Tour Information
Note: The information presented here is an abbreviated version of our formal General Information for this tour. Its purpose is solely to give readers a sense of what might be involved if they take this tour. Although we do our best to make sure what follows here is completely accurate, it should not be used as a replacement for the formal document which will be sent to all tour registrants, and whose contents supersedes any information contained here.
ENTERING GEORGIA: US Citizens need a passport valid on the date of arrival and containing at least on blank page. A visa is not required for stays of less than 360 days.
Citizens of other countries may need a visa and should check their Georgian embassy.
COUNTRY INFORMATION: You can review the U.S. Department of State Country Specific Travel Information for Georgia at http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/country/georgia.html, and the CIA World Factbook background notes on Georgia at https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gg.html.
PACE OF TOUR: This tour will require some physical effort as the raptor count stations require a short but steep uphill climb along a dirt track. The other birding areas around Batumi are all at sea level and are on grassy or uneven ground. In the mountains, some uphill walking may be required but generally we will not be venturing far from the road. None of the walks are in any way dangerous but some participants might find a lightweight collapsible walking pole useful.
HEALTH: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all travelers be up to date on routine vaccinations. These include measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, polio vaccine, and your yearly flu shot.
They further recommend that most travelers have protection against Hepatitis A and Typhoid. Please contact your doctor well in advance of your tour’s departure as some medications must be initiated weeks before the period of possible exposure.
The most current information about travelers’ health recommendations for Georgia can be found on the CDC’s Travel Health website at http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/georgia.
Miscellaneous: Tap water is basically safe to drink but to be safe drink bottled water, which along with soft drinks and beer, is widely available. Upset stomachs are possible in Georgia, although unlikely. We suggest bringing anti-diarrhoea medicine such as Imodium or Arret. Make sure you bring a good sun-screen and also sunglasses to protect you not only from the sun but also from possible snow glare.
Please be sure to bring adequate supplies of all personal medication as it may be impossible to obtain them during the tour.
Smoking: Smoking is prohibited in the vehicles or when the group is gathered for meals, checklists, etc. If you are sharing a room with a nonsmoker, please do not smoke in the room. If you smoke in the field, do so well away and downwind from the group. If any location where the group is gathered has a stricter policy than the WINGS policy, that stricter policy will prevail.
Note: Smoking is an extremely common habit in Georgia and we are sure to find ourselves on some occasions in the presence of local people who will be smoking. A dislike of smoking is sometimes regarded as a western affectation.
ACCOMMODATION: We will be staying in modern hotels at all sites. Each room has its own bathroom.
CLIMATE: We may experience a wide range of conditions on this tour. At Batumi on the Black Sea coast we can expect warm temperatures, but possibly some rain and high humidity at times, so you need to take suitable clothing such as waterproof jackets as well as light summer clothes. In the Lesser Caucasus in the south of Georgia and may experience weather typical of higher altitudes, including rain, low cloud and lower temperatures. Sunny and warm days are also perfectly possible!
FOOD: The food of Georgia features meat in most main meals but these are usually served with a variety of vegetable dishes.
Drinks: Bottled water, a soft drink or a beer will be provided at lunch and dinner and bottled water will be available on our vehicle during the day. Bottled water for use in your room at night is the responsibility of the individual tour participants.
Food Allergies/Requirements: We cannot guarantee that all food allergies can be accommodated at every destination. Participants with significant food allergies or special dietary requirements should bring appropriate foods with them for those times when their needs cannot be met. Announced meal times are always approximate depending on how the day unfolds. Participants who need to eat according to a fixed schedule should bring supplemental food. Please contact the WINGS office if you have any questions.
TRANSPORT: Transportation is in a minibus and four-wheel drive vehicles. There are a few long drives but these are broken by many stops for birdwatching. Participants should be able to ride in any seat in tour vehicles.
Updated: 01 June 2016