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ViewsGeorgia (country)From eTripTips Wiki
 Georgia (Georgian: საქართველო, transliterated as Sakartvelo) [1] is a country in the Caucasus. It lies at the eastern end of the Black Sea, with Turkey and Armenia to the south, Azerbaijan to the east, and Russia to the north, over the Caucasus Mountains.
[edit] UnderstandGeorgia is a land filled with magnificent history and unparalleled natural beauty. Archaeologists found the oldest traces of wine production (7000-5000 BC) in Georgia. For those of us in the West, we unfortunately get precious little exposure to this stretch of land between the Black and Caspian seas. However, this is changing drastically. Georgians are not Russians, Turks or Persians, nor do they have any ethnic connection with other people. However, there are theories which link Georgians to Basque, Corsican and North Caucasian people. Georgia is a multi-ethnic state, the dominant ethnic group are the Kartveli, but other significant Georgian ethnic groups include the Mingreli, Laz, and Svan (all of whom speak Georgian languages distinct from the national language, Kartuli). Georgians are very proud of their own language, which is in its own language group, completely unrelated to Indo-European or Semitic languages. Georgians have been embroiled in struggles against the world’s biggest empires (Roman, Byzantine, Mongol, Persian, Ottoman, Russian, etc) for centuries. This little country was invaded thousands of times and destroyed as many. However, Georgians have managed to preserve their cultural and traditional identity for 5,000 years. The countryside is covered with ancient towered fortifications, many of which house ancient churches (including one of the oldest in Christendom) and monasteries. Christianity was introduced into Georgia in the first century, and became the official national state religion in the mid fourth century (Georgia was the second nation to adopt Christianity, after Armenia) with the evangelism of St Nino of Capadoccia. The Georgian cross is recognizable, for it was forged by St Nino with grape vines and her own hair. The grape and the vine thus hold important places in Georgian symbolism. The conversion to Christianity meant that Georgians would have a historical cultural leaning to the West instead of the with the Muslims in the region (Turkey and Persia to the South). Nonetheless, Georgian culture stands at the cross-roads of civilizations. Its culture and traditions are the product of the influence of its neighbors and of its own unique civilization. During the Soviet era, Georgia was the "Riviera of the Soviet Union" and was renowned for its cuisine and wine. Russians may love vodka, but the Georgian wines were favoured by the Soviet elite. During Soviet era, Georgia flooded Russian markets with high quality tea, wine and fruits. The Georgian Black Sea coast, in particular (Abkhazia and Adjaria), enjoys sub-tropical conditions and beautiful beaches (imagine pine trees and mountains covering the coast line). Georgia, on the periphery of the Soviet Union, also contributed greatly to the dissolution of the Soviet Union with nationalist calls for independence (and the Georgians have catalyzed the dissolution of empires before). Georgia stood on one of the key routes of the Silk Road and now plays a significant geopolitical role, being located at the crossroads of Central Asia, Russia, Europe, and the Middle East, and currently contains important oil pipelines leading from Azerbaijan to the Turkish Mediterranean coast. This proud nation is still in transition after the fall of the Soviet Union. Tense relations with Russia (and deepening friendship with the USA and the EU) has led Russia to close its markets to Georgian exports, devastating the Georgian economy. Imagine cities with narrow side streets filled with leaning houses, overstretched balconies, mangled and twisted stairways, majestic old churches, heavenly food and warm and welcoming people. All of this with a backdrop of magnificent snow peaked mountains, and the best beaches of the Black Sea. [edit] PeopleThe Georgians have exceptionally strong traditions of hospitality, chivalry, and codes of personal honour. They believe that guests come from God. Friendship is prized highest among all the virtues. It is celebrated in Shota Rustaveli's 12th century national epic, The Knight in the Tiger's Skin ("ვეფხისტყაოსანი" or "Vepkhistqaosani"), in which a person's worth is judged the depth of his friendships. The Georgians are proud, passionate, and fiercely individualistic, yet deeply connected with each other by a shared sense of belonging to a greater Georgian family. Women are highly esteemed in society and are accorded a chivalric respect. The statue of Mother of Georgia (kartlis deda) that stands in the hills above Tbilisi perhaps best symbolized the national character: in her left hand she holds a bowl of wine with which she greets her friends and in her right is a sword drawn against her enemies.
