Just returned from a week in Abkhazia which for those who are not too up on their post Soviet geo-politics is a province of Georgia that broke away after a short but bloody war in which the Georgians were ethnically cleansed out of the land. I entered from the south and visited 3 towns on the coast: Ochamchire - Sukhumi - Gagra. I don't have lots of info regarding best clubs and restaurants but I'll give a run down about my trip and the place itself.
Location/Geography/Climate: Abkhazia is located on the South Eastern shore of the Black sea. It is a mountainous country with a semi tropical climate with stunning backdrops of the Eastern Caucus mountains. It is is green and lush with a warm sea. Best time to visit is summer both for the weather and the huge influx of Russians that are your best chance of bang.
Getting there: 2 ways. The easiest is to fly to Tbilisi then take a marshrutka to the border crossing outside of Zugdidi. No Georgian visa required and cost of the 6 hour marshrutka trip to the Abkhaz border was 15Lari ( 7 Euro ). You then cross on foot over the Inguri bridge and take a taxi or marshrutka to your destination. The more expensive way is to enter via Russia which means you need to get down to Sochi and have a Russian double entry visa which costs money. I went via Georgia and recommend you do the same as the country is fantastic and worth seeing too.
Visa and red tape: There is a myth that it is hard to get into Abkhazia,it's not. What you must do is apply for an entry permit one month before you go via email at the ministry of foreign affairs:
http://mfaapsny.org/en/council/visa.php This is only an entry permit to cross the border. You will recieve confirmation and show it at the border. Then when you are in the country you visit the ministry in Sukhumi and pay $10 to get an actual visa.
Safety: Abkhazia can be divided into two areas,north and south in terms of safety. I spent time in both. The south is much more militarised and the fighting was heavier there. There are mine fields ( NEVER GO INTO THE FOREST OR OFF A PATH IN SOUTH ABKHAZIA! ) everywhere that are slowly being cleared. You see the signs by the side of the road. The south is full of burnt out towns where Georgians were burned or shot out of their homes,it's a sad site to see the ethnically cleansed areas,whole streets of houses destroyed. The Russian military runs things down south,you see them everywhere. I was stopped by FSB agents in balaclavas after I crossed into Abkhazia and given a polite shake down asking what my plans were but after scanning my passport into a hand held device the officer shook my hand and let me pass on further into the country. Still,an uncomfortable few minutes having balaclavad men with pistols in their waist bands and Kalashnikovs surrounding you and shaking you down in Russian. Once you get to the capitol Sukhumi and north to Gagra the military presence is much reduced and you'd not know there was tension in the area. Except for that I felt perfectly safe. As for petty theft or being randomly attacked,no everyone is very friendly.
Language: No English spoken,none. Sorry but if you want to get the most out of a trip there then learning Russian is imperative. Russian is the lingua-franca,all speak it even if not as a first language. Other languages are Abkhaz and Mingrelian which had the hardest to pronounce phonetics of any language I have ever heard. Georgian is spoken at home by some families too.
People: Most people are a mix of Abkhaz and something else i.e Abkhaz/Russian or Mingrelian/Russian etc. They have a darker complexion then Slavs,think Georgian or Armenian. Average height. I found Mingrelians to have a lighter complexion then Abkhaz. A lot of retired Russians living down there for cheap living and good weather. A very friendly population down there,similar to Georgians in that respect.
Food: I hope you like Shashlik because it's all they seem to eat down there. Russian food available too in restaurants but I never found any local delicacies to sample.
Drink: Abkhazia is a wine producing region,every house has vines growing and produce a good sweet wine which I liked. Very little vodka drinking culture or alcoholism as in Russia,this was a relief when out on the town. Only saw bars in Gagra nowhere else. Cheap prices.
Places to stay: I stayed exclusively in private homes. You see signs for rooms to rent everywhere as babushkas support their pension this way. Rooms available for 300 Roubles a night. Hotels and sanatoriums run at 800-1500 Roubles a night. There are room renting agencies in every town.
Currency: Russian Roubles. Current exchange rate is 40RB to the Euro.
Other Foreigners: You taking the piss? I never heard or saw another foreigner ( non Russian ) in my week there. I was a superstar ( more on this later ). People I met had never met an Englishman before and were very inquisitive about my trip. One guy was convinced I must be a spy for wanting to visit and spent the night in the bar I was in in Gagra saying "no really,why are you really here?".
Venues: Outside of Gagra a lot of the action takes place in the sanatorium complexes. Instead of staying in private houses like I did get a room in a sanatorium where there will be hundreds of guests to target and discos etc. In Gagra you can stay in a room and hit the discos and bars/beach etc.
