AhPek Biker - Old Dog Rides Again: November 2024

Saturday, November 9, 2024

Georgia & Armenia 2024 Day 2: Onwards to Yerevan, Armenia!

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AhPek Biker - Riding Adventures

Georgia-Armenia 2024 Day 2: Tbilisi to Yerevan - Welcome to Armenia

Georgia-Armenia 2024 Day 2: 18th September (Wednesday)

Group (Non-cycling) Tour of Georgia & Armenia:
Day 2 - Tbilisi to Yerevan:

Tbilisi (Penthouse Hotel)>Bagratashen-Sadakhlo Border Crossing>Haghpat Monastery>Spitak>Alagyaz>Yerevan (Bloom Hotel)>Amiryan Street>Bloom Hotel.

This is page 2 of a 14-page blog, Click Here To Go To Title Page.

< D1: Tbilisi 01 (Georgia) | Go to Other Days | D3: Yerevan 02 >

Route recommendations, here're some tips on travelling in and around Tbilisi (Georgia):

1. Traffic Directions!

Driving in Georgia is left-hand drive, with a speed limit of 60 km/h in cities and towns, and 80 km/h in other areas unless indicated otherwise. Armenia is also left-hand drive, so in both Georgia and Armenia drive/cycle on the right.

2. Immigration & Customs Requirements

For Georgia, citizens of Malaysia do not need a visa to enter for travel purposes and can stay in the country for 365 days without a visa. The travel passport must be valid throughout the whole period of stay in Georgia. A blank page is necessary for an entry stamp. Click here for a list of countries that need visa entry. Click here for the Georgia E-visa application portal and click here for guidelines on the E-visa application which costs USD20 (30 days validity).

For Armenia, visas have to be applied by Malaysians, which cost 7€ (21 days validity). Click here for Armenia visa application policy, and click here for the E-visa application portal. Keep a soft copy in your phone to show to immigration, and a hard copy just in case.
For both countries, after clearing immigration, one will have to go through customs. We had to carry our luggage personally through. They are green lanes for those with nothing to declare; for duty-free good exemption, click here for Georgia's regulations, and here for Armenia's. Our vans had to go through the vehicles' lanes.

For those bringing in personal medication (up to 31 days usage) into Georgia, do get a prescription from your doctor; click here for guidelines.

3. Getting to and around Georgia & Armenia.

Major airlines serve both Georgia & Armenia. We flew from KLIA Terminal 1 into and out of Shota Rustaveli Tbilisi International Airport via Qatar Airways, with transit at Doha. It would have been time-saving into Armenia via Yerevan's Zvartnots International Airport; but we naively erred on the side of caution. Our airfares were bought during the MATA Travel Fair via promotions by the RHB Debit Card, the return fare cost us between MYR 2,800 to 3,200.
We got around both countries by using a local long-chassis Mercedes Sprinter Van with an extended rear luggage section for the 16 of us, and a Mercedes V-Class 7-seater van for another four of us who enlisted later. The rides were generally comfortable as most were on tarred roads with some stretches of gravel roads.
For harsher rides we used smaller local vans with drivers familiar to the rougher, steeper roads - this was to the Gergeti Trinity Church, Ushguli Village, Koruldi Lakes and Chalaadi Glacier.

There were a couple of free days to explore Tbilisi by ourselves, but it is possible to use the Uber Georgia app to get further around. Other ride-hailing alternatives are Bolt, Yandex and Taxi Maxim.

