About Georgia
Kutaisi, Imereti, Georgia
Georgia is a gorgeous country with delicious food and is rich in culture and traditions. The official language in Georgia is Kartuli (or Georgian) and the country's capital is Tbilisi. Georgia is considered the birthplace of wine and is even home to four UNESCO sites. Kutaisi is the third largest city in Georgia and is also the capital of the province Imereti.
How do I get to Georgia?
There are two routes that we recommend taking, one arriving in Tbilisi and the other arriving in Kutaisi. Most often when we travel to Georgia, we fly from Chicago to Istanbul to Tbilisi via Turkish Airlines. After arriving in Tbilisi, we recommend traveling by train to Kutaisi. This is about a 3.5 to 4 hour train ride along the beautiful Caucasus Mountains. The second route flies directly into Kutaisi via WizAir. WizAir is a Hungarian discount airline that offers many flights from major cities in Europe to Kutaisi and vice versa. We have also used this airline when traveling to Italy from Kutaisi!
Where do I stay in Georgia?
We will be staying at the Best Western in Kutaisi. Unfortunately, Best Western is unable to provide us with group rates for booking rooms. However, Kutaisi has relatively beautiful and affordable homes on Airbnb.
Useful Tips
If carrying US currency to Georgia, try to bring new bills. Currency exchanges charge an extra fee for dollars which are written on or showing signs of wear and tear.
Useful Phrases
Gamarjoba (Ga-mar-jo-ba): Hello
Rogor khar (Ro-gor Har): How are you
Kargad (Car-god): Good
Madloba (Mod-lo-ba): Thank you
Arra madloba (Are-a mod-lo-ba): No thank you
Arra (Are-a): No
Ki (Kee): Yes
M'shia (Ma-she-a): I am hungry -- Tab's favorite