How to get to us

Our project revolves around the Batumi bottleneck, situated in the Autonomous Republic of Ajara, South-West Georgia. Our volunteer residences and guesthouses are located in Sakhalvasho, a small village just north of Batumi, on the hill close to Makhinjauri. Our office is located in the middle of the village, near the school. Also in Shuamta (Chaisubani), near the second count station, a few guesthouses are available.

BRC Shuttle for volunteers

The drive for BRC volunteers to the project can be arranged beforehand (but is not for free). Just let us know when and where you will arrive and a regular BRC driver will pick you up. Common pick-up places are the Batumi airport, Batumi International Bus station or the square in front of the Makhinjauri train station.

When you come by car from Batumi, take the main coastal road north (direction Kobuleti & Poti). Continue passing Makhinjauri and just after the tunnel take the first road on the right that takes you up, next to the sign 'Sakhalvasho' and ‘Raptor watchpoint’. Follow the road up to the school, turn right and continue following the signs to the raptor watchpoint.

Flight and public transport

Flight to Batumi

You can fly to Batumi airport (usually one stop in Istanbul) with Turkish Airlines and some other carriers from Europe and some other countries. Prices easily exceed 450€. Recently (low-cost) Pegasus airlines also connects Istanbul with Batumi. From the airport, you can be in Sakhalvasho within 30 minutes by car. We can arrange a pickup (not for free) from the airport for volunteers, but let us know beforehand. It is also possible to take a regular taxi which should not be much more expensive.

Flight to Kutaisi

Flying to Kutaisi is also a good option when travelling to Batumi. For example, low cost airline Wizzair is connecting Kutaisi with many cities in Europe. There are good connections to Batumi straight from the airport, using Georgian Bus is one of the options.

Flight to Tbilisi, and then by bus or train

It might be cheaper to fly to Tbilisi. Several (low-cost) air-companies fly to Georgia's capital. With AirBaltic you can book flights from 250€ on, with a stop in Riga. Also Pegasus airlines offers cheap flights to Tbilisi, over Istanbul. Or you can fly with AeroSvit through Kiev.

From Tbilisi you can take the train to Batumi. Trains are probably the most safe option for travelling in Georgia. Please check the Georgian Railways page for the schedule or book a ticket through tkt.ge. Batumi is a popular destination within Georgia, so please make sure you buy the tickets (weeks) beforehand. For buying the tickets, you may need to create an account. We can arrange a pickup for volunteers (not for free), but let us know beforehand. Regular taxis are also an option and should not cost much more.

You can also take a bus with METRO Georgia, this company offers several buses each day with comfort for 25 lari (ca. 9€). The trip takes 6 hours.

Marshrutka (minibus) for even lower prices which you will find at the bus-metro station “Didube”. When you are almost in Batumi, ask the driver to drop you off at Makhindjauri train station. Most marshrutka drivers drive fast, with brief sanitary stops, and normally the trip takes more than 6 hours. Given road safety we do advise to use trains whenever possible.

Flight to Istanbul, Turkey, and then by bus

Airfare prices to Istanbul below 120 € can be found with e.g. Ryanair, Pegasus, Germanwings ... You can travel from Istanbul to Batumi by bus. It will take about 22 hours to reach Batumi, but the buses are usually very comfortable, have regular stops and drinks are included in the price.

If your flight lands on the Ataturk international airport in Istanbul, it isn’t very difficult to reach the bus station. Take the metro inside the airport building and simply get out at the bus station stop. The Sabiha Gokcen airport (most cheap flight companies land here) is located on the Asian side of Istanbul. Free or cheap bus rides are found at the main exit of the airport. Ask around for büyük otogar (= big bus station).

Notes:

  1. In bus stations all over Turkey and Georgia you should always take good care of your luggage!

  2. Although problems seem to occur less and less (especially in Turkey) keep your guard for overcharged tickets!

  3. When arriving in any bus station you will most likely be approached by one or more Turks asking about your travel plans. They will take you to the operator they are working with if they serve your destination. As said, bus service is done increasingly correct but don´t worry to check out other companies!

