Travelling To The Country Of Georgia
Georgia, located on the east side of Black Sea in middle east, is a unique travel destination. While it might be a rare decision for those located on the American continent, since it’s quite a lengthy trip from this side of the world, yet there are many visiting tourists from various countries.
Learning about Georgian culture including its people, cuisine, history and historic architecture, as well as exploring the nature was most enjoyable for me in this trip. Here I’ll list a few things that I recommend trying/ seeing in the country of Georgia.
I stayed in the town of Chakvi, which is located near the city of Batumi. Here, I really enjoyed the proximity to the beach, fresh sea air, a beautiful view of Batumi and Black sea, as well as an easy access to sightseeing and restaurants in Batumi. I also travelled to further destinations, so here is my little summary.
#1. Georgian cuisine.
I’ve tried Georgian cuisine many times in a few Georgian restaurants in NYC, and some of them are nothing short of excellent. Yet, trying it in a place where it all originated just felt special.
Some of the main dishes in Georgian cuisine are:
- Khachapuri, bread filled with cheese, comes in different variations; adjaruli khachapuri - the one filled with one or two cheese types with a fresh egg on top being my favorite.
- Khinkali - meat dumplings filled with broth.
Phali - various spreads that have a fresh herby spice to them. Kharcho, chikirtma, chakapuli are some of their warm homey and light soups. Everything has so much flavor, it’s great to see so many distinct dishes in one culture.
Batumi has numerous restaurants. I couldn’t try them all, but I tried quite a few. My absolute favorite was Panorama, that offered a fantastic 32-story high view of the sea and part of the city. Panorama’s chef was a first Georgian chef mentioned in the Michelin guide. Pictures below.
#2. Nature.
Enjoy a picturesque landscape that combines the beauty of Black sea, mountains with elevations up to 4,784 ft, rivers, waterfalls and canyons. You certainly shouldn’t miss out on exploring the wilderness but I’d strongly suggest that you hire a very experienced tour driver - you can ask at the information desks that are plentiful in Batumi. The reason is that the national parks system is quite underdeveloped (perhaps I’m just spoiled with US national parks system), the roads are undergoing construction, and I didn’t find them to be the safest ones to drive through. Borjomi National Park was very easy to get around - this national park is managed fairly well, and starts off from city center of Borjomi. Enjoy a picturesque stroll along the river for about 3 miles up (6 miles both ways) and try out the mineral baths that are said to have health benefits. There are a nice hotel right outside the park located in the woods by the river, a few cafes and some tourist shops.
Borjomi National Park
Mtirala National Park is another destination I decided to take a trip to, about 2.5 hours drive from Batumi. I really wish this place was better managed by the national parks system, because the views and nature here were amazing - the canyons, waterfalls and caves - very pleasing to the eye and so relaxing and peaceful. You can take hikes in different directions - be prepared to walk for roughly 12 miles if you want to see most of the waterfalls and caves, so make sure to arrive early to give yourself enough time. You can also hire some locals (trust me, they’ll find you before you even get there!) and have them drive you around to some of the picturesque spots.
Funny part - I was extremely surprised to get in to the canyon and caves literally through someone’s backyard (the owner lets you get in by paying a couple lari - local currency)! There are other parts of the canyon and paths that you can use to get there but I found it quite confusing and you should also be ready to pay off locals to get through to them (sorry, I figured it would be wrong of me not to warn you). BUT in my opinion, the beauty of the area was worth it.
If you don't feel like taking the trip into the wilderness, you could also just take the time to enjoy the sea - in September, when I was there, it was very warm, and the sunsets in this area were stunning.
#3. Cities and architecture.
I’ve heard some great things about Tbilisi - the capital of Georgia, however it would’ve been quite a drive from Batumi so I skipped the trip. I did like Batumi and it had quite a few things to see. Statue of Ali i Nino representing a symbol of love despite origin or belief, located in the Old Boulevard area; Alphabet tower, showcasing the Georgian alphabet and other beautiful architecture around Old and New Boulevard, as well as an amazing boardwalk with the views of the sea, mountains and the port.
The Argo cable car that starts off from the Old Boulevard area would also let you enjoy the ride up to the hill that offers fantastic views.
About 30 minute cab ride from Batumi can take you to the Petra Fortress, which is a beautiful structure - the remainder of Byzantine castle built in 535 AD! You can read all about it here: https://georgiantravelguide.com/en/petra-fortress .
I hope this serves you as a good guide to visiting Georgia. I will certainly update this article should I decide to visit this country again soon. :)
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