Khinkali, Wine, Cha Cha, and Glaciers – My trip through Georgia (country)
My trip to Georgia was planned how most of my trips are planned; relentlessly searching flights from the main hubs of Europe, ranking destinations by price, locations I have not been, and overall interest in a location. After reading a few articles about Georgia and its history (and its smaller tourism industry) I found flights that matched my budget and made my purchase. Before going to Georgia, I knew very little about the country bordering the Black Sea. However, after 10 days of exploring different parts of the country, and meeting the people, I left with a little better understanding of Georgia, their strange Instagram tag “Georgia (country)” and their unique place in the world.
I arrived early morning at Shota Rustaveli Tbilisi International airport, www.tbilisiairport.com and in doing research prior to my arrival, I downloaded the Taxify (now Bolt) https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bolt-taxify/id675033630 app to my phone as my in-country “Uber.” As usual, I had read stories of taxi trips from the airport ending in higher fees, and the ease of using an app (other than trying to find your non-English speaking driver without the assistance of the free terminal Wi-Fi) meant that I would know the amount I was supposed to pay from the airport to my hostel.
I checked in to Envoy Hostel https://www.envoyhostel.com and they allowed me to spend a few hours asleep in the common room before my room was ready and before breakfast was served. My first impressions of the hostel were mainly positive, outside of the steep hill outside of the building, which I knew I would inevitably have to ascend at night after many beers, wine, and shots of cha cha. The rooftop common area is by far the highlight of the hostel. With spanning views of Old Tbilisi, and the Narikala Fortress https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narikala directly behind the hostel, it is a great spot to view the city, meet other travelers, and enjoy some drinks and food from the bar/restaurant.
One of the first things I like to do in every city I arrive in is walk as much of the city as possible. I like to walk around the city as much as I can for a few reasons. 1. You never know where you may wind up (good and bad) 2. It’s a great way to get a feel for the people, culture, food/bar/restaurant scene, and the necessities (atms, currency exchanges, public transport etc…). 3. A good way to adjust to distances between points of interest and where you are staying.
If available, the next thing I usually like to do is check out the availability of free walking tours in the city. Fortunately, Tbilisi has several free tours. After one failed attempt (fake tour, no one showed up to meet me) I decided to try the Tbilisi Hack Free Walking Tour. http://tbilisifreewalkingtour.com/ Our Russian/English speaking guide met us outside of the Burberry Store in Liberty Square https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_Square,_Tbilisi and showed us all over Old Tbilisi for over three hours. We entered and tried bread and pastries from the oldest bakery in Tbilisi, took the Gondola to the Narikala Fortress, and walked around old sulfur baths. While hearing about the city’s history and viewing its sites is enjoyable, another positive of doing the walking tours is meeting other travelers and hearing their stories. In my group, I met people from all over the world including Bahrain, Russia, Germany, and Brazil.
After a few days exploring Old Tbilisi, I had met some people at my hostel and through the help of the ultra-friendly workers at Envoy, they recommended looking at Taxify to arrange private transport to the north of the country, specifically Stepantsminda, Kazbegi. Now, ordinarily I would take public transport for the 4 hour drive, but seeing as we were now a group of 5, and Taxify is incredibly cheap, we hired a taxi for the whole drive. In the end, it was less than 15 USD per person and we had the luxury of unlimited stops, food/drink, detours, etc…. Speaking of the stops, there were some incredible ones. The Russia-Georgia Friendship Monument in Gudauri, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia–Georgia_Friendship_Monument and the Zhinvali (Jinvali) Water Reservoir https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRiI7IgJIBI were a few of the highlights.
Getting into the small town of Kazbegi was pretty simple. There is a main square where all transport arrives and leaves from. We had pre-booked a guesthouse https://www.booking.com/hotel/ge/archi-and-nino-gigauri.html and after some broken English, hand signaling, and google translating with some locals, a van with our owner arrived and drove us to his home. Within one minute of entering the residence we were greeted with large amounts of cha cha and told to “drink drink”, while meeting the rest of his family. I’m pretty sure those were the only words he knew in English. Nevertheless, throughout our stay he always greeted us with a smile and made sure we always had cha cha and food to eat. While the rooms were nothing spectacular, they were cheap, warm, and run by a friendly family. The view from our host’s residence looked directly at Mt. Kazbek https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Kazbek in the distance, and the Gergeti Trinity Church. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gergeti_Trinity_Church
As I stated earlier, the first thing I like to do when I arrive in a new city/town is walk around my new surroundings. This initial walk in Kazbegi led to an hour and a half hike to Gergeti Trinity Church. Gergeti Trinity Church is a small, intimate church, perched above the town that has excellent views of the surrounding mountains, the town below, and Mt. Kazbek. After the hike it was back down to one of the few restaurants in the town to sample the khinkali and beer at Restaurant Khevi in the center of town. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g13002079-d10053817-Reviews-Restaurant.... Then of course, upon arrival back to the guest house, more cha cha followed by “drink drink” from our enthusiastic host.
