if the table is full of food, they will still offer you something that is not on the table.

Three types of khachapuri, matsioni, ajapsandali - vegetable stew of eggplant, pepper, carrot and tomato; Shosha - mashed potatoes with cheese - a traditional Svan dish; lobiani - beans, grated with mint, mushrooms and omelette; chakhokhbili - chicken with vegetables.
This is just a short list of what we tried in 2 weeks.

JOB
We got the impression that in Georgia everyone does everything. They have everything figured out and the service system works at the level of a family business. And family in Georgia is a broad concept - all brothers, all sisters.
We were looking for where to get documents translated in Tbilisi. On the bridge near the House of Justice, a woman intercepted us, somehow guessing what we needed, and immediately took us to the office opposite. She asked if we were going to sign. If so, she could be our witness.
Next, we went to the travel agency to find out where the nearest car rental was.
The man, without thinking twice, called someone and after a short conversation in Georgian, said that he could come to an agreement. We politely explained that we needed an agency and wanted to have a contract and see the car, hinting that his brother or nephew’s car was not very suitable.

HOSPITALITY
Our flight from Tbilisi to Mestia was canceled due to heavy clouds. I had to travel by minibus with fellow travelers from a failed flight.
First of all, everyone got to know each other. During the 8-hour journey, we learned everything about our fellow travelers: who works and where, we managed to discuss politics, national cuisine, and culture. We were fed some national sweet flatbreads with raisins and cinnamon and took an excursion to the reservoir, deciding together with the driver that we should see it.
The panorama really turned out to be worthwhile. Why to all our fellow travelers special thanks to.
Then, with the whole minibus, they looked for our guesthouse (since I had no connection with the organizers). They chatted together, calling someone on their cell phone, stopping passers-by and conferring. All this happened in Georgian and without our participation. And when they found us, they rejoiced in unison, and then said goodbye to us as if we were old friends.

MOUNTAINS
The mountains of Georgia are a separate issue. They rise with their snow-capped peaks into the sky, hiding in thick clouds. And only when you are lucky, on a cloudless day you can see how the green forest gives way to a carpet of grass, and it dissolves into dark gray stone against the azure sky. These peaks are formidable and cold, almost all year round covered with snow. When the sun shines so much that it hurts to look, and therefore you squint, covering your eyes, because it is impossible to tear yourself away from this bewitching magic of nature.

Traveling through the mountains is for the hardy and prepared. The proud local nature tests everyone: steep climbs, dangerous descents and thin air.

We climbed to the glacier on Dvuglavaya Ushba. Its height is 4700 meters. Of course, conquering such heights is only for professionals. The mountains are harsh and not everyone can pass their tests. Our climb began at 1500 m and ended at an altitude of about 2500 m. We climbed on horseback. Higher, higher, higher. A panorama of valleys, cut by mountain streams, with pastures of cows and horses, opened up to the view. At some point, the climb became so steep that I had to dismount and lead the horse behind me: “Come on, you can do it,” I told her, while I myself was suffocating from lack of oxygen. My muscles were burning. And the rise is only a few tens of meters. And this is with a healthy lifestyle and exercise 2 times a week.

Finally snow. The sun is hot, but the air is cold. You want to breathe in with full lungs, but the air here is like a cocktail with spices. It’s impossible to inhale in such a way as to scoop up the maximum.

What surprised me most was the piercing silence. One day we went up to Lake Mazir. First we walked along a stream, then through a field of flowers, then through a forest, first deciduous and then coniferous, and finally, finding ourselves in a mountain valley - we saw snow very close by! No birds, no voices. Any loud sound is amplified tens of times and echoes among the mountains.
The snow is also surprising. It's not enough anymore. Cold, it contrasts with the multicolored meadow. We remembered our childhood and made a snowman, only instead of eyes he had sky-blue flowers.

WEDDING
People go to Georgia not only for wine, khachapuri and stunning scenery. Some people go to Georgia to get married.

A friendly country, a minimum package of documents, which for most will be only 2 foreign passports with a translation into Georgian, a quick registration procedure and no bureaucracy.
For example, in Tbilisi, at the House of Justice, you can register a marriage in about 15 minutes, and next to it you can get your passports translated into Georgian.
Or you can go to the city of love Sighnaghi, where people are busy 24 hours a day, have a wedding photo shoot there and celebrate your family’s birthday in one of local restaurants overlooking the Alazani Valley. Watch our video about all this.

WEATHER
The weather in Georgia changes like your mood. In the morning it may be cold and gray, then the sun may come out and it will be hot, then it will rain and it will become cool again, then the sun will come out again, and so on in a circle. And the higher you go in the mountains, the more often the weather changes.

Our flight to Svaneti, a mountainous region of Georgia, was canceled due to bad weather. I had to travel 8 hours by minibus. Only during the journey several times it became cloudy, it rained, and then the sun came out. For the first 3 days, the forecast promised rain, temperature +10, +12 degrees. This is winter for Israelis, and I couldn’t imagine how we would live in the mountains for a week.
But the air here is dry, and the wind quickly dries out the moisture. When it’s +15 and the sun is shining, it seems like everything outside is +25!

CLOTHING and FOOTWEAR
When going hiking, dress in layers - from a warm waterproof jacket to a T-shirt - everything will come in handy. And be sure to take it with you sunscreen. The sun is hotter here than on the beach.