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[edit] Get in
[edit] Passports, Visas, and other documentsFor citizens of Ukraine, US, Canada, EU, Japan and Israel visa will not be required upon entry. A valid passport is sufficient. Citizens of some other countries can apply for an "urgent entry visa" upon arrival at Tbilisi airport (20 USD cash). See the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website for more information. http://www.mfa.gov.ge/?sec_id=66&lang_id=ENG [edit] By planeThere are flights to Tbilisi from a number of European, North American and Asian cities, including London (British Airways), Paris (Airzena), Vienna (Austrian Airlines), Moscow (Aeroflot), Koln/Bonn (GermaniaExpress http://www.gexx.de), Frankfurt (Lufthansa), Munich (Lufthansa), Athens (Airzena), Istanbul (Turkish Air). Flights from Prague by Czech Airlines were cancelled; however you can still fly from/to Prague via Georgian Airlines (Airzena). Just recently, KLM also cancelled their flights to Tbilisi but just as in Prague case you can fly with Airzena from/to Amsterdam. Belavia (Belarusian National Airlines) is now offering direct flights from Minsk to Tbilisi at great rates (www.belavia.by). Please note that Georgian Airlines AirZena has many flights from many different cities. http://www.airzena.com/. See also http://www.airbaltic.com for cheap flights to many European destinations. May 26, 2007 saw the reopening of the airport in Batumi. Turkish Airlines flights run three times per week (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday) between Batumi and Istanbul. Other destinations serviced by the Batumi airport include Kharkov and Kiev. The Batumi airport is located about 10km south of the city center and is accessible by marshrutka and taxi. [edit] By busThere are direct bus services from Istanbul, Turkey, which stop at various places on the route and terminate in Tbilisi. There are also several non-stop bus services between Tbilisi and Baku, Azerbaijan. [edit] By minibusThere are many minibuses (marshrutka) that operate international routes to and from cities and even large towns in Georgia. Minibuses run between Georgia and Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Iran, and Iraq. In Tbilisi these routes usually originate and terminate at bus stations and the Didube market. Outside Tbilisi, minibus routes may stop at either bus stations or central locations (town squares). [edit] By trainThere are train services from Baku, Azerbaijan which stop at various places on the route and terminate in Tbilisi. Note that the "BP train" has been canceled. [edit] By boatThere are boat services to Batumi and Poti from Istanbul and Odessa. At the time of writing the Turkish Black Sea port of Trabzon was closed to passenger services. [edit] Get around[edit] Taxi Taxi's in Georgia are the most convenient method of travel and they are very cheap. Trips within Tbilisi it ranges from 3-5 lari depending on distance but you can always negotiate the price with the cab driver. The vast majority of taxis in Georgia are unofficial "gypsy cabs," driven by anyone looking to make some money. Unmarked taxi service in Georgia is exceptionally safe and widely used by foreigners living and visiting the country. Drivers will, however, exaggerate the price for foreigners--it is best to state your destination and your price before getting in the cab. [edit] MinibusMinibuses (called marshrutka in Russian and Georgian, since it marches along a route) operate on fixed lines. After finding out the number of your route, flag down a Marchriutka at the street. In Tbilisi, they will take you most anywhere for under half a lari. There are also Minibus lines from city to city. These usually terminate at bus stations and city markets. Their destinations are written in Georgian on a sign in the front window. If you can't find the one you are looking for, ask other marshrutka drivers (30 to 50 tetri). [edit] City BusThere are brand new Dutch buses operating in Tbilisi. They are comfortable and cheapest way to go around (40 tetri). However, in the country side or outside of the capital the buses are old and slow. [edit] Mountain Travel To get to the more remote regions of Georgia (e.g., Dusheti, Khevsureti, etc.) without a tour company, buses and taxis will only take you so far. At some point it will become necessary to hike, catch a ride on a goods-transporting truck, or hire a jeep. Catching a lorry requires that you are flexible in your travel plans. Hiring a jeep can actually be quite expensive because of the high cost of gas caused by scarcity in the remote regions. To find out about either option, ask around at the bus station or central market of the last town on the bus or marshrutka line. [edit] Talk
