Georgia is super-affordable to those coming from developed countries: transport, food and accommodation are cheap, and laws mean that you can pretty much set up camp anywhere, including the beach, high up a mountain or in a road-side glade. The people are friendly, the country is safe, and guests are treated as “gifts from God,” that, plus there is so much nature to explore, you’ll find Georgia getting into your heart!
LOW BUDGET:
TRAVELING
Single minibus journeys out of Tbilisi (from Isani, Ortachala or Didube, depending where you’re heading) within a radius of 4 hours cost 8-10 GEL ($3-4) per person, while a trip to the coast, including a rest stop, will set you back around 20 GEL ($8). The trains are around 25 GEL per person each way. Hitch-hiking is also an option (see SUPER LOW BUDGET below).
HOSTELS
Like many things in Georgia, you’ll find some of (or beating) European standard, and some you’ll be glad to move out of as soon as you can. There are no fixed standards, though awareness is on the rise of what a good hostel should be, and a lot of hostels have been set up by foreigners who decided to stay and set up and “easy” business. The best option is to surf online and take word-of-mouth recommendations.
GUEST HOUSES IN THE REGIONS
Guest houses in the regions, by which we mean a local house transformed full or partially into a guest house, will usually set you back 10 – 20 GEL per person, per night ($4 -8). if you want them to cook you a meal, expect to pay the same again (10 GEL breakfast, 20 GEL dinner)- this must be agreed on in advance and in most cases by doing so, you’re guaranteed local cuisine, including cheese, yoghurt, jam, eggs, honey and bread for breakfast and any number of traditional Georgian dishes for the evening meal.
The quality of guest houses varies as it is still unregulated, though trainings in standards have been offered several times over recent years, so feel free to ‘check out the place’ before you agree. In particular, check bed comfort (some have very old beds!), the bathroom/toilet, kitchen, dining and livingroom facilities, cleanliness and access to electricity and Wi-Fi. Decide on arrival how you will pay- upfront or before leaving.
And expect that famed Georgian hospitality in many places- small dishes may be given to try, a glass of local wine- we even walked away with two rare grape vine saplings and a 5kg bag of hazelnuts once!
Guest House Lago & Wine Cellar
This converted family home offers clean, spacious rooms with bathroom accessories, free Wi-Fi and tea and coffee-making facilities in every room. The owners are welcoming and friendly and will happily take you on a wine tasting tour of their small family wine cellar.
Bonuses here include a swimming pool and a garden bar. Families with children will also be well catered for with a variety of toys and fun things for the children to do while you sip on a wine and enjoy the mountain air.
An on-site restaurant offers tasty food, and breakfast is filling and delicious (at a small extra charge of $4 per person), setting you up for a day of hiking or relaxing in the garden.
Nearby attractions include the entire Alazani Valley and all the monuments, cellars and churches your heart could desire, and the Lagodekhi National Reserve with its five breathtaking, safe and informative tourist trails: the Grouse waterfall, Ninoskhevi waterfall, Machi castle, Black Rock Lake and Knowledge of nature trail.
63 Zakatala Str., Lagodekhi, Kakheti
TEL (+995) 577 10 18 34
Mountain views, free Wi-Fi, clean, modern decor and a Continental breakfast are just the first reasons to book your stay here. While Gori can be 'done in a day' from Tbilisi, it also makes a nice spot from which to explore the Shida Kartli region.
At guest house Savane, staff are available 24/7 to help you or to recommend where to sight-see, as is the owner of the converted house- a lovely old lady who doubles and a brilliant cook! All guaranteed to put you at ease and make you feel at home.
28 Christopher Castel Str., Gori
TEL (+995) 599 20 60 60
SUPER-LOW BUDGET:
TRAVELING
Hitch-hiking is doable, though in general, females traveling in pairs or alone should be cautious. Men tend not to do more than flirt, but for your own safety consider public transport or a registered taxi. Georgians are said to be among the most benevolent in terms of picking up travelers, and you shouldn’t be surprised if you get offered an extensive meal (and lots of wine!) in their home and even a bed for the night- this is just their hospitable nature, for which you shouldn’t offer to pay (they will take it as an offense): if you have small souvenirs or postcards from your own country to give them, or can sing a song or recite a poem for them, that will be considered gift enough! One hitch-hiker suggested making it clear before you get in a car that you have “no money” to avoid uncomfortable misunderstandings. Carry a map with you so you can point to your destination.
CAMPING
Camping is a free-for-all if you’re happy with the wild and responsible enough not to set fire to the area with your camping-stove. Pay attention to standard safety precautions and of course do your research on the area before setting up your tent (watching out for landslide or flood zones, for example). In Nature Reserves (‘Protected Areas’), they ask all guests to register in the Visitor’s Center before you head in. There are a number of campsites available throughout the country, basic as they may be, and the number is increasing annually in line with the tourism boom. Check out some of them below.
Pankisi Camping, Pankisi
Discover the real Pankisi by camping there in the midst of mountains and river, cooking on an open fire and dipping your toes in the ice-cold water nearby.
The owners of this beautiful piece of wild land, bordered by a forest on one side and a river on the other, aim to ensure a pleasant stay in the depths of nature- at 10 GEL pp and 10 GEL for breakfast/lunch making it a bargain!
Services include tours in Pankisi Gorge mountains, rental of hiking equipment, horse rental and riding lessons, rental of mountain bikes, nature photography tours and culinary tours with a focus on local dishes.
(+995) 551 38 80 00
https://www.facebook.com/pankisicamping/
Zeta Camping, Kazbegi
Zeta-Camping, near Kazbegi and at the foot of the Caucasian Mountains, is open late May to the end of September and offers a variety of off-the-beaten track accommodation options- from cabins to large and small tents (your own or those provided by Zeta). Prices vary from 10-45 GEL per person per night. Hiking, climbing and scientific tours are available when booked in advance and a cafe is ready to serve if you didn’t bring your gas stove. This tourist camp is located in the Juta village, at an altitude of 2300 meters above sea level. At nearly 200 kilometers from Tbilisi, you’ll need a minibus, taxi and a pair of sturdy boots to get there. Minibuses travel from Tbilisi to Kazbegi daily (10 GEL per person) then take a taxi from Kazbegi to Juta village. The last kilometer to the campsite is on-foot only!
(+995) 555 70 10 57
La Belle Verte, Adjara
La Belle Verte campsite is located in the Mtirala National Park a 20-minute drive from Batumi and the Black Sea and is serviced by minibus 141a which stops in Korolistavi village some 300m from the site entrance.
Perched on the edge of the mountain to capture the sea breezes, with a sub-tropical forest as a backdrop, La Belle Verte is a stylized ‘eco camp’ made for relaxation, meditation and creativity. You can sleep in a ‘treehouse’ cabin or hire a tent. The site offers toilets, showers with hot water, Wi-Fi, a shared kitchen, open and closed spaces for yoga, water from mountain springs and food fresh from the farm. Various classes are also available- from cooking to pottery, healing herbs and woodwork.
The staff speaks English, Russian, Armenian, and Slovenian. You will need hiking boots, a rain jacket and sleeping bag.
TEL (+995) 568 79 69 90
Email: labelleverte.mtirala@gmail.com
Main photo source: crystalbreak.com