The second country in my recent trip after Azerbaijan was Georgia. I will briefly recount how our adventures went.
Information for Reference
Area of Georgia - 69,700 km²
Area of Tbilisi - 726 km²
Population of Georgia - 3.713 million (as of 2022)
Population of Tbilisi - 1.114 million (as of 2016)
Major Cities (population as of 2020):
Tbilisi - 1,154,314
Batumi - 169,095
Kutaisi - 135,201
Rustavi - 128,680
Tbilisi
Overall, Tbilisi did not leave a strong impression on me. On the positive side, the city has attractions, and its terrain is both mountainous and low-lying, which looks beautiful. Additionally, taxis are inexpensive here, and Yandex Taxi operates in the city. However, the positives of the city pretty much end there, and a lot of negatives begin. The variable terrain, which is a plus, can often become a minus, as it’s not always pleasant to be going up and down during a walk. The buildings in the central part of the city look quite unkempt. Often, they have nice interiors but lack any exterior maintenance. There are also many stray dogs on the streets. Judging by the marks on their ears, they are vaccinated and, in most cases, not aggressive. However, we witnessed instances where these stray dogs displayed aggression towards people; standing on their hind legs, they can almost reach human height. One dog came close to grabbing the arm of a passing person. Additionally, dogs become more aggressive when they gather in groups, often led by one aggressive leader that barks and encourages the others to bark as well. With the abundance of dogs in the city, they tend to relieve themselves wherever they please, so it’s best to watch your step at night. Speaking of nighttime, not everywhere is well-lit in the evening.
Driving
In the previous article about Azerbaijan, I detailed the rather strange driving style of both guests and residents of Baku. However, I cannot say the same about Tbilisi and Georgia in general. While it may not be the perfectly Belarusian driving style of strictly adhering to lanes and traffic rules, overall driving was significantly easier than in Baku. Occasionally, there were individuals who exhibited aggressive driving styles, mostly taxi drivers and minibus drivers. However, they tend to drive more aggressively in all countries compared to the majority of drivers.
Police
Although we rented a car for three days, during that time we were never stopped by the police (unlike in Azerbaijan).
Accommodation
I slightly criticized Tbilisi as a city, but that is nothing compared to the apartment we stayed in. While it had a fresh interior renovation, it was located in the old town in one of the old buildings. Firstly, we encountered several cockroaches there; secondly, a cat was constantly screaming right outside our door at night. Thirdly, it’s important to understand that there was practically no hallway or vestibule in the house, and the door from the bedroom opened directly onto the street. This resulted in good sound insulation from the street and the cats, as well as it being very cold, which caused us to catch a cold.
The second apartment where we stayed was in Kutaisi. We spent only one night there. The apartment was in a new building with a fresh renovation. This was probably the only night in Georgia that we truly enjoyed; nothing bothered or disturbed us.
We also stayed in Batumi for two nights. It was a popular area: Orbi City, the first line of the beach. A completely new, huge hotel. We stayed on the 37th floor with a decent view, but the room was terrible. It was quite surprising how such a new hotel could be so worn down in a short period. Firstly, there was no soap in the room. Secondly, when we tried to pull the blackout curtain, it immediately tore. Thirdly, the bedside shelf on one side of the bed was broken. Fourthly, the entrance door was slightly damaged and showed signs of very old blood. Fifthly, the headboards and the walls of the room were very dirty and stained. Sixthly, the kitchen faucet was wobbly. Seventhly, the shower was so worn out that it leaked water from all possible connection points, spraying in three directions. Eighthly, we had problems connecting to Wi-Fi. On the positive side, we can mention the presence of a kettle and a nice view from the window.
Landscape and Terrain
Despite the fact that Georgia has many mountains, it is a very green and beautiful country that is worth exploring beyond the outskirts of the capital or any other major city with an airport.
Russian Language
There are even more Russian-speaking people here than in Azerbaijan. The situation is quite similar: younger people speak less Russian, while older generations are more proficient in the language. However, there are no issues with the Russian language in this country, and almost all tours and guides you will encounter speak Russian.