At the beginning of summer, the mountainous areas are cut by many streams, the ground is damp and in places swampy from melting snow. In villages, roads are often washed out from rain and in some places are a mess of mud. Hiking, waterproof shoes will simply not be replaced.

PRICES in Tbilisi for June 2016.

Taxi from the Airport to the city center 25-30 Larry.
Lunch at the restaurant 20-30 Larry per person.
Login Botanical Garden- 2 GEL
Cable car ride - 2 GEL in both directions
Car rental -
( Mitsubishijeep) - $75 + 40 GEL for gasoline (about 200 km - To Sighnaghi and back)
Flight Mestia - Tbilisi = $30
Travel by minibus Tbilisi - Mestia = 100 Larry per person.
Luxurious 5* Hotel in the old town, with a large highway and a panoramic window, including breakfast - $130 per night for two.
Two-room apartment in the old town, in the very center, 3 nights - 582 shekels
Taxi around the city - 5-10 GEL

Wine (Kindzmarauli) 20 GEL per bottle
Georgian teas - 5-6 lari per 100 g
Churchkhela 2-3 lari per piece

CONCLUSION
Georgia is a colorful and contrasting country. It’s great when you have the opportunity to live this flavor, traditions, and culture.

There was only a small part of our first trip that consisted of contrasts. There was modern Tbilisi, with its five-star hotels, amazing restaurants, ancient streets, shopping centers, the most delicious ice cream, modern architecture government agencies and universal freewi- fi “ Tbilisi Loves You”.

There was Mazeri, a village at an altitude of about 1600 meters in the beautiful mountainous region of Svaneti. Here, as before, they plow the land with oxen, prepare homemade cheese, bake khachapuri and pita bread on ancient Svan ovens. As before, after successful gold mining, local gold miners, facing the river flow, turn to a higher power with a prayer of gratitude and drink chacha. Here, herds of cows and sheep graze peacefully in the meadows and return home in the evening. Here even time flows differently: slowly, measuredly.

When I get home, I close my eyes and imagine mountain landscapes in frozen moments of the past.
Snow-capped peaks, green meadows dotted with floral herbs, mountain streams and rivers that cut through the slopes, descending into the valleys of the mountains.
The palms still remember the burning cold snow in the hands and the warm rays of the sun. And in my ears there is a ringing silence, broken only by the rare chirping of birds, the mooing of cows and the echo of mountain rivers.





And when will we get to Georgia? Until we get there, I’m releasing a guest post by Oksana Zolotnitsyna. Oksana runs a beautiful, light, exciting travel blog “Easy to climb”. There are stories about personal travels and photos from the personal archive. There is a whole section about Georgia. Come, watch, read. It's interesting there! And now a post for those who have never been to Georgia, but dream, wish and are even planning to.

Planning a trip to Georgia. What you need to know

A few years ago, road trips appeared in our lives. The whole family liked long car trips so much that now we plan such outings every year without fail. Last year we reached Georgia.

It was not a trip, but a complete delight! Very few countries can seriously sink into the soul, Georgia is one of them. In some incomprehensible way, everything worked out perfectly. We climbed the mountains, descended into caves, swam in the sea, walked around Tbilisi and Batumi, drank Georgian wine and ate…..oh, what we didn’t eat.

It’s strange, but the first question that friends and acquaintances asked us was: “how do they treat Russians there?” I will definitely answer this question, and also tell you what to look for when planning a trip to Georgia.


Visa regime in Georgia

Well, what can I say... Visa regime with Georgia the most loyal. If you stay in the country for less than 90 days, a visa is not required. You will only need a foreign passport and documents for the car if you are going on a road trip. None health insurance and they didn’t ask us for green cards at the border either. Agree that at the current euro-dollar exchange rate, savings on visas will be significant.

Before the trip, it is better to monitor the information on the documents again. Entry conditions may change.

How to get to Georgia

  1. The fastest way to get to Tbilisi is by plane. international Airport There is also one in Batumi, but the flight will cost a little more.
  2. For motorists, there is only one border crossing near Vladikavkaz - Daryali. There is no need to count on the Abkhazia-Georgia border. Relations between the countries are, to put it mildly, strained.
    There is nothing difficult about crossing the border by car. First you need to go through the Russian checkpoint, then the Georgian one. They will ask you a few questions, look at your documents and put a stamp on your passport.
    Traveling by car has its own charm. Along the way, you can see quite a lot of sights, the Georgian military road alone is worth it.

Money in Georgia

In Georgia, lari are used (1 lari ≈ 30 rubles). There are plenty of exchangers everywhere, each with its own exchange rate. To travel, it is not at all necessary to exchange rubles for dollars or euros. Our Russian wooden ones are also easily exchanged for lari. Here is another significant advantage - there is no double currency conversion. I found the most favorable rate in Tbilisi, but at the border it is better to exchange very little money.

In cafes and shops they accept payment bank cards, the conversion rate is quite acceptable.

Housing in Georgia

All markers have different tastes and colors, but it seemed to me that it is better to rent apartments in Georgia, for example, through Airbnb. Booking also has good options. Georgia welcomes tourists in a very homely way, and you will be even more comfortable in an apartment.

Our trip took place in September, and I did not notice any difficulties when booking accommodation. I’ll even say more: we found several options for spending the night right along the route.

