Live Your Best Lives
I recently read a travelogue about Georgia and was hooked. The article described Georgia's beautiful scenery, few tourists, and affordable prices. You can buy a house there for tens of thousands of yuan, and you can settle down there, even permanently, without having to change your citizenship. Plus, since I changed jobs and couldn't travel as much as I wanted, I wanted to make the most of the National Day holiday. Europe was too expensive, and Southeast Asia was overcrowded, so I set my sights on Georgia.
Georgia, known as "God's Backyard," is located in the Transcaucasus region, on the border between Asia and Europe. While geographically close to Asia, its political system and urban landscape are typical of European countries. It is also Stalin's hometown and was once part of the Soviet Union. As a result, locals speak both Georgian and Russian, and most also speak basic English, making communication in English relatively easy.
Before leaving, I made a quick packing list and excluded all pre-trip tasks, including booking flights and hotels, to avoid forgetting anything. I checked the weather in Georgia for October, and it was similar to autumn in China. However, upon arriving, I discovered the temperature difference between morning and evening in Georgia was significant, and it was so cold at night that I needed a light down jacket. The winds were especially strong at the summit of Mount Kazbek, making it almost impossible to believe life. Batumi's weather, to me, felt like summer with autumn temperatures. In short, pack your clothes based on the weather.
Georgia requires an electronic visa, which can be applied for at https://www.evisa.gov.ge/GeoVisa/. All you need is a recent headshot and a flight and hotel reservation. Your electronic visa will be emailed to you within 5-7 business days of application, and you can print it out at that time.
Outbound: Beijing - Novosibirsk Airport, Russia (2-hour layover, baggage checked through) - Tbilisi. Return: Tbilisi - Hamad Airport, Doha (6-hour layover) - Beijing. Round-trip airfare for two, including taxes, is 10,002 RMB. Tip: If you're connecting at Hamad Airport, check for flights with layovers longer than 6 hours. Hamad Airport offers a free city tour several times a day. The tour, which starts at 8:00 AM and lasts 2 hours and 45 minutes, is free with your passport and ticket. We arrived a little after 5:00 AM and departed a little after 11:00 AM, so we didn't have enough time to join.
jet lag
Georgia is 4 hours behind China. If it is 10 am in China, it is 6 am in Georgia.
Currency Exchange
You can't exchange RMB for lari in Georgia. You need to exchange US dollars or euros in your home country and bring them to Georgia to exchange. The exchange rate is generally 1 USD = 2.58-2.61 lari. Visa cards are accepted in restaurants and specialty shops, but UnionPay cards rarely, if ever, work. I've never been able to successfully use my UnionPay card.
Phone cards
I recommend buying one once you arrive in Georgia. After comparing various options, I decided to buy a Magti phone card. This card has a good signal and a 5G data plan, but doesn't include phone calls. It costs 15 lari (about 39 RMB) per card. You can get one at the airport or in the city.
From Tbilisi Airport to the city center, take bus number 37. Turn right and you'll see it. It costs 0.5 lari per person. Get a metro card at a city subway station. This card is valid for buses, subways, and cable cars. The card costs 2 lari, and the amount on the card is non-refundable. A one-way metro ride costs 0.5 lari, regardless of the number of stops. Multiple people can use one card, so one is enough. Taxi fares are generally 5 lari for trips up to 5 kilometers. Georgian taxis don't use meters, so it's best to negotiate a fare before you get in. You might notice taxi drivers taking their hands off the wheel, talking on the phone, or not slowing down on curves and uphill slopes. Don't worry, this is normal in Georgia. Be especially careful when crossing the street in Georgia; don't take chances. Georgians drive aggressively. However, like Hangzhou, they often give way to others, which is surprising. There are few sidewalks on the streets, so you usually have to use underground passages.
September 28th - October 5th
I took the high-speed train from Hangzhou to Beijing South Railway Station, arriving a little after 9:00 AM. From there, I took the Airport Express to Capital Airport. At 2:50 AM on the 29th, I boarded a Fighting Nation flight to Novosibirsk for a two-hour layover. My luggage was checked through, and I arrived in Tbilisi at 11:00 AM.
