More than two days on the road. A Belarusian woman tells how she went on a bus tour to Georgia
Delicious food, clean sea, and taxis twice cheaper than ours. Minsk resident Aliaksandra Kalantai went to Georgia by bus in July and told a journalist from Myfin.by about the expenses and impressions.
Road, accommodation and breakfasts — $465
The Belarusian woman deliberately did not want to go to noisy Batumi and chose the suburban settlement of Gonio, located almost at the border with Turkey, famous for its 1st-century ancient Roman fortress and the cleanest sea in the region.
The tour, which included travel, accommodation, and breakfasts, cost $465. Another 300 BYN had to be paid for the tourist service.
“We departed at six in the evening on Sunday, and were already at the hotel in Georgia by six in the morning on Wednesday. During this time, one night was spent in a transit hotel in Russia. The borders, by the way, were crossed very quickly. To Georgia — in 3 hours and 20 minutes, back — in an hour and a half.”
“We had a contract with the travel agency Zefir Travel. The price of the 10-day tour also included several excursions. We stayed at the 'Voyage' hotel, two hundred meters from the sea.”
Although breakfasts were organized on a 'buffet' basis, the menu could not be called diverse; practically the same food was served every day.
However, for lunch or dinner, Aliaksandra chose something interesting, alternating between establishments with Georgian and European cuisines.
“Prices were very varied, everything depended on the restaurant. For example, at the 'White House' restaurant, five khinkali, a salad, and lemonade cost me 29 lari (about 33 BYN), while at Elle, just a salad and lemonade already cost about 50 lari (56 BYN). We ate delicious and inexpensive Georgian cuisine at the restaurants 'White House' and 'Trout Bar Ariol'.”
Internet for the entire trip — $17
Aliaksandra really liked Gonio: the scent of ancient eucalyptus trees, crystal clear water, and mountains overhanging the sea.
“Three years ago I rested in Kobuleti, and it was wonderful there too. For myself, I made this comparison: if you plan to travel a lot to different places, it's more convenient to stay in Kobuleti. But if you want to relax peacefully in one place and occasionally go to Batumi, it's better to choose Gonio. The only thing I missed there was a market where I could buy inexpensive fruit and stock up on treats to take home.”
During the trip, the Belarusian woman paid with VISA cards from Alfa-Bank and Priorbank. She spent $17 on internet for the entire trip, buying a 5 GB eSIM through the international service Airalo.
When a taxi was needed, she used 'Yandex Go' with a linked Belarusian card. Through the app, it was much more cost-effective than using the services of local freelance taxi drivers. Sometimes the trip cost half as much as for a similar distance in Minsk.
The exchange rate of lari and Belarusian ruble was almost the same at the time of publication
“One day we traveled from Gonio to the Batumi Botanical Garden (entrance 25 lari). On the way back, local drivers asked for almost twice as much, explaining that they would then have to return.”
It wasn't without inconveniences. On the way to the Botanical Garden, the driver didn't speak Russian and tried to clarify which entrance we needed. Due to the language barrier, a misunderstanding arose: he took us to a different entrance, and the cost of the trip was recalculated, resulting in 40 lari instead of 24. It was unpleasant.
Otherwise, prices were more than acceptable. Trips on mountain roads were particularly surprising: for a 10-minute journey, the cost could be as low as 4 lari, although in reality, the travel time was longer due to narrow roads and many sharp turns.”
Gonio Fortress — 15 Lari, Shekvetili Dendropark — free
Excursions from the travel agency included a sightseeing tour of Batumi with a boat trip, and a trip to Tbilisi and Mtskheta.
Along the way, tourists stopped near the Zhinvali Reservoir and at an observation deck where the confluence of two rivers can be seen. For 15 lari, Aliaksandra visited Gonio Fortress and, for free, the Shekvetili Dendropark, which she liked more than the Batumi Botanical Garden: admission is free, and in addition to beautiful plants, you can see flamingos, peacocks, and other animals.
“In Tbilisi, we independently went up on an unusual funicular — it cost 25 lari. Of the additional excursions, we only bought one — a trip to Gomis Mta. It cost 130 lari, and the price included transfer and a picnic, which effectively replaced both our lunch and dinner. Additional expenses that day included: 10 lari for transfer to Batumi and back, 6 lari for toilets, and another 6 lari for water and ice cream.
Unfortunately, we weren't lucky with the weather at Gomis Mta. The main goal was to see the famous sunset above the clouds, but instead, we spent about five hours in a dense fog. However, I don't regret going at all. We had a great company from Belarus and Kazakhstan, so there was no time to be bored, and we managed to enjoy the beauty of the mountains, despite the weather.”
The entire trip — about $1160
Aliaksandra carefully calculated all expenses. In Georgia, she spent almost as much on food and entertainment as the tour itself cost: $453. In transit through Russia, 3,642 Russian rubles (about $43) were spent: 2,032 ₽ on hot meals, 1,530 ₽ on treats and water, and another 80 ₽ on paid toilets.
“Stops for hot meals were only one or two times a day, so there were no major expenses. And after constant snacks on the road, I didn't feel like eating much. A hot dog at a gas station turned out to be more expensive than most other meals. For a hot dog, latte, and eclair, I paid 797 Russian rubles, whereas in the canteen, potatoes with sauce, vinaigrette, and tea cost only 320 rubles.
The total cost of the trip came out to about $1160.
“During my vacation, I made decisions more with my heart, so I can't say I regret any expenses. But objectively speaking, many people don't need exclusive taxi rides, daily sun lounger rentals, or dinners in beautiful but expensive restaurants.”
What to take on the road
The trip, according to the Minsk resident, was 100% worth its money. Thanks to saving on travel, it was possible to spend more on entertainment, excursions, and delicious food. And there were many impressions left. Even the main difficulty of a bus tour — the lack of a full night's sleep — did not overshadow them at all.
Additionally, the traveler prepared: she took a blanket, neck and leg pillows, a sleep mask, and compression stockings for the journey.
“You can also take earplugs, as there's always some background noise on the bus. But this format of travel doesn't suit everyone. Perhaps someday I myself will give up bus tours, but there will be only one reason — physical fatigue from long hours on the road and constant lack of sleep.
The Georgian Military Road is truly worth taking a bus tour for. When you are surrounded on all sides by huge mountains of incredible beauty, you stop feeling the fatigue of the journey and realize that this moment will remain in your memory forever.”
Now reading
In Gomel, the head of an association that searches for the remains of victims of war and Stalinist repression, and his nurse wife, were sentenced for political reasons 88
Comments
"Кристально чистое море" в Аджарии это конечно смешно, а вот "водитель не говорил по-русски, и возникло недопонимание" - уже даже и не смешно, а грустно