For language-fans, Georgian and its related languages are a real treat. For everyone else, they could be a nightmare. Georgian is a Caucasian language, which is not in any way related to any languages spoken outside of Georgia. The combination of its formidable consonant clusters and its original alphabet make Georgian a hard language to acquire. While everyone who visits should attempt to learn at least a few Georgian words, it is possible to get by in most areas with Russian. People most likely to understand Russian include: older generations, non-Georgian citizens (Russians, Armenians, Ossetes, Azeris, etc.), members of the elite (who likely also speak English), and taxi drivers. In rural areas, however, it is often more difficult to find Russian speakers (look for the oldest person around!). The younger generation, largely due to hostility towards Russia, now prefers to study English, but because access to good quality English instruction is so low, it is generally not possible to use English to communicate in Georgia. Finally, signs in Georgia are rarely bilingual. Basic knowledge of the Georgian alphabet is very useful to understand road signs, store/restaurant names, and bus destinations. Those traveling without knowledge of Russian or Georgian may have an easier time with a guide. [edit] Buy
Note: Georgian export commodities (especially wine and mineral water) are widely counterfeited in the domestic market. For example, the Borjomi bottling plant produces roughly one million bottles of Borjomi per year, but Georgia exports ~three million! To be sure that you are getting the real thing, you will need to buy from the source. Wine in stores is most often produced locally and given a counterfeit label. Be sure to get wine directly from wineries or officially licensed stores, which are usually located near the affiliated winery. [edit] CostsCurrency: Lari, 100 tetri=1 lari Georgia is not expensive at all, especially for an American or European. If you visit Georgia for one week, you would have great time if you bring $700-$800 USD with you. With this amount you will be able to stay in a good hotel, have wonderful sightseeing tours and eat good food. All other items such as gifts & jewelry might require more...For more details try to search and contact travel & tourist agencies. A budget traveler would have little difficulty getting by (and staying very well fed) on less than 100$ per week, even in the capital. [edit] Eat The cuisine of Georgia is justly famous throughout the region (visitors to Moscow will have noticed the amount of Georgian restaurants). The two "national" dishes are "khachapuri" (A cheese filled bread, it more resembles cheese pie) and khinkali (minced, spiced meat in a dumpling, served in enormous quantities). A traditional Georgian feast, or "supra" is a sight to behold. [edit] Drink[edit] ChaCha Chacha is a clear fruit homebrew, which is sometimes called “vine vodka”, “grape vodka” or “Georgian vodka”. ChaCha is made of grape pomace (grape residual left after making wine). It can also be produced from non-ripe or non-cultured grapes and in some cases fig, tangerine, orange, or mulberry. Since ChaCha is not really commercially made, it is not regulated or sold in real stores. It is usually packaged in used soda bottles {normally Fanta}. It can be purchased in Mom and Pop corner markets, Farmers Markets, back alleys and basements throughout Georgia. Generally a bottle {450ml}costs around 2 Lari {$1}. The term "ChaCha" is used in Georgia to refer to any type of moonshine made of fruits.
[edit] Wine Georgia has one of the oldest wine-making traditions in the world and has been called the birthplace of wine (also as "Cradle of Wine"), due to archaeological findings which indicate wine production back to 5000 BC. Due to this fact, Georgians have one of the best wines in the world. Thank to the ancient tradition of wine production and amazing climate, Georgian wine holds its strong competition with French and Italian. Definitely try out Georgian wine. Unfortunately, you are not allowed to export home-bottled wine, which is often the best kind. Georgian wines are actually quite famous. It may be true that they are little known in the West, but this definitely does not include some 280 million people in the former Soviet Union where Georgian wines remain a welcomed drink at any dining table. [edit] Red
[edit] White
Imports of Georgian wine and mineral water have been suspended by the Russian government, because of the political tension between the two counties. [edit] Beer Georgia produces a number of local beers. A beer tradition has existed in Georgia since ancient times in the mountainous regions of Khevsureti and Tusheti. After independence from the Soviet Union, Georgia revived its beer production and introduced its high quality beers to the market. The first and most popular of Georgian beer was Kazbegi. As of today, beer production in Georgia is still growing, offering high quality beers (thanks to the high quality mountain spring waters in Georgia and to German designed beer factories). There are also many foreign beers like Heineken, Bitburger, Lowenbrau, Guinness, etc. Outside of Tbilisi it is very difficult to find anything other than Kazbegi.
