Alphabet tower, Ali and Nino Statue & More - Georgia

Hello everyone. I'm continuing to share memories from my trip to Georgia. After returning from the village of Milisi, we spent a few days in Batumi. The next day we started our sightseeing from the coast. We wanted to explore places we hadn’t seen before. First I want to mention that there are a lot of scooters you can rent along the coast. It’s kind of like Miami Beach, with bike paths and palm trees. And I should remind you that one of Batumi’s most important landmarks is the Alphabet tower. There is a restaurant at the top of the tower. We had visited this place before. This tower is one of Batumi’s most expensive buildings, costing the city 36 million dollars to build. Around the tower the 34 letters of the Georgian alphabet are displayed and it’s beautifully lit up in the evenings. The restaurant at the top, if I remember correctly, rotates 360 degrees and offers a panoramic view of Batumi.

It costs 20 lari per person to go up this tower, which is about 6.5 euros. But since we had already been there before, we tried a different panoramic spot that day. Batumi has three panoramic restaurants in total and entry to them is free. You can just visit the restaurants and enjoy the view. If you ever visit Batumi and haven’t been to the top of the Alphabet tower, I definitely recommend you do it. The view is really impressive. The prices in the restaurant were a bit expensive and the menu wasn’t very wide. When we were there, we mostly had tea, coffee and some reasonably priced ice cream.

We slowly made our way toward the main beach. I think this part is the most touristy and popular area of Batumi’s coastline. The place we stayed, ORBI city, is more like a modern place, similar to Dubai Marina. But this area, especially the one where the Alphabet tower is located, is one of the best spots to rent a hotel.

There’s also a huge hotel with a Ferris wheel next to it. There are boat tours, a Ferris wheel and a beach with a great view here. I mentioned the bike path earlier. It extends all the way to ORBI and Heroes Boulevard, where we stayed. I was really happy because the weather in Batumi was very sunny, as the last few days had been rainy and cloudy. The locals say that Batumi has such a variable climate. It has a tropical feel and even in the summer and early autumn, it rains often. Sometimes there’s non-stop rain for 2-3 days and other times, like today, the weather is just perfect. The sea breeze that day was absolutely wonderful.

There are people riding small motorcycles and little vehicles along the beach, which adds a nice touch to the atmosphere. I really love the relaxed and summer-like vibe of Batumi. Every time we come here, we leave feeling motivated and full of positive energy. There’s almost a point of interest on every corner in this area. For example, I visited the 142-year-old Batumi Lighthouse. From what I understand, it has been restored and is used only as a tourist attraction. According to the locals, the lighthouse is also lit up at night. It has a big red light that shines in the dark.

In this coastal area there’s no construction and it’s quite neat and clean. The place we stayed had a lot of construction going on. It will probably be all organized in a few years. But this area already has well-maintained roads, sidewalks and an overall tidy appearance. There’s also a cable car here, which you can take to the mountains. At the top, there’s a monastery, which we had visited before. The Old town is also nearby. You can take a taxi to Old Town. We stopped by there during our last visit.

We walked through the palm trees and there are many tourist shops along the way. For example, we came across a wine shop, then a big souvenir shop. The souvenirs in Batumi are really beautiful. There are horn-shaped cups used for drinking wine. Since we were there, we took a look at the store and started planning what we could buy from Batumi.

In the store there were small figurines, magnets and accessories reflecting Georgian cuisine, such as bags, t-shirts and mugs with khachapuri or khinkali designs. Some items were really fun and interesting. For example, there were socks with khachapuri patterns. It was great to see symbols of Georgia. There were also collectible plates. But since we already had a plate from Georgia, we didn’t buy one this time.

Interestingly, we saw similar souvenirs outside Batumi as well. For example, designs similar to the round bags we bought in India were also available here. There were also amazing metal ornaments and large wine horns, which were quite impressive. If you're looking to bring something from Batumi for your loved ones, you’re sure to find something everyone will like here. There were also khinkali and mini khachapuri. They were selling fruits too: strawberries, cherries, watermelon and a cup of fruit cost 10 lari, while smaller portions were 5 lari. I really love this place. It’s a lush area with a beach right behind the cafes. If I’m not mistaken there was also a Beach club here where you can rent a sunbed.

We reached the most touristy area of Batumi. There were people everywhere, musicians and a lively atmosphere. Everyone who comes to Batumi definitely comes here. The Ferris wheel was also operating. We haven’t ridden it yet. But we wanted to know the price. In my opinion this area is especially beautiful in the evenings because when all the lights come on, the city becomes mesmerizing. I’ve never seen lighting this impressive in any city.

You can also find coffee, cold drinks and ice cream here. A giant ice cream cone welcomed us. There’s also a very popular statue that everyone knows when they come to Batumi: the Ali and Nino statue. This piece was created in 2008 based on the story of a novel. Ali and Nino are two lovers who couldn’t be together due to religious differences. Ali is Muslim and Nino is Christian, so their love was impossible. It’s a very sad story. There is also a large novel written about this story. The statue moves approximately every half hour: the figures first separate, then come back together and finally merge completely. In my opinion, this could be Batumi’s second most popular spot after the Alphabet tower or even the first.

Then we found out the price of the Ferris wheel ride. The ticket costs 10 lari, about 3.30 euros. Since we hadn’t been on it before, we definitely wanted to experience it in this beautiful weather. It was very easy to get on the cabins. There were many cabins, all open but designed securely. Even if you have a fear of heights, you can still feel comfortable. We got into a cabin and enjoyed the beauty of Batumi, accompanied by soft music.