To understand the prices, I will give the cost of our studio apartment in Kobuleti. For three days we paid 160 lari, approximately 4,800 rubles. 1600 per day, provided three people stay, this is very good.

Here are accommodation options in Georgia with prices and reviews:

The language barrier. What language do they use to communicate with tourists in Georgia?

The language barrier? What is this? It is practically invisible in Georgia. Russian speech is understood very well, especially by older people. Young people speak more English.

I didn’t experience any difficulties in the store either. Many products are Russian or the description is duplicated in our native language.

In short, Georgia is the option when you can forget that you are going abroad.

Security in Georgia

It's time to answer the "relationship" question. So, how do they treat Russians in Georgia? Yes, good! Locals They are friendly, they will always help, they will show you the way. And in general, I believe that a bad attitude towards Russians is prejudice. I’ll tell you a secret that a huge mass of people simply don’t give a damn about politics))). You need to watch less TV.

Georgian cuisine

Oh, there’s “hold me seven” and “goodbye waist.” In Georgia they eat a lot of baked goods and meat. In general, Georgians love to eat delicious food and know how to cook meat magically.

Local Georgian flavor

ABOUT! This point is very clearly expressed in the driving style. Something unimaginable is happening on the road in Tbilisi. Everyone honks and cuts each other off, but pedestrians completely ignore pedestrian crossings. Georgians are very emotional and you just need to get used to it.

What to see in Georgia

Surprisingly, Georgia can satisfy the tastes of even the most sophisticated traveler. There is sea and mountains, natural and historical sites.

If you want mountains, then welcome to Svaneti! There is incredible nature and mysterious towers. Unfortunately, we did not reach this region of Georgia, but there will be a reason to return.

If you want to lie on the beach, then you have a direct route to Batumi or Kobuleti. Batumi – chic modern resort, and Kobuleti is calm and quiet.

Interested natural objects, visit the cave city of Vardzia or visit the Martvili Canyon.

What is Georgia without wine? For “wine flavor”, go to Kakheti. It is here that you can see endless vineyards and even go on a tour of a winery.

You cannot remain silent and say nothing at all about Tbilisi or, as the capital is called in the old way - Tiflis. Allow at least 2-3 days for the city. You will be surprised at the interesting juxtaposition of history and modernity.

At the very beginning of my story, I want to say thank you to all those people, without whom this trip, even if it would have taken place, would not have turned out so interesting, colorful and successful. I would like to thank our new friends Zura and Zura, who were with us almost around the clock for the entire two weeks we spent in Georgia, took us around the country, told us about it, about traditions, people, history, and tried to make our stay as comfortable as possible. I also say “gmadlobt” to the manager of the travel agency Rusudan, the owner of the hotel in Tbilisi Tsesana, the winemaker from Kakheti Sandro, the musician from Gori Roma and all the Georgians for their warm welcome and hospitality.

The idea of ​​going to Georgia came to me with my girlfriend Nadezhda about a year ago. A break in the entire Russian Internet revealed that there was almost no information on the country; It was difficult to find a report on the trip of two girls from Chelyabinsk. At first they did not want to resort to the services of travel agencies, because they did not want to be driven into the rigid framework of the program. After surfing the web, we roughly decided on the route and the places we would like to visit. There remained one very serious issue that worried almost all of our family and friends - safety. The problem is that our valiant media are making this country into some kind of monster, where it is dangerous to travel to. But the people living in Georgia, with whom I communicated via ICQ, as well as the posts I found on LiveJournal with travel reports, dispelled all doubts. The next day after I received my international passport, the Moscow-Tbilisi tickets were already in my hands.
Since there was no time at all to book hotels before the trip, we decided to go through an agency. A tour was created especially for us. In Tbilisi we were met by 2 guides - Zura and Zura, who during the trip turned from guides into friends.

At the Tbilisi airport at customs, we simultaneously approach the customs officers sitting next to us with another Russian. "Hello!" says the fellow traveler. "Hello!" - the customs officer answers menacingly. I tell my customs officer: “Gamarjobat!” Both, with an undisguised smile, answer almost in unison, “Gamarjobat!” So I realized that there is nothing terrible in Georgia.

TBILISI
I’ll start with Tbilisi, and then gradually I’ll post stories about other cities

Tbilisi greeted us with the stuffiness of the night; it immediately became clear that the city was located far to the south. Small (compared to Moscow), where the bustling and noisy Rustaveli Avenue borders on very quiet and completely non-metropolitan narrow streets, the city immediately shows that it is in a mood. It seems to me that all of Tbilisi lies in these streets. This is such a “non-capital” capital. But I’ll start the story with the “official” places, which, unlike most cities, are not only beautiful, but also interesting.

In the very center of Tbilisi stands the huge Sameba (Trinity) Cathedral. Construction has just been completed, although from the outside it does not look like new. Interesting feature– under the cathedral underground there is a small copy of the hall located on the first floor.

The same view from the mountain.

In general, the city began with baths built on hot sulfur springs; “Tbili” means “warm” in Georgian. This is the very center of the city.

Metekhi is one of the most beautiful churches in Tbilisi.

Kura River

Old city. It is very interesting to wander through the old narrow streets of Tbilisi, along the ups and downs.

Almost the entire center is built up with two or three-story houses like this.

