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It was not difficult for us to decide to travel to Georgia once we had decided that we wanted to experience Christmas holidays in the snow. Having grown up in the southern hemisphere and never experiencing a cold, white December holiday, we were super excited!
Where is Gudauri?
Gudauri is an area in the country of Georgia, part of the Great Caucasus Mountain Range, and is the natural border to Russia, one of its four neighbouring countries.
Getting to Gudauri
From Doha, we flew Qatar Airways direct to Tibilisi (capital of Georgia). As we had pre-arranged a taxi with our hotel, our driver was ready for us when we arrived to take us to Gudauri. Nikoloz was most impressed when we greeted him in Georgian - Gamarjoba (ga-mar-jo-ba) / Hello!
Skiing in Gudauri
Hotel Truso organised a one-on-one training session with a local instructor. We were told that it was not the ideal area to learn, however it was possible, so we did not want to miss the opportunity.
Despite having the best ski instructor in Georgia,I could not get it right! So, unfortunately, I cannot tell you how amazing it is to ski in Gudauri, but I do know that my friends who are keen skiers absolutely love the pristine slops that are never too busy, and that do not cost a fortune.
Paragliding in Gudauri
It also felt like a good day to go paragliding since it was my birthday! There are many companies offering this and luckily we didn't need to book ahead of time, otherwise I might have chickened out.
I don't guarantee you won't scream, but it was an amazing experience and the views were breathtaking indeed. Here is the YouTube link to watch my very own paragliding video: https://youtu.be/OI1GVhi5H2E
Best restaurant in Gudauri
Being my birthday evening, we went for dinner atthe restaurant at Hotel Truso and booked a table near the window. Unbeknown tome Harold had organised a surprise! The lights dimmed and the staff walked overto our table where they sang a Happy Birthday song in Georgian and gave us abottle of local Georgian sparkling wine
Restaurant Truso is just superb! Local cuisine is offered, as well as international options. We were amused when we realised that local trout that had been fished out of the river, were fished out of the outdoor fishtank and served freshly cooked on your table.
What to do if you are not skiing
Besides relaxing at Hotel Truso and enjoying a sauna, we enjoyed exploring the slopes from our chair lifts and stopping at the ski stations to watch the amazing skiers fly down the slopes, as well as enjoying local cuisine and refreshments along the way!
Interesting facts about Gudauri
- In 2014 there was only 54 people living in the village
- The very first hotel was built in 1988
- There are currently 11 ski lifts
- The Russian/Georgian Friendship Monument was built to celebrate the ongoing friendship between Russia and Georgia in 1989
- Guduari is only a 2 hour drive from Tbilisi
