Stay at Georgia

My second time in Georgia, and this time I spent over two weeks exploring properly. Tbilisi and Batumi - the capital and the Black Sea resort town - two very different sides of the same fascinating country.

Georgia sits at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, with 3.7 million people in a territory roughly the size of West Virginia. It's one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world (8,000 years of winemaking tradition), and the food is genuinely extraordinary. After the 2022 events, it also became a major destination for Russians and Ukrainians seeking a place to work remotely.

What I Experienced

Tbilisi remains one of my favorite cities anywhere. The old town, with its wooden balconies and sulfur baths, has a character unlike anywhere else. The city sprawls across hills on both sides of the Mtkvari River, and every viewpoint reveals a different layer of history - ancient churches, Soviet apartment blocks, and modern glass towers all jumbled together.

Batumi was a surprise. This Black Sea resort has transformed into a mini-Dubai of the Caucasus - casinos, high-rise hotels, a cable car along the waterfront. It's tacky in places, but there's an energy to it. The beach promenade at sunset, with the Caucasus mountains visible in the distance, was genuinely beautiful.

The food continued to be extraordinary. Khachapuri (cheese bread) in various regional styles, khinkali (soup dumplings), pkhali (vegetable-walnut pastes), and endless varieties of grilled meat. Georgian wine, fermented in clay vessels called qvevri, is unlike anything you'll taste elsewhere.

Practical Notes

• Georgian Lari is the currency
• No visa required for most visitors (1 year stay allowed!)
• Tbilisi to Batumi is about 6 hours by train or marshrutka (minibus)
• Learning the Georgian alphabet is nearly impossible but impressive if you manage it
• The hospitality culture is intense - expect to be fed and toasted repeatedly

Georgia keeps pulling me back. There's nowhere quite like it.