Georgia

By (author) Burford Tim
Short description/annotation
Georgia Travel Guide - Tourist information including Tbilisi hotels and restaurants, Trans Caucasian Trail, hiking and trekking. Also featuring accommodation, homestays, wine, Caucasus history and politics, ecotourism, churches, architecture, Georgian Military Highway, Mtskheta, Svaneti, Mestia, Batumi and Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park.
Description
This new sixth edition of Bradt''s Georgia, the only dedicated guide to the country, has been thoroughly updated throughout to include all the most recent developments, ranging from greatly expanded coverage of Batumi, Adjara and Svaneti to the addition of new maps for Tbilisi, Mestia and Telavi. Tourism is booming in Georgia: the number of guesthouses has mushroomed, Tbilisi airport has just opened a second terminal and a new terminal and rail link are under construction at Kutaisi airport. New low-cost flights are now available and visa-free travel is the norm for most. With Bradt''s Georgia discover both the old and the new. The capital, Tbilisi, has seen huge changes in the past decade with some conspicuous new projects such as the Peace Bridge, the Opera House and the Presidential Palace, as well as excellent new restaurants and bars. Much of the country can be reached in day-trips from the luxury hotels of Tbilisi and Batumi, and the remotest areas such as Svaneti and the Pankisi Valley can also now be visited. In addition, Mestia, the capital of Svaneti, now has an airport and two ski resorts. Also new for this edition is expanded information on Tusheti and the Trans Caucasian Trail, a volunteer-led project to create two long-distance hiking routes, east-west and north-south, linking the Black Sea with the Caspian, the Greater Caucasus with the Lower Caucasus and Georgia with Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Georgian wine industry is covered, with particular emphasis on natural qvevri wines, and so too are skiing, rugby, the World Heritage sites of Mtskheta and Gelati, Georgian food, 5th-century churches, cave cities, and Georgian polyphonic singing. Bradt''s unique guide to Georgia is the ideal companion for all travellers, from serious hikers to wine buffs, high-end culture lovers to backpackers of all ages.
Table of contents
Introduction PART ONE GENERAL INFORMATION Chapter 1 Background Information Geography, Climate, Natural history and conservation, History, Economy, People, Language, Religion, Culture Chapter 2 Practical Information When to visit, Highlights, Suggested itineraries, Tourist information, Tour operators and travel agents, Red tape, Getting there and away, Health, Safety 69, Women in Georgia 70, LGBT travellers, What to take, Money, Budgeting, Getting around, Accommodation, Eating and drinking, Shopping, Media and communications, Other practicalities, Business, Cultural etiquette, Travelling positively PART TWO THE GUIDE Chapter 3 Tbilisi History, Getting there and away, Getting around, Tourist information3, Where to stay, Where to eat and drink, Entertainment and nightlife, Activities, Other practicalities, Shopping, A day''s tour of Tbilisi, What to see and do Chapter 4 Shida (Inner) Kartli Mtskheta, Around Mtskheta, The roads west from Mtskheta, Gori, Around Gori, West of Gori Chapter 5 The Georgian Military Highway North of Mtskheta, Stepantsminda (Kazbegi), North of Stepantsminda, Khevsureti Chapter 6 Samtskhe-Javakheti Nedsvi, Borjomi, Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park, Bakuriani, Southwest from Borjomi, Vardzia, Ninotsminda and beyond Chapter 7 Imereti, Racha, Mingrelia and Guria Imereti, Kutaisi, Around Kutaisi, Racha, Mingrelia, Poti, Guria, Abkhazia Chapter 8 Svaneti Culture and history, Getting there and away, Mestia, Ushguli Chapter 9 Adjara Kobuleti, Batumi, To Gonio and the Turkish border, Mountainous Adjara Chapter 10 Kakheti Getting there and away, Eastwards from Tbilisi, Ninotsminda and Tsinandali, Telavi, West of Telavi, Tusheti, Ea