Rest in Batumi (Georgia) - 2021: personal feedback and advice

We are talking about the rest in Batumi: Georgia has lifted the entry ban for foreigners and is preparing for the beach season.

About how they are now resting in Batumi, the author wrote for our blog from the place - and showed it in photographs. She arrived in the capital of Adjara before the viral upheavals and has been living here for over a year.

For the past 10 years, our family has been traveling non-stop. We were grounded by Georgia, and specifically by Batumi, and the world, which decided to stop last year. It was interesting to live in a warm climate, with your favorite cuisine and near the Black Sea. We got it in full.

Batumi is an extremely pleasant city with mixed reviews from tourists. Let's talk about everything in order: from the new entry rules to paid elevators in apartments.

Is it possible to fly to Georgia now?

Yes, vacation in Batumi in 2021 is real, Georgia opened for all tourists in March. But since the pandemic has not yet passed, entry is allowed on certain conditions (they are the same for Batumi and Tbilisi):

1. A tourist does a PCR test 72 hours before departure (the result is in paper form and in English), walks freely around Georgia, and then on the 3rd day of his stay he takes another PCR test in a local laboratory - he is asked on the return flight ... Expect a cost of 100-130 GEL per person (2,200-2,900 rubles), and the penalty for non-performance is 2,000 GEL (44,000 rubles). I will leave the link to the site with the addresses of the clinics in the comments;

OR

2. The tourist shows at the border the original of the vaccination certificate (the satellite is suitable) and its translation into English - and no more requirements.

Another question: how to get there? Last year showed everyone that the most important thing is open borders, and there will be a way to get into the country. The Russians are no stranger to the lack of direct flights to Georgia; they were canceled back in July 2019.

Now it is possible to fly from Russia to visit real khinkali only with a transfer in a third country. All other ways to enter Georgia are still banned. Land borders are closed, there are still no trains, "comets" (ferries) from Sochi to Batumi also do not go.

• Drive a single route Moscow-Tbilisi or Moscow-Batumi on Aviasales and choose a convenient connection. Most often, tourists fly through Istanbul and Minsk.

How much do the air tickets cost? The plane to Batumi goes from 20 thousand rubles per person round-trip, to Tbilisi - from 18 thousand. Yes, you can't compare with last year's prices, but earlier there were more flights. If you are in no hurry to travel, I advise you to have a mobile application at hand and periodically monitor the cost of tickets.

After the tickets, all that remains is to book a hotel or guesthouse on RoomGuru (a better search engine than Booking) - and finish reading this text, I still have a lot of useful things in stock :)

What are the sea and beaches in Batumi?

Batumi is about the sea. Black Sea. If you look at the map, you can see that the Sochi coast turns into the Abkhazian, and then into the Georgian one with the center of the local resort life in Batumi.

The beaches in Batumi are the same as in Sochi: wide - 30-50 meters each - and pebble. Although there are wooden paths along the stones, walking without beach shoes is uncomfortable. The entrance to the sea is shallow, but it becomes deep within a few meters from the coast.

The beaches are public and free, go to any, but:

• for renting a sunbed, they ask for 3-5 lari (65-110 rubles).

Everything is arranged: lifeguards are on site, there are free showers, paid toilets (1 GEL), carousels for children, cafes and restaurants, bike rental and a wonderful bike path along the entire coast. And even beach entertainment here - how was it transferred from Sochi (well, in fact, what can change when there are 300 km between cities? :)) Catamarans roar, tourists squeal on parasailing, guides call for boat trips. There is a Batumi water park near the beach with the self-explanatory name of the Beach Water Park, but the reviews about it are very mediocre.

Unfortunately, the sea in Batumi is not the cleanest, for a year we did not dare to swim.

Negative reviews of tourists about Batumi speak about this. The seaport, city sewage and the Chorokhi river pollute the water - after the rains, a lot of garbage and silt are carried out into the sea.

And what to do?
We follow the example of the locals and swim further away from the city: on clean pebble beaches in Gonio, Kvariati and Sarpi - or on Cape Verde and Chakvi. They are located on different sides of Batumi, south and north, and you can overcome 10-18 kilometers by frequent buses and minibuses.

It is even more pleasant in the villages of Ureki or Shekvetili - there are black magnetic sand on the beaches. Soft bottom, great shallow water and pine trees on the shore ... Our favorite places! But they are already further away, 55 kilometers from the city. Shekvetili is more convenient because the bus leaves five minutes from the sea. And in Ureki, you will have to walk about half an hour from the stop to the beach.