Roads
The roads in Georgia are somewhat similar to those in Azerbaijan, with the only difference being that there is significantly more greenery. You can find both mountainous and flat roads here. Towards Russia, there are many mountains, making the roads more mountainous. In the direction of Batumi and Kutaisi, if there are any mountains, the roads through them are made with small tunnels, making the drive quite comfortable. Most roads are single-lane in each direction. However, even now, a number of dual carriageways are actively being constructed, some of which are already functioning in the Kutaisi area. The speed limit on these roads is set at 110 km/h. In other cases, it is 90 km/h. Additionally, there are many populated areas where the speed limit is even lower. In populated areas, it is not uncommon to see freely grazing domestic animals—from horses and cows to pigs—each of which is not opposed to stepping right onto the roadway. No matter where you are—out of town or in a populated area—there are practically no potholes on the roads, making driving quite comfortable.
Air Temperature
We were in Georgia during the second week of April. The weather was quite pleasant for walking. Although we were somewhat unlucky on certain days with rain, which forced us to buy an umbrella, overall the weather was very acceptable for strolls. The same cannot be said for the apartments and hotels. Most likely, we arrived at a time when the heating had already been turned off. It was cold in all three places where we stayed.
Population
The population is quite polite and cultured. However, every second person seemed to be a braggart who was not against exaggerating the stories they told. You can also encounter beggars, although where in the world are there none? Overall, after visiting most of the country, one can conclude that there is almost no class difference among the population. Even the cars people drive are generally quite good, and they are usually foreign brands. The most common car among the population that is relatively inexpensive is the Toyota Prius. That is the type of car we drove.
Kutaisi
The second city after Tbilisi where we stayed. There isn’t much to see in the city itself, but within 40-50 km from it, there are quite interesting attractions. In the city, it is easy to find good accommodation for your stay. Another advantage of the city is that parking is readily available, unlike in Tbilisi and especially Batumi.
Batumi
The city left a mixed impression, though more negative than positive. Batumi has a nice waterfront for walks, decent squares where you can sit, and quite good places to eat well and inexpensively. But that’s where the positives pretty much end. The city itself is small, essentially consisting of three major parallel streets that are even hard to call large by Belarusian standards. However, there are a lot of cars on these roads. They drive in a familiar manner, but there are huge problems with parking. Many cars are parked right on the sidewalks. Speaking of parking, after struggling to find a parking spot far from our hotel, we then searched for a 24-hour bank (since we arrived late in the evening) to pay for parking in the city. Even for free parking, you have to pay for the spots—this strange logic applies not only in Batumi but also in other cities. You need to pay for parking separately in each city. Since there are many cars in the city, it is not uncommon to see mopeds and scooters moving right along the sidewalks. By the way, there are bike lanes in some parts of the city, but people walk on them, making it extremely inconvenient to ride a bike there. It is also very difficult to cross the street, even at pedestrian crossings, as no one wants to yield or stop. However, this is characteristic of the entire country, not just Batumi. Additionally, among the negative aspects of Batumi, one should note the large construction project on the waterfront near Orbi City, as well as the quality of the hotels where we stayed, which I mentioned earlier.
Attractions
We spent exactly one week in Georgia. For the first few days, we were in Tbilisi. With a great desire, you can see the main attractions of Tbilisi in just one day, but it is better to plan for two days to do so.
Next, we took a tour and headed to the mountains in the north, almost to the border with Russia. These were beautiful places, so it is recommended to visit northern Georgia either by car on your own or with a tour and guide.
After that, we set off towards Kutaisi and Batumi, and for the remaining three days, we explored these two cities as well as their surroundings, and of course, the attractions we encountered along the way. I would like to specifically highlight and recommend the cave and canyon near Batumi.
Prices
It is quite difficult to judge prices in Georgia, as what may seem expensive to some can appear cheap to others. Therefore, I will compare prices with those in Minsk and Belarus. Here, gasoline is more expensive. Grocery prices in stores are slightly higher than ours. However, in dining establishments, they serve quite large portions, so you can have a satisfying meal at reasonable prices. You can see the cost of hotels and apartments on Booking.com, so there is no need to duplicate that information here. In conclusion, I would like to note that they have relatively cheap car sharing, and you can confidently rent a car, especially considering that driving here is not very stressful.
You can see more real photos and videos of Georgia on my Instagram account: shitik.sasha
