Georgia~ on my mind! No, not the Peach State in the U.S.🍑but the country in Eurasia😂 As the birthplace of wine (8000 years of wine-making tradition) and the second nation to officially adopt Christianity (4th century AD), this tiny country straddling the East and West has fiercely fought to hang on to its ethnic and cultural identity through a barrage of foreign invasions during its long history. Located in the literal crossroads between continents, it was coveted by many foreign superpowers desiring its strategic location – ancient Greeks called it Colchis, Romans called it Iberia, then the Persians, the Mongols, the Ottomans, Imperial Russia and the Soviets all attempted to take over and assimilate its people but the Georgians persisted. And now, Georgia is shedding its crumbling remains of decades-long Soviet occupation and is successfully transforming itself into a full-fledged hipster travel hot spot.

Our adventures began in the capital city of Tbilisi, which has a 2,000 year history. It has much to offer – a cable car that takes you to a picturesque ancient fortress and a cool statue of Mother Georgia, a botanical garden, a funicular that takes you to a hilltop amusement park, many other parks straddling a river, centuries old churches, museums, sulfur hot spring baths, and a vibrant food, art and music scene with many cafes, galleries, wine bars, clubs and restaurants. I was quite impressed by the city – it was small enough to navigate comfortably on foot, yet big enough to entertain you (even with a little one) for several days. So many infrastructure projects had been completed within the last 10-15 years to promote tourism in this city (and the rest of the country as well), and I would say it has paid off! It’s positively hopping with youthful energy. Also the generous no-visa policy for citizens of most countries has been attracting visitors from all around the world.

When to go: The high season for tourism starts in May, and we went in the last week of April 2024. I would say this is the perfect time as to avoid the crowds yet benefiting from the gorgeous spring weather (27C/80F and 15C/60F at night), as winters in Georgia can get quite cold. Everywhere we went we were surrounded by spring flowers in bloom, the scent and the views were wonderful! Also the mountains still had snow on top, adding to the allure.

Where to stay: Definitely Old Town! We stayed at a cute boutique hotel called Amante Narikala by Old Tbilisi Hospitality. It was super clean and comfortable, with a balcony where you can enjoy a bird’s eye view of the city. It is a short walk up a hill but nothing we couldn’t handle, and the views were worth it! Also it is very close to all the hustle and bustle of the nightlife in Old Town yet provides a quiet sanctuary to rest after a busy day of sightseeing.

Is it safe?: Absolutely! I traveled there with my 5-year old son in tow, and met a lot of solo female travelers who were repeat or long-term visitors that simply fell in love with the country. Also it is absolutely safe to drink the tap water in Georgia. We didn’t have any gastric issues at all drinking from water fountains and taps, and the water tasted great – just like bottled mineral water! And most locals we met spoke English, and they were very friendly and helpful.

If you like nature in addition to experiencing city life and culture, Georgia’s the perfect destination for you. It’s got amazing natural beauty all around, just a few hours away from the capital. We did two separate day trips out of Tbilisi – to the Kazbegi mountains and another to Prometheus Cave and Kutaisi Valley. Both sights were very impressive, the tallest mountain and the biggest cave we had ever seen! We also did a Georgian cooking class, which was fun.

There are many activities and day trips available on sites like Booking.com, Viator, BookYourGuide, etc. at all kinds of price ranges, and some of them were amazing value. For example, we only paid $19 per person for a 12-hour day trip to Kazbegi Mountains and they took our group in a Mercedes minibus to many sights along the way (Ananuri Fortress, Russia-Georgia Friendship Monument, etc.). Of course the lunch was extra and the restaurant food was too salty for my taste, but overall it was a very good experience and we learned a lot about the history and culture of Georgia from our informative tour guide.

The day trip to Prometheus Cave and Kutaisi Canyon wasn’t as satisfactory, as the tour guide didn’t really provide much information about the sights at all. She was very sweet and took nice photos of us but that was really it. Also it was waaaaay too much driving and very little time spent at the actual sights. Out of the 15 hours spent on the trip, only about 3 hours were spent at the cave and canyon, and another 3-4 hours on lunch and pit stops, and the rest was driving. It was also more than double the price of the day trip to Kazbegi ($45 pp). Perhaps the best way to enjoy these sights is to drive yourself there and stay overnight to fully explore these areas. They were so beautiful and I wish we could have spent more time there!

We didn’t partake in the wine tours or the sulfur hot springs bath houses, but both are also very famous and we can’t wait to go back to Georgia again to experience them!

All in all, Georgia was amazing – the culture, the history, natural beauty of its rugged snow-topped mountains, deep canyons and caves, but most of all, the hospitality and tenacity of its people have made a lasting impression on me 🥰❣️I would highly recommend this up-and-coming destination for all travelers!