Tbilisi is only city in Georgia where there is a big choice of restaurants and cafes, outside the capital you mostly have to search for a hot meal. The traffic in Tbilisi is very dangerous, there are almost no zebra crossings.
Exchanging money : there is an ATM cash machine in Rustaveli,
the cash point accepts as well VISA credit cards as cards connected to the Cirrus network.
Swimming in Tbilisi lake is very popular among Georgians.
There is a big new artwork on 70m high pillars with all the Georgian folk heroes and kings standing at the end of the lake from where you also have a panoramic view over
Tbilisi.
Another place for getting a panoramic view of Tbilisi is from the television towers
(the most popular place for wedding photos among tblisians). There is also a great restaurant on top of the towers, for the moment closed because of a dispute between two mafia families.
Tbilisi Market : the market West of the train station
(metro Vakzal) is enormous, full of women dressed in straw hats. It is probably the biggest market I have ever seen; don't forget the covered part of the market, it's worth a look!
Sulphur baths : the touristy pools in the old town are also one of the places locals and others pick up prostitutes. That a Georgian man visits a prostitute every now and then seem to be completely socially accepted. The very religious mother from a very nice family I stayed with in Tbilisi even tried to convince me to go with her son and his friends when they where going out to buy some love.
Architectonic park, this park with old style houses looks deserted but there are staff at the foot of the hill , you can get a cable lift from Vake to the Svan towers for 0.4 lari.
Prospero`s books : English speaking book shop situated on Rustaveli
32, all travel guides and maps over Georgia are available here,
unfortunately everything costs twice as much as in Europe. This is a book shop clearly aimed at ex pats.
Tbilisi budget hotel - hotels
Nasi guest rooms : this is the most famous Georgian back packer place. It is situated
in the centre, 30/92 Marjanishvili St, 200 metre from Marjanishvili Metro
Station. To get to Nasi's from the metro station, take a left and then again left. Nasi speaks german and has place for 10 travelers in old fashioned but spacious rooms, 5$/night, if you want a hot shower you have to pay extra. He has a good travelers info book with many tips. This is a good place to get into contact with other travelers.
Khatuna home stay : Chitaiya street 12 (used to be Soviet street),
situated between the Tbilisi train station and Marjanishvili metro. Khatuna is a friendly woman who offers rooms, apparently she is well known among Japanese back packers. 8 lari per
night, shower included.
Iveria hotel : The cheapest hotel in Tbilisi, situated right in the centre on Rustaveli, 20$ for a double room. The Abkhazian refugees that have lived here for a very long time have now moved. There is always water and
electricity available thanks to the central position in Tbilisi.
Tbilisi is only city in Georgia where there is a big choice of restaurants and cafes, outside the capital you mostly have to search for a hot meal. The traffic in Tbilisi is very dangerous, there are almost no zebra crossings.
