One of the leisure options for Russians is Abkhazia. This is a fairly convenient country, which is located nearby. In addition, you do not need a visa to travel to these parts. However, given the experience of tourists who have vacationed in Abkhazia in recent years, it seems that it is better not to go there. Let's see if it is worth going to Abkhazia on vacation or better to get along with other resorts. The conclusion will be drawn up on the basis of the experience of many vacationers who described their adventures in different forums.
Advantages
We start with virtues. As in any other resort, Abkhazia is very beautiful. Such beauties are not available anywhere in Russia, even in Sochi. The very first advantage is the turquoise sea. Considering that ships do not go here (since the country is still isolated), the water in the sea is practically not polluted by fuel combustion products, oil. Of course, Russian ships go here, but there are very few of them.
The nature here is also amazing. Tourists love to look at the famous plantations of tangerines, eat figs and persimmons, picking fruits directly from the trees. The views in these parts are very picturesque. Also, many tourists note the presence of historical places. In particular, on Lake Ritsa is Stalin's cottage. According to the stories of tourists, the leader was very fond of the twilight that reigns within the walls of this building.
Also a relative advantage may be the lack of a crowd of tourists on the beaches and in general in the cities and towns of this unrecognized state. The air in Abkhazia is clean and fresh. There is no production here (and if there is, then a small one), and the whole country lives on the cultivation of fruits / vegetables, as well as at the expense of the tourism business.
Should I go to Abkhazia for all this? Everyone must answer this question for himself. Unfortunately, the advantages described above end. The sea, sand, fresh air and the beauty of landscapes - these are the advantages that Abkhazia can boast of.
sights
The attractions in this country are as follows:
- Mountain Lake Ritsa is perhaps the most famous attraction, which is located in a picturesque place and is located at an altitude of 950 meters at sea level. Its feature is a color change during the year. In summer, it has a green-yellow hue, in winter - blue. The lake is one of the reasons why you need to visit Abkhazia both in summer and in winter.
- Gegsky waterfall, whose water is famous for its purity and very low temperature. Most often, tourists visit this place from July to September - after this period it becomes very difficult to get to it, so it is best to visit Abkhazia in late spring or summer.
- New Athos cave is one of the largest in the whole world. Next to it is the New Athos Monastery and the temple of Simon Kananita. The cave is saturated with frozen waterfalls, lakes, stalagmites and stalactites, inside it is illuminated by white and red lanterns, which make it very beautiful.
- "Gagripsh" - this restaurant is a symbol of the city of Gagra. It is most popular because of its history: the prince of Oldenburg bought the building at a Paris exhibition and brought it to Abkhazia in a disassembled form. In 1903, the restaurant opened to visitors. It still works.
- The castle of Prince Oldenburg is a beautiful building located on a high slope. You can see this structure during a walk in the Seaside Park. Now the castle is in disrepair, access is prohibited, and the territory is guarded. Tours of the castle are not conducted, however, some tourists get there, shoot a video.
disadvantages
There are many shortcomings, each of them requires a detailed explanation. Considering the experience of tourists and the reviews of people on the Internet, we can conclude about the rampant crime in the country and the hostile attitude towards tourists. No matter how strange it may sound (after all, the country lives on tourism), but it really is. Consider the main shortcomings that will help to understand whether to go to Abkhazia or not.
Dirt and devastation
Markets, beaches, cities, embankments - everywhere there is dirt. It seems that utilities do not work here at all, and local residents consider it normal to sit by the fire, drink and eat, without completely removing anything after themselves. After such gatherings around the campfire, local youth simply get up and leave, and the remarks of Russian tourists who are not used to this, either leave their ears behind or sincerely do not understand why they should clean something after themselves.
Therefore, all the beauty of nature, clean air and the sea - all this is crossed out with mud on the embankment, in the city, in the yards. And even the clean sea, due to the lack of ships, gets dirty with ordinary household garbage: plastic and glass bottles, ice cream wrappers, etc. Still think about whether to go to Abkhazia? Then move on.
Devastation is almost everywhere. Often there are multi-storey buildings, some of which have no windows at all. It is quite normal that one residential building is half abandoned. That is, half of the apartments are empty and have no windows at all, in the second half people live.
Also, over the past 15 years, the local authorities of Abkhazia have not restored or built anything. In addition, no prospects are foreseen. Rarely, Russian investors are engaged in repairs, while local investors practically do not take part in this.
Attitude to Russian
Judging by the reviews of some tourists, Russophobia is beginning to arise in the country. Many adolescents are confident that Russians are simply eager for their blessed land, and those lucky ones who managed to get here should bow to the local population. Hence the bad attitude towards tourists: waiters in cafes, saleswomen in shops, just passers-by, even children are rude.
