A year in Batumi, then a completely different Tbilisi

In Georgia I stayed in Batumi for a year.

Turks everywhere in Batumi

There are a lot of Turks in Batumi, especially on the side where the mosque is. There are also a lot of people wanted by the police in Türkiye. With my friends, whichever Turk we ran into there would proudly tell us about it. There are also lots of Indians and Israelis.

A so-called massage parlor

I was walking the streets of Batumi when someone suddenly touched my right arm. It was an Asian woman, inviting me into a massage parlor. From the door you could see lots of Asian women inside. A so-called massage parlor, but you get the idea.

I was pretty shocked, because there was a mosque right next to it. I didn't go in, I got away from there right away. Then as I walked into other streets I noticed there were more places like that.

A completely different Tbilisi

Then I moved to Tbilisi. A whole different world. It felt very different from Batumi to me, maybe because I had stayed in Batumi for so long. When I got to Tbilisi I saw there were a lot of Azerbaijanis there too. I got back into the hostel scene there, and finding that atmosphere again did me good.

My first videos

That's also when I started filming. I had an iPhone 12 and I tried to record the places I saw, but I was really shy in front of the camera. If someone walked past me I'd lower the phone right away, as if everyone who saw me was going to make fun of me.

On top of that I didn't know how to film. I was supposed to shoot everything horizontally and I shot it all vertically, and I only noticed after it was all over. The rest was footage where I lowered the phone, went quiet in the middle of talking or the frame slipped. I put it all aside and didn't upload any of it to YouTube.

What you need to know before going to Georgia

Entry

• Turkish citizens can enter Georgia visa free with a passport or ID card and stay for a long time. Check the rules for your own passport.
• Since 1 January 2026, travel and health insurance is mandatory at entry. If you don't have insurance they won't let you in at the border, and that includes day trips.
• Rules can change, check before you go.

Money

• The currency of Georgia is the lari. There are exchange offices everywhere, but rates differ even on the same street, so don't exchange before checking two or three signs.
• Dollars and euros get the best rates. Turkish lira can be exchanged too but at a worse rate than dollars and euros, so bring dollars or euros. Make sure the bills are clean.
• At the airport only exchange what you need, the rate is worse than in the city.
• ATM fees depend on the bank. Basisbank and Cartu Bank don't charge foreign cards, TBC and Bank of Georgia charge a few lari. Your own bank may also charge a fee.
• When paying by card or withdrawing, if it asks whether to charge in your home currency or lari, choose lari.
• Cards work in most places, but at markets, in minibuses, in small shops and in villages you need cash. Some cafes have a minimum for card payments.
• If the bill says service charge, you don't need to tip separately. If it doesn't, leaving around 10 percent is appreciated.

SIM card

The operators are Magti, Silknet and Cellfie. Magti has better coverage in the mountains. You buy a SIM with your passport.

Getting around

• Use Bolt or Yandex Go for taxis. Taxis you stop on the street may quote tourists a higher price.
• There are trains and minibuses between Batumi and Tbilisi. The train is more comfortable, check tickets in advance because times can change.
• Tbilisi has a metro, you pay by card.
• If you're coming by road from Türkiye, the Sarp border crossing is very close to Batumi.

Food

• Make sure to eat Adjarian khachapuri in Batumi, it's the dish of the Adjara region after all.
• Khinkali, Georgian dumplings, and churchkhela, the walnut and grape sweet, are also must tries.

Places to see

• Batumi. The seaside boulevard, the Ali and Nino statue, the Botanical Garden and Gonio Fortress.
• Tbilisi. Old Tbilisi and the sulfur baths, Narikala Fortress and the cable car, the Bridge of Peace and the Gabriadze Clock Tower.
• Kazbegi. You can do it as a day trip from Tbilisi, and Gergeti Church between the mountains is worth seeing.

Small notes

• Tbilisi is generally safe, watch your wallet at markets.
• When entering churches your shoulders and knees must be covered.