Shopping in Tbilisi

Table ready to be served

In Tbilisi you can do shopping in a mall or in a outside bazar. There is a big outside bazar next to the station square. You can find there groceries, souvenirs, spare parts for your vehicle, clothing etc. Outside of Tbilisi on the Kakheti highway is bazar called Lilo Mall which has the cheapest prices. Lilo Mall you can reach by mini bus from Isani metro station.

You can find also shopping malls in Tbilisi. I have visited few of them and they feel quite abandoned compared to the outside bazaars. The malls I have visited had available retail space and they were not crowded. The biggest mall is Tbilisi mall where you can find different brands of Spanish Inditex, Turkish brands like LC Waikiki and Koton etc. Near station square is shopping mall called Qarvasla. In the area of Vake you can find Pixel shopping mall which is easy to recognize from outside as it looks like pixelated building.

Georgian names

View from Jvari monastery

Georgian last names have three different kind of endings: -ia, -dze and -shvili. Three example last names with the previous endings are: Antia, Arveladze and Dzhughasvili. Georgian language does not have feminine and masculine therefore it is sometimes hard to tell if certain names belong to women or men. For example in Spain -o ending means usually that name belongs to a male and -a ending means that name belongs usually to a female. Georgia names: Nino, Nato and Qetino are names of females. Then there are also female names ending-a which are for example: Ana, Baia and Manana. Then there are also male names ending with -a, for example, Kakha, Gela and Shota. There are also Georgian male names ending with -o, for example, Sandro, Dato and Tengo.

5 attractions to see in Tbilisi

I collected the top five attractions to see in the capital of Georgia. Previously I have posted the top five attractions of the capital of Turkey.

Waterfall in botanic garden

The botanic garden of Tbilisi is well maintained and in the big area you can find many kind of plants. There is also an impressive waterfall.

Marjanishvili

Marjanishvili is an old merchant street which has been restored nicely. There are a lot of Turkish restaurants and possibility to shopping.

Mtatsminda park

Mtatsinda park is on a top of a mountain and you can have good view over the city of Tbilisi. You can find here also an amusement park. I like especially the view during the night when you can see all the lights of the city. Another option to have a view over the city of Tbilisi is to go to Mother of Georgia statue.

The bridge of peace

Next to the bridge of Peace you can find a nice park. From the park you can take a lift to the mother of Georgia statue. In the park you can find dancing fountain, activities for children and interesting shapes.

Tbilisi canyon

Inside the city of Tbilisi you can find a canyon. A route down the canyon leads to a waterfall.

Mtskheta

Svetitskhoveli cathedral on the background

The atmosphere of Mtskheta reminds the atmosphere of Sighnaghi. Both cities are restored to remind the past centuries and offer nice streets for strolling. Mtskheta can be reached by a minibus from Didube in 15 minutes. Nearby Mtskheta are two monasteries (Jvari and Shiomghvime) where drivers are offering rides for 15 - 20 laris (6 - 8 euros). The monastery of Jvari is more interesting because you have a nice view over the city and landscape around. Inside the city can be found Svetitskhoveli cathedral which is surrounded by walls and has nicely maintained courtyard.

Elder people

Mtskheta

One day I had a discussion how elderly people are taken care of in Georgia. In Finland elderly people who cannot take care of themselves anymore are generally taken care by nurses in the facilities for elderly. In Georgia sending your parents to such facilities would be considered disrespectful. If you are living in a different city than your elder parent(s) who have difficulties to take care of themselves, you would invite them to live with you. Georgians tend take care of their family and not send them to a facility.

Okatse Canyon

Platform over the canyon

The third spot which I visited near Kutaisi, was Okatse Canyon. The route to the platform is approximately 5 kilometers and taking it costs 5 laris (2 euros). The view is impressive but if you have fear of heights you will not feel 100 % comfortable walking the route.  The problem with Okatse and Martvili is that there is no public transportation to these destinations. We managed to negotiate with a taxi driver who took us to the both destinations from Kutaisi for 50 laris (20 euros). It is good idea to take a driver who actually knows the area because we missed few worth seeing spots due the lack of the knowledge of the driver.

How to go to Prometheus Cave near Kutaisi

Inside the Prometheus Cave

I visited also Prometheus Cave during my trip to Kutaisi. This is an informational post in tourist guide style. The Prometheus Cave is about 40 kilometers from Kutaisi. You can reach the cave by taking a mini bus N44 from McDonald's, N34 from central bus station of Ktaisi or N30 from the red bridge to Tskaltubo. The mini buses to Tskaltubo operate every 15 minutes. From Tskaltubo you have to take bus N42 to the Prometheus cave but the mini bus operates only every 2 hours. Each bus ride costs 1 lari (0.4 euros). Entrance fee for the walking tour is 5 laris which is about 2 euros. The tour by foot is 1,5 kilometers long and it is taken in a group with a guide. There is also separate route which you can go through by a boat. The cost for the boat tour is 7 lari (3 euros). The boat tour is only available in the morning.

Martvili

Martvili

Canyon

Last weekend I went to visit Kutaisi. 45 kilometers from Kutaisi you can find Martvili where is a beautiful place that can be seen in above pictures. There is a slow stream of water flowing through a canyon. The water is chilly so you cannot swim in it for very long. Locals were offering rubber boat rides through the canyon for 30 lari which is about 12 euros. If you bring your own rubber boat you can take your time and enjoy the place as long as you feel so. There were many Georgians visiting the place but I could not see many foreigners.

Touchy Georgian men

This is how friends walk in Georgia

In Turkey you see men walking their arms linked, but in Georgia you see men walking their hand on the shoulder of their friend. Georgian men greet each other with a kiss like Turkish men. Person who is not accustomed to such warmth might get intimidated.