4. Places & Things of Interest

Enroute were several places of interest, some of which we visited and others we did not for lack of time (Note: click on GPS coordinates for a directional map to respective places):
a. Metekhi Church (მეტეხის ღვთისმშობლის შობის ტაძარი) (GPS:41.6902, 44.81116) (click here for Interactive Google Street panoramic view of the city from the church).
b. Bridge of Peace (მშვიდობის ხიდი) (GPS:41.69300, 44.80833) (click here for Interactive Google Street View of the BoP) over the Kura River.
c. Mother of Georgia Statue (Kartlis Deda) (ქართვლის დედა) (GPS:41.68815, 44.80452).
d. Shavnabada Monastery (შავნაბადის წმ. გიორგის მონასტერი) (GPS: 41.65177, 44.84005).
e. Kumisi Lake (კუმისის წყალსაცავი) (GPS: 41.58388, 44.83872).

f. Bagratashen - Sadakhlo Border Crossing (სადახლოს სასაზღვრო გამშვები პუნქტი) (GPS: 41.22923, 44.83389).

g. Haghpat Monastery (Հաղպատի վանական համալիր) (site link) (GPS: 41.09385, 44.71197).

h. St. Haroutyun Church, Spitak (Սուրբ Հարություն եկեղեցի) (GPS: 40.82992, 44.26876).

i. Mount Ararat (Ağrı Dağı) (GPS: 39.70243, 44.29907) this renowned mountain where Noah's Ark came to rest after the Biblical Floods is now in Türkiye where it is known as Ağrı Dağı.
j. Little Ararat (Mt Küçükağrı) (GPS: 39.70243, 44.29907), the smaller twin of Mount Ararat.

k. Amiryan Street (GPS: 40.18062, 44.50817).

5. Food

a. Breakfast:

Inclusive Western/Georgian fare at Penthouse Hotel (GPS: 41.69053, 44.81351), Tbilisi.

b. Lunch:

Grilled river fish, roasted spring chicken and Gata (Armenian sweet bread) at Tavern Haghpat (GPS: 41.09329, 44.71095).
c. Afternoon Tea:

Armenian Pastries from Tezh Krak Food Court (Թեժ Կրակ) (GPS: 40.83192, 44.27021) in Spitak (Սպիտակ).

d. Dinner:
Armenian Fare at Tavern Yerevan (Պանդոկ Երևան) (GPS: 40.17900, 44.51007) with Armenian Folk Music in Yerevan. We had the Borscht Soup, Chanakhi Lamb Soup, Vegetable Platter, Hummus, Stuffed Eggplant (Imam Bayildi), Oven-baked Veal Ribs, Chicken Chakhokhbili, etc. from their extensive menu.

6. Accommodations

At Yerevan, we stayed two nights at the Bloom Hotel Yerevan. (GPS: 40.16995, 44.52462). The alternate hotel for the smaller group was the Nuryan Hotel (GPS: 40.17001, 44.52426). This cost was included in the overall ground arrangements.

7. Tour Costs & Arrangements

Return air tickets bought during the MATA Travel Fair/RHB Debit Card promotions were between MYR 2,800 to 3,200.

The ground arrangements tour package included a 10-passenger van to take us around, starting from & returning to Tbilisi. It also included 3-star hotels/homestays. The charge per pax for this ground arrangement was at MYR7,400. This excluded meals (other than hotel breakfasts & 3 dinners at Mestia), airport transfers, most entry tickets and tips. This allows for individuals to have meals according to their own liking & budget. Allow per meal should be adequate.

On average, the overall tour cost worked out to be around RM950 to RM1,000 per day. For those interested in this tour, contact Eddie at +6012-6122600 for more details and updated costs.

For out-of-pocket spending, we exchange some Georgian Lari (GEL) and Armenian Dram (AMD) in the respective countries. Some brought along their Wise debit cards to use; one can pre-load the card with the local currency. Or let it auto-deduct the currencies existing in the card. We found that it deducted other currencies first before deducting Malaysian Ringgit.

8. Communicating with Each Other

When travelling in a group it's important to be able to communicate with each other, especially if one gets lost from the rest. Georgia pre-paid sim cards are easily available and cost 5 GEL to 20 GEL, depending on the provider and the included benefits. While Armenian pre-paid SIM cards range from AMD 1000 to AMD 3000. Those in our tour group pre-ordered their SIM cards through our Georgian guide.

