Should you visit TBILISI, Georgia? My honest verdict & advice
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 เม.ย. 2023
- Hi everyone! This is episode seven of my Caucasus series in which I travel through Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia. This is also the fourth video I made of Tbilisi, or effectively 'Part D' of the Tbilisi videos.
In this vlog, I explore whether or not it is worth visiting Tbilisi in 2023. I do this by taking you on a journey through some parts of the city and, whilst I do give some tips and advice along the way, it is ultimately you that need to make the decision. To that end, I try to let my experiences and interactions do the talking.
The vlog starts off with me playing chess against a Georgian street merchant. We could not communicate verbally as he could not speak English and I cannot speak Georgian or Russian, but through playing the beautiful game we connected and shared a beautiful moment. I then visit the area around the hot springs / sulphur baths which is practically the reason why Tbilisi exist in the first place - it is here where King Vakthang Gorgasali built his capital in the year 458.
The next stop - food. I try some Georgian khinkali, the famous dumplings in a local restaurant. I order two meat ones as well as a potato and cheese to see what the fuss is all about. I then walk around the old town a little bit more and spot an interesting statue, souvenir shops as well as carpets for sale. At this point in the vlog, I insert a clip of a walking tour I did earlier where the tour guide talks about the difference between Georgian carpets and those from the Middle East.
I then wander further in the streets and alleys of Tbilisi and notice various art shops and, of course, more wine bars. Once back in the centre of Tbilisi, I make my way to the flea market and pass through some beautiful parks and gardens en route. After visiting the flea market and taking in the River Kura from the bridges, I stroll around the area further and notice more interesting architecture.
Time for dessert! I stop at a Georgian supermarket for something sweet after which I notice more random things and interesting designs in the city, including the Peace Bridge / Bridge of Peace. The vlog ends with me strolling around the area of the hot springs / sulphur baths again, which is also close to the 'I love Tbilisi' sign.
Hope you enjoy this vlog! If you haven't done so already, please hit the 'LIKE' and 'SUBSCRIBE' buttons - it really helps this channel to grow and allows me to undertake more adventures such as these to bring to you for free! :)
As an Ecuadorian. I was in shock about how beautiful is Tbilisi and how stunning are the ladies.
It is a very interesting place, that is for sure! Wish I had more time to explore the rest of Georgia
I did a free walking tour in Tbilisi in May 2022 and I had this guy as guide.. he is absolutely the best!!!!
He was very entertaining!
It's always very interesting to see your own city with tourists' eyes, thank you for the kind words you say about Tbilisi :) I have never noticed so many statues don't have names written in English, it'd be very nice if tourists were able to learn about the people whose talent and work is celebrated with the statues.
As you liked the statues and were eager to learn about them, here:
15:00 Lado Gudiashvili - Georgian artist. (Sculptor - J. Mikatadze 2003)
16:15 Otar Megvinetukhutsesi - Georgian film and theatre actor. (Sculptor - L. Vardosanidze 2015)
16:26 Giorgi Chanturia - Georgian politician. (Sculptor - c. Tsuladze 1998)
18:00 Mihály Zichy - Hungarian painter. (Sculptor - Sh. Kishi 1988)
18:45 "Flags Fast" (Sculptor - G. Shkhvatsabaia 1988)
18:56 "Wall of Remembrance" (Sculptor - G. Shkhvatsabaia 1981)
19:13 Giorgi Leonidze - Georgian poet. (Sculptor - T. Ghviniashvili 2000)
p.s. The tour guide who was talking about carpets is Zura Balanchivadze, very talented and nice guy, morning TV show host, finalist of "Georgia's Got Talent".
Hi! Thank you so much for providing this additional information, it is much appreciated! The tour guide was absolutely brilliant :)
@@willieexplore My pleasure :)
Tbilisi is an amazing, interesting city. Georgia is an exceptional country. Their Christmas is celebrated on Jan 7. I was there from Dec 25 to end of Jan 2022-2023. I could live in this engaging country ❤
Thanks for sharing your experiences of Georgia with us Marcia! I also had a great time in Tbilisi :)
@@willieexplore thank you for sharing your experiences Willie. The world of exploration is wondrous. Stay safe.