DAY1: Tbilisi
DAY2: Tbilisi-Kazbek
DAY3: Kazbekistan-Tbilisi
DAY4: Tbilisi-Batumi
DAY 5: Batumi
DAY6: Batumi-Tbilisi
DAY7: Tbilisi
Although we planned our daily itinerary and even secured a visa for Armenia before departure, we felt rushed and decided to spend the days in Armenia in Batumi to avoid being too rushed. This proved to be a wise decision. Although Georgia is not a large country, traveling between cities takes a considerable amount of time, 3-5 hours. A few round trips would have taken up a day or two, and it was also very tiring.
Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, was our first stop and a transit point for the following stops. The city isn't large, so it can be explored in a day or two. From the top of the hill, you can see the entire city at a glance. The city is incredibly inclusive, with a juxtaposition of old and new. One moment, you pass by an aged wooden door, and the next, you look up to see European-style buildings across the street. Graffiti in the underpasses evokes a communist vibe. While the city's war history has given it a conservative and traditional appearance, the nightlife along the Kura River at night exudes the inherent European sense of leisure and prosperity.
On our first day in Tbilisi, we stayed at the Terrace Hotel. Since Tbilisi is a mountainous city, the hotel's perch overlooks the city. This hotel almost made me lose interest in Tbilisi. Tbilisi is often hilly, so we took a bus from the airport and got off about 700 meters from the hotel. We followed the directions on foot. The road was hilly all the way, getting steeper and steeper. We were lugging our suitcases, and even asking locals for directions was difficult, but they couldn't give us a definitive guide. Finally, one of us stayed where we were while the other continued searching, and we finally found it! The hotel was right next to the road, but walking required a detour, as the optimal route on the map was always uphill.
Fortunately, the hotel is in a great location. The next day, I had breakfast on the rooftop overlooking the city, which was a wonderful experience. I originally booked this hotel precisely for this view.
After resting at the hotel, I went for a stroll. I always took a second look at beautiful wooden doors and buildings. The dappled shadows of trees reflected on the colorful doors and windows were truly stunning!
On both the first and last day, I was lucky enough to catch a local political party leader giving a campaign speech. The leader gathered the crowd and delivered an impassioned speech, police watching nearby, but he wasn't serious, more casual than serious, as if it weren't a big deal. The second speech was in a park, and the leader, candidate number two, was greeted with cheers from the crowd after his speech, seemingly winning the hearts of the people.
This park is located on the top of a mountain and has a better view than the fortress. You can easily see the whole city of Tbilisi at a glance.
It's called a park, but it's more like an amusement park. It's a great value, and there's a restaurant with a great view. Best of all, there were very few people. The roller coaster requires at least four people to ride, and when we bought our tickets, two foreign women were already sitting there waiting to fill in the seats. At the top, we were upside down, our butts flying off the seats. It was a thrill that made me scream.
Later I found out there was a small train that I could take that went up and down the mountain in a straight line at a 45-degree angle, which was also a very special experience.
Tips:
Tips
(1) You can take bus No. 124 from the Free Market, and the last stop is the park. You can also take the park’s dedicated train directly to the park.
(2) There is no entrance fee to the park. You only need to pay for the entertainment activities. You need to top up your card at the park and pay by swiping the card.
Said to be the largest flea market in Europe, locals set up outdoor stalls to sell all sorts of old items, many dating back to the Second World War. The diverse array of items, including medals, vintage cameras, various silver items, and vinyl records, was both dazzling and captivating. I had my eye on a record player, but worried about the potential for repairs in China if it broke, and the shipping issues, so I held off. Arriving a bit late, most of the vendors were already packing up, and I felt a bit disappointed that I didn't take the time to browse. Tip: Although the stalls are open until 7 p.m., they might close earlier, closing around 6 p.m., so it's best to go early. Just use Google Maps to find the Dry Bridge.