In addition, in the city and in resort areas there are a lot of young guys who are eager to plant a bird on the shoulder of a tourist, and then brazenly demand money for it. This is familiar to everyone, because it is found in many places, including Crimea and Sochi, but they do not do it with such arrogance as they do in Abkhazia. If a tourist resists and refuses to pay for the fact that some passerby put a bird or a monkey on his shoulder, then a conflict immediately breeds.
In fact, for Abkhazians, Russians or other visitors are cash cows, and if the locals see a tourist, then there is a high probability that they will try to deceive or even rob him.
Traffic jams and lack of driving culture
If you are considering whether to go to Abkhazia by car, then our answer is no. Rudeness on the roads rolls over, Abkhazians constantly undercut each other, and if they see a car with Russian license plates, they don’t consider it necessary to let it through in disputed situations. Hence a large number of road accidents.
Another argument in favor of not driving to Abkhazia by car is that they can be stolen. Of course, if you have a good car with a reliable protection system, then it will not be stolen (although it can be damaged), but budget cars can steal. There were cases when a car parked in a parking lot was stolen from tourists, and then it was found in the mountains completely wrecked. A good car with an alarm, most likely, will not go anywhere. But it is worth considering the lack of a driving culture, and getting into an accident here is easy.
Border
The border on which you have to stand for many hours deserves special attention. This is hard, especially for children. Many even have to think about whether to go to Abkhazia with children, because the border is a real torment. It is for tourists, because the Abkhaz on their cars pass out of turn. Border guards are loyal to this, take it for granted. For one tourist car there are five to six local cars that pass out of turn. This will continue until one of the tourists makes a scandal with the border guards, but if he tries to climb out of turn, nothing will work.
The same goes for the border when crossing on foot. Tourists stand in line, while locals pass by and climb outside it. Unfortunately, there are few people who are willing to hinder the locals. The latter, if they come across a rebuff from tourists, are very indignant at this.
It used to be better
It is worth noting that after the war, Abkhazia was really a very good cultural country with nice people. Then visitors even at the borders were allowed in without queues, they were happy. This was quite logical, since a country that only lives on tourism should take care of visitors, providing them with comfortable conditions. However, now the younger generation behaves in a boorish manner, and this has become a habit.
Note that some people aged who remember the good relations between the two countries are ashamed of modern youth, but they can not do anything. So is it worth going to Abkhazia now? A similar question will soon become generally rhetorical for many Russians.
Hospitality
Unfortunately, only the older generation respects the good old traditions of good hospitality. They are proud of them, but this has little to do with modern young people. In Abkhazia, it is customary to treat their people well. If you are your own, then no one will touch you, and in the event of a robbery, all stolen goods will be returned.
Speaking of theft. If you still have not decided whether to go on vacation to Abkhazia, then if you make a positive decision, be aware that you do not need to bring valuables that are easy to steal. It is considered normal for youth to steal something from a tourist, since thieves will have nothing for it. Yes, you can call the police, draw up a protocol, but in fact no one will look for a thief who stole something from a tourist there. There are hundreds of such cases in the police.
Also, some tourists who thought about whether to go to Abkhazia and eventually drove, and even by car, often tell bad stories about their trip. Some cars with Russian numbers rob even in the afternoon. Local youth need nothing to break the car window and pull out from it what is in a conspicuous place.
Also, in stories about Abkhazia, people say that even children aged 6-7 years are engaged in theft. They look closely who orders what food in the cafe, and then chase to the hotel. Often children enter into conversations with tourists and ask about impressions about their country. However, this is just a way to lull the vigilance of drunk travelers. When the opportunity arises, the kids can steal a wallet, bag or phone in a dark alley and run away. Local senior Abkhazians say that children simply have nothing to do, and parents do not care, which makes them a child.
So is it worth going to rest in Abkhazia?
It is advisable to stay away from this country. Unfortunately, it has deteriorated greatly, and the situation is worsening every year. There is even heavy crime, but this, fortunately, is still rare. You can make serious problems in Abkhazia, so many tourists who have visited there do not even doubt whether it is worth going to Abkhazia in August or at other times of the year. Unfortunately, people do not change depending on the time of year.
Conclusion
All of the above is not a personal experience. This information was taken from various forums, social portals, where people share their experiences of relaxation in different countries of the world, including in Abkhazia. Each for himself must decide whether to go to Abkhazia in November, October or another month. However, consider all the situations described above.