When I tell people about Georgia they assume I am talking about the US state. Nope! The country. A former member of the Soviet Union, Georgia sits at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. I got the idea to come here from the owner of a hostel in Istanbul in 2020, and so in August of 2021 I set out to visit Georgia. First I traveled on standby to Athens, Greece – where I spent five days before traveling onward to Georgia’s capital city of Tbilisi.
I’ll spare you most of my content from Athens, as I kind of wish I sparred myself a few days here. You could probably see the most important sights in two days, one if you are fast. During my stay it was extremely hot and I found it difficult to be out exploring during the day. I was also operating on a tight budget, opting so save my money for the time I spent in Georgia. In addition to visiting a couple of museums I spent every afternoon hiking a different hill for sunset, which was a perfect and free way to savor my time in the Greek capital.
Arriving at the Tbilisi airport the first thing I noticed were the dogs sitting around outside the arrivals/departures area. Georgia has a program that tags all stray dogs and makes an effort to look after them. Due to covid regulations all public transportation into the city was shut down, so I had to get a taxi to the Tower Bridge Hostel, located directly under the base of Tbilisi’s iconic Bridge of Peace (shown above with the blue arch). In my seven years of hostels this was the first one to be located under a bridge!
The hostel had their own restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating, and so I spent two evenings dining under the bridge and having my first tastes of some of Georgia’s signature foods. The two most famous dishes are Khachapuri – a dough bowl filled with butter, cheese, and typically a raw egg; and Khinkali – also known as Georgian dumplings, typically filled with meat or vegetables.
My favorite part of Tbilisi was walking the long stretch of Rustaveli Avenue. Home to a number of museums and restaurants/cafes, this street has a completely different feel than anywhere else in the city. It is lined with trees that provide natural shade, and there are charming bronze statuettes sitting along the way.
Like many European cities, Tbilisi is a combination of old and new. The historic old town didn’t appear to be well maintained, and many buildings were falling apart. At the same time, there are intricately preserved churches, and a number of unique contemporary buildings.
Leaving Tbilisi I took a 5+ hour train to the city of Kutaisi, where I spent only one night. From there I took a “Marshrutka” bus to the mountain town of Mestia, located in the famous Svaneti region of Georgia. The Marshrutka buses are common in former soviet countries, and are inexpensive but cramped. I read many comments online about crazy drivers and near-accidents, but I didn’t find my drivers to be reckless.
Mestia was my introduction to guest house accommodation, which is a very popular alternative to hostels in this part of the world. Private rooms in a Georgian hostel will usually run you at least $20-$30 USD/night, but by booking a guest house you can have your own room for $8-$10 USD/night.
Mestia was my favorite stop in Georgia because it had the perfect balance between the amenities of a city and the relaxed character of a mountain town. Georgia has some of the best Wifi I have experienced in any country, and so I anticipate places like Mestia will eventually become popular amongst remote workers looking for a good base close to nature.
Mestia is surrounded on both sides by mountains and much of the architecture throughout town comprise of cottages/cabins. Also interesting are the soviet-era watch towers that are common throughout the Svaneti region. These towers have an almost medieval, Game of Thrones-esque character (and are not to be confused with soviet-style architecture).
The Caucasus mountains and the Svaneti region are among Georgia’s most popular destinations. I was towing a suitcase around, so unfortunately I was ill-prepared for most of the adventure that awaited me. For example, there is a multi-day hike between Mestia and the village of Ushguli with villages in between for accomodation. If I could do it again, I would have come to Georgia solely to hike and would have packed accordingly.
For those who can’t thru-hike, there are plenty of day hikes that can be taken straight from the villages. From Mestia I did a 7+ hour hike round trip to the Koruldi Lakes. In my experience, these “lakes” were far less interesting than the views along the way. When there’s no wind, the lakes at the end of the trail reflect the mountain range to create a dazzling scene – but I wasn’t so lucky on my day.
I fell in love with Mestia when I discovered the $1 USD glasses of wine at a local restaurant. Fun fact: Georgia claims to have invented wine, and it is ridiculously inexpensive throughout the country. Georgia is also a foodie paradise, and there are many unique dishes here both for meat eaters and vegetarians. You can even find wine ice-cream!
Leaving Mestia I took another Marshrutka bus an hour north to the village of Ushguli, which is considered to be the highest inhabited village in Europe. Even though I had a fondness for Mestia, Ushguli was the most awe-inspiring part of this trip.
Part of what makes Ushguli special is the total sense of immersion and isolation. During the colder months of the year this town is completely shut off to the outside world due to snow and road conditions. On a clear day Georgia’s tallest mountain, Shkhara towers over the village. On the other side of Shkhara is the border with Russia.
Ushguli is full of soviet watch towers and stone buildings, some of which function as guest houses! The hosts at my particular guest house didn’t speak any English, but we managed the payment and Wifi discussion fully with hand signals and some laughs. If you are staying at a guest house make sure to accept their dinner invitations at least once – they will probably charge you a little more than a local restaurant, but chances are they will provide a delicious, home-cooked meal for $6-$8 USD.
I have fond memories of doing my laundry in the shower at my guest house, and hanging up my clothes on the lines outside. For me there’s something cool about doing laundry by hand in foreign places, and this was probably the best laundry view I’ve had.
Shkhara wasn’t visible on my first day in Ushguli, but the next morning I awoke in awe to a completely clear sky and the mountain beaming out my window. Not wanting to miss the photo opportunity, I got up at 5:30 AM and hiked to the glacier at the base of Shkhara. This was a six hour hike round-trip with a mostly flat trail.
That morning will live on as my favorite travel memory of 2021. As I made my way out of Ushguli I was followed by three dogs, including the husky from my guest house. The sun gradually rose as I made my way to the glacier. My new furry friends ran ahead most of the time and checked back on me from time to time. I was concerned that these dogs were walking miles away from home – is this just something they do?
On the way there I had nothing but breathtaking views of Shkhara, and I didn’t encounter a single soul. Coming back was a different story – by 10:30 small groups of tourists were making their way to the glacier, and tour guides were taking others by car. It pays in blissful solitude to get up early when traveling!
At this point the three dogs turned from friendly pets into demons – they chased around cows and and bit horses tails, and eventually became so distracted with other people’s dogs that I lost them before arriving back in Ushguli. To this day I still wonder if that husky made it back home…
From Ushguli I spent one more night in Mestia before moving on to the city of Batumi. Sitting along the Black Sea, Batumi is known as the “Vegas of Georgia” thanks in part to it’s plentiful casino’s. For me the architecture really stood out – from the whimsical Alphabet Tower to the Technological University Tower (the latter has a ferris wheel built into the exterior).
Batumi is likely to experience massive growth in the coming years, both in itself and as an up and coming tourist destination. During my visit it seemed like every other building was under construction.
Returning to the capital for my flight home I made sure to visit the largest church in Georgia, the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi. One real perk of traveling during the pandemic has been that sites like this have seen relatively no visitors, and having this massive cathedral mostly to myself at golden hour was a magical experience.
Georgia is a very off the beaten path destination, but this is changing as more people discover its charm. Those who travel here will find incredible food and wine, futuristic and historic architecture, friendly locals, affordable prices, and of course some of the best hiking in Eurasia.
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