Holidays in Georgia with children

Sunny Georgia is a worthy alternative to rest in the resorts of Krasnodar Region. The former union republic is gradually recovering from military conflicts, internal turmoil, and again acquires the status of a health resort. In this article we will tell you whether such a holiday is suitable for families with children, how to get to Georgia, what documents are needed, where to stay and what to see.

Georgia is a bright, interesting and very distinctive country, the nature of which cannot but amaze with its beauty and grandeur. There are a lot of sights in it, and therefore it is not surprising that many travelers go on vacation here for several years and have not yet been able to see all the interesting places. It’s really possible to discover Georgia for a very long time.

Georgians are hospitable, affable.

But you can always cook your own food, especially since there are a lot of imported products, including Russian, on the shelves of Georgian shops.

For Russians, there is a visa-free regime; to enter the country, it is enough to have a valid international passport.

Among the minuses are unkempt urban beaches and the imperfection of tourist areas in terms of infrastructure.

Special mention deserve local taxi drivers. You can get to most of the sights because of the abundance of mountain roads only with their help, and at the same time they deceive tourists without a twinge of conscience - they spin up the counter in a car, carry it in circles, while they crumble all the way in compliments to Russians and swear in eternal friendship. Traders in local markets behave similarly, but you can and should bargain with them.

Road traffic in major cities is organized randomly, everyone drives as they like. Being a pedestrian is difficult here, even if you are local, and being a pedestrian with as a child - generally dangerous. On walks in Batumi and Tbilisi it is better not to be distracted for a minute and not to let go of the hands of your child.

Service in restaurants and cafes in Georgia is in its infancy, the waiters are slow, can not pay any attention to visitors, and tips are automatically included in the bill and range from 10 to 15% of the amount of the check.

The Georgian climate is very similar to the climate of southern Russia, but here it is a bit hotter and more humid. The climate is subtropical, the air temperature in winter is +7, in the summer - + 30. In the spring there is often prolonged rain. The weather as a whole is unpredictable, like Georgia itself, and the morning sun for dinner may turn into a thunderstorm and vice versa.

In July and August, the water temperature is considered optimal, it stays at 25 degrees, in the fall the sea cools quickly and in September the water becomes not very comfortable (+ 19- + 20 degrees).

The best season for holidays in Georgia at mountain resorts is from May to October. In the spring there are still rains and fogs come down, and in the fall there are already fogs and rains, plus snow and ice. In winter, mountain resorts are ready to take lovers of ski holidays.

This is the most famous resort city of Georgia. There are many parks, fountains, recreation areas. The city has a rich history, but this does not prevent it from actively being built in breadth and height.In Batumi, there is a yacht club, amusement parks, attractions, so the beach holiday here is quite possible to diversify cultural trips to attractions and modern facilities.

The resort coastal zone is a few kilometers from Batumi. It fully justifies its name, because there is the country's largest botanical garden of plants from around the world. By the way, not only tourists come here to relax. Georgians themselves prefer to spend their holidays here.

Pretty well-equipped resort with clean beaches and a wide coastal strip. Here is the old fortress, in which there is a burial, allegedly belonging to the Apostle Matthew. 20 years ago, the resort was declared a museum-reserve.

This coastal zone stretches for 10 kilometers along the coast. There is a clear sea, pebbly beaches, pine and eucalyptus forests. The resort has many sanatoriums and health resorts, which offer a large range of medical procedures, thalassotherapy (treatment by the sea air).

A small resort 17 kilometers from Batumi. Almost all the beaches here are pebbly, but there are strips of sand with an abundance of shells. In this place grows real Georgian tea.

One of the most popular resorts in Georgia. Here is incredibly clear water and healing mixture of mountain and flat winds. However, for a holiday with young children this place cannot be called ideal - here is the deep-water well-known throughout the country, and therefore it is better to go on vacation here with a teenager to go diving together.

Resort, ideal for family holidays. Sandy beaches, clear sea. New hotels. Healing magnetite (black) sand on the beaches.

Another resort with sandy beaches, but rather remote from Batumi. Go to him almost 130 kilometers. The resort is still developing, a yacht club and hotels were opened a few years ago.