Those who use Maxis as their telco, can purchase the Maxis Roaming Pass. The RM89 15-day Multi-country Roaming Pass covers many countries including Georgia, Armenia and Qatar.
The Pass can be bought before the trip with a designated starting time/date, BUT DO TURN OFF your data roaming just before the Roaming Pass expires OTHERWISE any subsequent usage will automatically trigger off the 1-Day Roaming Pass costing between RM29 to RM38 per day!

9. Communicating with Locals

At favourite tourist destinations, locals may speak fairly good English. At the smaller towns, locals speak some rudimentary English, and our local guide was most helpful in translating for us.

10. Weather

Day temperatures in the lowlands for both countries in September is around the mid-20s while evening temperatures are around the mid-10s. Up in the highlands (like Stepantsminda & Mestia) day temperatures are in the mid-10s and can close to zero at night. We were fortunate that there was a warm front, and temperatures were warmer than expected.

Useful weather forecast sites for Georgia & Armenia is AccuWeather. For more detailed weather, including cloud cover and wind speed, use Weatherspark and Ventusky.

11. Navigation

I used MapMyRide to track our routes and stops. Geo-tagging of places of interest was via FaceBook or Google Maps.

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PRELUDE

Yesterday, we arrived in Tbilisi in the afternoon, and after checking into our hotel, we went for a guided walk with Vashya, our local guide. It was an easy introduction to the older part of town and also a good introduction to Georgian Food during dinner.

Today, we say goodbye to Georgia and head for, Yerevan, Armenia. But we will be back to Georgia after a few days. Our 280 km. drive to Yerevan will take us across the border to a historic cathedral. Oh, yeah... there was a minor incident en route.

___________________________________________________________________________

DAY 2: TBILISI-YEREVAN

Guided Group (Non-cycling) Tour of Georgia & Armenia:

Day 2 - Tbilisi to Yerevan:

Tbilisi (Penthouse Hotel)>Bagratashen-Sadakhlo Border Crossing>Haghpat Monastery>Spitak>Alagyaz>Yerevan (Bloom Hotel)>Amiryan Street>Bloom Hotel.

(Click here for the Georgia-Armenia Day 2:Tbilisi to Yerevan Route Map)

Kicked off the day with an excellent breakfast at the penthouse of Penthouse Hotel, it's a buffet combo of Western and Georgian dishes.

The best thing about eating at the penthouse of the Penthouse is the view. It's not a very tall hotel but from here one gets a good view of Old Tbilisi.

With some photo shots outside the hotel and its - Goodbye Tbilisi!

9:15am - We headed out past the Air Balloon Tbilisi, and then the Metekhi Church, with the King Vakhtang Gorgasali Statue, sitting high on its compound, sending us off 😄. We left the city going along the road on the Right Bank of the Kura River.

Enroute to Armenia, some of the sites we passed by: the Shavnabada Monastery, it was named in honor of St. George who, according to a local legend, wore a black cloak (Georgian: shavi nabadi, hence the mountain’s name) while leading the army of the king of Georgia in one of the victorious battles of the time. The monastery is known for a rare variety of wine, also called Shavnabada, made by the monks there .....

..... Kumisi Lake .....

..... and moody but beautiful skies further along on RouteE117.

R&R stop at Socar Petrol Station along Route E001, to grab some drinks. It's about 4.5 km from the Georgia-Armenia border crossing at Bagratashen - Sadakhlo Border Crossing.

10:30am - Crossing over from Georgia to Armenia at the Bagratashen-Sadakhlo Border Crossing.

We had to disembark, and tote our luggage along to pass through Georgian Immigration, followed by Armenian Immigration and then Armenian Customs. There's a Green Lane at the Customs.
To enter Armenia, visas have to be applied by Malaysians, which cost 7€ (21 days validity). Click here for Armenia visa application policy,

Doing a happy jig at the car park of the border crossing after clearing immigration and customs without a hitch. Although we had printed and presented our Armenia e-visa, the Armenian Immigration officer meticulously checked the coloured soft copy of the visa. For Malaysians, a visa is required to enter Armenia; this can be applied a couple of weeks earlier through their

Georgian and Armenian Flags can be seen proudly fluttering at each side of the border.