Are you returning to Georgia anytime? Borjomi is a must see. Plus the snow fields in winter, Bakuraini etc
@@eliteluxuryagentaustralia thanks Marcia. Not sure when I'll be back but it is a matter of when, not if. Thanks for the suggestions!
@@willieexplore I’ll be returning too. Same, ? When … 🇦🇺🥂😎
Just came across this video and let me tell you, you've managed to capture the beauty of Tbilisi in a perfect way starting from food and interacting with locals to chaotic traffics and (no) pedestrian crossings! :D Thanks for sharing! Sincerely, a person who is homesick and misses khinkali dearly :)
Really appreciate your comment there keto p! I had a fantastic time in Tbilisi, even though I struggled a bit to cross the road haha! The language situation was tricky too, but the chess match proved that you can still connect with people in different ways! And of course I enjoyed the khinkali and my supermarket dessert :)
I am Armenian from Armenia, Georgians are very similar to us and we are similar to them. Much love to Georgia.
I really enjoyed my time in both countries. Thanks for watching Steve!
No, we are not the same. At first glance it may seem that way, but yeah no
@@nirianirar5298glance twice cause everyone in Caucasus has quit some similarities
All the best to the old neighbors, from Georgia!
I do like the green and the gardens within the city, I notice there are plenty of rubbish bins around, probably the reason they don't have a lot of litter. Once again enjoyed the stroll through Tbilisi, and the humor. Thank you Willie. Kiwi from Virginia.
Cheers Swanoaks, as always! Lots of emphasis on green spaces in Tbilisi and loving it. Hope all is well with you!
@@willieexplore Summer is on its way and I am enjoying the warmth in the sun after what seemed a long winter; hardly any snow, but lots of rain.
@@Swanoaks definitely need a long summer after this long winter!
Best vlog I've watched on Tbilisi so far - and I've watched loads... very entertaining, and you seen to have zoomed in on all the really attractive parts. Thank you for posting - I will visit this stunning city one day! ❤👍👍👍
Hi Cazzy! Thank you so much for your great compliment, I'm delighted that you enjoyed my video so much! If you haven't already, check out my two other vlogs on Tbilisi too, where I visit other parts and tell more about the history etc. Thanks again for the support! Willie
One of the best vlog I have ever watched! Keep on blogging bro!
Oh wow, thank you so much for that comment! Brought a big, big smile to my face :)
Great video again thanks for advising what places to go and historical information about places to visit! P.s. you have to do a live streaming one of the days that be interested to watched!
Thank you so much Simon! Your support for my channel does not go unnoticed my friend!
Great video! New subscriber from Oz! Georgia is definitely up there on the place's I'd love to visit!
Thanks very much! Appreciate the support. Hope you get to Georgia in due course!
Great video Willie!! ❤️
Thank you Rima! Really appreciate it! :)
This video was so helpful! My partner & I are planning to visit Tbilisi next year July! We’re also south african & can’t wait!
That is great to hear! Thank you so much for watching my videos and I hope you have a wonderful time. You will really enjoy it!
Nice work and video Willie Explore! Love the footage
Thank you very much! Appreciate the support :)
@@willieexplore keep going! keep exploring
Well done nice vlog mate ❤
Thank you! Appreciate you checking out my content :)
thanks -- great glimpse of Tblisi
Thanks Billy! Appreciate your comment!
Hey, a good spoon is hard to find! lol I hear Tblisi Cat has a booth at the flea market where he sells them, in case yours breaks. Tell him I sent you, and he will give you a discount. Also I must admit, that was a very interesting city map. Seems like Tblisi definitely has a lot of character to it! Conrats by the way on becoming a khinkali master! :) Great video as always
Haha indeed it is hard to find Landshark! :) The spoons and cats I meet on my travels, whilst mastering food along the way too - can write a book about them! That city map was insane, showing how people use the hot baths...but I didn't show the back which actually does have an actual map! Thanks for all your support my friend
Just goes to show that you don't always need language to enjoy interacting with the locals!