• Amusement park Mtatsminda (Tbilisi). It works only in the warm season. A child will appreciate the rides, the Ferris wheel, video game rooms.
• Park Mushtaidi (Tbilisi). Works from spring to mid autumn. Here you can ride on the children's railway, visit the rides.
• Old Tbilisi. This is a very informative walk with older children. Rustaveli Street, Vake Park, Saint Elias Hill, singing fountains in Rike Park, you can ride to the ancient fortresses on the cable car.
• Entertainment complex Astra Park (Tbilisi). Works year-round. For children - karting, video game halls, trampolines, 7D cinema.
• Museum of mechanical dolls Tinatin Tumanishvili (Tbilisi). Here is one of the world's largest collections of a wide variety of dolls and puppets.
• Waterpark Gino Paradise Tbilisi (Tbilisi). Water park with huge pools, wave and sports. A variety of slides from large to small, which will be happy kids.
• Dolphinarium (Batumi). Performances are held daily.
• Miracles Park (Batumi). The 55-meter ferris wheel and children's trains will not let the baby get bored.
• Port of Batumi. Both boys and girls will enjoy such a walk among the most real huge ships, boats, bulk carriers.
• Zoo Batumi. Zoological park is small, but very interesting.
• Educational historical excursions. You can see the real Georgia and learn more about it when traveling to the ancient city of Mtskheta, the cave city in the Vardzia rock, Prometheus cave, Rabat fortress, Sighnagi town, Chmi village.

Choosing a hotel, you should definitely look at the year of its construction and the date of the last renovation. The fact is that quite often Georgian hotels rate themselves higher than they are seen from the outside, and therefore, hoping to come to comfortable conditions, you can get to the hotel - a relic of the USSR, with disgusting service.

If you are traveling with children, specify whether the hotel has conditions for children, including small ones. do they give a cot and how much does it cost, is there any infrastructure for children. In general, with the latter in Georgia is quite difficult. In any case, a targeted search for such hotels yielded rather poor results.

• Radisson Blu Batumi 5 * (Batumi);
• River Side 4 * (Batumi);
• Georgia Palace 5 * (Kobuleti);
• Hotel Solidarity 4 * (Kobuleti);
• Premium 4 * (Ureki);
• Colchis 4 * (Ureki);
• Cameo 4 * (Kvariati);
• Mgzavrebi Batumi-Gonio Hotel 3 * (Gonio);
• Hotel Egrisi 3 * (Gonio).

You can rent an apartment in Georgia without intermediaries in advance using the numerous offers from the Internet, or you can do it on the spot. According to estimates of experienced travelers, the cost of renting housing in this country does not correspond to a reasonable price-quality principle. In the season (summer), even the retired grandmothers, who rent out rooms for rent, request 3-4 times more than the usual fare (up to $ 35 per day).

Most apartments in Tbilisi and Batumi, as well as other cities, do not have central heating. If suddenly the rains begin and it becomes cold, you will have to warm yourself with the help of an air conditioner, putting it on heating, or using a heater (in the private sector).

The Georgian climate is mild and akin to the Russian one, and therefore the child’s heavy and prolonged acclimatization should not arise. Two months before departure, it’s worth checking your vaccination card and your child’s card. It must be vaccinated against diphtheria (tetanus), hepatitis A, B.

Most reviews about travel with children in Georgia are positive. Especially parents celebrate resorts such as Batumi and Gonio. In Kobuleti, it will be interesting mainly to kids, older children will be bored here.

According to reviews of moms, Georgians love children very much, so a blond kid on the beach at the local causes a lot of positive emotions and is always surrounded by compliments. Local residents are not limited to the kind word and all the time they strive to treat kids with something (nuts, churchkhela), without really asking their parents if this can be given to the kid. Therefore, parents can not relax.

Parents who have chosen to rest in Batumi and Poti complain about the huge number of mosquitoes at night. And every third was dissatisfied with the proximity of construction projects - the resorts of Georgia are being actively built, and therefore noise and dust sometimes make it difficult to concentrate on the sea, the sun and the healing air of this country.

For more on vacation in Georgia, see the video below.