Those people fortunate enough to have lived in Georgia longer than a tourist’s few weeks might stay long enough to see seasons change here, perhaps even multiple times. In a largely agrarian country with plenty of tourism as well, the contrasts can be dramatic. It’s good to know how to make the most of them, as winter retreats and spring moves slowly into summer.
As for concerns about being sandwiched between the Russian-Ukrainian and Iran-Israel-US wars, their main effect on Georgia has been some numbers of people moving here. While the conflicts are tragic, we don’t feel major fallout from them. Neither do Georgia’s own internal anti-government demonstrations change much outside their immediate locations, chiefly around Liberty Square and onto Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi. Tourism is largely business as usual.
During Covid’s crazy, constrictive times a few years ago, locked into Georgia but still wanting to travel on holiday a bit, my wife and I decided to see parts of the country we had not experienced before. There were plenty of them, including all of Tusheti and parts of her native Racha, and Adjara too. As Tusheti has a main road with quite a bad reputation, and my wife can be a nervous passenger (as well as I being less than optimally experienced in driving in such conditions), we went with a calm, unhurried, Tusheti-regular, specialist driver enthusiastically recommended by others.
Dato Urushadze took us and some of our friends up in his own eight-seater Delica van; we made a base camp with tents, and then took day trips, being driven to various villages for three days, cooking our own food and including him in this. It was very reasonably priced, and went wonderfully enough that we have since hired him twice more (to Tusheti in different seasons and Racha in autumn), and become good friends into the bargain. And my wife and I have also started camping on our own, with a tent, gas bottle and basic equipment, mostly on the coast and higher interior of Adjara. Nothing like hearing the harmless but haunting sound of jackals howling at night from your tent.
Tusheti will soon have its winter snow-closed road reopened as the white melts, with most of its population returning from Kakheti’s lowlands as they do every year. They then descend in October. The big event is the trek of massive herds of sheep by the main road, an event which I have yet to see but hope to join sooner or later. Similar things are afoot in neighboring Khevsureti. Both are spectacular high-mountain locations. Racha is no less magnificent. Then there is Svaneti… Each region is uniquely itself.
The normal skiing season everywhere is now finished. The only exception to this is heli-skiing on the always snowbound peaks of the high Caucasus, as expensive and extreme as it sounds, but definitely doable if you’re in the right financial and physical shape.
The timing of spring has it coming first to the hotter lowlands everywhere, then last to the much cooler highlands across the country. So one can follow its progress by rising in altitude in many different places. Georgia is nothing if not wonderfully diverse and spoiled for choice. The main difference is that the west of the country is more humid; the east drier.
The entire Black Sea coast will soon be warm enough for swimming; here can be found many different beaches, from the steeper-sloped and rockier ones of Batumi to the much shallower and sand-based ones all the way along the coast north of that. Tourism infrastructure is good, as this is a very popular part of the country outside of winter.
Kakheti, famous for grapevines and wine production, has its main harvest festivals in the autumn. But already, buds and flowers are on the fruit frees, and greens abound in all shades and hues.
Tbilisi will get quite hot in midsummer, but until then is also green and flowering. To avoid the heat, simply ascend in any of several directions, like much of the city’s locals do.
Camping and glamping are taking off in Georgia, both in many undesignated areas (the former) and in special sites (the latter). Everything from taking your own tent and hiking to renting a camper van or truck are possible, with or without a driver.
National and other parks: Here is the complete list in Georgia as of now:
Vashlovani Protected Areas
Lagodekhi Protected Areas
Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park
Mtirala National Park
Kolkheti National Park
Each of these offers different scenery and conditions; all are worth exploring.
Really, there are so many specialist tourism options in Georgia, some seasonally and/or locationally dependent, others year-round and/or everywhere, that one can find something for practically any interest. Here are some ideas, in broad categories, some of which overlap:
Home stays to luxury hotels, camping, glamping
Car, private or public minivan or bus, with or without a driver included
Arts: culinary, viticultural, visual, photographic, cinematographic, literary, linguistic, dance, minority peoples, galleries/museums
Agricultural, botanical, zoological
Sports, land: hiking, horseback, caving, mountaineering, rock climbing, biking, off-road driving, spas, snow sports
Sports, water: canoeing, kayaking, rafting, boating, fishing
Air: ballooning, small plane or helicopter, paragliding
Archeological digs, other historic
Religious
Solo, groups large or small, adult-only or child-friendly, pet-friendly, self-guided or with a guide
No need to stay away. Come, explore, find out for yourself why this country is so amazing.
Dato Urushadze, tour driver:
+995 555 360750, regular phone and WhatsApp, in Georgian or English;
also on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dato.urushadze1
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
Blog by Tony Hanmer