[edit] Georgian Beer
[edit] Mineral WatersGeorgian mineral waters have exceptional and interesting tastes - very different from French and Italian varieties. The most famous Georgian mineral waters are Borjomi (ბორჯომი bohr-joh-mee) and Nabeglavi (ნაბეღლავი nah-beh-ghlah-vee). But there is a plethora of less well-known springs located in small towns and alongside roads throughout the country that is worth sampling. [edit] Lagidze Waters (Soft Drink)Mitrofan Lagidze (ლაღიძე lah-ghee-dzeh) is a surname of a very famous Georgian businessman of the 19th century who produced very popular soft drinks in Georgia. Nowadays these waters are called “the Lagidze Waters.” Lagidze soft drinks are made only with natural fruit components, without any chemical, artificial sugars or other additives. The most popular flavors are tarragon and pear. You can find them bottled in stores, and there is a Lagidze parlor on Rustaveli street where they serve the syrup from an old-fashioned dispenser and dilute it with mineral water. [edit] SleepOutside of Tbilisi (where there are numerous options for 3 star plus accommodation thanks the the NGO presence in the country) western-style hotels have not made much inroads and crumbling Soviet infrastructure remains the mainstays of most hotels. Accordingly, outside the capital private homes are always the cheapest and most enjoyable option. If you can master a little basic Russian, going to the central square or market will probably land you a lovely big bed and some amazingly fresh home-made food for an agreed price. [edit] Learn[edit] WorkGeorgians are hard-working people in general, but they also like to have enough free time to enjoy life. Work can start at 10AM or 11AM and end at 6-7PM or so. Georgians like to take an hour lunch break and enjoy their food while socializing with their co-workers. People often take two weeks or whole month off work to enjoy a vacation with family. It is in many ways similar to southern Europe and Mediterranean. Approaches to punctuality are very relaxed - don't be surprised or offended if your Georgian compatriots are not right on time! [edit] Stay SafeThe majority of Georgia is safe for travelers. Scammers and thieves do not usually single out tourists, perhaps because there are very few tourists in Georgia. In the cities, usual street-smart caution applies. Corruption, once a big hassle for tourists, has become far less visible since the Rose Revolution. It is now safe and reasonable to trust the Georgian police and the infamously corrupt traffic police has been disbanded. By far the greatest danger to visitors of Georgia is traffic. Georgian norms of driving are dominated by a macho, chivalric code that entails no seatbelts and, after dark, no headlights. Drivers do not give way to pedestrians, so be very careful when crossing the street. There is currently no traffic police in Georgia. [edit] Tbilisi Things in Tbilisi and the surrounding countryside have calmed down a lot in the last 2 years or so. Tbilisi sometimes suffers from an unjust reputation for street crime but muggings are rare. There has been, however, an increase in muggings targeting Westerners within the capital over the past few years. Usual urban caution applies--avoid walking alone after dark and stay aware of your surroundings. The safest way to travel around the city after dark is by taxi, which is also very affordable. Locals insist that muggings are exceptionally likely in the non-urban areas around the city (in the mountains and parks). The other dangerous crime-related hazards in Tbilisi are apartment break-ins and carjacking. There is no evidence to suggest that these crimes target travelers, but carjackers most certainly do target nicer cars, which stand out. Pick pocketing and purse snatching are also nuisances, easily resolved by keeping belongings within inside pockets. These forms of theft are especially common on crowded public transport. [edit] KutaisiThe available evidence suggests that Kutaisi, the second largest city in Georgia, suffers from crime rates significantly higher than the national average. It is especially important to exercise caution in Kutaisi after dark. [edit] Adjara The separatist conflict between Adjara and the central government has ended with little violence and it is now perfectly safe to travel throughout the region. Once rampant corruption has now become a rarity for travelers. Passing through customs at the Sarpi-Hopa border crossing is now routine and uneventful for most tourists. [edit] The Mountains The mountainous areas of Georgia