Honest opinion about Georgia and 4 days itinerary guide

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I was at the end of my worst month of the year – September. The weather at this time is still pleasant and gives lots of crisp but sunny days to prepare the garden for the winter. Days are reasonably long – what’s not to like. Nothing as bad as the longest month ever – January, right? September till November are my husband’s most busy months work-wise, which means I am all alone with kids, jiggling school, work, house chores, extra curriculums. One mundane afternoon, my dear spouse sent me a message that was just honey to my soul. ‘How about you go somewhere alone when I am back?’ I’ve had a new purpose now – plan a trip – my favourite thing to do just after being on the actual trip. Trying to find a holiday without any particular wishes for the destination at the given dates can be tricky. I usually use WayAway website that allows you to choose your departure airport and input ‘Anywhere’ at the destination plus your exact dates. Search will arrange destinations by country starting from cheapest. And voila! Now you just need to look for what makes your heart beat a little faster. This time around my choice landed on an unusual destination for me. That’s how I ended up on a 4 days trip to Georgia! Gorgeous country tucked between Russia and Turkey. I would like to give you my honest opinion about Georgia plus 4 days itinerary guide.

Flights

I personally haven’t come across direct flights from the UK to capital of Georgia – Tbilisi. If you do, let me know! However, transfer isn’t too uncomfortable. You can easily travel via Munich with Lufthansa, Istanbul with Pegasus and Turkish Airlines or Warsaw with LOT. With a 1.5 hour layover it’s roughly a 9hours journey (perfect for an audiobook). 

Roaming

As soon as you land, you want to check in with your family. E-sim is the best option to go, you can connect it before you leave your departure country. As soon as you hit the tarmac, unlock that airplane mode button and voila – you’re in. Depending on the contract with your mobile provider, roaming in certain locations can be included in your plan, so check beforehand. If I tried to connect to 4G In Georgia, charges would be wild! 

Currency and prices

Good luck finding any bureau in the UK that stocks Georgian Lari. You’ll most likely be able to find a currency exchange shop once you arrive. Don’t use kiosks at the airport as their rate is not going to be profitable. In most places you will have to provide your passport to be copied when exchanging. It is their legal duty for money laundry proof purposes, but in one place I wasn’t asked for it at all.

When you land and have no money yet, best try to order Bolt to be collected from the airport or offer whatever currency you have on you to taxi drivers. I brought some leftover dollars and euros bills as an emergency. Prices for services and leisure are generally cheap and I will include them within this guide. 

Car rental

If I you plan to stay around the capital, 2-3 days is enough. You can easily rely on public transport or taxis. If you would like to explore the breathtaking landscapes of Georgia, book as many days as you can get away with! Unless you find an organised explorer trip, you’ll need a vehicle. Big rental companies are available, however, private rental is a very much a popular option. If you come across one in your search – it is not a scam. I went with Subaru Explorer for $110. Car’s owner asked for cash on collection. We signed single paged simple contract and I was off to my first destination. Worth clarifying which petrol you can fuel your car with. Regulations specify minimum octane levels for the various grades of gasoline with a minimum octane of 87 required for regular and 91 for super or premium. Average price for a litre of Premium is 3GEL (£0.85). On return, I informed the owner via whatsapp, I will be two hours late, for which he replied ‘ok’. When we met at the designated spot, he asked if all was ok, got into the car and drove away. That’s how easy and hustle free it was. If I were to rent the car again, I’d probably go for a rental company located at the airport. As everything was ok with my car (apart from really worn out tyres), it is a risk that you might have a car delivered without a door handle or working breaks. Given the condition of the cars allowed on the road, I don’t think that equivalent of MOT exists in Georgia.

Taxis (Bolt) were surprisingly cheap form of transport. I used it everywhere I needed to get in Tbilisi without a car. Trip from the centre to the airport cost me 30GEL (£8.50). There are loads of taxi drivers hovering at the arrivals terminal looking for customers. They mumble and whisper, I thought they try to sell me drugs at first. If you don’t want to be ripped off, negotiate the price of 30-40GEL or 15 EURO maximum. 

