Wander-Lush - Cultural Travel Blog

Wander-Lush - Cultural Travel Blog A culture-focused travel blog with a special love for the Caucasus, the Balkans & Southeast Asia. Newsletter sign-up: https://wander-lush.org/newsletter/

I create city guides, itineraries & in-depth features to help you fill your travels with colour, culture and creativity.

If there is a list of Heritage Monuments that should be saved floating around somewhere, then please let this one be at ...
23/01/2025

If there is a list of Heritage Monuments that should be saved floating around somewhere, then please let this one be at the top ๐Ÿ™

Libani Sanatorium, built in 1926. The Georgian scientist Nikoloz Gegechkori was the first director of the facility, which was specifically built for tuberculosis patients.

Libani is just one of the interesting stops you can make when driving between Borjomi and Bakuriani. More to come!

I have been to Javakheti half a dozen times before, but always in summer or autumn. Winter is no joke in this part of Ge...
22/01/2025

I have been to Javakheti half a dozen times before, but always in summer or autumn. Winter is no joke in this part of Georgia. These were the most intense driving conditions I have ever seen and the harshest weather (-6 C plus windchill) I have ever experienced.

The frozen lakes and snowy volcanic landscape is indescribably beautiful, but gosh I have so much respect for the people who live down here.

2024 was quite a year!I finally got around to writing my annual 'Year in Review' last week โ€“ for anyone who is intereste...
21/01/2025

2024 was quite a year!

I finally got around to writing my annual 'Year in Review' last week โ€“ for anyone who is interested in a travel recap and my insights into the challenges of online publishing, here is the link: https://wander-lush.org/2024-review/

Orthodox Epiphany 2025 at St. Nino Monastery.
21/01/2025

Orthodox Epiphany 2025 at St. Nino Monastery.

Yesterday we marked Natlisgheba (Epiphany) on Paravani Lake in Javakheti. Rituals that evoke the Baptism of Jesus are pr...
20/01/2025

Yesterday we marked Natlisgheba (Epiphany) on Paravani Lake in Javakheti. Rituals that evoke the Baptism of Jesus are practiced all over Georgia (and other Orthodox countries) on this day โ€“ but none quite compare to this!

From mass to watching dozens of people do the ice plunge and sitting down with Mama Paisi and his congregation for a huge feast afterwards, this was an absolutely incredible experience. Days like this remind me why I love Georgia.

Blog post + video coming soon!

In a previous life, this new cocktail bar in Tbilisi was a pharmacy. Notice the wall paintings of different herbs and me...
19/01/2025

In a previous life, this new cocktail bar in Tbilisi was a pharmacy. Notice the wall paintings of different herbs and medicinal plants, and the original turn-of-the-century wooden medicine cabinets behind the bar. Mixologists wear white lab coats and the house cocktails have names such as 'Penicillin' and 'Vitamin C'.

I wasn't sure what to expect after seeing mixed reviews on Google for this place โ€“ but everything we tried (including the two drinks the bartender very kindly gave us on the house) was perfect ๐Ÿ‘Œ Have you been yet?

Giorgio is the latest restaurant by The Communal Company (Weller, Madre, Craft, Doli) to open in Tbilisi.Taking inspirat...
18/01/2025

Giorgio is the latest restaurant by The Communal Company (Weller, Madre, Craft, Doli) to open in Tbilisi.

Taking inspiration from the cucinas of Northern Italy, the menu revolves around pasta, with a dozen different varieties all made fresh onsite. I went for the fusillone with truffle and Parmesan ๐Ÿ’ฏ There's also antipasti, steaks, and an incredible dessert menu (I highly recommend the lemon tart).

A huge thanks to The Communal Company for inviting us to check it out!

Another beautiful meal at one of my favourite restaurants in Sololaki โ€” Iasamani โ€ข แƒ˜แƒแƒกแƒแƒ›แƒแƒœแƒ˜ โค
16/01/2025

Another beautiful meal at one of my favourite restaurants in Sololaki โ€” Iasamani โ€ข แƒ˜แƒแƒกแƒแƒ›แƒแƒœแƒ˜ โค

Radio City โ€ข แƒ แƒแƒ“แƒ˜แƒ แƒฅแƒแƒšแƒแƒฅแƒ˜ is a new performance/cultural/creative space in Tbilisi that opened late last year. In 2025 it...
15/01/2025

Radio City โ€ข แƒ แƒแƒ“แƒ˜แƒ แƒฅแƒแƒšแƒแƒฅแƒ˜ is a new performance/cultural/creative space in Tbilisi that opened late last year. In 2025 it will expand to include coworking, offices and more recreational areas. It's great to see a hub like this in Gldani District, a part of the city that has been a bit neglected until now.