The price for such beautiful views is really reasonable. From here, you can see the port and you can rent a boat for a sea tour. The locals said there are dolphins here too. Yes, there are a lot of dolphins and they usually appear at sunset. So, you can come to this beach at sunset to watch the dolphins. If you want, you can take a group tour on a large boat or arrange a private tour on a small boat. They take you out to sea to watch the dolphins or enjoy the panoramic views of Batumi.

We went down and walked toward the beach area. But something caught my attention: everyone who came here was taking photos in front of the statue. There are benches along the beach where you can sit and enjoy the view of both the mountains and the sea. The last time we came to Batumi, we went to this beach and it became my favorite. There’s a pier there where fishermen catch fish and there’s a telescope. You can throw a few coins and watch the mountains.

The crowd in the city caught my attention. When we first arrived, there weren’t many people. But when we went out that day, it was pretty crowded. Still, most people on the beach weren’t swimming because the weather had been chilly a few days ago and the wind was still blowing. The sea water was probably still cold. However, this is quite a popular beach because in the background, you can see the Alphabet tower, the Ferris wheel and apartment buildings with great views.

In summer this beach becomes twice as beautiful because you can rent sunbeds and swim while enjoying magnificent views. We touched the water and it was really warm. The warm water and the heated stones on the shore were a great surprise. Maybe it was so warm because the water is shallow. I can even say the water was warmer than in Turkey. People were sunbathing on the beach. But very few were swimming. Mostly there were fishermen or people sitting on the beach spending time. But because there are pebbles here, the water is really clean and completely clear. However, since the stones are hard, it might be more comfortable to wear water shoes when entering the water. If you prefer to go barefoot, it will also be a nice foot massage.

I really loved this area. It’s like a tropical garden. There are parks, benches and small kiosks where you can find anything you might need. If you’ve forgotten a drink, you can buy it right here. Everything is within walking distance and if you stay in this area, you won’t need to go anywhere else. Also, transportation within the city is very easy. Buses and minibuses are working, but taxis are incredibly cheap. Traveling from one end of the city to the other costs a maximum of 2 euros. Usually it’s between 1.5 and 2 euros. We usually used the Bolt app.

We continued walking along the beach. There were shops, markets, street artists and a lively atmosphere here. People were walking along the beach to the other side, which I think is more popular because it has a mountain view.

There are many souvenir shops here. Especially around the Marina area by the beach, there are plenty of options. Also, there are places selling fresh fruit juices and snacks almost on every corner. For example, you can buy corn (on the cob or in a cup). The cup ones range between 10-15 lari. Small fruit juices are 10 lari and large ones are 20 lari. Maybe the prices would be more reasonable a little further from the city center.

As we walked along the beach, the huge palm trees caught my attention. Some of them were really big and thick. Unfortunately, I saw some people throwing trash into these beautiful trees, which was really sad.

We also asked about the prices of the sea tours. Group tours are 20 lari per person (about 7 euros) and last 30-40 minutes. There’s a chance to see dolphins during the tour. If you want to do parasailing, the price is 150 lari (about 50 dollars). We think it’s a bit expensive. But it could still be fun. An there are golf cart-like vehicles along the beach. For example, you can rent a Ferrari-designed vehicle for 150 lari for 15 minutes. At the end of the beach there’s a Turkish restaurant and a cable car right after. There are many places to visit in this area, so I definitely recommend coming here.

We reached the end of the road. It’s possible to go by electric scooter, but the bike lane isn’t very convenient because there are commercial stands. And people are walking there, so it feels a bit unplanned.

The Alphabet tower was right in front of us in all its glory, really a beautiful view. If you’re not sure where to stay in Batumi, you should definitely consider this area. I’m sure you’ll love it.

Our next stop in Batumi was a district near the airport. We took a taxi from the Alphabet tower to this place (it cost 3 euros). It’s a new residential area and looks a lot like Dubai. There’s a large shopping mall, restaurants and supermarkets like Carrefour. We also visited a restaurant called Garden, located on the ground floor of one of the hotels in the area. This place is known as one of the most popular restaurants in Batumi.

We learned that the chef of the restaurant is an award-winning cook. They offer a combination of Georgian, Italian and Chinese cuisines. We searched a bit for the entrance but finally found it and went inside. The atmosphere was really great. The chandeliers, the decorations and the lush greenery everywhere made it feel very special. The restaurant is quite large and has two different entrances. We scanned the menu using a QR code and placed our order.

Everywhere is a lush area with palm trees and bushes, a garden-like atmosphere. We placed our order and first, we had a white semi-sweet wine. We think we drank one of the most delicious wines in Georgia. We also ordered a Georgian salad made with cream cheese, tomatoes and various herbs. The presentation was very thoughtful. After bringing the salad to the table, they served it to everyone’s plates. Then, we decided to try a small Adjarian khachapuri. We also had a soup inspired by Asian cuisine, made with coconut milk and shrimp, similar to Tom Yum and we tried khinkali. This version was very different from the classic meat khinkali and had an amazing taste. I can even say I liked it more than the standard khinkali.

For the main dish, we ordered a lamb shank. The meat was carefully separated from the bone. And served with grilled vegetables. It was served with tkemali, a Georgian sauce. It was really an ideal meal with wine and vegetables.

At the end of the meal, our bill was 70 euros. Since we wanted to try everything on the menu, we ordered quite a lot of food. But if you come here, you might want to order fewer dishes. Especially if you’re getting a large lamb shank, just adding a salad or soup would be enough.

After leaving the restaurant, we took a walk along the beach. This is the end of my post for today. See you soon in a new travel post from Georgia.