Kutaisi - Georgia’s Best Khinkali Destination, Kutaisi, Georgia

Kutaisi and Tibilisi are at some kind of war – not quite a war, but a rivalry for the status as the capital city! The moving of the new Parliament House to Kutaisi has somewhat softened this stand, but not quite! For a resident of Kutaisi is still quite envious of the richer Tibilisi!

A very interesting city – although not quite up there in the touristic circles as Tibilisi or Batumi or even Kazbegi – but it merits a visit nevertheless. The drive from the Capital through one of the most scenic routes is worth the visit. Kutaisi has humid climate and is surrounded by deciduous forests and is built on the banks of River Rioni.

For the best Khinkali in all of Georgia, head to Kutaisi – that alone can be the reason to go! My own itinerary included an early start from Tibilisi with several stops along the way one of which included a detour through to Surami Village to taste the “mineral water”. This brief detour is enough to understand the life of a Georgian village. Old houses line a clean street, rose bushes hang over the crumbling compound walls or balconies, old people hobble around the small town talking excitedly to each other. “There are no young people around”, said a chirpy old woman with weather-beaten face, pumping out her chest importantly. “We look out for each other.” Then she invited me home for tea. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).