Ushguli

Overshadowed by its much bigger and louder neighbors, namely Russia and Turkey, Georgia sits at the intersections of Europe and Asia and boasts a culture and vibe that’s all its own. This is one of the most fascinating non-touristy destinations you’ll ever visit, anywhere. To be brutally honest, I barely knew it existed until the day I crossed its border and I consider myself a well-travelled gal. This was four years ago and I know that in travel circles this place has an epic reputation. It’s about time the word got out. Georgia boasts an illustrious history that goes back aeons, an ancient language  no one can read and a northern mountainous province (Svaneti, or სვანეთი, in Georgian) that was never really conquered by anyone.  Not the Romans, not Genghis Khan. Not even the Soviets (who certainly fought hard to gain control during their governance of the region) managed to actually tame that beast and its incredibly hardy inhabitants. The Svaneti Province of Georgia rests on the southern slopes of the mighty Caucasus Mountains, framed by 5000m peaks on one side and resplendent verdant valleys on the other. Here, you’ll stay in thousand-year-old villages and meet people who only packed away their chainmail armour less than a century ago. They are friendly and hospitable and love bursting into song at any given chance, usually, after a vodka or 12. Some parts of Svaneti are snow-packed for six months of the year, inaccessible by road and – take it from someone who got stuck there for two weeks after an unseasonably early snowfall – worthy of 1000 fables.