Glorious Georgia!!

“THE” perfect place to fall in love with divine beauty of Nature, meet one of the friendliest People & try delicious local Cuisine.

Our trip to Georgia left me spellbound,  as this country has everything – picturesque landscapes, mountains range , rivers, canyons, meadows, history but still not yet fully commercialized & not overcrowded with tourists.  So I wanted to share marvelous beauty of nature, simplicity of People & delectable food with you all. Here are my 2 posts on Great Food, People &  Places!!!!

This small country situated on the crossroad of Europe & Asia . It has a border with Azerbaijan, Armenia, Russia & Turkey. It ‘s great mix of culture & can feel mixed warmth everywhere around the country.

Residents of the GCC countries who have valid resident visa can get On Arrival Visa in Georgia. Because of super easy visa procedure & approx 3 hrs flight , Georgia has become the perfect travel destination for the middle east crowd!

Our group of 4 families(16 people) decided to explore this beautiful country during 1 week holidays of Eid- Al-Adha.

We pre-planned our itinerary through Go-Holidays(Gosaibi) Travel, Bahrain . Half the battle is won if you get good driver & knowledgeable guide in Georgia!! Really because of rough driving, steep mountains & narrow lane ,it is a must to have skilled driver . Local English speaking guide is the best to learn about their history, culture and main thing is English is not widely spoken language so many times our guide helped us while communicating with locals/waiters.

We were lucky to have George(bus driver) & Irina(tour guide) , both had been so patient & considerate throughout our journey. You can’t go by clock when you’re in group & with kids . Irina accompanied us everywhere & had given detailed info about every sight. In bus she kept us entertained by telling about their culture, language , life & education.

Tbilisi:- On the banks of Mtkvari River, this capital city of Georgia has it’s own charm. City with blend of old & new architecture. At Tbilisi center you will see historical sights , impressive churches , monuments at the same time you will find modern structured bridges, cable cars , hotels everywhere.

Walking tour along the side of river watching its reflections on stone walls , live music of local artists , array of cafes ,  attractive souvenir shops, narrow cobbled streets ,  colourful balconies   & traditional buildings gave us real taste of the city.

Our city walk tour (5hrs) covered waterfall Leghvtakhevi, sulphur bath, bridge of peace, wine tasting, cable car from Rike Park to Narikala Fortress & monument of Mother of Georgia. Such a wonderful view of complete city from the top, you shouldn’t miss it when you’re in Tbilisi.

Kazbegi– Away from hustle and bustle of the city ,a day trip to Kazbegi was the one we all were waiting for. What a scenic journey through great Caucasus range, watching pretty landscapes , breathing fresh air & drinking mineral water & chilled sparkling water from natural springs flowing out of the ground .

On the way we visited turquoise river Zhinvali water reservoir & lovely architectural complex Ananuri castle. At Stepansminda our group split into three 4 wheel drive jeeps , ride was rough, bumpy & scary too but the moment I reached to the top panorama made me speechless. Really heaven on the earth but don’t try to drive by yourself !! Amazing view of Gregeti Trinity church surrounded by snow peaked mountains , covered in clouds .

Sighnagi:– On 3rd day, we visited the Bodbe monastery, apart from the wonderful history there, it was a beautiful area…..the gardens were full of flowers and lush green grass. Lawn was very well maintained . Georgia is truly gifted with such an amazing history and also breathtaking beauty.

Sighnagi , also known as city of love, is a small city located on a mountain and is the only city in Georgia with preserved fortress walls. The city has several watchtowers that overlook the Alazhan valley. You not find a single straight road there. It is very steep and lot many twists and turns but once you reach the top you will be taken aback by the beauty of it.

Next stop was Uplistikhe caves, it translates the fortress of the lords. There were about 200-300 caves but our group visited only 5 of them . The weather was so pleasant , it gave a spectacular view from the top.

On our way to Borjomi , we visited Jvari monastery , located on the hilltop near the town Mtskheta. This location gives a wonderful view over the city & nature around. A merger of Aragvi & Mtkvari(kura) rivers was a sight to behold!.

Mtskheta:-Spiritual capital & home to two of Georgia’s greatest churches- Svetitskhoveli and Jvari.

Borjomi – Our hotel Borjomi Palace situated on a cliff , was itself a lovely spot with outstanding view of river & mountains.

After early morning stroll around the city we took cable car from central park to hilltop Ferris Wheel. It was a memorable experience we could see a waterfall and lush green trees. Mineral Water park which has small waterfall , monuments, water springs , many attractions, rides for kids .  Kids had wonderful time here,  you could spend full day & relax !

Then we went to Prometheus caves, it was more of a science trip but we still enjoyed it.

Kutaisi :- Ancient city located in the heart of Georgia full of impressive monuments.

We did a boat ride at Martvili canyon , a natural wonder , After climbing steep rocks , wooden bridges & many  many steps you would be surprised to see this hidden gem. A lush green river with small waterfalls & streams running down the river. It was so chilled, calm & serene inside. It was a thrilling experience boating through canyons.

Later we went to the Satapalia caves. It was quite a walk on the mountain where we visited a caves,the glass bridge and a dinosaur exhibition. Then we left for Tbilisi and the next morning left for the airport for our return flight back to Bahrain.

To be continued…………………

 

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