Looking forward to seeing where you and Spoony end up next. 😁
Indeed Andy! I hope my chess match with the local man proves that you can still make wonderful memories in places where you struggle to communicate. Oh, the spoon will make some memories too! Thanks as always for watching and supporting my channel :)
Love this
Thank you! Cheers for watching :)
Great video, thank you for capturing the best and beauty of the city. I really like the park you passed by, so clean, leafy and green. May I know where it is located in the city ?
Thanks for the kind words! Really appreciate you checking out my videos and supporting my channel. I believe I walked through two gardens, namely 9 April Garden and Giorgi Leonidze Garden. Both are centrally located.
Actually the river's name in georgian is ,,Mtkvari".."Kura" is a russian version of it....Also the chess player man's name ,,,Raindi"means ,,knight "..)))There's much more to see in Tbilisi and Whole Georgia 🇬🇪 🇬🇪🇬🇪,hope you enjoyed our city!..Good luck!
Gamarjoba Lali! Yes I cheated a bit with the river name and went for the 'shorter' name as I could not pronounce the Georgian name :) Thanks for translating the name of the chess player as well, I never knew that! I would love to see more of Georgia but Tbilisi kept me very busy on this short trip.
And thanks for watching my videos! I've made a few videos of Tbilisi - hope you get a chance to check those out too if you haven't already!
@Willie Explore I hope someday you will come back for georgian countryside also😊❤️
@@lalikevkhishvili652 definitely hope to be back my friend! Appreciate your support and encouragement :)
😀
ღმერთმა სიკეთე არ მოგიშალოს , საქართველოს სტუმარო ! ❤🇬🇪@@willieexplore
Looks like a cool city, love places where you can stroll around like that (despite it being tough to cross the road). Love all the random stuff for sale everywhere - cassettes especially 😂
Some great architecture and very clean, I love Georgian food so would definitely like to check it out!
Nice to hear from you mate! Yes absolutely a great place to visit. The cassettes were really random and caught me by surprise, but love it :) Definitely put Tbilisi on your bucket list!
@@willieexplore will do mate! Will get a Walkman for the trip 🎧😆
@@no_soy_rubio haha!
You have shown Tbilisi off very well, Willie, it really does seem to have a lot of character and very friendly people. I think you now have to challenge yourself to find a fork, a knife and a plate to accompany your spoon!😊
Cheers Sheila! Many years ago I met a backpacker in Budapest who travelled with pots and pans. How things have changed! Not sure I can make space for a plate and perhaps the airport security will have something to say about sharp items, so will need to invest in a spork perhaps :) Thanks for watching (as always) and hope you're enjoying Jersey!
@@willieexplore pots and pans😅. By the way, you are allowed a pen knife through airport security, believe it or not so you would be ok with a plastic one! Enjoying Jersey, thank you, having some time out before our last night here as we fly home tomorrow! Look forward to your next vlog and watching all your older ones👍
@@sheilam4525 I think you're right on the plastic ones! Although some countries such as Rwanda don't allow plastic, so will have different challenges there :) Thanks for watching and safe travels Sheila!
I am travelling tbilisi in july.. i would definitely visitimg this places
An interesting place for sure! Hope you have a great time!
As a Persian I got shocked when I saw the Carpet part 😂😂😂😂🪬
Hopefully in a good way! Cheers for watching
- in Georgia, you don't have to speak a Language, as long as you speak Chess! რაინდი - aka raindi - in georgian is a knight = never heard of anyone actually be called knight - I'm a bit disappointed that a lot of English speakers find it tough to pronounce TBI-lisi (it's not TIB-lisi at all) - TBILI means warm btw Love your shots from the old town and thumbed the video up! - glad you enjoyed Khinkali - the carpet guy's speech was interesting - if you're still in Tbilisi go to cafe Leila, order their Kakluchi (it's the best georgian sweet ever) and their epic mint lemonade...also pop into Stamba Cafe...You missed the Best Foodcourt in the entire city, which was right above the Carrefour Supermarket. It's called the Orbeliani Market. It's not that Budget friendly compared to other places in Tbilisi but Supertasty. PS: Fuck the plastic spoon, what you really need is a sustainable Spork you can take on your travels.
