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If you have seen my honest opinion and tips on how to navigate this undiscovered by Brits country, now it’s time to get into details… best (in my opinion) way to see west of the Georgia in 4 days.
Day 1
Sighnaghi – The City Of Love
I landed super early in the morning and by 8am I was ready to leave Tbilisi. Located 1 hour 45 minutes drive away, pretty little town located in Kakheti region. Sighnaghi and its surroundings are home to several historical and cultural monuments and have been specifically protected by the State. The town is walled with the remnants of 18th-century fortifications. There are two Georgian Orthodox churches in the town itself. The newly renovated Bodbe Monastery is located 2 kilometres from Signagi and is a place of pilgrimage due to its association with St. Nino, the 4th-century apostle of Georgia. It’s location is famous for couples coming there specifically to get married, hence the name – The City Of Love.
I was starving by the time I arrived and decided to look for a place to eat. Thankfully, I found a place that was open so early (it’s difficult to find an eatery before 10:30am). Curious about famous Georgian meat/cheese filled dumplings – khinkali and their delicious cheese filled bread – khachapuri adjaruli. It was super tasty but steer away if you are lactose intolerant! Vegetables were super fresh, intense, drizzled with cold pressed sunflower oil. I was in heaven. All washed down with a carafe of house red dry wine. I was absolutely full, could not finish my meal, but don’t you worry, I’ve had little helpers waiting by my leg. My bill was only £12 with tip included. With full belly I had a stroll around town, visited Bodbe Monastery and moved on to my next destination.
Tip: In Monasteries, there are strict dress rules for both men and women. Women need to look modest and have their hair covered. If you forget your own scarf, there is always a box of them for you to borrow.
Kakheti – Wine region
A further 1.5hour drive and I reached my hotel for the night. I decided to book a room with mountain views at Begaso Family Winery. I was greeted by the host, shown to my room, paid the equivalent of £48 in cash and arranged a wine tasting dinner.
The room was very basic, two single beds, clothes rail, desk and bathroom. Perfect for a one night sleep. I didn’t come all the way there to watch TV. However, a few basics like a jug of water and instant coffee (not asking for much) would make the experience so much more comfortable. Quick recoup and off for my planned attractions for this particular region. But just look at this morning view! Can I wake up to this everyday, please?
5 minutes drive from the hotel there was a majestic Gremi’s Archangel’s Complex. Grand 16th-century church and castle.
An interesting fact is that many places, businesses and petrol stations are not tagged on GoogleMaps. Luckily, Sajari Waterfall was. A location I stumbled upon google maps. With helpful reviews and tips from other hikers – I finally got there. What can I say… it was simply beautiful and with 22 degrees celsius in mid October I decided to dip in!
Next on the list was Nekresi Monastery. Dated to the 6th century ancient complex located on the top of the mountain in the Alazani Valley. If you are an experienced hiker and have a lot of spare time, you can climb the mountain yourself. If, like me, you are tired, late and dreaming about wine… take a shuttle bus for 3GEL (both ways).
After such a full day, I was finally back at the hotel ready to rest. For the cost of 100GEL (£28) I was served a home cooked meal with 4 bottles of organic wine produced by the Begaso family. It was a feast! I was a very cheeky girl and asked if I was allowed to take all the wine with me. There was no way I could drink it all in one night after not sleeping for pretty much 24hours! The following days, I had a great treat after the driving was done. Traditional Georgian wine is produced in massive clay pots and kept underground. White wine had a beautiful amber colour and very tobacco and leather like smell. I’ve never tasted anything like this! I was debating how I could sneak a bottle in my hand luggage – as you cannot buy this particular wine anywhere else. I had to say hard pass to chacha that night (pomace brandy, clear and strong, which is sometimes called ‘wine vodka’), there was a long drive waiting for me the next day.
Day 2 – Gudauri region, Gergeti Trinity Church, Caucasus Mountains
The second day of my trip began at 9am. What a luxury, when you are usually woken up by a toddler screaming in your face at 5am. I’d kill for a coffee, but I didn’t opt for a breakfast in my hotel as I try to not eat before 10am. To be frank, it didn’t look like good coffee is an important aspect for Georgians. I’ve never seen it available anywhere I’ve been to (apart from two hotels further my journey and taste of it was…not meeting my expectations, let’s put it this way).
After 2.5 hours of driving up then down the hill and repeat, stopping every now and then to admire the views, I finally joined The Military Road and reached my first stop – Zhinvali Reservoir with Ananuri Fortress. Zhinvali Reservoir is an artificial lake. The construction of it caused big floods on this territory and almost destroyed all the historical monuments. One 12th century church fell under, and as the level of the water changes during the year, for 6 months the ruins of the church remain underwater, and for 6 months it can be seen standing on the lake bed.
Pass the fortress, down the hill there is a very modern, beach complex with sunbeds and a kids playground. How lovely would it be to have a swim in this clear blue water during summer months.
Further up, I drove past the hotel for the night which was located in Gudauri, and decided to not waste time as air visibility was reducing minute by minute. I didn’t want to risk arriving too late to see anything from Gergeti’s Trinity Church hill. I stopped briefly by Travertine Mineral Spring, a natural wonder known for its abundant mineral-rich waters. The water is renowned for its potential health benefits and anyone can stop by to enjoy a sip of this therapeutic liquid. I climbed the formation and decided to capture it on my camera – it looks like I am walking on Mars!