Balcony in a hotel. In fact, this is not a hotel, but a “guest house”. It was made from a large apartment 10 years ago. The owner of Tsesana lives here and receives visiting guests. There are a lot of houses with such balconies in Tbilisi.

Grapes grow everywhere in Georgia. You can often see such a picture.

Tbilisi at night. When I unsheathed the tripod and began to set up the camera, a policeman came up to me and said that I couldn’t take photographs now. The thing was that Saakashvili arrived at the bathhouses, which were located under the mountain from where I wanted to take pictures, and there were snipers sitting on the mountain opposite. That is, you can take photographs, but the police cannot guarantee the consequences. Come, he says, in an hour.

In the city center there is a street called Chardin, with a large number of cafes and restaurants. Looks very European.

If you are used to a comfortable holiday in Europe, Turkey, Greece, Egypt and others popular resorts, accustomed to hotels with an “all included” system, and generally well organized tourist routes, you have nothing to do in Georgia. First of all, you just need to want to get to this country and accept it for what it really is. If you look for any disadvantages (more precisely, notice some inconveniences), then it is better to immediately abandon the trip. Georgia is interesting primarily for lovers of antiquity, but at the same time you need to want to get to know and communicate with the people living here, they really are very wonderful. Here, for example, is an incident that occurred in the city of Gori.
In the evening, we went to a restaurant with friends, drank homemade wine, ate, and talked about life. About 15 minutes before leaving, a man passed by our table, heard Russian speech and asked me: “Zyoma, where are you from?” “From Moscow,” I answered. “Moscow is the capital,” he said and left. I didn’t pay any attention to him, and what’s more, I forgot about it a minute later. And a minute later he returned with two jugs of homemade wine and did not let us go until these jugs were empty. Roma turned out to be a musician who had played in our restaurant half an hour earlier. Were long stories, how he lived in Russia for 15 years, how he loves Russians and what a pity that we are “not friends” now. Roma had a heavy metal band that even performed at the famous Moscow International Peace Festival in 1989 on the same stage with Scorpions, Bon Jovi, Cinderella, Motley Crew, Gorky Park. What kind of people you will meet!
In general, everyone was constantly interested in where we came from, asking about life in Moscow. What I really liked was that during our two weeks in the country, NOBODY NEVER said anything bad about the Russians, about Russia. All the people treat us very well, and everyone is very sorry that no one comes to them. And all the talk boils down to the fact that politicians are to blame for everything, and the people only suffer from this; and during the feasts, several toasts are always made for the friendship between Georgians and Russians.
By the way, about toast. It is known that Georgians are very fond of long feasts with lots of wine, toasts, and so on (toastmaster, after all, is a Georgian word). Every time people gather around the table, they always drink to their friends, parents, and remember the dead. A distinctive feature of the people is the veneration of simple values ​​and truisms. Georgians do everything from the heart and “to the end”: they are friends, they love, they fight. To be honest, their truthfulness is very captivating.
Since we're talking about toast, we can't help but mention Georgian cuisine. This is something fabulous!
Shashlik, khinkali, khachapuri, lobio, satsivi, tkemali - all the names are familiar to us from childhood, only in Russia they don’t really know how to cook these dishes (except maybe shashlik, but shish kebab is such a thing that you have to make yourself!). A lot of pepper, various herbs, sauces and seasonings. Eternal holiday! There are many restaurants and cafes everywhere, and in most of them you can eat very inexpensively (according to Moscow standards). Each restaurant bakes its own pita bread, often served so hot that you can't even pick it up with your hands. The most favorite dish among Georgians is khinkali, they can only eat it! Another thing we can’t help but mention is lemonade. Taste from childhood. I haven't drunk lemonade like this for fifteen years, if not more. Tarragon, duchess, drinks with lemon, tangerine flavors and so on - apparently they are still made from natural ingredients, so the taste remains excellent.
An interesting feature is that you can bring your own wine to almost any cafe, because in Georgia almost no one drinks wine from bottles, everyone drinks only homemade wine. And the best homemade wine, of course, is your own. The cult of this drink can be felt everywhere - no matter where we go, there are huge jugs everywhere.
The uncle of one of our friends, his name is Sandro, is the owner of a small winery in Kakheti - the area where most grapes are grown. The plant is located a few kilometers from the famous village of Tsinandali. He gave us a tour, told us about how grapes are grown in Georgia, about the technology of wine production in home and industrial conditions, and how Georgian varieties differ from each other. Unfortunately, the ban on the import of Georgian wines to Russia dealt a very serious blow to the industry. Sandro, for example, exported up to 70 (seventy!) percent of his products to Russia. Now his warehouses are filled with products returned from our country, and he is urgently looking for access to new markets. At the same time, he is not offended by the Russians. After a tour of the factory, Sandro gave us a wine tasting. It was very interesting to first try Kindzmarauli from a bottle, and then compare it with the young, still unfermented one from the tank.

Imagine how much wine there is!

Alaverdi. The cathedral was built in honor of Prince Alaverdi in the 11th century. By the way, the tradition of saying “alaverdi” before a toast appeared in honor of this prince. If in Georgia this word is said to someone during a toast, that person will be obliged to make a toast in return.

Ikalto Academy. Shota Rustaveli studied here.

Our friends Zura and Zura.