Accommodation - hotels and apartments

As for housing, prices for vacations in Batumi are perhaps the highest in Georgia. But it is good that the "highest" ones do not even come close to the price tag of Europe or Montenegro.

Whether you are looking for an apartment with a sea view or a five-star hotel where they will do everything for you, or a room in a guest house with a smiling owner and an endless supply of homemade wine - searches for any accommodation in Batumi lead to the sites:

• Booking
• or RoomGuru - and this is also a Booking service, only in the form of an aggregator - that is, it compares prices for several booking systems and suggests where it is more profitable.

Prices in Batumi in 2021 for accommodation:
(for 1 night for two)

* near Batumi - these are resorts with good beaches from the previous section. As you can see from the table, there are no luxury hotels, and in general the choice of accommodation is small, so the cost is higher.

Long-term rental housing is inexpensive here. A one-room apartment in Batumi with all the amenities costs 400–500 lari (8,800–11,000 rubles) per month. Utilities costs, depending on the season, cost 50–150 lari (1100–3300 rubles), and the Internet costs about 30 lari (660 rubles) per month.

Where is the best place for a tourist to stay?
Areas of Batumi for summer vacations, of course, are those near the beach - within the limits of Kobaladze, Pushkin streets and Boni market. You can also see the Old Town, although the prices are higher there. Other good options: houses around the May 6 Park, on Rustaveli Avenue, Gorgiladze Street, Pirosmani, Tsar Parnavaz and Gorgasali. But the streets of Chavchavadze and Tbel Abuseridze are too noisy.

Some tips for living in Batumi:

• There are no all-inclusive hotels here :)
• If it is stated that the hotel is on the first line from the sea - do not believe it. There are no beach hotels in Batumi. From any building to the sea you need to cross the road and a wide green boulevard.
• Usually in the summer there is a great demand for everything, so it is better to book a hotel / apartment / room in advance.
• In the warm season, mosquitoes commit atrocities in Batumi. Life will be easier if the windows are equipped with mosquito nets.
• Even Adjara has a humid climate, and apartments on the lower floors are damp almost everywhere ...
• Paid lifts! If your apartment is on the top floor, arrange with the hosts to give you an elevator chip. It is much more convenient and cheaper than paying for the lift with coins.
• For a long time in Batumi? Choose an apartment with gas, central heating or gas heater (karma). Even in a southern city it can be dark in an apartment by the sea, so it is good if the windows face the sunny side - to the east or south.

Food prices in Batumi

In Georgia, they pay with laris (chests?). 1 lari (GEL) - 22 rubles.

We were surprised that food prices in Batumi shops are almost the same everywhere. Both in large supermarkets - Carrefour, Goodwill, Willmar, and in small chain stores like Nikora and Spar. And even in small shops open at every corner (marketi), products cost plus or minus the same, and
the assortment is not lagging behind.

Note: drinking water flows from an ordinary tap in Batumi. The prices in the markets are the same as in stores, except that seasonal fruits are sold cheaper.

About cafe-restaurants.
Due to the pandemic, many establishments in Batumi have closed. However, the average price tag has not changed - as it was quite budgetary for a resort town, it has remained.

Prices in a cafe in Batumi:

• Hearty lunch for two without alcohol - 40-60 GEL (900-1300 rubles)
• Pasta - 10-15 GEL (220-330 rubles)
• Khachapuri - 8-12 GEL (175-260 rubles)
• Khinkali, 1 piece - 0.8-1 GEL (17-22 rubles)
• Phali - 7 lari (155 rubles)
• Natakhtari lemonade, 0.5 - 2 lari (44 rubles)
• Cappuccino, 0.2 - 6 GEL (130 rubles)
• Coffee alternative (aeropress, v60) - 8 GEL (175 rubles)
• A bottle of wine - 20–35 GEL (440–770 rubles)
• Beer, 0.5 - 3-5 GEL (66-110 rubles)

Pay special attention to the cost of khinkali and remember how much a little thing costs in Russia ... at least 50 rubles. Here they are, the delights of the trip!

If you recommend specific places, then we like the restaurant Grill town - not the cheapest, but just try melted cheese on ketsi, lobio in a pot and Georgian kebab in pita bread.