Buses to Batumi from Istanbul usually cost well under 40 € (one way), so beware not to pay more. You will be able to choose from several companies but Metro generally serves best quality. 

Flight (via Istanbul) to Trabzon, Turkey, and then by bus

It will only take 4-5 hours to reach Batumi from Trabzon. With low cost airlines the Istanbul-Trabzon flight can be as cheap as 30€. The bus(es) to Batumi won't be expensive either, roughly 25€ for the whole adventure should be sufficient. Keep in mind that you need local currencies to pay for the tickets, there are ATMs both in the airport and at the border. 

  1. For a direct Trabzon-Batumi trip, start by taking a taxi to the bus station. Taxi drivers might offer to drive you to the border for a very high price (e.g. 100 dollars) or try to convince you there is no bus going there. It is your decision if the price difference is worth it, but don't be shy to make your demands clear to the taxi drivers! Also, the drive from the airport to the bus station should not take more than 10 minutes in Trabzon, be mindful of being taken for a ride! When at the border, you need to take your luggage for border control and you may find your bus not to appear at the Georgian side of the border. In this case just make use of marshrutkas or a taxi to get to Batumi. (Info from 2012)

  2. If you don't feel like searching for a bus station in Trabzon, you can also start a trip to Batumi from the airport. Just take a bus to Hopa (around 30 lira), which is a town 20 km from the Georgian border. In Hopa, it is very easy to find a connecting marshrutka to the border in Sarpi. The border must be crossed on foot and after a quick passport control, marshrutkas to Batumi will be waiting on the Georgian side of the border. From Batumi just take another marshrutka or a taxi to Sakhalvasho. (Info from 2018)

Alternative travel opportunities

Although flight is the most straightforward way of traveling to Georgia it ain't the most environmental friendly. Other possibilities include simple car journeys, hitchhiking, bus trips from many adjacent countries (e.g. from Turkey as described above) but also by boat. The last option may be interesting for anyone traveling in the Black Sea region before coming to Georgia! Cargo-Ferry ships are heading to Batumi from Varna, Bulgaria and Odessa, Ukraine and are an interesting experience but very expensive and less comfortable as one would expect for this price.

People traveling from Azerbaijan or Armenia may use the train service between Batumi via Tbilisi  to Baku or Yerevan that runs until the middle of September. 

You can also take your bike, like our two French coordinators Simon and Maël did in 2011.

Practicalities

Surroundings

The village of Sakhalvasho is basically a small maze of trails bordered with lush gardens and typical small, often two-story, houses with a porch in front. The surroundings are normally quiet and peaceful, although of course some hunters and trappers live in the same village.

In the village you find a small shop where you can buy a quick drink or a snack, cigarettes, etc. To do your own shopping (apart from food requirements), you will need to get to Makindjauri or Batumi (see below) or Chakvi where the BRC bus for station 2 is going almost daily in the evening after the count.

Georgian money can be ordered at your local bank, but it’s much easier to go to a bank in Georgia and take the money from an ATM (= “money from the wall”). Sometimes, dollars are also accepted. Take care not to use a new card for the first time in Georgia!

In Batumi you’ll also find a drug store, a barber, shops, disco’s… There is also a drug store in the suburb of Makhinjauri (in any case near the stations) as well as an ATM.

Visa

Depending on your country you will need a VISA for Georgia. In 2014 the VISA regulations changed. Request the recent informations from the Georgian embassy in your country.

Warning about medicines

If you are under medical treatment make sure that the medicines you bring are allowed in Georgia. Some commonly used medicines in Europe are forbidden in Georgia, for instance those containing codeine. Conditions to import them to Georgia are very strict. Contact the Georgian embassy of your country to check the list of forbidden medicines and to know which procedure to follow if you need to bring any of them with you.