‘Don’t travel to Georgia’
12th August 2008
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Georgian troops have now withdrawn to the capital Tbilisi following attacks by separatists in the Abkhazia region.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