I know what Tbilisi means and there will be different pronunciations because we all have different accents. Btw I'm not an English speaker but thanks for watching! :)
This is a great video, it really shows how Tbilisi is in real life and not only some random places. The walking is great because it shows how the streets really are. It would also be nice if you showed less touristic areas.
Appreciate your kind words! Thanks for checking out my video and supporting my channel. I have more Tbilisi videos on my channel too if you're interested.
❤
Thanks for watching! I appreciate it!
You sound veryyyyyy South African Willie, much love from SA
Haha thank you very much for watching Mpumi! Yes haven't lost the accent despite years living abroad
Ek gaan volgende jaar daar gaan toer, wag al 2 jaar 🤠. Lekka video
Daarsy Johan! Jy gaan dit baie geniet. Dankie dat jy my video gekyk het!
This river in georgian calls Mtkvari. the name Kura is for some countries. thank you for video
Thanks for watching my friend! Yes others have pointed me to the name 'Mtkvari' as well :)
Would you come back one day to Georgia again? Or one time is enough?
There is a lot of world to see but I wouldn't mind a second visit in Georgia. Also I've only been to the capital and I'm sure there are lots more to see in the countryside / mountainous regions as well as other cities such as Batumi and Kutaisi
See you next week, JUNE 22, 2023
I MUST SEE TBILISI❤...
Have a great time and thanks for watching
Nice video.
Georgians who know English aren’t easy to find in the streets ; most people don’t walk as much as western Europeans do. According to English Proficiency Index-EF EP Georgia is in 34th place among 113 countries when measuring knowledge of English across all age groups , which is the highest position in this neighborhood , Russia is in 41st and Azerbaijan is in 83rd place. It’s mostly people over 40 who would know Russian
Thanks for your kind words and additional insight! Very interesting reading
@@willieexplore your video was more interesting, I just added "technical" data :D
@@TakoGoksadze appreciate your support and encouragement! :)
That river is called Mtkvari
Also the Kura, in another language. Thanks for watching!
👌🇬🇪
Thanks for watching my friend!
Willie nog n goeie Video! Groete
Lekker om met 'n Bok-trui daar rond te loop Tosca. Groete!
Willie Ja ek sien jy like jou Bok Trui!@@willieexplore
Bagus banget besok main k Bali Indonesia
Thanks for watching! I hope to visit Indonesia at some point :)
Hey Willie, ek beplan n trip na Georgia in die winter, en ek was nog nooit oorsee nie. Ek wil so lig as moontlik travel, met net n army rugsak vol goed. Ek het goeie winter klere, so ek is nie rerig bekommerd vir die sneeu of so iets nie. Ek dink dit sal n goeie idee wees as jy n video kan maak oor hoe was jy jou klere en sulke goed waneer jy "on the move is". Ek dink dis slim om so 3 tshirts en onerdbroeke te vat, maar ek is nog steeds onseker oor die logistics van dit. Anyways, dit was n baie goeie video. Ek het jou channel opgespoor na ek jou video oor Loxton gekyk het.
Hi Daniel, bly te kenne! Dit is 'n baie goeie idee vir 'n toekomstige video, dankie! My raad aan jou is om so lig as moontlik te reis. 'n Mens het regtig nie baie nodig nie - twee of drie pare onderbroeke, sokkies en t-shirts is meer as genoeg, en dalk twee broeke en een warm baadjie. Vir Georgia in die winter sal ek ook 'n thermal vest aanbeveel. Onthou dat jy altyd klere by jou bestemming ook kan koop. Ek reis nooit met meer as twee van elk nie, want ek weet gaan iets erens koop by 'n mark of winkel erens. Meeste hotelle en hostels het wasgeriewe, maar ek was sommer met die hand in die badkamer, soos ouma altyd gedoen het. Hoop dit help! Laat weet as ek kan help beplan vir jou trip. Groete
@@willieexplore dis kind of genius. ek sal dit in ag neem, dankie. Maak asb daai video, ek dink jy sal ander goeie tips he vir almal! Laat weet as jy n toergids vir Durban kort, Im your guy!