Driving in Georgia

Driving in Georgia is wild. Cars on the road are scraped, bumpers missing, lights not working, rules are not respected. I found it hard to work out what was the speed limit on certain roads, as other drivers were speeding through. A bigger car has priority and you simply have to claim your space on the road if you want to get anywhere. Being overtaken while you already overtake another vehicle on a single carriageway? Only in Georgia and Tokyo Drift clip! You will most likely encounter a flock of sheep walking in the middle of the road or cows and dogs resting between lanes. If you spot a flashing police car driving behind you, don’t panic. They drive like this all the time, just to pass through.

Georgian hospitality

I was quite prepared mentally for what I can expect from this holiday in terms of amenities and general vibe. Georgia is a post-Soviet country with strong Russian influence. Georgia applied to be a member of the European Union, however, don’t know if and when they’ll be able to join. Any vlog I’ve seen before mentioned how welcoming and generous local people are. I personally think that’s a myth. They are pleasant and efficient when dealing with your request (mostly), but will cut any interaction short to the absolute minimum. I missed having an occasional chit-chat or being simply asked where I came from and what my plans are. Locals were absolutely disinterested in me. The only person keen talking to me was a taxi driver at 3 in the morning – exactly when I was not able to think 🙂

The older generation will only speak Russian as their second language, but younger people know Russian and English very well. You will most likely encounter them working in hospitality.

Safety

As a tourist you have to have an obligatory travel insurance (which you can purchase for a single trip or yearly cover to multiple destinations). However it wasn’t checked by the emigration, on arrival in Georgia. Apart from few situations on the road, I felt very safe as a solo travelling woman. Never been stalked, talked to by other men that I didn’t approach. Country looks free from any form of vandalism. There were plenty of spaces really run down, but it was more as a result of disrepair. You will notice enormous amount of stray dogs and cats which paints a very sad picture of an animal welfare. They were always very friendly and never harassing me in any way, even when I had food. Politely waiting for anything to fall out of my mouth and super grateful if I gave them a little cuddle (not like my entitled Prince that I slave to at home!)

Food

I absolutely loved the food. Bread was melting in the mouth, freshly cut vegetables tasted of sun, seasoned with cold pressed sunflower or walnut oil. Dishes were well seasoned but not overwhelmed with spices. Every restaurant had big selection of dishes to try which included fried or grilled various types of meat, salads made of ingredients I’ve never heard before, aubergines layered with garlic and nut paste, cured cheese made of sheep’s milk. Plenty to choose from for meat lovers and vegetarians. My biggest discovery was traditional amber wine (read more here) and tkemali sauce (as a massive condiment lover) – savoury dip for you meat chunks made of various colours of mirabelle prune. Definitely worth a try!

Weather in October

Weather depends on the region you are going to. As I visited Georgia in the middle of October, I had to be prepared for every type of condition. Tbilisi was wet and humid on my arrival, with a temperature of 17 degrees at night. The thin Trespass waterproof and windproof coat was just perfect. Wine region greet me with lovely 23 degrees celsius, quick changeover in a car to my long sleeve dress and flip flops was perfect. Driving up the Kazbek region to an elevation of 2,170 metres (7,120 ft) hit me with 9 degrees and frosty wind. Batumi located by the other side of the country – The dead sea coast (which unfortunately I didn’t have enough time to visit) was a mild 25 degrees at the time. 

As you see, Georgia requires a very smart packing if you are travelling with your hand luggage only – onion style as I call it. Lots of layers that can be taken off + one nice summery outfit if you care about the aesthetic of your holiday pictures.

Travel to Georgia with Children

Would I like to bring my kids here? Is Georgia child friendly?

For locations I visited – I would say that travelling with a child below 7 could be problematic. I have not seen a single changing table in any of the bathrooms. Meal times could be a struggle, unless you stock up on breakfast types of snacks. Restaurants serve typical Georgian food, so if your child is not an adventurous eater and picks every leaf of parsley from their meal, it’s going to be hard to find them toddler friendly food. I didn’t look around specifically for this type of restaurant, but pasta or pizza is a rarity. The only place with fast food chains was the capital.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my honest opinion about Georgia and you will follow me for my 4 days itinerary guide.