Georgia’s Meteora: the Katskhi Pillar

Georgia is full of surprises: you can find better wine than France, higher mountains than Switzerland and, it turns out, older monasteries than those found on the rock pillars of Greece.        The Katskhi pillar, Georgia’s Meteora is found not far from Chiatura, but seems a world away from the town’s mining history […]

Continue Reading

Do You Dare Take a Ride on Chiatura’s Ancient Cable Cars?

Chiatura’s ancient cable cars are one of the most interesting sites in the Caucusus.      If you like cable cars, you’ll love the Caucasus. Treat yourself to a trip on modern tramways which take you up to Narikala Fortress in Tbilisi, rise up from Batumi’s harbour, and cross the magnificent valleys leading you to Tatev monastery […]

Continue Reading

Drive the Georgian Military Highway

The Georgian Military Highway is the fastest route from Tbilisi to Russia, but there are plenty reasons to drive it even if you don’t want to leave Georgia!     The Georgian Military Highway is the fastest route from Tbilisi to Russia, but it’s no ordinary motorway. It can be a challenging drive (thanks to […]

Continue Reading

The Mysterious Mountain Church of Stepantsminda

  Stepantsminda’s mysterious mountain church is an essential sight on any visit to Georgia.       Georgia has more than its share of remote villages, impressive mountains, and beautiful churches, but when all three are combined in one place it’s still something special: Stepantsminda is just that. Found in the North of Georgia, on […]

Continue Reading

In Praise of Georgian Food: Khinkali

If you want to eat Georgian food, khinkali are an excellent place to start. These tasty dumplings are popular throughout the country. Be sure to try them if you visit, just make sure you eat them correctly!         While there are many delicious dishes to try in Georgia and the Southern Caucasus, when it comes to Georgian […]

Continue Reading

Sighnaghi: Georgia’s City of Love

Sighnaghi, in the eastern province of Kakheti, has a reputation as Georgia’s city of love (and wine…)     Sighnaghi, only 100km’s drive east of the capital Tbilisi, is known as Georgia’s city of love, and for good reason. Locals often compare the hilltop town to Verona, city of Romeo and Juliet, and it has everything you might need to […]

Continue Reading

Essential Georgian Phrases

Georgia is a wonderful country to visit, and don’t be put off by the complicated language and mysterious alphabet. With these essential Georgian phrases you’ll have no trouble getting by! Wherever you go it’s worth learning a little bit of the language, but that’s especially true in Georgia. Though younger people often speak English, older […]

Continue Reading

More Encores with a Difference in Georgia – Part Three: Spas

Welcome back. In this third and final part of this mini-series (previous parts here and here) we’re adding a water-infused twist of sublimity that will restore body and soul to full working order after the delicious arduity your Caucasian Challenge. Shift into a lower gear and into the effervescent world of spas in Georgia. We […]

Continue Reading

More Encores With a Difference in Georgia: Part Two

So, right as we promised, here’s part two in our Letting Your Inner Chuck Norris Loose in Georgia series, in case your Caucasian Challenge has wound up in Yerevan and you’re still finding that you’re up for more. After Part One’s trekking-themed piece, today we’ll take a look at a second way of honoring your […]

Continue Reading

More Encores With a Difference in Georgia: Part One

Okay, this one may not be for all of you. After all, your ten-day Caucasian Challenge, a 4000-kilometre trek, complete with all manner of built-in challenges, should suffice to fully tease out your inner Badass Adventurer of the Wilderness. However, some of you may be harboring a side an order of magnitude up from this, […]

Continue Reading