A poster welcoming us to Armenia, and we are ready to tour Armenia, and explore the Armenian food & culture.

But first to change some Armenian Drams from the money-changer at ARM-ART Supermarket just after crossing the border. Although we had brought our Wise debit cards along; cash is still required at smaller shops or street markets.

Just of note, there's an ATM machine at the entrance, a fellow traveller found that it gave a slightly better exchange rate!
Here too, one can get Armenian pre-paid SIM cards.

While some were changing currency others bought some fresh fruits from this lady; local favourites such as pomegranates and figs. There were also pears, plums and berries.

It was the first time I was using the Maxis Roaming Pass and was concerned about how well it would transition over from country to country. It performed superbly and switched over from the Georgian Geocell (now known as Silknet)) network to the Armenian Team network smoothly.

1:30pm - We arrive at the Haghpat Monastery, eager to visit our first destination in Armenia ..... but it was just a quick peek while our lunch was being prepared - our tummies were growling for attention.

Lunch at Tavern Haghpat: Grilled River Fish & Roast Spring Chicken came with salad, fruits and bread. The fish was a tad small (no photo of it as buddies walloped it fast), and the roast chicken was superb (my hungry tummy attested to this!).

Time to view the Haghpat Monastery - there are several buildings and I entered one of the two larger ones. I was surprised to see a mass being held, today being a Wednesday. Perhaps it's a special service.
The Monastery actually houses several churches and buildings - "St. Nshan Church and its narthex, the Church of St. Gregory (built in 1023-1025), the Church of Mother Mary (erected in 1208-1220), a sepulchre, an 11th-century book depository, a belfry built in 1245, and a refectory that could accommodate about 270 monks".

Haghpat was also known for its large collection of works written in Armenian language, becoming the first Armenian Matenadaran, library of manuscripts.

Together with the Monastery of Sanahin, it was included into UNESCO Heritage Sites in 1996.

Sitting on a hillock, the monastery offers a great view of the surrounding countryside.

Back at the Tavern Haghpat to use their restrooms, we met the operator Brenda who was having her home-made Gata, an Armenian sweet bread. She happily shared them with us, but had to pull the brakes on us before we finished them all, they were just so simply nice!

We're off on the road, continuing our journey to Yerevan; but 30 minutes later, a small hiccup. The road authorities had blocked the road, there was a minor rock fall and workers were up on a cliff prying loose some other rocks at risk of falling too. It was a good respite for us to get out off the van and enjoy the cool air along the Debed River.

Nice views en route, along Route M3 (the Spitak-Vanadzor Highway), near Nor Khachakap.

A short rest stop just outside Spitak.

5:45pm - Running late by the delay from the rock fall stop earlier, we stopped at Tezh Krak Food Court, in Spitak for some quick bites.

Leaving Spitak, we passed by Spitak Square and then the St. Haroutyun Church.

Somewhere near Alagyaz, a flock of sheep were being herded somewhere. According to a reader, this is called transhumance. In summer they get herded up to the mountain, and after summer back down again because they cannot take the heat. We stopped for them to pass by, fortunately, it wasn't a huge flock and they just took about ten minutes.

View of Mount Ararat, that's where Noah's Ark came to rest after the Biblical Floods. It is now in Türkiye where it is known as Ağrı Dağı. Next to it is its smaller twin known as Little Ararat (Mt Küçükağrı).

After checking in to Bloom Hotel, we headed to Yerevan town, and stopped by Nur Fresh Juice House (GPS: 40.17894, 44.51018), which sells Pomegranate juice, a favourite in the country. In front was a cute red car, the mascot of the shop.

Took a stroll down Amiryan Street, the main commercial street of the city.

Dinner was superb Armenian Fare coupled with live Armenian Folk Music at Tavern Yerevan. We had a feast from their extensive menu; including Borscht Soup, Chanakhi Lamb Soup, Vegetable Platter, Hummus, Stuffed Eggplant (Imam Bayildi), Oven-baked Veal Ribs, Chicken Chakhokhbili, etc.