If you want to check out the building (a retrofitted radio factory from the Soviet period) during the day, the onsite restaurant called Diner is open to the public all week. Prices are excellent, and I can attest to the quality of both the chicken waffles and the cherry pie!

Every time I visit the Bitadze Tea Shop in Tbilisi I learn something new! The space has been rearranged to look more lik...
14/01/2025

Every time I visit the Bitadze Tea Shop in Tbilisi I learn something new! The space has been rearranged to look more like a museum since I was last there. I love the new displays.

This is an excellent place to pop into if you're in Sololaki. Giorgi knows everything there is to know about the tea industry and is a wonderful host. Pick up some loose leaf Georgian tea and tea seed oil while you're there.

I am a huge fan of DAE / แƒ“แƒแƒ” (I even have one of their canvases in my house!) so it was great fun to visit their physica...
13/01/2025

I am a huge fan of DAE / แƒ“แƒแƒ” (I even have one of their canvases in my house!) so it was great fun to visit their physical space in Tbilisi recently.

This isn't just a shop, it's a creative hub with a cafe, a chill space and film screening room, and a professional photo studio that you can rent by the hour.

If you're looking for a unique souvenir to take home from Tbilisi, Dae's astrological-inspired silk scarves and quirky prints designed by Georgian artists are perfect.

Last time I was in Bakuriani I didn't take a single photo outside ๐Ÿ˜ณ To be fair, it was November and our main reason for ...
12/01/2025

Last time I was in Bakuriani I didn't take a single photo outside ๐Ÿ˜ณ To be fair, it was November and our main reason for being there was to spend a night at the (then) new Rooms Hotel.

Next week we are going back โ€“ and while I'm looking forward to more cosy vibes in Kokhta, this time it's all about the snow!

This will be my first proper visit to Bakuriani and I need all the help I can get. Do you have any tips for the best ski areas for beginners, excellent places to eat, or other things I should do while I'm there?

Much like Chiatura, Tkibuli is a small city where the local economy has long revolved around mining (in this case, coal)...
10/01/2025

Much like Chiatura, Tkibuli is a small city where the local economy has long revolved around mining (in this case, coal). The old Soviet-period architecture is pretty interesting (next time I will try to get into the theatre, which has some beautiful ceiling paintings).

What's not pictured here are all the refaced apartment blocks and new civic buildings in the centre of town. Tkibuli has changed a lot since I first drove through in 2020.

Tkibuli in winter.Choose Tkibuli โ€ข แƒแƒ˜แƒ แƒฉแƒ˜แƒ” แƒขแƒงแƒ˜แƒ‘แƒฃแƒšแƒ˜
09/01/2025

Tkibuli in winter.

Choose Tkibuli โ€ข แƒแƒ˜แƒ แƒฉแƒ˜แƒ” แƒขแƒงแƒ˜แƒ‘แƒฃแƒšแƒ˜

A few photos from our first winter road trip earlier this week... I was not expecting Shaori Lake to be completely froze...
08/01/2025

A few photos from our first winter road trip earlier this week... I was not expecting Shaori Lake to be completely frozen over! Or for there to be so much snow ๐Ÿ˜ฌ

We are planning to do a fair bit of driving this winter, so this 3-hour round-trip from Kutaisi was a bit of a test for our car and our winter tires.

Shaori is SO beautiful in winter, but the high snow banks on both sides of the road made it almost impossible to stop for photos. If you're planning to go, please be careful, and definitely bring some snacks for this adorable puppy and his mama (I can confirm that they enjoy salami).

Orthodox Christmas in Kutaisi/Nikortsminda. Gilotsavt shobas โค
07/01/2025

Orthodox Christmas in Kutaisi/Nikortsminda. Gilotsavt shobas โค

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