UPLISTSIKHE
Uplistsikhe, a cave city, near the city of Gori (Stalin’s birthplace). It arose (just think about it!) in the 16th – 15th centuries BC. It is very interesting to climb all the caves and ledges here.

Path in Uplistsikhe

It is very common to see churches standing on mountain tops. Jvari.

View of the city of Mtskheta from Jvari. Merger famous rivers Kura and Aragvi.

In general, Georgian architecture is characterized by a certain asceticism, modesty and severity. All the old buildings have a very positive energy. The age of some churches is very impressive; this one, for example, was built in the 5th-7th centuries.

BORJOMI
Georgians have a favorite place for summer holiday- Borjomi. On the slopes of the Borjomi valley there is a forest of larch trees, which, coupled with the cleanest mountain air and, of course, mineral springs makes a holiday here very beneficial for your health. But there is absolutely nothing to do, unless the photographs turn out good. By the way, Borjomi mineral water is sold everywhere, the labels are all in Russian and Georgian, that is, they were printed with the expectation of sales not only in Georgia, but also in Russia.

VARDZIA
The Uplistsikhe complex (see above) amazed us, but what we saw in Vardzia is almost beyond description. Cave City was created in the 12th – 13th centuries during the reign of Queen Tamara. Over 600 residential, religious and utility rooms are carved into a steep rock at a level of 9 floors. Of the places I have ever visited, this complex made one of the strongest impressions on me.
Vardzia is located near the border with Turkey and Armenia; it takes about five hours to get to the complex from Borjomi along a dirt road, but it’s really worth it! On the road to Vardzia you pass many small remote villages, where life goes on the same way as many, many years ago, no one speaks Russian. In the valleys, shepherds graze cows, and sometimes you can see teams drawn by donkeys; it feels like you are on another planet.

On the way to Vardzia

Vardzia itself, view from the valley

"Elite apartment." Imagine, this “room” is carved out of the rock!


The church carved into the rock looks very beautiful and unusual.

If you are not careful, it is not difficult to break your head in Vardzia. In general, sometimes it amazed me that in tourist places In Georgia, everything is very poorly organized. But on the other hand, there are very few people and no one bothers you to enjoy the beauty. All the monuments appear before you “as is”; there is no impression that everything is being done for tourists. It's all very real, and it's really captivating.
If you don’t watch TV or news, if you don’t mind the lack of service, and you want to see something unusual, then you have a direct route to Georgia. This is truly a wonderful, kind country that is worth visiting. She definitely won’t leave you indifferent, there will be enough impressions big time. We went, and now we will remember and tell all our friends about the trip for a very long time.


Our Big Tour 2018 can be roughly divided into three independent parts: 1/ road to Georgia (our path from Moscow to the Georgian border), 2/ travel around Georgia, 3/ acquaintance with the Caucasian Mineral Waters + road home. But before talking about the trip to the Caucasus in chronological order, it is worth dwelling on general points, such as:

  • (including budget),

This is the "mosaic" that makes up each independent travel. What was the main stumbling block for me in traveling abroad, and specifically to Georgia, was that I did not see the outline of the trip, I could not imagine it. It is always difficult to go to an unfamiliar country, because there are only questions in your head - where, how, what, how much.

So, how it all started and what it resulted into - this is the first part of the report on our first trip to Georgia by car.

How it all started

Each big Adventure begins with a Big Dream, a passionate desire. Having returned from last year, I realized that next time I wanted to go to the mountains in the summer, to the Caucasus. Plans were ripening in my head - Kabardino-Balkaria (Nalchik, Chegem Gorge, Elbrus), Karachay-Cherkessia (Dombay, Arkhyz), North Ossetia-Alania (Vladikavkaz), even timid thoughts about Chechnya surfaced. The route was not yet ready, the main points had not been chosen, but the cities of the Caucasian Mineral Waters were definitely included in the plans.
And at Christmas, while discussing a future vacation with our friends, Karina and Sasha, we started talking about Georgia (the guys also planned to go to the Caucasus). Sasha suggested: “Let’s go to Georgia for a day. No, for three. Or maybe for a week!” How are Big Travels born? Like this, in the cozy restaurant "Garmoshka" in Voronezh (write down the address:...(just kidding). :)
Initially, Karina developed a week-long itinerary. Parallel to it is the second one - 12 days. Hotels were booked in Georgia and Russia for both routes. As a result, the trip around Georgia turned out to be even longer - 14 days. We can safely say that Karina and Sasha discovered Georgia for us, for which we thank them very much!



Road to Batumi

international passport

Right after New Year's holidays We also started processing foreign passports. Kostya was registered on the website /www.gosuslugi.ru, so he could easily and simply fill out forms for himself and Sonya directly on the website (see here: www.gosuslugi.ru/10051/1), thus simplifying the process and significantly saving on state duty.
I couldn't register right away. Due to the change in the name of the body that issued me a general passport, I could not get confirmation of my account on the State Services website, and without this I would not be able to fill out the application form for a foreign passport. I had to write a letter to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the issue was resolved. BUT by this time I had already filled out the application form downloaded from the Internet for a new type of international passport and, alas, paid the fee in full.
The cost of the state fee for a new type of international passport in 2018 (through State Services/full price): for adults: 2450/3500 rubles, for children: 1050/1500 rubles.
Well, then we went to the OVIR with the documents. You will find a complete list of documents for obtaining a new generation foreign passport on the website forms.rf.
A month later we received a passport in our hands.

