For an inaugural tour this went very well although as with anything new it could do with a few tweaks and no doubt these will become evident in my review. Nonetheless a very enjoyable tour.
Because there were no optional excursions I will not spoil people's enjoyment as all are mentioned in the brochure. I never heard anyone say "That was a waste of time". The group size at 29 was manageable and only once did the ladies have to commandeer the gents toilets.
Travel Arrangements.
Airline. I would strongly suggest that you have a good meal at Gatwick before you fly as the next decent food you will get will be breakfast in Tblisi. The food on Georgian Airways was the worst airline food I have ever tasted. It was little better on the return journey. Therefore sensible to buy some food in Tblisi, as the plane is the last to land that night at Gatwick North and the airport is virtually closed, especially if you are travelling on that night.
Coach. Very comfortable and modern with an excellent driver. We were allowed to act as grown ups without seat allocation (We could be winning the battle here Bob) and this worked well.
Hotels.
2 very good hotels and the other more than adequate. No tea/coffee facilities in any although there was a kettle and cup in one. Not all rooms in the Tskhaltubo Spa had a safe. Porterage had to be paid for in both the Marco Polo and Tskhaltubo Spa hotels.
Food.
Food in all the hotels was served buffet style and of a good standard and enough choice to satisfy most people. Gluten free food did not seem to be a problem. During the course of the trip we had 3 Georgian style meals in different venues, these were especially good and different to what we are used to.
Itinerary.
All morning starts were at 9 o'clock, probably due to the fact Georgians start work at 9 or 10 and finish at 6 or 7) however this made for some long days travelling/sightseeing of up to 11.5 hours and in one instance having to find somewhere to eat on the return to the hotel.
On the first day the visit to the Synagogue could not be fitted in possibly due to tiredness/excessive heat. We did manage to visit on the last day but as it was a Saturday could not enter and so did not see the intricate floral designs and Hebrew details.
The excursion to the Kakheti region had to be curtailed as we did not have time to spend the evening in Sighnaghi.
On day 5 we did not get to the UNESCO listed expansive cave town of Uplistsikhe as the police had closed the road (we never found out why) so we visited the Stalin museum, a very interesting experience. A good idea on this day to save time at lunchtime (not an included meal) was to call at a restaurant and give our orders before the visit to the Stalin statue and return in half an hour to the prepared food.
Caves of Prometheus. Although the TM said it would be wet, muddy and rough ground don't let it worry you. Although there are 800 steps in total (not all at one go) they are of an even depth and height with a smooth concrete pathway throughout which is adequately lit.
Local Guide/Driver/TM
We had Oleg who was brilliant and a fountain of knowledge without overloading us, our driver Didi who spoke no English was helpful and did a marvellous job and they were supported by a competent TM Lezlie.
A holiday well worth doing before the country becomes too commercialised.
If I've left anything out or anyone disagrees please comment or if you've any questions please ask.