Travel Secrets Monsoon Issue 2016 | Page 23

Just Back From H Trip dates: 1st July 2016 - 6th July 2016 ow was the weather Weather in the month of July within the capital region i.e. Tbilisi is warm but pleasant. Max temp was 29 deg C and minimum at night dipped to 22 deg C. In higher places like Kazbeghi and Burjomi it was cooler, withan average of 15 deg C Was language a problem 95% of Georgians speak English. But taxi drivers speak English rarely. Were the locals friendly Georgians are extraordinarily polite and co-operative. They are very helpful and don’t bluff around to pinch the extra buck from tourists. Which places did you go to Tbilisi, Borjomi, Kazbeghi, Gori, Khashuri, Mtskheta How did you plan your route We made Tbilisi our base and drove out to the other cities daily. 3 Georgia secrets most people don’t know: n New archaeological evidence shows that Georgia is probably the oldest European civilisation. According to Orthodox tradition, Christianity was first preached in Georgia by the Apostles Simon and Andrew in the 1st century. Your impressions of Tblisi Tbilisi is a small metro city on the banks of Kura River. The city is still away from European/American hassles. It carries the influence of multiple countries such as Russia, Iran and Turkey. It’s a cosmopolitan city with many ancient churches, Persian mosques and Jewish synagogues. n n Georgia is the world’s cradle of wine. Its wines are among the oldest and best in the world, and they are not expensive either! People around Tbilisi are not so rich as compared to those in other European countries. Cost of living is very economical: The average income of a middle class Georgian family is equivalent to Rs 20000/- per month. Local taxis are much cheaper compared to any Indian metro city. Within 4-5 Lari (less than Rs 150) one can move around from one corner of the city to another. (1 Georgian Lari = Rs 28 approx. ) travelsecretsmag.com monsoon issue 2016 Travel Secrets  23