Travel statistics

Team:.

  • Lucas family: Galina, Konstantin and our daughter Sofia;
  • Five of us traveled around Georgia in two cars: Karina and Alexander and us
In the Sno Valley

Duration:
  • 25 days/24 nights;
  • the total number of trips between cities where there were overnight stays is 15.​
Stages of the Grand Tour by number of days:
  • - 4 days/4 nights;
  • Georgian holidays - 14 days/14 nights;
  • Caucasian Mineral Waters + road home - 7 days/6 nights.
Mileage:
  • total mileage (from home to home) ~ 6,500 km.
Frequently asked question: What cards were used in Georgia?
We didn’t bother with this topic at all. Kostya has Google maps loaded on his phone. They used them.

Travel budget

In 25 days we spent about 140 thousand rubles, which is comparable to all our trips to south direction(Gelendzhik, Anapa, Sochi, Crimea) in previous years (2014 - 2017), when in 3.5 weeks we spent 120 - 130 thousand rubles.

  • Main expense items:
    • hotels - 62,360 rub. (of which in Russia 24,940, in Georgia - 1,386 lari (37,400 rubles). The average price per day is 2,600 rubles / for three,
    • food - no clear statistics; approximately 50 thousand (average spending per day is 2,000 rubles),
    • gasoline -23 thousand.
  • Not the main (one-time or minor) expenses - insurance when entering Georgia, SIM cards, fruits, wine, excursions, taxis, sightseeing.
  • Almost zero expenses - souvenirs, shopping.



Old Tbilisi

Frequently asked question: What money did you bring to Georgia?
Until we left, we were thinking: should we change rubles for euros or dollars or not? Should I go with cash or with a card? They procrastinated and, like the absent-minded one from Basseynaya Street, forgot about it altogether. Yes, that's how great we are! And they remembered about the money only when they approached the Georgian border. :) As a result, we had approximately 30 thousand rubles in cash on hand; we managed to transfer a small part of the money in advance to a euro account on a VTB card (300 €). The main money ended up in rubles on VTB and Sberbank cards. I experienced some shock that we did not withdraw money from the cards, but we tested all the options on ourselves. :)
Rubles in cash are good. Euro on a card is wonderful. Rubles on a VTB card are excellent (VTB Bank is the only Russian bank that exists in Georgia). Rubles on a Sberbank card are fine, BUT you will lose some amount on commission. In general... I won’t open America - the more money (in any form) the better. :)
Money in lari was withdrawn from VTB ATMs, which are available everywhere in Georgia (addresses of ATMs and VTB branches: https://vtb.ge/ru/about-the-bank/branches-and-atms).



VTB ATM in Telavi

Route:

  • "Moscow region (house) - Voronezh(1 night) - Rostov-on-Don(1 night) - Kropotkin - Pyatigorsk(1 night) - Nalchik - Vladikavkaz(1 night) - Russian-Georgian border - Georgian Military Road - Sno - Mtskheta(1 night) - Tbilisi(2 nights) - Mukhrani - Gori - Borjomi(1 night) -Tskhaltubo - Kutaisi(2 nights) - Ureki - Batumi(3 nights)- Tbilisi(1 night) - Sighnaghi - Kvareli - Telavi(2 nights) - Tsinandali - Tbilisi(1 night) - Stepantsminda(1 night) - Russian-Georgian border - Nalchik - Elbrus region - Pyatigorsk(5 nights) - Zheleznovodsk - Essentuki - Kislovodsk - Kamensk-Shakhtinsky(1 night) - Moscow region (house)".

Georgian part The route is built completely logically. With some changes, we will move the same way next time - first Tbilisi, on the way to the sea Borjomi and Kutaisi, Batumi, at the very end the wine region of Kakheti (Telavi, Sighnaghi), where we buy wine and go home to drink it. :) Just for a wider acquaintance with the sights and relaxation in the future, we plan to increase the number of overnight stays, and, accordingly, the length of the trip around Georgia to 3 - 3.5 weeks. This 14-day route is very dynamic and scenic. Introductory.



Bagrati Temple in Kutaisi

Along the entire travel route in Georgia, Karina prepared for us lists of attractions (what we need and can see along the way, in the city, in the surrounding area) with coordinates and lists of cafes/restaurants with addresses. Karina did a great job. And I really hope that she will publish all this treasure with her wonderful photographs on our blog.



Walking around Old Tbilisi

Concerning mineralovodskaya part tour - we built it on the principle of “4 days - 4 cities”. We lived in the same hotel and went to see the city every day. The task - to get acquainted with the Caucasian Mineral Waters - has been completed. This resort region I like it. It doesn't look like anything, and that's why it's beautiful. In every city you need to live, relax, go to procedures, drink mineral water, take a leisurely walk, consistently see the sights. This is exactly how I see an ideal stay here. WITH health purpose For myself, I’m considering cozy Essentuki. With a recreational area - Kislovodsk. This is the most modern resort of the four. Zheleznovodsk Park has sunk into my soul.



Park in Zheleznovodsk

Initially, I thought of a different route for the Grand Tour. I booked hotels in Essentuki (Hotel "Resort"), Kislovodsk (Hotel "Sultan"), Pyatigorsk (Gold Star Hotel). Look at the hotels via the links, maybe someone will find it useful.