The next day, we decided to tackle the Gergeti Glacier. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gergeti
10 hours, 14.3 miles, and 32,500 steps later we hiked up to the glacier and back down to town. While the glacier trek was a challenge, it was well worth the long day. The views at every turn and every elevation are incredible. Steep ascents, somewhat sketchy river/stream crossings, were all worth the scenery throughout the hike. Seeing the massive glacier at the top of the trek was the icing (literally) on the cake. It was a great hike and highly recommended it if you have the time and energy, but make sure you pack plenty of water and snacks for the journey.
Upon our return to town, our group ventured to Shorena Bar https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g13002079-d3218416-Reviews-Shorena_s... for beers, wine, khinkali and cha cha. This initial sit down of dining and drinking led us to continue the evening at Cozy Corner Karaoke Restaurant a few blocks away. https://www.facebook.com/restaurantcozycornerinkazbegi Unsurprisingly, in this sleepy town, the owner was happy to see us and insisted we try his homemade cha cha, over and over and over again. We ended the blurry night at the restaurant with amazing performances of John Denver “Thank God I’m a Country Boy,” random Russian songs, and R. Kelly’s “Remix to Ignition.” I’m just happy the walk back to our guesthouse didn’t have a steep hill similar to Envoy Hostel in Tbilisi because it was a long day/night.
After my time in Kazbegi, I opted for public transport back to Tbilisi. This ride was equally as enjoyable as the private taxi. The marshrutka (minivan) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshrutka was comfortable, and stopped at a few highlights on the way back to buy food/drink and visit look out points along the way. We were eventually dropped off at the bustling Didube bus station. tbilisilocalguide.com/tbilisi/bus-station-didube Didube station was not dissimilar to other busy transport stations around the globe. Drivers looking for business, and locals and tourists alike looking for and bargaining for transportation to their city of choice.
The next day, a few of my new friends decided to get a driver to experience the wine county to the east of Tbilisi, specifically the Kakheti region. An abundance of drivers are available throughout Old Tbilisi and can be found with tour advertisements posted to their vehicles. Make sure to bargain for what you wish to see, and for how long, or ask your hostel/guesthouse/hotel for recommended drivers. We started our day in the town of Sighnaghi. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sighnaghi It was a seemingly quiet but picturesque town with cobblestone streets, and views of Azerbaijan in the distance. From there we toured the Bodbe Monastery, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodbe_Monastery and eventually a beautiful family owned winery, Vineria Kakheti. https://www.facebook.com/Vineriakakhet/ At Vineria Kakheti, we got to experience a private tour of the estate, sample a variety of different wines and cha cha, and enjoyed a great homemade lunch in their garden.
After our tour of the Kakheti Region, we made our way back to Old Tbilisi for one last look around. Ultimately, we headed back up to Narikala Fortress with our newly purchased Vineria Kakheti wines, and some snacks to catch the sunset over Tbilisi before we concluded our trip to Georgia.
Overall, my trip to Georgia was a success. While there are several regions I did not get to explore, I experienced the hospitality and warmth of the Georgian people and travelers alike. It is a great time to visit Georgia, as it remains relatively inexpensive and lacks the hordes of tourists helping it retain its authenticity. Below you can find more information on some of the places I stayed, restaurants I ate, and bars I visited on my trip. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any other questions about my experiences in Georgia. Happy traveling.
PASS OUT
Envoy Hostel (Old Tbilisi) – https://www.envoyhostel.com
Archil and Nino Gigauri Guesthouse (Kazbegi) https://www.booking.com/hotel/ge/archi-and-nino-gigauri.html
GET IN MY BELLY
Samikitno – http://www.vdcapital.ge/en-Samikitno – Close to the hostel offering local cuisine, and most importantly seems to be open 24 hours a day – Very slow service, massive portions of average Georgian food
Pasanauri – https://www.instagram.com/restaurantpasanauri/ – Close to hostel, with pretty good Georgian cuisine and wine – Try the khachapuri and khinkali, and wash it down with Georgian wine or cha cha
Entrée – http://www.entree.ge/ka – Higher end breakfast restaurant with great coffee, pastries, and western breakfast
Erekle II Street – Street located in Old Tbilisi with several restaurants and bars all next to each other – A bit touristy, but a fun place to relax, have a bite to eat, enjoy some wine or beer with live music at some restaurants
Shorena Bar (KAZBEGI) – https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g13002079-d3218416-Reviews-Shorena_s… – Good Khinkali, friendly wait staff, directly in center of town with a cozy atmosphere
Restaurant Khevi (KAZBEGI) – https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g13002079-d10053817-Reviews-Restaurant…. – Outdoor seating with views of Mt. Kazbek, Gergeti Trinity Church, and the center of the town.
Cozy Corner Karaoke Restaurant (KAZBEGI) – https://www.facebook.com/restaurantcozycornerinkazbegi – Karaoke bar/restaurant with outgoing owner/manager offering lots of cha cha, and lively atmosphere (well the liveliest around the small town) Vineria Kakheti (KAKHETI) – https://www.facebook.com/Vineriakakhet/ – Beautiful estate winery run by a lovely family. Offers private tours, tastings, and on site restaurant. The young men who ran the tours were extremely knowledgeable in wine making, and the history of the estate. A highlight of my trip to the wine country.
Recent Comments