On my way to dinner, I randomly found a restaurant and discovered it was right next to the clock tower. Constructed from a pile of discarded materials, the puppet clock tower looks rickety, yet also uniquely charming, like something out of a fairy tale. Every hour, the small cabin above the clock tower automatically opens, and an angel puppet emerges to ring the bell before returning to the cabin. Every visitor waits in advance for the puppet to appear, creating a truly fairytale-like scene.
Narikala Castle, also known as Tbilisi's Mother Fortress, is the oldest fortification in the area. We hiked up after dinner. The road is steep and difficult to walk, but the locals drove straight up, steady and steady. Once again, we witnessed the impressive driving skills of the Tbilisi people. Upon reaching the fortress, we were greeted by a bustling scene of Tbilisi, with the sounds of singing filling the old city and the leisurely nightlife along the Kura River. Tip: You can take the cable car up for 2.5 lari one way, which is valid with a bus card.
The next day, we chartered a car from Tbilisi to Kazbekistan, stopping at many scenic spots along the way. The terrain gradually rose, and the temperature dropped noticeably. As Georgian music played, the endless grasslands, the alpine scenery rivaling Kanas, and the river, like a green ribbon, flashed by outside the window. The three-hour drive was surprisingly exhilarating.
Tips:
Tips:
There are two ways to get from Tbilisi to Georgia. One is to take a minibus from Didube Metro Station for 10 lari per person, which takes over three hours and doesn't stop at tourist attractions. The other option is to charter or share a car from Didube Metro Station for 20-35 lari per person (negotiate depending on the size and age of the car), with stops at tourist attractions along the way.
This is the cover of the Transcaucasian edition of Lonely Planet, and it's also the only way to get from Tbilisi to Kazbekistan. Ananuzh is a 13th-century castle and military fortress with two churches. Its beauty, set against a backdrop of lakes and forests, is beyond words.
This monument, erected to commemorate the friendship between Georgia and Russia, is ironic given the outbreak of war between the two countries on August 8, 2008. Putting aside the monument's significance, the murals on it are exquisite. Standing on the monument, you can admire the expansive views of horses grazing on the grasslands, the endless valleys stretching out in the distance, and paragliders soaring.
Tips:
Tips:
Later, I met some Chinese tourists who were sharing a car with me and went paragliding. It cost 250 Lari for less than 15 minutes, which is about 96 US dollars.
The church is located in Mtskheta, a small town. This church, the second largest in Georgia, is also the burial site of Jesus' robe. It's right in the center of town. Visible from afar, surrounded by walls, it resembles a magnificent castle. Outside the walls is a commercial street selling tourist souvenirs, including attractive refrigerator magnets and cutting boards.
Kazbek is a quiet and peaceful town, situated over 2,000 meters above sea level. It's a famous hiking destination for its snow-capped mountains and Europe's tallest church. The town is completely isolated, with cattle leisurely strolling along the roads, sheep grazing on the vast green meadows, and Mount Kazbek covered in perpetual snow. The church, the closest to the sky, is a truly enchanting sight. The Orthodox Church, a landmark I found on Google Maps, is about 700 meters from the hotel. I asked the hotel staff for directions, and they told me it was right behind the hotel and I could see it by just climbing up.
Tourists were scarce, and we were the only two of us on the road. The scenery resembled photos of Switzerland I'd seen: vast expanses of rolling grasslands, so vast they made me want to roll in them. We occasionally stumbled across patches of woods, the occasional local horseback rider, and cows grazing. I spotted a tree with yellowing leaves, a striking autumnal touch amidst the greenery. I took photos with my tripod, uninterrupted.
Further up, we saw the church, the Eastern Orthodox Church. It was around 4 or 5 p.m., and the setting sun shone on the church, creating an indescribable beauty. The church is inhabited by priests, and we saw six or seven foreign tourists, but no one else.