  • The start of the trip had to be changed a few days before the start. At the end of May, our daughter fell ill, and we could not leave on June 1. We started on the 3rd. The child has not yet fully recovered; it would be difficult to travel to Rostov-on-Don in one burst. We had to make an additional stop - in Voronezh.
  • The third, final, part of the Grand Tour changed during the journey. The force majeure situation with the hotel in the Elbrus region led to adjustments to the original plans, including changing the route, canceling hotels, and the date of return home.

Countries and regions:

  • 9 regions of Russia:
    • Moscow, Tula, Lipetsk, Voronezh, Rostov regions, Krasnodar and Stavropol region, the republics of Kabardino-Balkaria and North Ossetia-Alania.

The Caucasian regions are very interesting and unlike anything else. Come, don't be afraid. Although, of course, there is definitely increased attention to cars with Moscow license plates. We were stopped for checks more often than the guys (they are from Krasnodar). There are possible tricks from traffic cops, such as an invisible (or even missing) sign on a one-way street.



The statue of St. George the Victorious jumps out of the rock. Alagir. Kabardino-Balkaria

  • 8 regions of Georgia:
    • Tbilisi, Mtskheta-Mtianeti (Stepantsminda, Mtskheta), Shida-Kartli (Gori), Imereti (Kutaisi), Samtskhe-Javakheti (Borjomi), Guria (Ureki), Adjara (Batumi), Kakheti (Telavi, Kvareli, Sighnaghi).


Cozy streets of Sighnaghi

We traveled through almost all regions of Georgia. Haven't been to Svaneti. But we will certainly correct this omission next time.

Road to Georgia (roads)

From Moscow to Georgia we drove along the following roads:
  1. M4 "Don" (runs from Moscow to Krasnodar region),
  2. P217 (formerly M29) "Caucasus" (goes from Pavlovskaya to M4 "Don" to the border with Azerbaijan),
  3. A301 (Beslan - Nizhny Lars highway to the border with Georgia)


Highway M4 "Don"

We drove around Georgia using the navigator without any problems. Georgia is a small country compared to Russia. Moving from city to city is not exhausting. Vice versa. Wherever we went, there were interesting sights along the way. To be honest, my head was spinning from the beauty of Georgia and the number of new impressions. And it seems that I have only now come to my senses.

Hotels

During the trip we stayed in 14 hotels: 5 in Russia and 9 in Georgia. We stayed in one of the hotels, Maske, twice.
We booked accommodation for June in January!

10 features of hotels in Georgia: Personal observations. Adviсe:

  1. Forget about large hotels from 3 to 5 stars, oh chain hotels world chains, etc. In Georgia they cost unrealistic money for an ordinary tourist and traveler. Our niche is guests ( guest houses), mini-hotels, apartments.
  2. Guests and apartments only pay in cash. Don't forget to withdraw money from your card in advance.
  3. Forget about the free cancellation rule a day or two before check-in. In Georgian guest houses and apartments, free cancellation of reservations is common 14 or even 30 days before arrival. And in some places they may ask for prepayment a week before arrival - I often encountered this when searching for hotels.
  4. Gests are small. The rooms in them are piecemeal. Often the required number is available in a single copy. Everything is sorted out quickly. Book accommodation in Georgia in advance - at least six months before your trip.
  5. IN each Of the hotels we booked there were 3-bed rooms. The fact that in Russia is rather an exception (we mostly have two-room apartments everywhere), in Georgia is the rule. Georgians are aimed at family travelers. Accommodation for a large family (4-5 people) is also not a problem.
  6. The cost of Family 3-bed rooms is quite budgetary, not much different from 2-bed rooms. Again I will compare it with Russia. We usually put an extra charge in double rooms for a child. place. And in 70% of cases it costs from 1,000 to 1,500 rubles. It turns out to be an unaffordable amount of 4,000 and above. In Georgia, living for a family with a child will cost less.
  7. If you want to live in Batumi within walking distance to the sea, book an apartment ( good hotels There are roads here and hotels like hostels are not of interest to everyone). For example, Panorama Batumi Apartments or Apartment in old Batumi. Here you can stay inexpensively, even with a large family, and you can walk to the sea and attractions.
  8. The owners of Georgian guest houses are hospitable people. If you come out of your shell, you will get additional pleasure from your stay, get to know Georgia better, and make friends. No offense to ours, the Georgian owners are fundamentally completely different people.
  9. Breakfast in guest houses is a different story. They are often not included in the price of your stay. They cost 10-12, sometimes 15 lari, which is quite decent for us - 260-300. But in some places these are such amazing - delicious, generous, atmospheric - breakfasts on the open terrace that you don’t mind spending any money.
  10. The weakest point of the guest rooms is the bathroom. I don’t know why, but often with a large comfortable room there is a cramped bathroom with cheap plumbing and a hole in the floor instead of a full shower.

Quick search in the article:

___________________________________

Delighted, I will return without hesitation;

Great, there are primary benefits;

Okay, but there are some important disadvantages;

!!! - they are deceiving you, you will stay on the street.

