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AhPek Biker - Riding Adventures
Georgia-Armenia 2024 Day 5: Dilijan To Tbilisi
Georgia-Armenia 2024 Day 5 : 21st September (Saturday)
Dilijan (Casanova Inn)>Park Lich>Sharambeyan Street>Vanadzor>Alaverdi>Tbilisi (Boutique Hotel Manufactura).
This is page 5 of a 14-page blog, Click Here To Go To Title Page.
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 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.
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. Parz Lich (Park Lich) (GPS: 40.75311, 44.96185) at Dilijan.
a. Parz Lich (Park Lich) (GPS: 40.75311, 44.96185) at Dilijan.
b. Lake Parz (Պարզ լիճ) (GPS: 40.75187, 44.96021) at Dilijan.
c. Dilijan National Park (Դիլիջան ազգային պարկ) (GPS: 40.78762, 44.86509) at Dilijan.
d. Old Village at Sharambeyan Street (GPS: 40.73948, 44.86871) at Dilijan.
e. Vanadzor City (Վանաձոր) (GPS: 40.80739, 44.49702).
g. Bagratashen - Sadakhlo Border Crossing (სადახლოს სასაზღვრო გამშვები პუნქტი) (GPS: 41.22923, 44.83389).
h. Marneuli Highway (GPS: 41.65414, 44.89875).
j. Metekhi Bridge (მეტეხის ხიდი) (GPS:41.69031, 44.80994) over the Kura River (click here for Interactive Google Street View of this bridge)..
5. Food
a. Breakfast:
An excellent inclusive Western/Armenian Fare at a cozy dining room in Casanova Inn (GPS: 40.75250, 44.89655).
b. Lunch:
Shawarma Wraps at Dzek Shaurmyan (b) (GPS: 40.73885, 44.86807) at Dilijan.
b. Lunch:
Shawarma Wraps at Dzek Shaurmyan (b) (GPS: 40.73885, 44.86807) at Dilijan.
c. Dinner:
Wantan Noodles with Wontons & Char Siu (BBQ pork) at the Hong Kong Noodle House (ნუდლის სახლი) (GPS: 41.68980, 44.80859).
Wantan Noodles with Wontons & Char Siu (BBQ pork) at the Hong Kong Noodle House (ნუდლის სახლი) (GPS: 41.68980, 44.80859).
6. Accommodations
We are back in Tbilisi for two nights ,and stayed at the Boutique Hotel Manufactura (GPS: 41.69014, 44.81479).
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!
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
The average day temperature at Dilijan was 26°C, while the average night temperature at Tbilisi was 14°C.
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 left Yerevan and headed north for Dilijan, en route we visited the GUM Market, the Armenian GUM Market, the Khor Virap Monastery, and the Sevanavank Monastery which has a scenic view of Lake Sevan.
Today, we will leave Dilijan and Armenia to head back to Georgia. But before leaving, we will visit a lake-park and perhaps take a stroll along the old part of Dilijan.
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DAY 5: DILIJAN-TBILISI
We woke up to a nice breakfast at Casanova Inn, the food was really delicious .....
More interestingly we ate in a grand dining room filled with beautiful paintings and antiques.
And there was a cosy fireplace too, but we were in a rush to continue our tour and did not lounge for long here.
We went over to Artsiv Guesthouse to pick up Eddie, who was staying with the other smaller group. In their garden were a few plum trees, and we plucked a few to munch. Surprisingly to me, they looked very purple, the plums I was used to were red.
These purple ones are damson plum; they are relatively small ovoid plum-like fruits with a distinctive, somewhat astringent taste, and are widely used for culinary purposes, particularly in fruit preserves and jams.
En route to & at the Parz Lich was some interesting scenery - including an upside-down house!
It reminded us of another upside-down house we saw at Huai Nam Dong in Lanna Thailand; during the second day of our early 2024 Thailand Chiangmai tour.
10:00am - Admiring the water fowls, beautiful ducks and even a Little Blue Heron!
Being here brings back memories of the Thale Noi Waterfowl Park, which we visited during a 2016 South Thailand Cycling Tour.
Being here brings back memories of the Thale Noi Waterfowl Park, which we visited during a 2016 South Thailand Cycling Tour.
The weather was just too nice not to take a walk around LP. It's an easy 1.5-kilometre trail going to a very green light forest, passing by brooks and small waterfalls. Our bright clothes added the colour of the lake.
Back at Dilijan, we visited the older part of town and took a walk along the Old Village at Sharambeyan Street. There are several shops here selling Armenian handicrafts.
Lunch: take-away Shawarma Wraps from the nearby Dzek Shaurmyan outlet; we just ate at the park tables next to the shop.
1:30pm: We leave Dilijan for Tibilisi; enroute passed by Vanazdor. Up on a hill there were crosses. Many Christian/Catholic countries have crosses on hills at some of their local pilgrimage towns.
These crosses often mark the Way of The Cross, a traditional devotion in honour of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I saw these on a hill in Uyungan while on a cycling tour of the Batanes in the Philippines.
These crosses often mark the Way of The Cross, a traditional devotion in honour of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I saw these on a hill in Uyungan while on a cycling tour of the Batanes in the Philippines.
Further along, at Alaverdi, we saw this WWII Memorial during a rest break at a gas station. Click here to read more of memorials in Armenia.
Crossing back to Georgia at the Bagratashen - Sadakhlo Border Crossing, we are waiting for our van on the Georgian side. Passengers and their luggage walk through; while vehicles go via another drive-through section.
A quick regroup with the other van, at the Marneuli Highway, just before entering Tbilisi. This is Giorgi, the handsome. young driver-guide of the other van - according to him Giorgi (George) is the most common male name in Georgia. We will be meeting other Georges in later days.
We're back in Tbilisi, driving along the Kura River.
Missing Chinese food, for dinner we found this Hong Kong Noodle House, at Old Tbilisi. They served pretty good Wantan Noodles, topped with Wontons & Char Siu and a bonus of extra crispy fried lard bits!
"მშვენიერი დღე იყო!"
(For more photos of Day 5, Click Here)
This is page 5 of a 14-page blog, Click Here To Go To Title Page.
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