All by Louise Pieterse
Turkey is an ideal country in which to embark on a road trip. The highways are good, you can travel at times that suit you, and see popular places before the tour groups arrive or after they’ve left. Here’s an easy-to-drive itinerary that you can do over 10-14 days and see all the best sights in Turkey at a leisurely pace.
If you are visiting Georgia, then it’s easy to do a side trip by overnight train from Tbilisi to Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. This guide explains how to do that and suggests a three-day itinerary to see the best of Yerevan and some nearby places that are easy to reach by private taxi or on an organised day tour from the city.
Baku is an oil-rich city that is somewhat off the beaten track but is worth visiting because it has a history dating back many centuries. This gives it a unique amalgamation of old and new, with buildings dating back more than 800 years overshadowed by new high-rises and interesting structures from its Soviet era.
In recent years, Georgia has gained a reputation as one of the best destinations in western Asia for food and wine lovers. Its Kartvelian cuisine, which takes inspiration from its Slavic, Turkish, and Persian neighbours, can be an indulgent experience, and its traditional home-brewed wines in clay vessels represent one of the oldest wine cultures in the world.
When travellers think of Asian winter holiday destinations they usually think of Japan or South Korea in East Asia, but there’s a remarkable winter destination to discover in West Asia too. Georgia has beautiful mountain scenery, picturesque villages and forests, frozen lakes, and ski fields that are open until April with prices that are well below European or other Asian ski resorts.
It is worth taking your time to explore Georgia, but time is not a luxury everyone has. So taking day trips from the capital, Tbilisi, is an excellent way to enjoy small parts of the country and soak up as much of its ancient culture as possible. Within a couple of hours from Tbilisi, you can reach majestic mountains, sprawling arid landscapes, and lush green forests.
Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, is a treasure trove of historic places, cultural heritage, culinary delights, and contrasting old and new architecture. It’s an easy and safe city to explore on foot. This guide for first-time visitors to the city will ensure that you don’t miss out on any of its highlights.
Georgia is often called East Asia’s best kept secret because it is a destination that has much to offer older travellers. It is one of Asia’s newest democracies boasting beautiful scenery, easy mountain hikes, romantic cities, historic buildings, colourful churches, friendly people, a vibrant culinary scene and is home to one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world.
