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The Carmel Market in Tel Aviv, Israel
The Carmel Market (also, the Shuk Hacarmel) is the largest market, or shuk, in Tel Aviv, Israel. It’s a vibrant marketplace where traders sell everything from clothing to spices and fruit to electronics. Visiting the Carmel Market is a fascinating thing to do in Tel Aviv. The hustle and bustle, vibrant noises, and its reputation as the largest shuk in Tel Aviv all combine to make the Carmel Market a favorite. I first visited this market at…
Mayer House Hotel in Tel Aviv
Mayer House Hotel in Tel Aviv is located on Dizengoff Street 98. It featured an outdoor swimming pool, a terrace, a restaurant, and a bar. We booked this hotel for a 2-night stay at the start of 2023, before returning back to Tbilisi. We paid about USD 430 for a 2-night stay here. Thsi small hotel has an excellent location, from here we were able to explore the neighbourhood, visit the Tel Aviv beach and more. The property is close to…
The Nachlaot Pearl/ King Salomon apartment in Jerusalem (Be'er Sheva Street)
The Nachlaot Pearl / King Salomon room is an apartment we booked via Airbnb for a two-day stay in Jerusalem on New Year's Eve of 2023. The price we paid seemed a bit high, paying about $350 for a small studio room, but as we didnt know what to expect from Jerusalem rental market and were not into extensive reserach, we agreed to book this place. And the stay was actually really excellent. We agreed to book over AirBnB insetad of booking.com…
Beruwalage Gems & Jewelry Moonstone Mine in Sri Lanka
During our latest trip to Sri Lanka at the start of 2022, we visited this small and interesting Moonstone Mine - Beruwalage Gems & Jewelry. We were taken here by our driver / guide we ordered back in the hotel for the day trip to Galle. Moonstone is a fascinating gemstone that is found abundantly in Sri Lanka. This gemstone has been revered for centuries for its unique beauty, metaphysical properties, and historical significance. Sri…
Paul French Restaurant on Paliashvili street (near Vake Park in Tbilisi)
There is a lovely French restaurant and bakery located on Paliashvili Street near Vake Park in Tbilisi. We keep heading here for delicious French-style desserts and one of my favorite vegetable soups. We come here occasionally, after visiting Vake Park or during the lunch break at the office nearby. There are several Paul Restaurants located across the city, check out my previous review about Paul restaurant on Abashidze Street Latelty we hae…
Jerusalem - Tel Aviv Train via Ben Gurion Airport in Israel
The highly anticipated new high-speed train from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv via Ben Gurion Airport is now operating. The final destination of the Jerusalem train is Tel Aviv. The new Jerusalem to Tel Aviv train service is officially called King David Line. I have traveled by train from Ben Gurion Airport to Jerusalem on New Year's Eve of 2023. The ticket price per passenger was about ISL 15. The train station is actually located inside the terminal…
Statue of Medea in Batumi
The Statue of Medea is located at Europe square in the Batumi city center. The Statue is dedicated to Medea, Colchian Princess from Greek mythology. Statue was opened to the public back in 2007. I have visited for many times Europe square and the statue of Medea, especially in the recent years when a McDonalds is opened next to the monument, so I decided add this pictursque place to the blog. A must have place to visiti once in Batumi: It is…
Grill Town Restaurant in Batumi
Grill Town restaurant in Batumi is among one of my best finds in recent years. Located close to the Sheraton Hotel on Rustaveli Avenue in Batumi. We first discovered this restaurant in some of our previous Batumi trips, so this time it was a no-brainer to visit this place. During our latest visit here in April 2023, it turned out to be the restaurant 1 year anniversary and we got some free Sangrias and very smiling staff members. Grill town…
Ben Gurion International Airport
Ben Gurion International Airport, is the main international airport of Israel. Situated on the northern outskirts of the city of Lod, it is the busiest airport in the country. It is located 45 kilometers (28 mi) to the northwest of Jerusalem and 20 kilometers (12 mi) to the southeast of Tel Aviv. I first visited it back in 2009, flying with Turkish Airlines from Riga (via Istanbul), and also have flown a direct flight by EL AL from Tbilisi and…
Panorama Restaurant Batumi
Panorama Restaurant Batumi is located on the 36th floor of the Orbi skyscraper on 15b Sherif Khimshiashvili Street. We come here by recommendation in Mid-April 2023. Panorama Batumi is highly recommended because of the views, though the cuisine also is excellent. Places serve typical Georgian and European cuisine. Prices seem a bit above average but are still quite reasonable, for the service received. I believe the place is stunning for…
Ramon International Airport near Eilat in Israel
Ramon Airport, named after Ilan and Assaf Ramon, also known as Eilat-Ramon Airport, is an international airport located in the Timna Valley in southern Israel. Ramon Airport is the second busiest in Israel (after Ben Gurion Airport) and has replaced the former Eilat Airport and Ovda Airport for civilian traffic. It also serves as the primary diversion airport in Israel. The airport is located 18 km (11 mi) north of Eilat, next to Be'er Ora.…
Georgia / Turkey Border crossing at Sarpi
Sarpi is a small village on the coast of the Black Sea of Georgia, on the border with Turkey. There is a border crossing point between Georgia and Turkey. Sarpi is the main land border crossing between the two countries and a major conduit for business travel, especially for Turkish companies doing business in Batumi. Sarpi is located about 12 km south of Batumi and about 20 km northeast of Hopa, Turkey. I used this border crossing quite often…
