Safety in Batumi, Georgia What do other Racers need to know in order to be safe? Current safety protocols/precautions in place? Any relevant issues/concerns? Any precautionary suggestions?
People’s Opinions
Batumi is a very safe city! Our host said Georgia is one of the safest countries and we did not implement the buddy rule while staying there.
Ministry Summary
Ministry Summary in Batumi, Georgia Breakthroughs? Suggestions? Concerns? On a scale of 1-4 (1 being not at all, 4 being absolutely) how strongly would you recommend another World Race team go to this ministry location & why?
People’s Opinions
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Lodging
Lodging in Batumi, Georgia Where did you stay? What were the accommodations (sleeping arrangements, toilets, showers, etc.)? Cost (per person per night in USD), Contact info.
People’s Opinions
We stayed at Back 2 Me hostel, and it was very clean, great location, had a kitchen, helpful staff, and was in budget. Highly recommended.
Food / Meals
Food / Meals in Batumi, Georgia What did you eat? Where did you get the food? Cost (per person per day in USD)? Contact info (if applicable).
People’s Opinions
I recommend implementing the carrots experiment while in Georgia. Carrots are 1.8 per kilo and your budget will be around 14 gel a day. So you can buy a kilo of carrots and one meal. The carrot experiment is eating 10 carrots a day for your time in Georgia to see if you can turn orange. Let me know how this goes!
Great food options: – Uncle Feng’s (best Chinese food EVER) – Chacha Time (best burgers) – Soup House – Heart of Batumi
You must try their Khachapuri. I like the Adjarian one! It’s a giant bread bowl with cheese and an egg. Also try Khinkali! They’re little meet or cheese boiled dumplings from heaven.
Transportation
Transportation in Batumi, Georgia What transportation did you use to enter the country? Where were you coming from? What transportation was used to move throughout the country? Be sure to include the cost per person in USD and contact info if applicable.
People’s Opinions
If your looking for day trips or maybe setting up in a near by village you won’t be taking the city bus but the marshukas. They are really cheap, we paid 2 per person to get out to Keda. The minibuses gather at a central location in the city and the only way of knowing where you are going is by the tag on the bottom left corner of the dashboard. You can look up minibus on Google maps or batumi bus station on maps.me to find it. Or you can do what we did and look like lost Americans asking all the locals where to find the marshukas until you get a nice person to show you where it is
We also used the city bus system. To do so you have to get a Batumi Bus Card and then load it with money at one of the orange kiosks around the city. We got two cards and would just swipe them multiple times pending how many people from the team rode on the bus. One swipe or one way was 0.30 GEL.
Transport in Batumi is fairly simple. We mainly used an App called Yandex. It’s basically “Uber” for Georgia. It’s fares were cheaper than picking up taxis on the street and made sure you could accurately pin your final destination.
Medical
Medical in Batumi, Georgia Information on local hospitals / doctors / pharmacies. Where would someone go in a medical emergency? (addresses and contact info).
People’s Opinions
There’s an American Medical Center by the big spaceship looking McDonalds on the sea. It regularly works with AIMs insurance provider, and it’s workers mainly speak English.
Communication
Communication in Batumi, Georgia Did you have cell reception / Internet service? Where? Carrier / Provider, where did you get phones / SIM cards, cost? Country code?
People’s Opinions
We went to one of the information offices and they actually gave us free SIM cards! Then we went across the street to one of the pay kiosks and were able to load the phone numbers with data and minutes.
Financial
Financial in Batumi, Georgia Location of banks or ATMs, notes about transaction fees, best places to exchange money, and other money related advice.
People’s Opinions
The best places to find a ATM is in the mall. We stayed right next to one so it was the easiest place to get cash out for the team. Also, you could exchange money in the Mall as well!
Translators
Translators in Batumi, Georgia List any local translators – name and contact information, languages spoken
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Off Days / Fun Activities
Off Days / Fun Activities in Batumi, Georgia What activities did your team experience? Recommendations? List locations/contact info. Any locations to be avoided? Any extra safety tips for off days?
People’s Opinions
The cable cars are bomb!! On a clear day you can see all of Batumi and the surrounding mountains and the Black Sea.
Other Important Contacts
Other Important Contacts in Batumi, Georgia Additional ministry opportunities, local pastors, etc. Relationship & follow up suggestions
People’s Opinions
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Tips
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Additional Info
Additional Info in Batumi, Georgia Anything we’ve left out? Any additional suggestions to make travel easier for others?