The towns:
Ochamchire: Southern resort town that is now half empty due to ethnic cleansing and the war. One decent hotel called the 'Samshit' located on the beach. Rooms in houses available. One decent restaurant opposite the hotel where a good meal will cost 300Roubles with a drink. Dirty beach with no tourists. Interesting town in terms of the hellishness of it but no action. No bars or night life.
Sukhumi ( The capitol ): A faded elegant town by the sea which is slowly being invested in. A relaxed laid back vibe which is worth a day to explore. Has a nice run down sea front with outside cafes and restaurants. Plenty of hotels ( sanatoriums ) on the outskirts. You will have to visit to get your visa. There is more action outside of town on the beaches opposite the sanatoriums then in the centre. I stayed in a private room for 350 Roubles.
Gagra: The place to be if you want action. This is where everyone is. A good beach,clean sea and plenty of Russian holiday makers who have come from the poorer towns for some cheap fun. It's the Benidorm of Abkhazia which means thousands of tourists,jet ski's,paragliding,banana boats,bars,discos...I spent one night here and liked it. If I was coming to chase skirt then this would be my choice.
Trip Report:
I arrived from Georgia and spent 2 nights in Ochamchire as I am a photographer and wanted to photo the devastation of the south. I went to the Samshit hotel but it was full and was instead directed down the road to a woman who rented rooms in her beach side home. 300 Roubles later I was unpacked and ready to explore. I spent two days there photographing shit and swimming in the sea. People could not believe I was English and would immediately see it as a DHV. They thought I must have relatives in the area for wanting to visit and it took some persuading that I was just down there on a jolly looking for an adventure and some action. There was a corrugated shack in the back yard of the house and as I sat in the garden I heard a Russian couple arguing. The man was drunk and he staggered out and headed off somewhere. A minute later an absolutely stunning Russian girl ( mid 20's and a 9 ) came out holding a baby. Why the fuck was such an amazing looking woman living with a drunkard in a tin shack in Abkhazia?! I mean I know why but it re-enforces how little beauty means in Russia as it is so common. In the west she would be modelling,in Abkhazia she lived in a shack with an outside toilet. If she'd not been married I'd have made it my priority to bang her. There was a neighbour who lived next door from where I stayed who was really into me,a Mingrelian girl,early twenties,pretty and she kept coming around to see me but I brushed her off as I knew she would require a little time to lay and I wanted to head north and chase Russians who are my favourites.
I headed to Sukhumi and found a room in a house on the outskirts of the city that I saw as we passed on the marshrutka. The owner wasn't in but a Russian woman who was staying there was in the kitchen and said the owner would be back and I should wait for her. I talked to this Russian woman who was in her early 40's and she asked me where I was from. I said London and she was shocked and excited saying "I can't believe it! My daughter has always wanted to meet an Englishman,I'll go and get her!" So off she went and a minute later returned with her daughter who was an attractive 18 year old and who was beaming from ear to ear. We sat and chatted in Russian ( no English ) and she pumped me with questions about England,British music,films etc. She told me how she dreamed to visit one day. Well,I think you guys can see the inevitable conclusion of this. I was not sure how her mum would react to me banging the daughter so I had to charm the mum first by inviting them both out for dinner in a nice restaurant on Sukhumi sea front where I was charm and suaveness personified. Mum took a liking to me but I had to make sure that she understood it was the daughter I wanted and not her,so I asked mum if I could invite her daughter ( Elena ) to the beach with me the next day. She agreed. We spent the day sunbathing and splashing about and in the evening we hit a bar in town and I kissed her. We headed to the beach and sat there kissing before walking home. With her mum there the bang would be difficult so I invited her to Gagra with me but she had to run it past her mum who after some persuasion agreed and so the next day we took a bus up the coast and got a room through the letting agency in the centre of town. Great 24 hours spent swimming,drinking,dancing and finally banging. We returned the next day to Sukhumi where I spent one more day with her on the beach making out and messing about. If I didn't have a return flight booked and commitments to my daughter here in Europe I'd have stayed longer with her enjoying banging her. We swapped details and I headed back to Georgia. It had been a great trip. In Tbilisi I called a Russian girl I met on the flight out and we met up and hit the town hard. Made out with her in a taxi ride to the airport and just now received an email from her saying she has left her boyfriend and will come to London soon!! Fuck!! And so the adventure continues![[Image: banana.gif]](https://rooshvforum.network/images/smilies/new/banana.gif)
Abkhazia won't be for everyone. It's an interesting place but a bit complicated to get to,it's run down and not much to do outside of Gagra. Also you need Russian,nobody I met spoke English of any level. If you go then go to Gagra and forget the south. Would I go back? Yeah but I'd take some girls with me instead of trying to meet them there as I was lucky to have had one thrust into my arms like that. Everyone I saw was coupled up or with family. If you want Russian girls then go to Russia. If you want your Abkhaz flag then go there but be prepared to play future-groom-game and invest a few weeks or month in one place. Anyway,another interesting place ticked off the list. Whilst in Ochamchire I met some dudes from the Russian republic of Kabardino-Balkaria in the Caucuses who had stunning women with them so that will be my next major trip in the winter. Time to chase some Muslim skirt!
