We just completed our Exploratory Adventure of Georgia and I was truly blown away from my first visit. It is truly a country that should be on your travel list. Here are my major impressions:
The Country is Fascinating and Complex: It is so hard to label Georgia. The history is complex and invaders from the Romans to the Huns to the Turks have left cultural influences to this day. It has strong religious undertones and not just the dominant Eastern Orthodox Christianity but you will also find Catholic churches, Armenian churches, mosques, and synagogues in Tbilisi. The recent control by the Soviet Union and subsequent attack by Russia is very much affecting the country on a daily basis. I found this so interesting to learn about from our local guide.
The Food is Delicious as Advertised: Georgia is known for having good food and the food was as delicious as advertised. For those trying to eat healthfully, Georgia uses a LOT of vegetables and nuts in its cuisine, most of them fresh from local or regional farms and served in delicious dips or baked into breads. It is really no problem to be a vegetarian and not feel like you are missing out. The country uses a wide variety of spices and fresh herbs that make for very flavorful dishes. My favorite dish, which I could eat daily, was Pkhali: a platter of dips made of various things such as eggplant, spinach, carrots, walnuts, yogurt, or beets. It is sort of like hummus on steroids. Plus, Georgian cuisine is traditionally served family style, so you get to try many dishes at each meal.
The Wine Industry is Enchanting: Georgia is known as the birthplace of wine, since it has a relic from 8,000 years ago containing resin from fermented grapes – farther back than anywhere else on the planet. It is also known as one of the world’s homes to “natural wine”, or wine made from grapes without fertilizers or pesticides and produced with nothing added. Then you throw in the romance of the kvevri, a clay vessel used for fermentation that is located underground, and you have an amazing wine industry producing excellent wines. The Georgian people were wildly proud of their wines.
Georgia is very Western: For being so exotic, Georgia is also surprisingly western. It is very proud of its democracy and fighting hard to move towards Europe and the west. Restaurants were always ready for our group with the food pre-ordered and on the table soon after we sat down. The hotels were high quality. The highways were good. In general, one gets the sense of being in a remote, exotic area of the world while still enjoying the security and comforts of a western nation.
The People are Proud: For me, the number one draw to Georgia was the people. I so respected the pride of the Georgian people for their country. They were proud of everything above – their ancient history, their recent success to become an independent nation, their food, and their wine. But their pride was humble. They were not bragging – they know they are a new kid on the tourism block and the democracy club – but more just intent on making sure visitors to their country have a great time so they go home and tell others about how great their country is.
Our 2024 trip was an Exploratory Adventure, which meant our four intrepid travelers joined me in helping to research the tour. Join our standard Georgia Hiking Adventure in 2025.
So glad you loved it- I knew you would! It’s a fascinating country. The wine history brought me there, and the hiking will bring me back!
Hi there. Yes, you were right. Outstanding, intriguing country that was really a highlight among my travels.
Allan