Batumi people say that they are real coffee fans. This means coffee brewed in a Turk: it is prepared in markets, in any cafe and restaurant for 1.5 GEL. Not exactly what a tourist expects, for whom good coffee is the third wave, and not minus the first, but there are specialty coffee shops with a filter and fashionable people in laptops in Batumi: for example, Coffeetopia and Rhino Coffee.

From “street” food in Batumi they sell fresh baked goods - penovani, imeruli and lobiani, all at 2-3 lari apiece. Turkish bagels simita cost 1 lari, as well as delicious bread baked in the oven - shoti.
It is not very clear why one should look for fast food in Georgia, but for those who do not feed khachapuri, let a burger sharpen it, you can drop by McDonald's. French fries are here for 3-5 GEL, and burgers - from 6 to 12 GEL.

Well, and the crown of the section about food is wine. There is a lot of wine in Batumi. No, the fault here is the sea! Homemade draft and bottles from factories, chacha and cognac are available in any store. Adjara does not produce as many wines as Kakheti, but is famous for rare varieties - Chkhaveri and Kedis Tsolikauri.

Transport prices

Transport in Batumi works like a clock. The Georgians themselves love to be late, but the buses run exactly on schedule. 16 bus routes have been laid along the streets and the nearest suburbs, and an uncountable number of minibuses run. Stylish electric buses have appeared since last year.

Public transport in Batumi is more than eight times cheaper than in Moscow:

• Travel by bus - 30 tetri (6.5 rubles)
• By minibus - 50 tetri (11 rubles)

In minibuses you pay in cash with the driver, and in the bus you pay with a plastic Batumi Card. The transport card is sold in terminals on the streets. A taxi in Batumi is also inexpensive, a trip around the city costs from 3 to 5 lari (66–110 rubles), and to Kobuleti - 15–20 lari (330–440 rubles). Download the Maxim or Yandex taxi apps - they are the most popular.

After reading the reviews of tourists about Batumi, at first we were afraid of the roads like fire. It turned out that the residents of Batumi, with the exception of the reckless youth, drive very carefully. Pedestrians are allowed everywhere - both at crossings and in the wrong places. In any case, we feel completely safe in the city. But in Tbilisi it is worse.

There are many rental offices in the city, and it is not difficult to rent a car. An economy class car or an SUV will cost from $ 35 (2500 rubles) per day. The entire assortment on your screen on Myrentacar is the most customer-friendly Russian-language site that works with both large car distributors and small ones on the spot:

How to get from Tbilisi to Batumi?

- The capital is located 400 km from Batumi; that is, 5-6 hours away by car.
- The fastest, cheapest and most convenient way to get there is a train. The two-story Stadler will reach Tbilisi in 5 hours. The second class ticket costs 25 lari (550 rubles), and the first one - 61 lari (1350 rubles).
- For travel by minibus they ask for 30 lari (660 rubles).

What to see in Batumi?

You won't be full of khachapuri by the sea alone, so the following locations should be included in the cultural and educational program:

1. The main attraction of Batumi is luxurious seaside promenade. Few cities in the world have a green walking area that stretches along the seashore for more than eight kilometers. Batumi Boulevard was founded in 1881 and is maintained in perfect condition.
   Nearby there is a high tower with 33 letters of the Georgian alphabet, a spacious square of Europe and the original building of the Batumi wedding palace. Within walking distance is the new Piazza, a place where you feel like in Italy.
2. Old city - Historical buildings of the late 19th – early 20th centuries are adjacent to the seaport. We walked all the streets and alleys, but we just can't stop admiring the representative facades, stucco molding, battered doors and the special atmosphere of the Turkish quarter.
3. There are many interesting monuments in Batumi, but most impressive statue of Ali and Nino, which stands next to the Ferris wheel. Two figures of lovers are slowly moving towards and "pass" one through the other.