Location/Geography/Climate: Abkhazia is located on the South Eastern shore of the Black sea. It is a mountainous country with a semi tropical climate with stunning backdrops of the Eastern Caucus mountains. It is is green and lush with a warm sea. Best time to visit is summer both for the weather and the huge influx of Russians that are your best chance of bang.
Getting there: 2 ways. The easiest is to fly to Tbilisi then take a marshrutka to the border crossing outside of Zugdidi. No Georgian visa required and cost of the 6 hour marshrutka trip to the Abkhaz border was 15Lari ( 7 Euro ). You then cross on foot over the Inguri bridge and take a taxi or marshrutka to your destination. The more expensive way is to enter via Russia which means you need to get down to Sochi and have a Russian double entry visa which costs money. I went via Georgia and recommend you do the same as the country is fantastic and worth seeing too.
Visa and red tape: There is a myth that it is hard to get into Abkhazia,it's not. What you must do is apply for an entry permit one month before you go via email at the ministry of foreign affairs:
http://mfaapsny.org/en/council/visa.php This is only an entry permit to cross the border. You will recieve confirmation and show it at the border. Then when you are in the country you visit the ministry in Sukhumi and pay $10 to get an actual visa.
Safety: Abkhazia can be divided into two areas,north and south in terms of safety. I spent time in both. The south is much more militarised and the fighting was heavier there. There are mine fields ( NEVER GO INTO THE FOREST OR OFF A PATH IN SOUTH ABKHAZIA! ) everywhere that are slowly being cleared. You see the signs by the side of the road. The south is full of burnt out towns where Georgians were burned or shot out of their homes,it's a sad site to see the ethnically cleansed areas,whole streets of houses destroyed. The Russian military runs things down south,you see them everywhere. I was stopped by FSB agents in balaclavas after I crossed into Abkhazia and given a polite shake down asking what my plans were but after scanning my passport into a hand held device the officer shook my hand and let me pass on further into the country. Still,an uncomfortable few minutes having balaclavad men with pistols in their waist bands and Kalashnikovs surrounding you and shaking you down in Russian. Once you get to the capitol Sukhumi and north to Gagra the military presence is much reduced and you'd not know there was tension in the area. Except for that I felt perfectly safe. As for petty theft or being randomly attacked,no everyone is very friendly.
Language: No English spoken,none. Sorry but if you want to get the most out of a trip there then learning Russian is imperative. Russian is the lingua-franca,all speak it even if not as a first language. Other languages are Abkhaz and Mingrelian which had the hardest to pronounce phonetics of any language I have ever heard. Georgian is spoken at home by some families too.
People: Most people are a mix of Abkhaz and something else i.e Abkhaz/Russian or Mingrelian/Russian etc. They have a darker complexion then Slavs,think Georgian or Armenian. Average height. I found Mingrelians to have a lighter complexion then Abkhaz. A lot of retired Russians living down there for cheap living and good weather. A very friendly population down there,similar to Georgians in that respect.
Food: I hope you like Shashlik because it's all they seem to eat down there. Russian food available too in restaurants but I never found any local delicacies to sample.
Drink: Abkhazia is a wine producing region,every house has vines growing and produce a good sweet wine which I liked. Very little vodka drinking culture or alcoholism as in Russia,this was a relief when out on the town. Only saw bars in Gagra nowhere else. Cheap prices.
Places to stay: I stayed exclusively in private homes. You see signs for rooms to rent everywhere as babushkas support their pension this way. Rooms available for 300 Roubles a night. Hotels and sanatoriums run at 800-1500 Roubles a night. There are room renting agencies in every town.
Currency: Russian Roubles. Current exchange rate is 40RB to the Euro.
Other Foreigners: You taking the piss? I never heard or saw another foreigner ( non Russian ) in my week there. I was a superstar ( more on this later ). People I met had never met an Englishman before and were very inquisitive about my trip. One guy was convinced I must be a spy for wanting to visit and spent the night in the bar I was in in Gagra saying "no really,why are you really here?".
Venues: Outside of Gagra a lot of the action takes place in the sanatorium complexes. Instead of staying in private houses like I did get a room in a sanatorium where there will be hundreds of guests to target and discos etc. In Gagra you can stay in a room and hit the discos and bars/beach etc.
The towns:
Ochamchire: Southern resort town that is now half empty due to ethnic cleansing and the war. One decent hotel called the 'Samshit' located on the beach. Rooms in houses available. One decent restaurant opposite the hotel where a good meal will cost 300Roubles with a drink. Dirty beach with no tourists. Interesting town in terms of the hellishness of it but no action. No bars or night life.