After breakfast, we headed out for a hike. The church and Mount Kazbek stood facing each other, visible from the foot of the mountain. The sky was so blue it needed no filter, and the sun shone warmly on my skin. The trail wasn't easy, proving true to Lu Xun's words: "There are no roads in the world, but when more people walk, they become roads." A path was forged through the gravel slope. We met other Chinese tourists along the way, and we encouraged each other to take photos, which didn't make us feel tired at all.
The climb takes about an hour and a half, with stops and starts. Arriving at the church, facing Mount Kazbek and overlooking the town of Kazbek, the nearby mountains have Kanas-style scenery, and the vast sky and earth against the pure blue sky are filled with awe.
Georgian churches are all built on top of mountains. At an altitude of more than 2,100 meters, it is said to be the highest church in Europe. It has attracted countless newlyweds to take wedding photos here, letting the blue sky and snow-capped mountains witness their love.
Photography is prohibited inside the church, and women must cover their lower body with the cloth at the church entrance to enter. Thinking of the church and the snow-capped mountains, I bought a white dress before our trip. However, shipping was delayed, and it didn't arrive before our departure. I even bought my veil. So, I ended up wearing pants and a white shirt while my boyfriend and I took photos near the church. The wind was incredibly strong up there, and I was practically crying from the cold. We asked Chinese tourists to take our photos, and there were so many foreigners singing and cheering, which was a bit embarrassing, hahaha. But thinking back on it now, the memories are still beautiful.
Tips:
Tips:
You can charter a car or share a ride up and down the mountain. My personal recommendation is to hike up and charter a car or share a ride down. I hiked up and down, and the descent was incredibly difficult. The steep path with the cliffs beside it nearly broke my heart, and my feet were sore and chafed for several days.
Batumi is a city situated on the Black Sea, with a long coastline stretching along the water. A last-minute trip to this city offered many surprises. Just aimlessly strolling along the Black Sea and soaking up the coastal charm is truly relaxing. And the beach is always full of entertainment to keep you entertained.
Tips:
Tips:
Tbilisi to Batumi is accessible by train, a five-hour journey. Tickets can be purchased at the train station or through the GR Railway app, which requires a credit card. However, my app failed numerous times, forcing me to purchase my ticket in person. Friends I met on the way said they also had to try several times before successfully purchasing through the app, so I'm considering both methods.
If you're not sure where to go, a trip along the Black Sea is a surefire way to explore. The possibilities are endless. Take a Ferris wheel to a commanding vantage point and gaze down at the Black Sea coast. Rent an electric scooter and ride along the shore. There are also seaplanes, jet skis, kayaks, and other recreational activities. Even a swim in the Black Sea is a truly unique experience.
Batumi's most famous attraction tells a romantic love story. Abaiszki boy Ali and Georgian princess Nino were separated by race and religion. Georgia created a statue to commemorate their love. Every eight minutes, the two statues meet, kiss, and pass through each other's bodies before separating, repeating the cycle over and over again.
The cable car in Batumi is quite long, taking several minutes each way. From up high, you can see low red rooftops interspersed with green trees, and in the distance, the vast Black Sea coastline. The view from the top is fantastic, seemingly encompassing the entire Batumi. There's also a restaurant on the mountain, perfect for just a quick coffee.
There is a European Square across the Black Sea Road. The European buildings of various styles are dazzling. Sitting at the outdoor tables and chairs and having a European afternoon tea will make all your tiredness disappear without a trace.
This upside-down white house is actually a restaurant, with its roof facing down and even the interior completely reversed. What made the dining experience even more memorable was dining there. The restaurant is spacious and even has a resident singer. When the locals were excited, they broke into a dance, creating a lively atmosphere.
I finally managed to take some photos of Georgian food. Local cuisine is primarily beef, lamb, and chicken, with generous portions of meat. Vegetables often include potatoes and mushrooms. The eye-shaped thing is a common local naan flatbread. It's best eaten while hot, broken off and dipped in egg yolk and cheese. It's quite delicious.
Over seven days, I experienced Georgia's year-round climate and saw churches, snow-capped mountains, grasslands, and high mountains. This country, rich in history and scenery, is well worth your time to explore.
