Images from Tusheti

Ra lamazia Tusheti…
‘How beautiful is Tusheti’ says the traditional Georgian folk song.
Ra lamazia Tusheti by Lela Tataraidze

The lyrics are simple but true. Just as the land hidden in the valeys of Caucasus. Tusheti is trully amazing with its magnificent landscapes, green mountain slopes and cold rivers, stone-based architecture, mystical defensive towers, finaly warm and open people.
Getting there is only possible by four-wheel drives, rather expensive. The drivers, setting out to Tusheti from little village Alvani, normally charge 50 lari per persno. We got lucky to drive with guys from Georgian Tourism Association for free. Thanks one more time Soso and Lasha! The road is very challenging and takes several hours, depending on the skills and experience of the driver. But it’s deffinitely worth it!

You’d thought that you’re going to the end of the world. But it turns out that up in the mountains its more busy that in many towns! We meet lot of great people, some Czechs doing the heritage protection projects, some Brits looking for partners in Rural Development Programmes, and above all, dozens of Poles try to hike the Caucasus through.
Very soon you’ll have difficulties to meet some Tusheti people on the road 

Anyway, Tusheti is the region from the legends: lost in the mountains, far away from any other settlements, with people still following seasonal migrations. The region is cut from the world for majority of the year: the road is open from mid June till mid September. Other than that, Tushetian families live in the vallyes. At the same time shepherds migrate with their huge herds down to the lowlands of Vashlovani and Azerbaijan, if you come to Kaheti in the spring or fall – you’ll see them.

Tusheti is unique by its landscape, culture and people. For sure worth visiting, now, before it’s too late. We are based in Zemo Omalo (The Upper Omalo), a beatuful little village (something like 25 households?) with the wonderful view on the plateau where Kvemo Omalo (The Lowe Omalo) is placed and the semicircle of surrounding mountains. Our tent is tiny, the surface terribly uncomfortable (I have the feeling that my back will never be straight again), the nights are cold, but hell with that, I’d do everything for having such a view when I wake up.

There are number of trails you can hike on, we choose two: the one going to Shenako and Diklo for the first day, and one going to Dartlo for the second day. The views from the way are simply stunning, just as the traditional architecture of Tushetian villages, with houses built of slates and traditional stone roof covers. We have to be careful though, since Tusheti has many sacred places where women are forbidden to come close to (very rarely the places where men are forbidded). Anyway, the hikes are great.

Me and my friend Anna went to Tusheti on our own, nothing too difficult, but you need to be patient and have a lot of time (or a lot of money...) for getting around with no transportation available. However, my parents have been there at the same time with a group of friends on the organized tour (according to their itinerary) with Amiran and Temur, the great leaders and guides of EKOTURI Travel Agency, which I will always promote. If you go in a group and do not have so much time, the organized tour is definitely worth a try.