Herewith, some detailed information about our visitors over the last 13 or 14 years of Hanmer Guest House. Not dry, though, I think.
Whence? (Where from?) Currently our biggest three guest countries of origin are the Czech Republic, Germany and Poland. Some years ago, they were Ukraine, Poland and Israel. Some things change; others do not, on this timescale. But our guest book has 66 languages or dialects in it, from the A-Z of Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, and many different writing systems, not all of which are strictly alphabets; every continent except Antarctica.
Wherefore? (Why?) For 99% of them, to trek. Most of these are groups of 14-18 people, met in Kutaisi airport, vanned up here, have supper and spend the night. Next morning, they have breakfast, load their big luggage into the same van, grab a pack lunch, and trek off towards Mazeri with two guides and daypacks. 1 or 2 people have showed up to work for room and board, and that’s gone well. Some groups, 1-3 per year, come to do volunteer work in the village in various ways. Some both trek and camp, fully kitted out with a heavier backpack and their own food.
Demographic? More singles than couples or families; ages from not yet walking to geriatric but still fit, which one needs to be.
Whither? (Where to?) Mostly to Mazeri, Mestia, Mulakhi, Adishi, Kala and Ushguli, with a night in each. Rarely, to spend more than one night with us, and explore Etseri.
X-vores? X, the diet, can be: standard omnivorous; next, vegetarian; followed by tiny numbers in the classes of vegan, kosher, halal, pescatarian and church fasts. Lactose- or gluten-intolerant, and celiac are also possible. We try to meet all vores’ needs. We offer less than a full version of each meal, for a lower budget, and self-catering too. Some of the above diets we admit to having to look up to be sure to get it right. We always ask about “special dietary needs.” A couple of times we’ve been asked to supply a birthday cake and champagne for a lucky guest from friends; if the price is right, quite possible.
Sleeping? 1-4 in a room; in tents or hammocks outside.
Bookings? The previous year, a month or so in advance, a few days in advance, the same day, hours ago, 15 minutes ago, or simple walk-ins trying their luck with no booking at all. By: Georgian or foreign tour companies; booking.com; Facebook; Google Maps; maps.me; WhatsApp; email; websites like caucasus-trekking.com or TranscaucasianTrail.org; the signs at the bottom of the road or at our house; or direct phone call.
Motion Mode? Foot traffic is the vast majority. Some drive their own or a rented car. Some come by bicycle or motorbike. We’ve also had a two-person tandem bike once, and a pushed bike-wheel barrow for a child.
Non-English-Speaking? Hardly anyone, especially as a non-mother tongue; the next most common language for non-English-speakers would be Russian. But almost all Russians go straight to Mestia, and don’t trek more than a few hours a day.
Returnees? Few, except for friends or those who fall hard for Svaneti, as we have. The world is big, Georgia too is very diverse, and I don’t blame people for wanting as much of that variety as possible. But coming back and digging in a bit deeper has its own different rewards.
Longest Gap? That’s easy: 16 months during Covid with not a single guest. We came through it mercifully well, with no bank loans outstanding and other sources of income to keep us going. Not so, for many of our colleagues in the local hospitality industry. It was brutal.
Other Notables? Approximately 120 metric tons of snow moved by one of our volunteer teams, in February 2020. Covid was setting in; school was out; and the outdoor sports stadium was an object of longing glances by local boys. I supplied shovels, wheelbarrows and measurements; the group of 12 worked for about 10 days, then still had the energy to play soccer with the boys afterwards!
The supplying of a playground set, 8 by 12 m in size, donated from the USA, with others paying for its trucking up here and cement installation. It sits next to the above-mentioned stadium. We were only a channel for it, but delighted to be so. It’s worth about $60k.
Rating? A high of 9.8 on booking.com, I’m proud to say, for which we work hard.
Season? We’re here from May through late October; elsewhen in Tbilisi, with a return usually in February to jump into deep winter and celebrate Lamproba with our village (Tony only).
Blog by Tony Hanmer
Tony Hanmer has lived in Georgia since 1999, in Svaneti since 2007, and been a weekly writer and photographer for GT since early 2011. He runs the “Svaneti Renaissance” Facebook group, now with over 2000 members, at www.facebook.com/groups/SvanetiRenaissance/
He and his wife also run their own guest house in Etseri: www.facebook.com/hanmer.house.svaneti
