Georgia beckons. A look from within!
Georgia beckons. A look from within!
We have already been to Georgia many times. But this summer it was decided to fly in the season: to swim in the sea and go to the mountains. Those who follow our updates know that we have the most popular tour -"Sunny stories about Georgia". The route was the same. Added 1 more free day in Tbilisi and trip Ananuri-Gudauri-Kazbegi. They didn't regret it.
Flight: 3 air companies fly to Georgia from Kyiv, 4 flights a day to Tbilisi, 1 flight to Batumi, from Odessa and Zaporozhye there is only a flight to Batumi. The cost of plane tickets this year in two directions is from 6700-7100 UAH per person, depending on the time of booking and departure dates. Not low. In Amsterdam, Rome, Paris, Athens, the cost is slightly lower or the same. But you can save money in Georgia itself during your vacation. Read on.
Tour itinerary: Tbilisi is handsome. For a sightseeing tour 3 hours is not much. We add maximum walks in our free time. We rise to the Holy Mountain by funicular (not to be confused with Narikala). We go to the Pantheon of famous figures at the 1st station, and at the 2nd we enjoy the view of Tbilisi in a cafe with the most delicious donuts and sweet water with syrup. We are not very fond of such food. But trust me, it was delicious. Mtskheta, lunch in a Georgian family, a trip to Sighnaghi and Bodbe Monastery - full excursion days, most of the history of Georgia in 2 days, 2 tastings, 6 varieties of wine and 2 types of chacha, 380 km. And you are already beginning to feel the taste of Georgia. Free 2 days in Tbilisi were devoted to a trip to the Stalin Museum in Gori and the Georgian military road to the foot of Kazbek.
Stalin House Museum at the moment not a super popular place among our tourists. But worth a visit. A lot of personal things, interesting gifts and a team of guides who are passionate about their work. A separate place is Stalin's carriage. Be sure to go inside. It smells of history and the railway. The smell is familiar.) Military-Georgian road, rise in jeeps to the Church of the Holy Trinity, at the foot of Kazbek. Everything is exactly as the guidebooks say. The spirit is captivating. In the first minutes after climbing the uneven rocky road in jeeps, a cold shiver goes through the whole body. Then the tourists admitted that everyone had. But the Caucasus is a handsome man. And we advise everyone to visit there in the warm season with good weather. Many sections of the road are avalanche-prone. May be closed from November to April. For safety, tunnels were built a year ago. But there are also difficult places.
And then - the seaside resort of Batumi. Completely rebuilt in the last 10 years. Bright active embankment 10 km long with a separate bike path. All hotels are scattered around the resort and you will have to walk in any case from 15 to 25 minutes. The closest hotels are: Radisson, Hilton, Intourist and Sheraton. The beach is a large pebble. We advise you to bring bathing shoes with you. Remember us in a good word). The sea season officially ends on September 15, the children go to school. But the weather most often allows you to swim and sunbathe until early October. Water temperature +24 degrees. Half-day excursions to Mountainous Adjara and the Batumi Botanical Garden will diversify your beach holiday. In Batumi, the beach is municipal. Sun loungers and umbrellas for an additional fee. 2 and 1 lari respectively. But a very wide coastline. There is enough space for everyone. No need to run in the morning and take your place under the sun. In Batu, there is almost everything from entertainment: from delicious Georgian and Italian restaurants, flights to casinos in every expensive hotel. For those who like to combine business with pleasure - a sightseeing tour with a holiday at sea is an ideal option!
Goodies: Take cash in dollars with you, change it to the local currency - lari. The exchange rate is 1 dollar - 2.40 lari (may change). You can also pay with a card, but only in large shops and restaurants. Cash in use. In Tbilisi, prices, as in Kyiv, in Batumi are a little more expensive, as a resort. For a week, $2,300 is enough for all expenses. A tip of 10% is most often already included in the bill. When serving Georgians, you should hurry up. Nobody is in a hurry. Foreign tourists usually travel by taxi around the cities. The fare is small - 5 GEL in Tbilisi, 10 GEL in Batumi - average. But we advise you to try public transport (50 tetri). This is the only way to understand what and how the country lives. We traveled by minibuses, buses, metro. At first it is difficult - most of the inscriptions are in Georgian. But then you find the treasured Latin letters, and life gets better. On the sea, as they wrote earlier, take slippers for swimming. The pebble is large. So it will be more pleasant. Do not be surprised by the cost of good Georgian wine. It is higher than in Ukraine. Wine made according to Georgian technology costs $15-20. There are also many tourists from Turkey, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates at the resort. A lot of investment in construction comes from these countries.
And most importantly, take Georgia as it is with its closer to Asian culture, sharp traffic, slowness! Do not be offended if they do not understand you, they send you to the wrong place, they forget to do something. These are Georgians. Take it easy!
The notion that Georgia is a cheap holiday destination is not entirely correct. Hotel prices are even a little higher than in Europe, and all your excursions are half individual. Groups from 6, max up to 28 people. That's why the prices are.
How to save? There are practically no last-minute tours to this country. Tickets for sightseeing tours do not burn, as regular flights fly, not charters. What to do? We advise you to start getting used to planning your vacation in advance. Tickets for next year are on sale at prices of 4500 UAH. Tour dates will be coming soon. And if something happens, you can still return a certain part of the air tickets. This is the principle of staged payments that we use in our expeditions. Even the most expensive points of the planet become available!
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