  1. Voronezh. Holiday Inn Hotel
  2. Rostov-on-Don. Hotel "Leon"
  3. Pyatigorsk.. Business hotel"Musk"
  4. Vladikavkaz. Mini Hotel "Kamelia-V"
  5. Mtskheta. Hotel Old Capital
  6. Tbilisi. Hotel "Horse horse"
  7. Borjomi. Guest House Four Seasons
  8. Kutaisi. Hotel

Day three. While we were going on excursions, a friend of mine from social networks sent an SMS that he had found a suitable apartment for us in Batumi and would meet us in the morning in Makhinjauri (a suburb of Batumi - Ending station trains). Three-room apartment in the water park area in a new building with a very good renovation on the 13th floor, 10 minutes to the sea, with all amenities. Cost $90.

View from the balcony of our apartment.

True, the elevator did not work and was never repaired. But since we decided to thoroughly try Georgian cuisine, we counted this as a plus.

Beach holiday

First of all we went to the sea. Beach in Batumi.

The pebbles are very large and, given the waves, we crawled out with bruises on our knees. But the sea is warm.

We wandered around the city a little in search of Beeline SIM cards (we needed two more to communicate with each other), but we never found them.

We went to the sea again. We rested a bit, walked along the embankment and went to the Adjarian House restaurant. The restaurant is located on Lake Ardagan, there are many positive reviews about it on the Internet, our taxi driver also recommended it. The order was made through a waiter-translator. We ordered a lot, but we didn’t finish it all. Paid ~55$. The firs crawled out from behind the table.

Adjarian khachapuri (the most delicious of all khachapuri).

Fried trout.

Ojakhuri is a national Georgian dish consisting of fried meat and potatoes.

On this same small artificial lake Ardagan near the embankment, there are singing fountains.

After a hearty dinner, we returned home by taxi for $2.5.

Batumi sightseeing

This fourth day was devoted to the study of Batumi. We took a city bus to cable car(you buy a bus ticket from the driver, it costs around one lari, and you compost it in a composter). We finally managed to buy SIM cards in the seaport area. There are many exchange offices, shops, minibus stops, and a Goodwill supermarket.

Batumi cable car.

Observation deck at the top.

Having gone down, we walked along the streets of the old city to see the main attractions of Batumi. Here I found the map of Batumi that I had printed out at home very useful, where I marked all the objects that interested me.

The famous Piazza.

Unique astronomical clock on the old bank of Batumi.

Sculpture of Medea with the Golden Fleece on Er (Argonauts) Square.

In the same area there is the Khareba wine house (K. Gamsakhurdia/Melashvili, 28/30), where we stocked up on wine.

Tower of the Georgian alphabet 130 meters high in the "Park of Miracles".

Free Chacha Fountain or Chacha Tower 25 meters high.

View of sea ​​port from the Ferris wheel.

Moving sculpture of Ali and Nino's love.

Embankment.

There is a bicycle path along the entire embankment; you can rent bicycles. We took this one:

And they were stopped by a policeman for riding in the wrong bike lane.

There are many free exercise equipment located on the embankment. In general, Georgians are sporty people. In the morning, many people run, ride bicycles, and exercise on exercise machines. There are many football fields everywhere, where children play football at any time of the day and in any weather.

We took a rented train to the colonnades. There is a children's playground and another singing fountain. Since it was not yet dark and the fountain was not working, we decided to eat and return to the fountain.

We went to the Laguna cafe (Gorgiladze St., 18), where, according to many, they make the most delicious khachapuri. We ordered one large and one small. The big one was simply huge, we took it with us and ate it for another two days.

This is what a big khachapuri looks like.

And this is a small khachapur.

On the way home we played chess.

We looked at the singing fountain.

We found the streets being cleaned with some kind of huge vacuum cleaner.

We met a patrolling policeman in a golf cart.

Shopping to Turkey from Georgia

Knowing that visas were cancelled, we couldn’t help but go to Turkey for shopping. Day five. We took a city bus to the cable car, exchanged laris for liras and began looking for a minibus to Sarpi. Minibuses to the border stop just up the street (Tbilisi Square), the fare costs $0.5. After crossing the border, take a minibus to Kemalpasha and get off when the driver shouts “Istanbul Bazaar”, the fare costs a little less than a dollar, the ride takes 7-10 minutes.

On the left side is the Istanbul Bazaar shopping center, which contains almost all the good and famous Turkish brands at reasonable prices. IN mall There are snack bars, fast food and a children's playground. Up the street is a shopping town with many shops selling cheap clothes and other small items. There is no need to exchange lari for lira; lari are accepted everywhere. We only needed the liras to eat at the shopping center.

After loading up and crossing the border back, we decided to swim in Sarpi, where, according to reports, there should have been the cleanest sea. We went down to the sea. I have never seen so much garbage in the sea anywhere. We decided to take a taxi and get to Kvariati (cost $5.5). It's a little better, but still terrible. Probably it was just such a day and we were unlucky. We somehow swam and returned by taxi to Batumi ($5.5).

Photo by Kvariati.

In the evening, our familiar taxi driver came to pick us up and took us to Kobuleti. Here the first surprise awaited us.

Paid elevator (we are on the 9th floor). You throw a coin and he goes, and sometimes you throw a coin and he doesn't go. Like this. We mostly walked, which is good for us with so much food.

The second surprise was in the form of an uncleaned apartment, which became especially obvious in the morning.