I’m no authority in what places are the must-dos. But I can tell you which are the ones I went to. I’ll sprinkle in some basic information along the way and tell you about my experience. Your trip will be different but I thought I’d share mine. 

Georgia is generally considered the birthplace of wine. And just by that fact, I consider a visit to the country a pilgrimage. It sits strategically in the middle of Western Asia and Eastern Europe – a perfect destination for a person like me who was born in one continent and now living in the other. While I do not want to get into the complicated history of how the world ended up designating the state as “Georgia” (from its Persian/Russian/Armenian/Latin origin), I do want to clarify that it has nothing to do with St. George or the US state of Georgia. Apparently, it means “the land of wolves” and I enjoyed my time there so I guess I must be one.

If you want to look at the photos I took and dishes I ate in Tbilisi, here are the links: photography and food.

If you want to look at the photos I took while visiting places in Georgia outside of Tbilisi, you can visit this link.

In the meantime, here are 5 places I visited in Georgia, outside of Tbilisi: 

Zhinvali Water Reservoir

The water looks so pristine and the view is just breathtaking. But if I knew that wiping out centuries of archaeological treasures, and displacement of people on state-provided housing were the cost, maybe I would have felt less enthusiastic in the moment. Protests didn’t do much to change the views of the Soviet government. And a new water supply for the rapid growth of Tbilisi was necessary. But I didn’t know better then and I rushed to take a picture, and have mine taken with this Windows wallpaper-like background.

Ananuri Fortress Complex

There was a woman named Ana and she was from Nuri. She would rather die than disclose the location of a hidden tunnel within the fortress. This was a story passed on generations to explain the site’s name, as well as simplify years of endless conflicts. I went around the complex consisting of two castles and two churches. The area is in a shape where it’s in between being untouched enough to get a genuine experience, and a bit in ruins that it might need a bit more preservation. 

Georgia and Russia Friendship Monument

It’s curious to have a monument standing, where its name speaks of friendship, but the two states involved are in a modern day dispute over territories. To be fair, governments and people are two different things, and based on the people I met, the latter seem to be in better terms. It commemorated the Treaty of Georgievsk, which established the eastern part of Georgia as a protectorate of Russia back in 1783. Needless to say, both the history and its legacy are complicated. And despite these controversies, a decision went ahead to build this massive and imposing structure during the Soviet period in 1983 to commemorate 200 years since that was signed. 

Gveleti Waterfalls

Gveleti means “place of snakes”, and I was lucky enough not to encounter one during my visit. The waterfalls are situated around 150 to 200km from Tbilisi in the Kazbegi area and definitely worth the journey. It’s split between the small and the big waterfall. The hike, including both trails and back, take less than two hours. Considering my body is not conditioned to do these physical activities, it was surprisingly doable for a noob like me. 

Jvari Monastery

Located just outside the capital in Mtsketha, the Georgian Orthodox monastery is considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The structure dates back to the 6th century and has largely survived centuries of change. Coming into contact with history is a pleasure for my senses. And the views from the mountain, overlooking Mtsketha, especially at sunset, is glorious. 

All visits happened on August 2022.