Georgian Savanna

After breakfast at the hotel the group leaves Tbilisi by cars and heads towards the South-Eastern part of Georgia. The drive will take about 4 hours. We will stop for lunch in a local restaurand and head to the Park Rangers’ and Border Police stations to complete paperwork required for entering the park. In the afternoon we will settle in a local guesthouse/hostel. In the evening we will have dinner together and spend the night at the guesthouse.

After breakfast we pack everything and head to a small village in the Eldari Valley wher our journey starts. We meet our horses, guides will match them with riders and we start our journey through Vashlovani. The path we are taking leads towards the Black Mountain and will soon become more and more picturesque. After a while we will ride out to fields where Georgians fought battles with Persian armies in the 16th and 17th century. From fields we turn to hills where we can enjoy first panoramic views of Vashlovani with sights towards Alazani valley and to Azerbaijan’s territory. We will pass several natural spring sources discovered by shepherds and named after them. At the end of the day we will reach historical ruins of a a 15th century monastery. It is said that Georgian queen Ketevan lived there before being she was held hostahe by the shah Abbas the Great of the Persian Safavid Empire. We set up our camp at Park Rangers’ station, tend to our horses and have our first trail dinner together. We spend the night tenting (or bungalows – if available).

In the morning we have breakfast, pack our camp and ride out. We head to a Park Rangers’ station in the northern part of Mijnis Kure, an absolutely picturesque, eroded mountain range. Most of our trail here runs along the Alazani river also marking the official border line between Georgia and Azerbaijan. The valley around Alazani river is covered with tree groves and changes into a naturally formed canyon, being home to more than 700 species of plants, animals and predatory birds. Reaching our destination we will ride through open badlands that some compare to African savanna, while others say the area resembles Colorado or Southern Dakota. Camping at Park Rangers’ station in Mijnis Kure, in tents or bungalows.

Today we ride through a system of canyons and overlooking cliffs and climbs to one of the most beautiful spots in the whole Vashlovani Park. It is a unique place for bird watching, well-know amongs ornithologists., We will see many smaller birds there, but also bigger predator species, such as hawks or vultures, often show up. Smaller animals such as foxes, rabbits or jackals can also be spotted there. At the end of the day the group reaches Voliers station where we set camp, enjoy our dinner and spend the night in tents or Rangers’ buildings.

After lazy breakfast it’s time to ride and there are some really interesting places ahead of us today. Much of our trail today circles scenic protected areas. Riding along a ridge covered with xerophytic vegetation on one side we will have a great view to Vashlovani Strict Nature Reserve, cut from the rest of the area by steep slopes. Protected areas, split with a network of deep gorges, are covered with endemic, arid forests and unique flora. They are also home, breeding and hunting grounds for rare animals, including… leopards. In the evening we will arrive to another Park Rangers’ post, in Pantishara canyon, overlooking the protected area. We set camp and spend the night in tents or Ranger’s buildings.

After breakfast we pack our camp, saddle up and take a small dirt road into the wilderness of Vashlovani. At first our trail goes up and down, through hills and canyons. A bit later we will ride out to fields where shepherds drive their herds for Winter. It’s one of great spots for fast gallops! In Spring these areas are lush green while in Autumn they turn golden and riders can pick wild pomegranates straight from shrubs. At the end of the day we will reach our last Rangers’ station on the trail. We set our last camp in Vashlovani, eat, drink and enjoy the evening. Night in tents or Rangers’ bungalows.

In the morning we saddle up our horses one last time. It’s time to leave amazing Vashlovani, but… a few hours in the saddle still ahead of us! We ride out and head to Eldari Valley. In the early afternoon we will arrive to the edge of the park, where we dismount, thank our horses and say goodbyes. We leave the area by cars and head back to Tbilisi. After checking in the hotel, refreshing and resting a bit we will go together for a farewell dinner in Georgia’s capital city.

The group leaves Georgia. All riders are taken to the airport in Tbilisi or to a bus stop (Kutaisi airport flights).