are remote and lightly policed. The principal danger to travelers in these areas is kidnapping, although this is rare. If kidnapped in Georgia, do not expect to be beheaded. The majority of kidnapping incidents within the country have ended quickly, as the kidnappers befriend their victims and let them go in a Georgian show of chivalric magnanimity. The safest and most easily visited regions of the Georgian Upper Caucasus are Kazbegi and Racha. The biggest security hazard in these regions is altitude sickness. Previous worries of instability in the Georgian northeast, near the border with Chechnya, have subsided and the Pankisi Gorge is certainly not considered as dangerous a region to visit as Abkhazia or South Ossetia. Svaneti is perhaps the most romantic and mysterious of all Georgian regions, but its inhabitants, the Svans, have a reputation for fierce independence and distrust of outsiders (as well as legendary hospitality for accepted guests). Travelers should exercise exceptional caution when visiting Svaneti. It is best to visit with a local guide. [edit] Separatist RegionsIt is not safe to travel to Abkhazia or South Ossetia. These regions are not under the control of the national government and are marked by punctuated violence between the Georgian military and separatist militant groups and by very high rates of crime/banditry facilitated by the fact that the central government cannot police these areas. Foreign tourists have been kidnapped in these areas. Moreover, there exists no legal jurisdiction within these regions; accordingly you will have no recourse if your passport is stolen. If traveling to these areas, it is advisable to bring an armed escort. [edit] Stay healthyIn Georgia, especially in Tbilisi you will be able to find many gyms and fitness centers with swimming pools and brand new training equipment, where you will be able to work out. Facilities include:
Giardia is a common threat to foreign visitors. Contraction is most likely via:
[edit] RespectGeorgians are hospitable to a fault (and beyond). If a Georgian invites you somewhere it will be almost impossible to pay for anything and even raising the subject of who will cover the bill can be embarrassing for your host. If invited to a private home for dinner, make sure you arrive amply stocked with wine or sweets because your hosts may well be bankrupting themselves on your behalf. If traveling in small towns (and in the quieter parts of Tbilisi) it is customary to greet almost everyone who passes you with a friendly "Gamarjobat" (Hello). After years of isolation followed by war and economic turmoil foreigners are still regarded with undisguised curiosity and a casual greeting in the street could land you in the middle of the best dinner party of your life. It is a very ingrained and idiosyncratic characteristic of Georgian hospitality that Georgians wish nothing more than to hear that foreigners are enjoying their experience in Georgia. Expect to be asked whether you enjoy Georgia and its cuisine. And it is expected that you respectfully reply in the affirmative. Otherwise your "hosts" will look terribly dejected as if expressing a feeling of collective failure to show visitors enough hospitality. [edit] Contact[edit] By phoneGeorgia uses GSM (900 MHz and 1800 MHz) for mobile phones and there are two providers, Geocell and Magticom [2] (two prepaid brands "Bali" (cherry) and "Magti"). Coverage is quite good and you should be able to use your phone in most non-mountainous areas provided is supports the afore mentioned technologies. Check with your mobile provider to ensure that they have roaming agreements with at least one of the Georgian operators. By beginning of June 2006 Magticom launched its UMTS/3G service including video call and high speed data. Roaming is possible if you own a UMTS capable mobile phone. In general international connections may be very poor due to international VoiP gateways. In this case redialling is the best solution. [edit] InternetDSL is available in Georgia.
[edit] By netIn major hotels WLAN service is available. Internet cafés are common and cheap. Some places offer free WLAN to their customers. The places I know of are Café Nikala on Rustavelis Gamziris, and the Fashion TV Bar, also on Rustaveli. However, I never got it to work in the first place. Make sure to have your DNS settings correct: use 213.157.196.130 as primary and 213.157.196.131 as secondary DNS server.
WikiPedia:Georgia (country) Dmoz:Asia/Georgia/ World66:europe/georgia
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