Sukhumi ( The capitol ): A faded elegant town by the sea which is slowly being invested in. A relaxed laid back vibe which is worth a day to explore. Has a nice run down sea front with outside cafes and restaurants. Plenty of hotels ( sanatoriums ) on the outskirts. You will have to visit to get your visa. There is more action outside of town on the beaches opposite the sanatoriums then in the centre. I stayed in a private room for 350 Roubles.
Gagra: The place to be if you want action. This is where everyone is. A good beach,clean sea and plenty of Russian holiday makers who have come from the poorer towns for some cheap fun. It's the Benidorm of Abkhazia which means thousands of tourists,jet ski's,paragliding,banana boats,bars,discos...I spent one night here and liked it. If I was coming to chase skirt then this would be my choice.
Trip Report:
I arrived from Georgia and spent 2 nights in Ochamchire as I am a photographer and wanted to photo the devastation of the south. I went to the Samshit hotel but it was full and was instead directed down the road to a woman who rented rooms in her beach side home. 300 Roubles later I was unpacked and ready to explore. I spent two days there photographing shit and swimming in the sea. People could not believe I was English and would immediately see it as a DHV. They thought I must have relatives in the area for wanting to visit and it took some persuading that I was just down there on a jolly looking for an adventure and some action. There was a corrugated shack in the back yard of the house and as I sat in the garden I heard a Russian couple arguing. The man was drunk and he staggered out and headed off somewhere. A minute later an absolutely stunning Russian girl ( mid 20's and a 9 ) came out holding a baby. Why the fuck was such an amazing looking woman living with a drunkard in a tin shack in Abkhazia?! I mean I know why but it re-enforces how little beauty means in Russia as it is so common. In the west she would be modelling,in Abkhazia she lived in a shack with an outside toilet. If she'd not been married I'd have made it my priority to bang her. There was a neighbour who lived next door from where I stayed who was really into me,a Mingrelian girl,early twenties,pretty and she kept coming around to see me but I brushed her off as I knew she would require a little time to lay and I wanted to head north and chase Russians who are my favourites.
I headed to Sukhumi and found a room in a house on the outskirts of the city that I saw as we passed on the marshrutka. The owner wasn't in but a Russian woman who was staying there was in the kitchen and said the owner would be back and I should wait for her. I talked to this Russian woman who was in her early 40's and she asked me where I was from. I said London and she was shocked and excited saying "I can't believe it! My daughter has always wanted to meet an Englishman,I'll go and get her!" So off she went and a minute later returned with her daughter who was an attractive 18 year old and who was beaming from ear to ear. We sat and chatted in Russian ( no English ) and she pumped me with questions about England,British music,films etc. She told me how she dreamed to visit one day. Well,I think you guys can see the inevitable conclusion of this. I was not sure how her mum would react to me banging the daughter so I had to charm the mum first by inviting them both out for dinner in a nice restaurant on Sukhumi sea front where I was charm and suaveness personified. Mum took a liking to me but I had to make sure that she understood it was the daughter I wanted and not her,so I asked mum if I could invite her daughter ( Elena ) to the beach with me the next day. She agreed. We spent the day sunbathing and splashing about and in the evening we hit a bar in town and I kissed her. We headed to the beach and sat there kissing before walking home. With her mum there the bang would be difficult so I invited her to Gagra with me but she had to run it past her mum who after some persuasion agreed and so the next day we took a bus up the coast and got a room through the letting agency in the centre of town. Great 24 hours spent swimming,drinking,dancing and finally banging. We returned the next day to Sukhumi where I spent one more day with her on the beach making out and messing about. If I didn't have a return flight booked and commitments to my daughter here in Europe I'd have stayed longer with her enjoying banging her. We swapped details and I headed back to Georgia. It had been a great trip. In Tbilisi I called a Russian girl I met on the flight out and we met up and hit the town hard. Made out with her in a taxi ride to the airport and just now received an email from her saying she has left her boyfriend and will come to London soon!! Fuck!! And so the adventure continues
Abkhazia won't be for everyone. It's an interesting place but a bit complicated to get to,it's run down and not much to do outside of Gagra. Also you need Russian,nobody I met spoke English of any level. If you go then go to Gagra and forget the south. Would I go back? Yeah but I'd take some girls with me instead of trying to meet them there as I was lucky to have had one thrust into my arms like that. Everyone I saw was coupled up or with family. If you want Russian girls then go to Russia. If you want your Abkhaz flag then go there but be prepared to play future-groom-game and invest a few weeks or month in one place. Anyway,another interesting place ticked off the list. Whilst in Ochamchire I met some dudes from the Russian republic of Kabardino-Balkaria in the Caucuses who had stunning women with them so that will be my next major trip in the winter. Time to chase some Muslim skirt!