Travel to Poti
Maltakva : an old Soviet beach resort about 5 kilometres from Poti,
now in a bit of a worn out state. You have to turn of at the Soviet monument
along the way between Poti - Batumi. Take minibus no 21/20
or 5. Just before the monument there is a cozy restaurant in the forest in
rustic wood cottage style with cheap and tasty food. In the restaurant they can help you to find home stay or there are two hotels - accommodation possibilities in Maltakva :
* Maltakva resort Hotel : boring and character less Soviet hotel complex on a few hundred meters distance from a dirty sand beach (full of all sorts of human scrap but also a lot of drift wood that could be used for camp fires. The fact that it is a sand beach as opposed to the western cobble beaches gives the place a lot of possibilities, if this beach would get cleaned up it would be very beautiful), 30 lari per double room, warm water and shower, but thanks to this over prized since it has no sea view, no air co, very simple rooms with thin walls letting all sounds through.
* Zalatoe Ozera Hotel (Golden Lake) : at the little water sport lake north of the Maltakva Resort, simple white row houses. Phone 21422, more expensive than the Maltakva resort hotel, 60 lari per night, but a lot better standard. Big newly decorated rooms with air co, TV. The atmosphere is also better. There is a funny restaurant with terrace next to the bridge on the other side of the water.- Paliostani : a big lake, quite unspoiled nature with white mountain tops visible in the distance. It's not worth the effort going here unless you cross the lake to the other side with one of the local fisher men from the near by village. The Paliostani lake has no beach but it may be possible to go for a swim anyway, I didn't try it. To get to the Paliostani lake : take mini bus 5 or 20/21 from Poti centre, get off at the church yard and walk through it to the back of the church at the other side of the bridge is the lake.
- Budget Hotel Kolheti : a typical Soviet hotel, 10
lari per night. Situated right in the centre of Poti on the central square opposite the opera.
Spacious rooms but no running water (but filled bath tubs), refugees.
The administrator is in room no 218. - Internet cafe in Poti : in side street to the centre square. Very visible board, 2 PC's, 3L per hour.
- Boat - ferry to Sochi in Russia (also see travel guide Russia Batumi) : on tuesdays the small and fast boat, the Kometa (50$, departure around 12 am) heads for Sochi, on fridays an even smaller but slower boat, the Svedlov (45$, departure about 19:00) makes the same route. The boats leave from Batumi and go via Poti to the final destination Sochi. The Svedlov that I took had over weight and was too small for the rather rough sea. Especially in august, when there are a lot of tornadoes in the Black sea area, medicine against sea sickness and nausea is a very good thing to bring along. Information in Poti phone 70142. In the street that lead to the passenger harbour there are a few restaurants with terraces (no sea view). In the departure hall there is an exchange office
- Boat - ferry from Poti to Odessa in Ukraine : the ferry company Ukrferry has ferries traveling from Batumi and Poti to Ilychevsk near Odessa.
- Travel by public transport : bus transport : Kutaisi - Poti (2hours traveling, 4 lari, many busses and taxis). Poti bus station - harbour (mini bus no 2 or taxi for 3 lari). Poti - Kobuleti (many mini busses passing through on the way to Batumi, border post with passport control about halfway into Ajara. Bus ticket costs 3 lari, you can catch this bus along the way as it passes Maltakva).