Next stop Russia and Georgia Friendship Monument – a large round stone and concrete structure overlooking the Devil’s Valley in the Caucasus Mountains. I was quite impressed by the monument and views from it, but taken aback on how touristy it is. There was a guy trying to make money with a selfie platform set up (that makes a quick panorama video of you and your drunk cousins on a wedding party) and very loud speakers playing hype, dance music. Not the vibe I expected from this place. I don’t know what I expected really, Russian anthem or just dead silence maybe? The amount of rubbish was just sickening. I don’t mean to be offensive to anyone but the only tourists that would think leaving their trash in a place of natural beauty didn’t come from Europe… if you know what I mean.
When arriving at the car park (cost 3GEL) – there was a girl running towards my car offering paragliding attraction. I politely thanked her. Paragliding was on my list as something I would like to do if conditions are right. After my research I decided https://skyatlantida.com/ would be my go to option. However, it was cold, cloudy and I was running out of time for the day. I definitely wouldn’t go with the company that importuned me in the car park for services that require utmost safety standards.
Moving on to my final destination – Gergeti Trinity Church. The views were just wow. It’s also the highest point where you can see Mount Kazbek. If you would like to spend more time in this region, hiking up to the Monastery (instead of driving like me) would also be a great option. Apparently manageable 1.5hour hike. I urge you to explore other pins on google maps that are located along the Military Highway. Plenty of more monasteries and waterfalls to enjoy if you’re not in a rush. Beware to not cross the Russia border if you are hiking!
Next stop – quick meal in literally the first place I found on my way down, then straight back to the hotel. My list of places to visit was exhausted for the day. The weather became rather grim which even escalated my sense of fulfilment that I managed to execute my daily plan. Sleep for the night was the Monte Hotel in Gudauri – ski resort village that must look lovely when covered in snow. For £53 a night, I had access to a very good standard double room, small pool with jets, dry and wet sauna plus game room (ping pong, billiard etc). A really cool place if you had more people with you and kids wouldn’t die of boredom in there 🙂 My surplus bottles of wine came in very handy with this full relaxation mode this hotel offers.
Breakfast wasn’t served before 8:30am and even that means that the food will now be prepared, sliced and chopped. I had to turn the coffee machine on to have my first sip of caffeine in 3 days and hit the road as it was already late for the 10am car return in Tbilisi.
The road was an attraction itself, the culture of driving (you can find more on it in previous post here), the flock of hundreds of sheep being walked in the middle of the major road in the country. 3.5 hours later – I was back in Tbilisi!
Day 3 and 4 – Tbilisi capital
Super happy that driving was finally over, began ‘holiday allowed’ daytime drinking. Dropped bags in the hotel – Constant Tbilisi (£60 for two nights) and started exploring. The city is quite large and if you’d like to be located within walking distance to major visiting places – choose somewhere in close proximity to Liberty Square. I was overwhelmed when booking a place in Tbilisi. All cheap’ish, all with glowing reviews. Finally, I had to narrow it down to desired location only.
This is the map of all the places I think are worth visiting (including Kakheti and Gudauri region).
At the end of my walking 2 days In Tbilisi, left the best to the end. A unique experience of dipping in Sulphur Baths. There are few of them located around the city with two private and one public located by Leghvtakhevi Canyon. I decided to go to the prettiest and most tourist orientated – Chreli Abano. I booked one day in advance and it was possible through their websites online booking system. Opted for Room No. 2 (200GEL) as it had a dry sauna on top of hot and cold pool. I was prepared for a full experience that included traditional Kisi head to toe scrub.
Once I checked in, I was offered to purchase any extras (renting a towel, purchase of soap, slippers and scrub mitten). I’ve had everything with me, all I needed was a fresh mitten, paid 10GEL and proceeded to my room.
The overwhelming smell of rotten eggs hit my face as soon as I walked in – the charm of the place. If you want to take any pictures – now it’s the time before your phone completely steams up. Was instructed to take the jewellery off – as sulphur might stain it, and to cool down in a cold pool every 20 minutes. Ha! The water was so hot I couldn’t even get in! It should range between 38-45 degrees celsius. My pool was on the higher spectrum I think. Once I settled in, it was time for the peeling. Mekise (a person that performs the massage) asked me to lie face down on a stone bed. Took my bra off which is a normal practice. Public baths where everyone is naked are sex segregated. The whole procedure was pleasant but painful at times. After the rigorous part, she created a massive soapy foam with some magic material and covered my whole body with it. Rubbed it well, slushed with sulphur water. It all took about 10 minutes. I paid her cash in hand (which is a standard practice).
The remaining time I was dipping into hot, cold and sauna. I couldn’t believe anyone would last over 20 minutes in this boiling pot. Every 5 minutes I felt like I would pass out from the heat.
When it’s time to leave, you’ll receive a phone call from the reception that your time is up. There was no hairdryer in the bathroom – I suggest bringing a light hat to cover your head if you don’t want to end up ill.
Roasting hot, with legs that felt like sponge – perfect time to hit another delicious meal at Balcony12, sip gorgeous Georgian wine and wash it off with oak matured ChaCha. Gaikhare!
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