Georgia is visa-friendly. It is also affordable; scenically beautiful, safe, and offers visitors a wonderful mix of cultures, thanks to its location in the mountainous crossroads of Europe and Asia. The food is fabulous and the wine, too. Oh, and did I mention rugby?

In short, Georgia is an ideal holiday destination for South Africans.

Before I press on, please forgive this Doha detour – a step away from my regular posts about life in Qatar.

I know most of this blog’s readers are from South Africa. And so, I share these insights in the hope you might consider Georgia as a potential new holiday destination.

(I am not being paid to write this. I just know how difficult it is for South Africans to travel given the exchange rate and visa challenges. South Africans do not need a travel visa for Georgia).

To be fair, the thumbs up for Georgia is for anyone who fancies stepping back in time, while also embracing nature’s best without breaking the bank.

A hop and a skip from Qatar

For us, living in Doha, Georgia is just over three hours’ flying time. The greenery, fresh air and mountainous terrain are in direct contrast to our present hot, arid surrounds.

Living in Qatar, however, is a big plus when it comes to travelling.

There are 17 countries within five hours of flying from Qatar, including India, Sri Lanka, Greece, the Maldives, Egypt, Pakistan, Jordan, Turkey and all the “stans”.

But Georgia, with its visa-free access to South Africans and affordability, along with the benefits shared below, make it a great alternative holiday possibility.

In our case, it was a five-day package tour in June. The weather is ideal then (late 20Cs to early 30Cs), but umbrellas are advised, regardless of the season.

10 key take-aways from Georgia

There is so much to be gain from visiting Georgia, but these are my favourites:

1. Adventure activities

If you love the great outdoors, then Georgia offers various options – skiing (in winter), white-water rafting, fishing, hiking and paragliding.

For us, the adventurous spirit stretched to include a three-hour evening wine and walking tour in the capital, Tbilisi. I can recommend this 8000-step jaunt with fellow tourists as an ideal way to start your understanding, appreciation and orientation of the city. It was not part our package tour.

2. Architecture

Tbilisi is a photographer’s dream.

I kept thinking back to my magazine days and how fashion editor Barbara Robertson loved neglected and forgotten locations for her shoots. She, and so many others, will love the antique chic, slightly foreign ambience of downtown Tbilisi.

Within and outside of the city, there are magnificent examples of Armenian and Byzantine architecture.

We were told the Georgian style is marked by its symmetry and proportions based on classical Greek architecture. It’s Europe, but not quite Europe with the Soviet influence ever present.

Georgia pretty much has it all. This melting pot of influences includes medieval city walls, concrete monoliths, contemporary street art and more besides.

But let the photographs do the talking.

3. Churches

In Qatar, all the churches are placed within the Religious Complex. In the western world, there may be a church in every neighbourhood. In Georgia, it feels like there’s a church, monastery, or nunnery around every corner, and on every strategic rocky outcrop.

You can come to Georgia to enjoy its beautiful old churches alone. (As a man who wear a dress and dog collar, the H was in his element.)   

Each church building comes with a fascinating tale of perseverance, of wars and/or miracles. 

For futher insights to Christianity and the churches in Georgia, you can check Wikipedia.

4. Food

Five days of travelling across three of Georgia’s nine regions is not time enough. (Georgia is a little smaller than Ireland at 69 700km2). But it’s time enough to grow your waistline!

I loved the Georgian fare.

It’s fresh (they grow their own produce), it’s flavoursome (thanks to the melting pot of cultures over the centuries) and it’s reasonable on the pocket.

We loved the pastries full of cheese and / or egg for food on the go. I think these savoury treats are called khachapuri. They’re cheap and filling.

Then there’s mtsvadi (like kebabs), pkhali (vegetarian staple) with lovely garlic and walnuts added to whatever veggie is in season.

There’s barely a cornflake in sight at breakfast. Instead, you are treated fresh fruit, vegetables or roasted versions of the same.

5. Location, location, location

Just as the shabbiest house in the best area will sell well, so it goes with Georgia’s location at the intersection of Europe and Asia.

Georgia is surrounded by Russia, Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Many of these neighbours have neither good roads nor good relations with one another. Georgia has both good roads and good relationships and, as a result, earns most of its revenue as a transit country.

Georgia is on the world’s oldest trading routes, the Great Silk Road, so in a way still carries the spirit of the ancient cavalcades of caravans. Nowadays, it comes in the form of monster trucks with foreign number plates.

The country is presently investing in infrastructure, particularly its roads, and accommodation to leverage on its location and good relations.    

The same goes for tourism.

With growing stability, more and more tourists are pouring into Georgia. The country hard pressed to keep pace with demand.

I think they can focus on building better public toilets!

6. History

You name them – the Ottomans, the Persians, Mongols, the Russians, the Christians – they have all had a role in Georgia’s rich history.

