Visiting any Eurasian country has never been on my travel bucketlist. As tourism major, my dream has always been to visit countries that have attractions significant to the history and stories I’ve read. Yes, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan were mentioned but why choose to be on the border of Europe and Asia when you can go to the other part since you already live in Asia? WRONG. And I thank God for giving me an opportunity to see how wrong I was.
Last January, driven by homesickness and the thirst for travel, my friend Phia and I decided to travel. Given the limited time our company allowed us to travel, we couldn’t go too far to too many places so we decided on Georgia and Armenia. Georgia and Armenia are what we called “Eurasian” countries (as well as Turkey, Russia, and Azerbaijan) because their territory is located halfway between Europe and Asia. These countries stretch along the Caucasus Mountain Range.
**Please take note that in breaking down expenses, I may use different currencies based on what we used. Estimated conversions to peso will also be included.
We booked a flight via Fly Dubai for the 23rd of February and then back on the 27th.
TOTAL FLIGHT EXPENSES (Bahrain-Tbilisi-Bahrain): BHD128.500/ PHP17,800 each
Visa is not required for Philippine passport holders going to Tbilisi. However, be prepared to pay the visa on arrival to Armenia.
ARMENIA TOURIST VISA: AMD3000/ PHP320 each
Now that ticket and visa were settled, we looked for a good place to stay in Tbilisi. We wanted to save as much as possible so we needed a place within walking distance of major attractions. It is in Airbnb that we met Tamuna. She is a college instructor who rents her flat to travelers. This flat is in Leo Kachielli Street right across Rustavelli Avenue and the Rustavelli subway station (not that we would need to ride it on this tour). It is very strategic and within reach of anything you would need such as pharmacy, restaurants, coffee shops and grocery stores. Tamuna is on-call 24 hours a day: highly recommended.
AIRBNB COST (February 23-27 for 2 pax): BHD40/ PHP5,550
**Take note that this price is good for up to 4 people (although price may change based on season and demand). The entire place is yours! You may also contact Tamuna in facebook. Ask me how.
To ensure ease of travel between two countries, we also opted to get the services of Kabayans and Pinoys in Tbilisi, Georgia/ G7 Euro Travel and Tours. Please take note that apart from limited time, we also came during winter so some destinations we
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