Do you want to plunge into the atmosphere of Batumi with your head? Take an author's walk around the city with a local - such a modern version of the excursion. Only you and the guide will be there, and the cost is excellent - from € 38 to € 45 (3300–3900 rubles) for your entire group of up to six people. There are already reviews for the current year:

4. In the evenings, a colorful show of dancing fountains. The jets of water "dance" to the music, and there are spellbound spectators around.
5. We advise you to visit the Cathedral Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The temple was built as a Catholic one, so there are spiers, pointed windows and stained-glass windows.
6. From museums tourists choose the Nobil Brothers' Technological Museum (3 GEL per entrance) and the Archaeological Museum (also 3 GEL).
7. To see the city from above, climb by cable car Argo. Closed booths slowly float up a hill 250 m above sea level. Upstairs, we looked at the familiar streets with pleasure and took photos without stopping. A round trip ticket costs 25 lari (550 rubles).
8. Easy to reach by yourself Batumi Botanical Garden. We are just in awe of this place! On an area of ​​113 hectares, the richest collections of plants from all over the world are collected, and very beautiful views of the coast open up. Come to the upper entrance by bus # 10a. You will not only find yourself in the garden, but also admire the panorama of Batumi from above. A ticket for foreigners costs 15 lari (330 rubles).

If you come with children, you can see pelicans, parrots and ducks at the Bird zoo on Batumi Boulevard. A pleasant place for family walks is the park on May 6, where a dolphinarium (15 GEL per show), attractions (0.5-1 GEL) and a small zoo (2 GEL) work.

The best excursions - where to go from Batumi?

Tours from Batumi - to places where you can't get there without a car - are conducted by tourist bureaus and private guides. Check out the routes available in advance:

• on the Tripster website is an international excursion service in Russian anywhere in the world. There are a lot of them in Batumi. And now, when the tourist flow is just recovering, they cost only € 40 (3500 rubles). Vacationers are taken to the natural beauty by minibuses, cars and jeeps.

Where to go from Batumi?
Significant places are Okatse and Martvili canyons, Prometheus cave, mountainous Adjara, Mtirala and Kintrishi national parks. A very popular stop is the waterfall and the medieval arched bridge in Makhuntseti, the fortress of Gonio, Petra and neighboring resorts.

When to go on vacation in Batumi?

Adjara has a mild climate. At the peak of summer - in July and August - the air temperature reaches + 30 ° С ... + 33 ° С, and the water temperature reaches + 26 ° С ... + 27 ° С.

When is the best time to go on vacation in Batumi? Locals start preparing for the beach season at the end of May and hibernate in October. This is also the optimal time to swim in the sea. It rains in summer, but the weather in Batumi is not sad for long.

In winter, it is pleasant to go on excursions, walk, listen to the stormy sea and warm up khachapuri. Swimming, of course, is impossible, the water temperature drops to + 8 ° C ... + 9 ° C. In general, there are almost no subzero temperatures in Batumi. There are many evergreens in the city, and the grass and flower beds look like summer.

Embrace the immensity in Georgia: how to see almost the whole country in a short vacation? We tell you here!

Reviews of tourists about Batumi - the pros and consrest in Georgia

Well, what can I say ... we fell in love with Adjara immediately. Sea air, friendly culture and sunny winter have kept us in the city for over a year! We like it so much here that I am ready to fend off any controversial reviews of tourists about Batumi.

• Yes, the main complaint is the dirty sea in Batumi: but Georgia does not end here, and literally 15 kilometers from the city there are places with the purest water, and a little further with sandy beaches (see the second section).

Unlike Tbilisi, Batumi is small. Everyone here knows each other, so the relationship is open, warm and friendly. Talking to newcomers is a great pleasure for the locals. Tourists of any nationality are missed here and are very much awaited! There are no language problems. Here, not only people of the older generation know Russian, the young also try, but still they understand English better.

Don't expect to be treated as helpful in shops, hotels and cafes as in Europe. Georgians have a different mentality. They may not smile at you, but they will help you in whatever way they can.

Due to investments, Batumi is developing rapidly, but there is not enough money for everything. Ultra-modern skyscrapers sit side by side with old houses that look like they are about to fold in half. Someone is depressed, but we do not.

• In Georgia, "favela" neighborhoods are not hidden from visitors. This is their life, and they will surely cope with difficulties, and the desire for openness is highly respected.

Georgians are a temperamental nation. Do not be surprised if a noisy feast is arranged in the next apartment until the morning, and at night fireworks will rumble outside the window. It's just that someone was born to distant relatives from the village, or the second cousin of his beloved uncle got married. There is crime, but the police are working fine. Children calmly walk until late, and tourists who have decided to exercise at night in the city are not in danger.

It is interesting to read reviews of tourists about Batumi, but seeing the only large seaside resort in Georgia with your own eyes is a completely different matter. Over the past year, all of us have realized the value of free movement and new experiences, so welcome!