@@WIGGER_AESTHETIC_031 sal so maak, dankie!
How do you find the traffic? Is it safe?
The traffic definitely rule the city vis-a-vis pedestrians, with not a lot of cars willing to stop for pedestrians. So be careful!
just make sure you don't drive yourself and you'll be fine
@@Georgian2go Thank you 😊
Man, you wear Springboks t-shirt. My favorite Rugby Nation after our national Team. ძაან მაგარია
Thanks brother! We love Georgia as well for their physical approach to the game of rugby :) Appreciate you watching my videos!
Beautiful place. Did you win the chess game?
Yes Honey Pie, I really enjoyed my time there! As for the chess game...that shall remain a secret :)
I was there for four days in September 2022. Very nice weather, peoples from all over the world, kind of expensive, poor infrastructure, lots of Russians and alot of anti-Russian graffiti.
Overall I would go back.
The graffiti is very hard to miss Marc. Definitely some parts could do with a bit of TLC but a nice vibe overall. Glad you enjoyed your stay and thanks for watching my videos!
just to build on what your saying Marc; kind of expensive, poor infrastructure, lots of Russians and lots of anti Russian sentiment; If I went there, there would be more anti Russian sentiment. But you would go back? and I'm curious about your basis for comparison. For instance; those dumplings looked really crappy -
Why not go to Danang Vietnam?. Crazy cheap, fantastic food, clean and glamorous, beaches, suntans, surfing. babes, beer culture, neighborhood variety, spa treatments, night life, etc etc. Some Russians are hiding from their government there - but they are confined to old 5 star resorts that now form 100% Russian Villages, and can be avoided.
I went to Tbilisi because it was September 2022 and 15 degrees Celsius and raining in Warsaw, and Tbilisi was 32 degrees Celsius and sunny. I would go back but it’s probably more expensive now lol.
the man you played chess with, his name translates to knight in English
I've been told that yes, what a coincidence :)
Where would you recommend to stay in Tbilisi?
Hi Ursula, thanks for your question. That would depend on a few factors and who you're travelling with. If you go solo I would always recommend a youth hostel - they have dorms but some also have private rooms.
ursula call me
Hotel Stamba
@@tomsawyer597 you respond to other aunts but not aunt polly?
I stayed at Hotel Kope. Was nice, clean, and close to the walking parts. Wasn’t exactly the old town but still nice,
Who won the game?👍✌
That shall remain a mystery! ;)
it's Pork and Beef. mixture
That makes sense; I could not pinpoint the taste at first
Khinkali Masters dont have a single drop of broth on their plate.😉
Haha yes my friend that is true, you could taste (no pun intended) the sarcasm...
Dit lyk soos n aangename plek.
Dit was regtig 'n lekker wegbreek, Frikkie. Dankie vir die saamkyk!
actually Leonidze was more novelist writer than poet
Ok, thanks for watching!
The city is beautiful, but the amount of graffiti just ruins everything and makes the place look cheap and sleazy. Outlawing graffiti and heavy penalties is necessary to preserve the beauty of the city.
Regardless of one's view on the graffiti, there certainly are a lot! Thanks a lot for watching and taking the time to comment :)
That's the worst-looking Khinkali I have ever seen.
I'm not in a position to comment as I have not tried a lot of khinkali. But if you're right, why did the walking tour people recommend this restaurant?
Maybe because it actually tastes good and not how it looks 😀 appreciate all of your kind words but you have lots of things that you can see in georgia for example ,,vardzia’’ it is city built in 13th century and is built in mountain its amazing. There are many many places to explore ❤️good luck keep up the good work
@@zauriiremadze9564 thank you very much for your suggestion and good feedback. Appreciate you checking out my content :)
Banal.
Banal?
hey! amigo! Remember! khinkali should be eaten with ground black pepper! 🌶
Hi there! Thanks for the tip, I didn't know that! Appreciate you watching my videos
COOL////////////////////////////
Cheers!