Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

There was the moment when we heard a choir singing the most transcendent Armenian sacred music in a chapel carved out of rock at the Geghard Monastery. That was my moment for Armenia. In Georgia the moment would have to be the walk up from Stepantsminda to Holy Trinity church and the view over the High Caucasus mountains.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Armenia: Rafik Santrosyan - a brilliant young man who really enriched our experience throughout the trip. He gave us fascinating and often hilarious insights into all aspects of Armenian history, politics, language and culture and kept us all entertained and fully briefed and informed all the time we were with him. Georgia: Anna Koriphadze - a very different personality but wonderfully thorough, conscientious and reliable. She was highly organised and took great pains to help us with all kinds of things throughout the time we were with her in Georgia. She kept us very well informed throughout the trip and was excellent in ensuring that we were safe at all times. I would very highly commend both these guides.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take some good walking shoes or trainers. Do spend as much time as possible on your free evenings exploring Yerevan and Tbilisi by foot. There is a huge amount to see in both cities.

Most Inspirational Moment

Finding some historical monuments which passed through milleniums

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very Broadminded and communicative person.

Most Inspirational Moment

To see the renaissance of religion in these two ex-Communist stares and to observe the devotion of the local communities

Thoughts on Group Leader

We had three Leaders, one Raffiq in Armenia and Anna and Salome in Georgia. Raffiq has a brilliant mind having just attained his PHD at 25 and starting University at 15. He must be watched as a possible Armenian future leader. His knowledge of the Sites we visited was excellent and he gave us comprehensive tours without notes. A remarkable tour leader in many respects but he did lack some organisational skills. Anna met us at the Georgian border and proved to be a friendly competent leader who gave us an excellent tour of Tbilisi and into the Mountains but had to return home for family reasons. She did not have the same degree of site knowledge that Raffiq had but her knowledge was satisfactory and she had good organisational skills. Salome took her place and it was difficult for her to fit into an already developed group but after some hesitancy, she developed into another excellent leader and she became a well liked and appreciated leader.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is a cultural tour rather than an adventure tour and as such is different to many tours run by Exodus and on our tour the average age was higher than I have seen on any of the previous twenty-one tours that I have undertaken with Exodus. I am aged seventy-one and in Albania I was the oldest, I would suggest that I was average aged for this Tour. I would recommend any younger clients to consider this when booking.

Most Inspirational Moment

The cave dwellings at Uplistslikhe, an amazing lifestyle depicted, and the wine tunnels in the Kareba winery plus the serving of lunch beneath the trees there with a small waterfall tinkling in the background. Also the Tatev Monastery, reached by cable car over a deep valley.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Anna spoke very good English and was very knowledgeable of the history of places we visited. I must admit she did talk for almost an hour on the history of places to be visited on one day which was far too long for us all to remember and absorb what she was saying. I felt she was young and given time will become more au fait with tourists needs, perhaps a little more warmth in her approach to people.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared to walk about 400 metres at the border crossing between Armenia and Georgia, in the heat. We were not informed of this beforehand and we found it quite a drag with our luggage.

Most Inspirational Moment

My highlights of this holiday were the scenery from beginning to the end of the tour.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Both guides Maria (Armenia) and Anna (Georgia) spoke excellent English and shared their knowledge of their countries, explaining what ever we wanted to know.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I would recommend this trip but to go soon before the crowds get there.

Most Inspirational Moment

Views of Mount Ararat - and Mount Kazbek

Thoughts on Group Leader

Both were very good and a fund of historical and theological knowledge - almost too much to absorb at times I'm afraid! But we had been warned there'd be a lot of churches - and they are a very important part of the history of these countries.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be aware that the quite appalling roads in Armenia and almost as bad in Georgia will make the journeys by bus from place to place very uncomfortable. We hadn't realised that we would spend so much of each day having our bones shaken to this extent! Anyone with back problems take heed. Make sure you have good footwear - you'll be walking on a lot of very uneven surfaces and some very steep and slippery rocks if you take all the opportunities offered.

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking in the Caucasus though I would have preferred to walk up to the church rather than being unable to see much from a bumpy car. Walking down was treat. The Cascade in Yerevan was a real treat.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Both Marina and Anna were well informed. Perhaps it was me but I did not get an answer from either of them when I tried to ask questions, so I gave up asking.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The trip should really not be labelled moderately strenuous (I am 76!)

Most Inspirational Moment

Armenia - The scenery was wonderful, and the little Churches perched on hilltops were magical.  Each day there was a lovely lunch in a beautiful setting, and the best of all was with a family in their garden near to Lake Sevan.Georgia - The drive up the Georgian Military highway was fantastic with magnificient scenery and interesting stops along the way.  What a shame we arrived too late in the day to walk up from Kazbegi to Holy Trinity Chruch and had to go by jeep.  The food in Georgia was also a highlight.  I did a wine-tasting too - the wines were memorably good.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Both Mery in Armenia and Eliza in Georgia were excellent guides, enthusiastic and keen to tell us about their country.  Both made that extra effort, such as buying us local delicacies to try, which added to our experience and made the holiday really memorable.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a swimming costume to Armenia; it is hot there and many of the hotels have swimming pools.

Most Inspirational Moment

Our particular highlights of the trip were; Armenia Stunning scenery and church locationsGeghard Monastery and its Armenian rock sculptures inside Sanahin with its monastery and the museum of the Mikoyan brothersGeorgiaGori's Stalin museumUplistsikhes enormous cave city Alpine regions and Mount Kazbek scenery

Thoughts on Group Leader

Both Mere (Armenia) and Elisa (Georgia) were superb ambassadors for their countries. Different styles but both equally knowledgable and looked after us well.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go knowing that you will visit easily 20 plus churches on this trip. It did drain us toward the end.Instead of the synagogue in Yerevan, visit the Museum of Sergio Parajanov, a film maker and artist born in Georgia and living his last years in Armenia. Its full of his art and collages and gives a different insight into the two countries. We travelled in June 2012 and Georgia is under a lot of construction and renovation. Hopefully this will be more complete come 2013. It didn't adversely affect our trip, but you should know.Most of the time you arrive at your destination around midday and it can get hot. This is particularly relevant to the walk to Gergeti Holy Trinity church. I would recommend that the group take the jeeps up and down. Then ask if you can do the 4km (return) walk to a waterfall. Do not go to the Russian border it is a waste of time, there is nothing to see.

Most Inspirational Moment

The several times we drove up the very high mountains into the superb alpine meadows, which were alive with flowers and singing birds.  The countryside was at its best in early June.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The Armenian guide Mere was a class act.  Very knowledgeable with a very professional and entertaining way of putting things across and very attentive.  The driver  Edward was also excellent and I never felt ill at ease with his driving.The Georgian guide Elisa was good but appeared a little tired and world-weary at first, but brightened up.  The driver was a friendly chap, but he worried me as he often answered his mobile phone while driving and even made some calls.  On Georgian roads this is a bit scary.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure to drink a lot of water, as it can be very hot.  Bring rehydration salts.