Let's say HI to Georgia

Good Afternoon Georgians!

Well, this time it is a three days trip to Tbilisi. Visa on arrival was issued as I am a UAE resident. It was a 3 hours 30 minutes flight from Dubai to Tbilisi (Capital of Georgia). Their formalities and procedures in the airport were super fast. This trip was organized by Holiday Factory and I must say they were phenomenal. They picked us from the airport and we went straight to Light house Old City and that is where I stayed. It was around 4 pm and I just got one hour to get ready for sightseeing. Now they got a group who booked through holiday factory and I was joining them. Here the tourist guide is really friendly and he gave his whatsapp number to contact for any kind of help. 

So they took us to the main spot of Tbilisi city. He just showed around and then we got into a wine store. Georgian wines are known to be the most unique on the planet. We took an aerial cable car to reach the hill top. It just costed us 1 Georgian Lari which is 1.30 dhs approximately. It’s just a few minutes, but the 360 degree view of the city was amazing. The climate was perfect. Hill top view was great. Even the street musicians over there were marvelous. Once we got down from the cable car, we walked for a while and witnessed the most beautiful statue,  'Mother of Georgia'. The twenty meter aluminium figure of a woman in a Georgian national dress holiding a bowl of wine in one hand and a sword in another was erected in 1958. Now the next stage is dinner. We headed straight to a Georgian Restaurant. As we don’t know what to order, the guide already ordered for us and it was all set. Also, this was included in the package. You guys need to taste the authentic  Georgian dish - Khinkali. It is a Georgian dumbling, almost equal to our momos. At last, a beautiful dance for all of us by the restaurant team. 

 

Second day, after the morning breakfast in the hotel, they planned a one day trip to kazbegi, officially named Stepantsminda. It is a small town northeast of Georgia and is famous for its mountainous terrain. We visited the Gergeti Trinity Church, which is one of the world's most beautiful churches. It is built in the 14th century and this church is located on 1,800 meters above sea level. If you love nature, then this is one of the must see destinations in Georgia.

While going back to the hotel, they played Bollywood songs in the bus because most of the people were Indians. A couple started dancing as they were celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary on this trip. The driver and the guide were truly helpful and at the same time they were a wonderful host. 

The next day we went to Jvari Monastery and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral. Jvari Monastery is a remarkable sacred landmark and was included on the 2006 World Monuments Watch. Many of the ancient churches we have seen in Georgia are located on a hill. The Jvari Monastery is no exception. So now the tour package has ended in the afternoon itself and we could do whatever we want. I got down in Tbilisi mall. It is the biggest mall in Tbilisi. One more thing, it is better to get a SIM from outside the airport as it is very cheap. In airports, it is slightly expensive. They just need your passport and you will get it in less than 30 minutes.  Later on I went to the main city to experience the night life of Georgia. It is better to download Taxify as Uber is not there in Tbilisi and it is much cheaper. The local taxi drivers can charge you whatever they want once you speak in English. One of the well known locations for nightlife is Shardeni Street. Be careful to check the menu properly as prices are very high in some shops. I went to a cafe almost 500kms away from shardani street. It is a long route and you can find many cafes where they provide drinks, sheesha and food. But be very careful with them. 

The whole journey was fantastic and the entire tour package was absolutely satisfying. The guide helped me throughout the journey in terms of directions and to know the best food spots. The package almost included everything except lunch and dinner on the last day. I went during May and the weather was just perfect. Overall, the country is just beautiful, the culture is very rich, food is delicious and also many Georgians are very helpful. It almost costed less than 2000dhs for the entire journey and I must say it’s worth the price.

Let's go for a 3 minutes drive to Georgia. Sorry for the poor video quality.