The Georgians love telling stories (as much as they love drinking, singing and dancing, to quote our tour guide) about their past.

After all, it is their ancestors who survived battles, wars and all attempts at domination by various foe over many centuries.

Christianity is also part of the Georgian DNA.

While the country is officially secular today, about 80% of Georgia’s 3.1 million people identify as Christian. This is mainly thanks to Saint Nino, a Greek woman, who preached the good news way back in 300AD.

No, I hadn’t heard of Saint Nino either. But that’s one of the joys of travelling, isn’t it? You learn while relaxing and having fun.

7. Liquid pleasures

This conveniently brings me to another Georgian gem – its drinks.

Like South Africa, the Georgians are both proud and love their wine (and, it seems, all forms of alcohol).

After all, the Georgians have been making wine for the past 8000 years! In fact, UNESCO has declared the traditional form of making wine to be a protected cultural heritage.  

Traditional wine in Georgia is made in massive clay jars called Kvevri pots.

A short version of how this is done sees the grapes – skins, pips stalks and all – pressed and then all poured in the Kvevri. The Kvevri is sealed and buried underground for five to six months. During this time the dregs settle at the bottom. Then, voila, the natural wine is poured off.

There are many wine tasting tours to be enjoyed in Georgia, especially in the Kakheti region.

Ours was hosted in a “wine factory” with someone pouring tastings directly from steel vats. It wasn’t quite what we’d imagined, but it’s practical for large numbers of people on day trips.

The wine tasted good. Different, but good.

The beer is lovely, too. According to our proudly Georgian tour guide, whose name of course is Giorgio, this is because the water is so good. Craft beers can be found throughout Georgia, along with Chacha, a grape vodka.

8. Nature’s own

When it comes to natural assets and variety, Georgia has to be right up there – and we only visited three of the nine regions.

It’s GREEN!

Because of its mountains-to-the-sea topography, Georgia has a wonderful selection of natural vegetation. Yes, there are areas of semi-arid dry shrub, but when you come from the land of sand, it all looks bountiful and life-giving.

Thanks to the Caucasian Mountains (my high school geography classes come to life!), Georgia has 20 000-plus rivers and lakes.

These wonders of water not only look good but taste good too. It was lovely to drink directly from the mountain streams and springs. And, the taps, too. Though, please avoid the famous Kura River that flows through Tbilisi. It is still polluted.

The agricultural sector accounts for half the Georgian workforce, inclusive of the wineries, and is the second biggest revenue earner for the country.

9. Passionate and patriotic people

Georgians are a mix of their former conquerors. Some have Arabic features, others look more Mediterranean, while many have dark almond shaped eyes like those from the neighbouring Balkans. But there again, some have green eyes and fairer skin.

They are often solidly built, carry furrowed brows, large angular noses and the men have beards. Think front row, prop material … but I am generalising.

More important than looks is the character of the Georgians.

They’re no pushovers. They are a proud nation having entrenched their identity, despite ongoing invasions over many centuries, with their Karvelian language and distinctive Mkhedruli script.

In our experience, Georgians are both humble and hospitable.

Georgians are passionate and patriotic as we learnt during the recent European Cup. Georgia qualified for the very first time.

Tbilisi emptied of traffic. The nation literally stopped to watch their team – a team which exceeded expectations to make the final round of 16.

But rugby is what they really love.

Their warrior-like genetic make-up and determination make them ideal candidates for the game. But if truth be told, the Georgians have been playing a traditional game called Lelo or Lelo Burti, meaning field ball, similiar to rugby, since ancient times.

Rugby is a common denominator in trying to converse with the locals! The Georgians have great respect for the Springboks.

It is much the same in Qatar when it comes to engaging with Indian, Sri Lankan, Bangledesh and Pakistani residents. We talk cricket.

10. Souvenirs

You are spoilt for choice when it comes to souvenirs.

Not only is the selection wide, but souvenir markets can be found alongside most historic destinations and across the old town in Tbilisi.

 

Bartering is acceptable, but since the prices are reasonable, even in rand terms, we were mostly happy to pay up.

The most popular souvenirs includes:

• Wine (but you can’t take this into Qatar as a “dry” country
• Churchkhela. These are traditional Georgian candle-shaped sweets.
• Embroidered pashmina shawls
• Khinkali socks
• Chacha (alcohol)
• Georgian silver jewellery
• Wine horns, not to be mistaken as a musical instrument!  
• Traditional Georgian dolls

Helpful information

• The currency is the Lari. It is about R6.50 to 1 Lari. A beer will cost you about
• A return trip from Johannesburg to Tbilisi costs about R15 500
• For transport within Tbilisi, Bolt and YandexGo are most popular.
• There are six ski resorts in Georgia
• Viator and Get your Guide offer a variety of half, full day and longer trips. We used Viator for the walking and wine city tour
• You can get a sim card on arrival
• You can use a card for most payments, but cash is good for the markets