‘DON’T TRAVEL TO GEORGIA’

Wanderlust
Aug 12, 2008
UK

FCO advises against all travel as conflict spreads Georgia

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has advised against all travel
to Georgia as the violence in the country escalates.

Georgian troops have now withdrawn to the capital Tbilisi following
attacks by separatists in the Abkhazia region.

The FCO is advising any Britons in Georgia to consider leaving while
routes are still open. At the moment, the land borders with Armenia,
Turkey and Azerbaijan are still open.

The British Embassy is organising coaches from Tbilisi to Yerevan in
Armenia. Armenian visas can be obtained at the border.

Ross Bishop, a member of Wanderlust’s community site goWander.com,
has just returned from a week in Georgia and recounted his experiences
on the site.

He writes: "I spent each night of my holiday in the warm hospitality
of family-run homestays and my hosts were always so welcoming.

"While none of this has changed, what is notable is the attitude of
these people to the news of bombs being dropped on Georgian cities –
a mixture of genuine and understandable worry for their relatives
and friends in places like Tbilisi, Gori and Poti combined with a
collective sense of patriotism and pride in their determination that
Georgia should retain its freedom and independence from its powerful
neighbour."

Russian-backed rebels are now fighting in both Abkhazia and South
Ossetia.

The Red Cross has said that it’s impossible to gauge how many people
have died as a result of the conflict that ignited on Thursday.

Share your experiences of travelling in Georgia on our community
website goWander.com