Shopping in Batumi: Metrocity Mall
Metro City Forum is one of the largest shopping and entertainment centers in Batumi in terms of its area. The building, with an area of over 35,000 sqm, with a unique design is becoming a new landmark for the area. A located bit outside of the city center, the shopping mall is reachable by public transport, taxi or if you prefer by walk. I wouldnt call it a shoppers paradise, more like an outlet with lower priced items and few dining options…
Tbilisi Hills Golf Resort with Residences
As the name suggests - Tbilisi Hills Golf & Residences is a place that offers golf and real estate. Kind of a millionaires oasis. But you don't have to be a millionaire to enjoy the perks of this place - playing the golf or at least having brunch or a menu at the restaurant. Price per gold seesions are quite afforable and you don't even have to be a club member to play some. Owned by an Estonian / Russian businessman Oleg Ossinovski,…
Batumi international Airport
Alexander Kartveli Batumi International Airport is an airport located 2 km (1.2 mi) south of Batumi, a city on the Black Sea coast and the capital of Adjara, an autonomous republic in southwest Georgia. The airport is named after Alexander Kartveli, an aeronautical engineer and aviation pioneer. I have been traveling back and forth via this airport mostly for domestic Tbilisi or Natakhtari flights by Vanilla Sky. ]This airport is not very…
Herods Boutique Hotel in Eilat Review
Herods Boutique Eilat a Premium collection by Fattal Hotels is a 5-star superior hotel located at the end of Eilat's promenade, on the shores of the Red Sea in Israel. It offers luxurious rooms with a balcony, a swimming pool, and a spa. Free WiFi is available in the lobby. We booked this hotel for a New Year's celebration of 2023 for about 2 nights and paid quite a hefty price of about USD 735 for a stay here. Was it worth the price? Well,…
Tbilisi Adventure Run Fun Race with Caucasus Translations Team
On April 23, 2023, we run our first adventure race in Tbilisi through the spectacular mountains close to Mtstasminda Park. The run turned out a bit harder than I expected, but the result still was awesome and everyone from the team finished. I come up with the idea to have custom print T-shirts for every team member at Caucasus Translations I made this design in Canva, the idea was to raise awareness of the brand name via QR code. We didn't…
Strada Mosashvili near Vake Park
Strada is a chain of restaurants in Tbilisi, serving contemporary American and Asian cuisine, created by an international team of chefs. We love coming here for a glass of wine, meatballs, seabass, or tom yum soup. Located on Mosashvili street 11 in lively Vake neighbourhood close to the Vake park, Strada seems is a popular choice among lcoals and expats. There is one more Strada I know about located on Marjanishvili area. There are many…
Sevanavank Monastery Complex on the shores of Lake Sevan
Sevanavank is a monastic complex located on a peninsula at the northwestern shore of Lake Sevan in the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia, not far from the town of Sevan. Initially, the monastery was built at the southern shore of a small island. After the artificial draining of Lake Sevan, which started in the era of Joseph Stalin, the water level fell about 20 metres, and the island transformed into a peninsula. At the southern shore of this…
Khedi Restaurant Tbilisi
In today's article, I am excited to announce the resumption of my restaurant reviews series, with a special focus on Tbilisi restaurants. I recently discovered a trendy restaurant called Khedi on Ketevan Samebuli avenue, and I cannot wait to share my experience with you. On a rainy day in early April, my partner and I were searching for a decent dining place near the Tbilisi sea but were unable to find anything in the area. My partner suggested…
Monument to 50 Years of Soviet Armenia in Yerevan
The monument to the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution is located in the Arabkir administrative district of Yerevan, at the beginning of Azatutyan Avenue, above the Cascade complex. The monument was built in 1967 and is dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Soviet Union in Armenia. If you are into Soviet Architecture, this place deffintely is worth the visit. The views from the viewing platfom are just awesome…
Tbilisi - Yerevan Transfer by GoTrip.Ge Review
If you are planning to travel from Tbilisi to Yerevan, you might want to consider using the services of gotrip.ge company. This is a popular company in Georgia that offers transportation services to different destinations in the country, including the transfer between Tbilisi and Yerevan. The founder of the company, Sergey, actually contacted me a few years ago asking to make a review of this company, but never actually came back. Anyhow, as I…
Armenia Marriott Hotel Yerevan
Centrally located on Republic Square, Marriott Armenia Hotel Yerevan offers soundproofed rooms with classic-style décor and fine international cuisine. A bar and an outdoor summer terrace are also available. We booked this hotel for about 3 day stay at mid-February 2023 paying about EUR 420. Our booking included access to the executive lounge, which included free meals and drinks. Despite being rated as just a 4-star hotel, this is by far the…
Mansard Waterfall Rumbas Guest House in Kuldīga
Located in Kuldīga, Rumbas has accommodations with city views, free WiFi, and free private parking. The property has river and garden views, plus is a 5-minute walk from the Art gallery of Artists Residence. The property is located next to the Venta Rapid and the old brick bridge of Kuldīga We booked a nice 3-bedroom apartment for a 3-night stay at the end of March 2023 and paid about EUR 390. we just needed a nice place to stay while I was…