In this country, locals say that a guest is a gift from God. Here you will first be invited to visit, fed, watered, given a rest, and only then will they ask about the purpose of your visit. This is hospitable Georgia. A kind, open and responsive local resident of this country was happy to share useful and interesting moments of life in Georgia: how Georgians treat Russians, what to see in Georgia, what is the weather in Georgia, real estate prices and work in Georgia, read the answers to these and other questions in this interview.
– Tell us a little about yourself.
– My name is Rza. I am Azerbaijani, but I was born and raised in Georgia, where I now live. I used to be engaged in trade, had a small household goods store. In 2017, I decided to engage in tourism services. I’ve been attracted to this job for a long time.
— What is your favorite place in Georgia?
— My favorite place in Georgia is Batumi and its surroundings. It’s like love at first sight! Batumi fascinates from the very first moments. Beautiful streets harmoniously coexist with modern skyscrapers, and the buildings are all distinguished by originality and unusual. And what beautiful views of Batumi at night, when the city is drowned in beautiful lights and musical colored fountains. In addition to the charming and beautiful Batumi, there is amazing nature, literally starting from 30 km from the city: mountains, forests, waterfalls, mountain rivers.
— Is tourism developed in Georgia?
– Tourism has been developing intensively recently and the government is very actively contributing to this. Almost all world brands, I mean hotels, are represented in Georgia. Slowly and restaurants are catching up. But restaurants here are a little uninteresting, because local cuisine is in great demand here.
– Tell us, what is the weather like in Georgia?
– Georgia and the city of Batumi in particular claim to receive tourists all year round. Georgia is beautiful at any time of the year. Nature doesn’t have bad weather — I think it’s just about Georgia. But you still need to know what kind of weather can be expected in Georgia and is suitable for certain purposes. For example, to visit excursions in Georgia, I advise you to choose May or September. At this time it is warm and there is practically no rain, and the temperature reaches +24 … 26C °. And in May, Georgia is raging with different colors and nature is blooming. Who goes to Georgia by the sea, then it is worth choosing the period from the end of June to the end of August, when the temperature on the coast reaches +27…30 °C. In general, the summer in Georgia is quite hot. Lovers of ski holidays should choose the period from December to May, but the best time is January-February.
— What to see in Georgia?
– Georgia as a whole is one wonderful place that you definitely need to see. Any region and any place is beautiful in its own way, with stunning nature and its own history. What to see in Georgia?
- Firstly, this is the city of Tbilisi. A very beautiful city at any time of the year. The old part of the city, with its small streets paved with bricks, will not leave anyone indifferent. This is a cultural and historical value, here you can see the ruins of the Middle Ages.
- Another historical value is the sulfur baths, which have a therapeutic effect.
- The Narikala Fortress offers an amazing view of the old town.
- The Holy Mtatsminda Mountain, on which there is a large and equipped park with various attractions. This mountain offers panoramic views of the city.
- Not far from Tbilisi there is a very beautiful region of Kakheti, with beautiful nature. Kakheti is also considered a wine region. There are a lot of vineyards and wine houses here.
- I also want to mention the city of Sighnaghi. Here you can see a very beautiful view of the Alazani Valley. And this city is also called the city of lovers, and there is a 24-hour registry office.
– Expensive life in Georgia?
— As for life in the country, about the high cost and prices, it’s all relative. In general, as everywhere else: expensive for some, not very expensive for others.
- In central cities, the cost of sq/m on real estate in Georgia it ranges from $300 to $1500, depending on the location. Prices for apartments in Tbilisi and Batumi are in the same price range. Everything is cheaper in the regions, but again it all depends on the location and connectivity with tourism. Studio apartments in Tbilisi and Batumi cost from $ 25,000 and above.
- Apartment rentals depends on the season and location. On average, real estate in Georgia, or rather a studio apartment costs from $ 250 per month, and daily rent starts from $ 10 per day and above, up to $ 100.
- Utilities recently, the prices have risen a little. Electricity costs 6-8 cents per kilowatt, gas about 22 cents per cubic meter, water with sewerage about 15 cents.
- Cafes and restaurants it’s a little hard to estimate in a nutshell. There is a very large selection and price range. And of course, it all depends on your appetite too. But on average, if you take those cafes where the local population usually eats, there prices start from $ 6-8 per person, well, they continue to increase as appetite and prices increase, respectively.
– Medicine in Georgia.
– Medicine in Georgia is mostly at a good level. Medical tourism is also developing very intensively. There is both paid and free medicine, as everywhere) Good specialists have gone to the paid sector, but good doctors also work in the free sector. Recently, medical services have become more expensive, but for the local population there are insurances through which you can pay for expensive treatment or surgery.
— How are things going with work in Georgia?
– Work in Georgia, as elsewhere in the post-Soviet space, has a difficult situation. Basically, people are employed in the private sector, working either in investor firms or with local businessmen. The majority of the rural population is engaged in agriculture or cattle breeding, vegetable growing and their own gardens, who have them.
There are no in-demand vacancies, as such, rather, there is a demand for jobs. Young people are studying enthusiastically, trying to enter universities.
Budget salaries are low, ranging from 300 to 600 lari, i.e. from 120 to 250 $. In the private sector, the average salary is from 700 to 1000 lari ($280-400). But again, these are all approximate prices.
— Why do the locals love Georgia and why do you love this country?
– For everything! For its amazing nature, for its wonderful people, for its centuries-old history! Life in Georgia is wonderful.
– They say Georgians are very hospitable people. It’s true?
– The people in Georgia are very hospitable. There is even a saying that a guest is a gift from God. Here they will definitely invite you to visit first, give you a drink, feed you, give you a little rest, and only then they will ask about the purpose of your visit. If you are able to remember why you came at all. 🙂
— How do Georgians treat Russians?
— If we exclude a very small percentage of politicians, then in general the attitude towards Russians is fine, as well as to all others. The main thing is that the person should be good, as we say.
— Do Georgians visit Russia as tourists?
– Alas, our citizens do not visit Russia as tourists. Basically, these are personal, business trips, and for work. The visa regime also creates certain difficulties for visiting Russia.
– Your advice and wishes for those wishing to move to another country.
– This is a personal matter for everyone. If you have exhausted all the resources in your country, be bolder, believe in yourself and move forward with a song in life. But seriously, this is not an easy step, and before moving to any country, study its features, visit as a tourist, live there for a while in private, outside the comfort of travel agencies and hotels, get to know the country from the inside, and then decide on such a responsible step in your life.
The whole range of services for recreation in Georgia: Tours in Georgia. Excursions. Accommodation. Transfer
+995557670097 – whatsapp, viber, imo, telegram
@rza.g – instagram
Olga Avrakh was talking
Photo by Rza
.
