Kolkheti National Park and Paliastomi Lake, one of the oldest natural sites in Georgia, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2021. This forest and wetlands reserve, touted as the ‘Amazon’ of Georgia, is the first site in the country to make the list for its natural attributes (something that surprises me as Georgian nature is phenomenal and so many other spots are worthy of the list).
The news sparked my visit this past August during my summer stint in the coastal resort town, Batumi.
Kolkheti National Park is a wonderful day trip from Batumi or any other of the nearby Black Sea resort towns and it is possible without the need of a car or organised tour. It is more accessible than the Mtirala and Machakhela national parks which are tricky if you are without your own wheels.
Despite its ease of access, Kolkheti National Park is one of the few places to visit in Georgia that requires forward planning.
As this is something I learned the hard way, I wrote up this guide on how to visit Kolkheti National Park and Paliastomi Lake based on the mistakes I made.
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Kolkheti: The Georgian Amazon
Kolkheti National Park is located in the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti and Guria regions of western Georgia. This sprawl of greenery and marshland is a member of the family of Colchic forests and wetlands that are located in the southeast Black Sea region as well as parts of Turkey.
Kolkheti, historically known as Colchis, was settled in as far back as 2000 BC. The former state has ties to Ancient Greek mythology, including being the birthplace of Medea and where she helped Jason steal the Golden Fleece.
The main attractions of the national park are the vast Paliastomi Lake and the Pichori River which is accessible by boat once you’ve traversed the lake. But there are numerous other rivers and waterways connecting the park.
There are almost 200 species of birds residing in the buses and trees while resident fauna includes wild boar, otters, dolphins, and snakes.
Dubbed the ‘Amazon’ of Georgia, Kolkheti National Park is a fantastic destination for nature lovers seeking a break from the skyscrapers, casinos, and general hubbub of Batumi. Although I didn’t encounter a lot of wildlife during my visit, experiencing the scenery was completely worth it.
How to Visit Kolkheti National Park
My boyfriend and I visited Kolkheti National Park as an independent day trip from Batumi. We rocked up at the administration centre where we expected a fleet of kayaks and motorboats waiting to whisk us away and make all our Georgian Amazon dreams come true.
In reality, we were greeted by a friendly manager who informed us that it was too windy to visit Paliastomi Lake.
The only option on that particular day was to kayak on Golden Lake but that we’d need to wait an hour or so until the current occupiers of the kayaks returned.
She encouraged us to take a look at the lake before we decided. We said that kayaking on the small lake was fine by us and so we wandered off to find some cheesy bread from the bakery across the road while we waited.
After chowing down a couple of khachapuris, we wandered over to the lakeside where we realised that the lake was more like a pond and that the kayakers had already returned.
Seeing how teensy tiny the lake was (and the button clicking on why the manager had suggested we take a look before committing), we decided to reschedule for a wind-free day where we could get our full quota of wetlands.
The learning from this was that you need to book your boat in advance, keep an eye on the weather, and be flexible for a last-minute change of plan.
Paliastomi Lake Boat Tour
There are a couple of different options for how to visit Kolkheti National Park but all of them require getting out on the water. You have the following three options:
- Speedboat tour. Prices start at 120 GEL for a 2-person boat and rise to 250 GEL for a 5-seater.
- Pontoon tour. Suitable for larger groups and travellers who aren’t as comfortable in smaller boats. Rates start at 300 GEL for an 8-seater and the maximum capacity vessel holds 20 passengers.
- Kayak tour. You will need to hire the pontoon boat which will deposit you at the mouth of the canal off Pichori River where you will spend around one hour paddling. The cost starts at 350 GEL for pontoon hire plus one kayak that seats two.
Unlike in other watery places of interest you can’t just turn up and squeeze in with other day tripping tourists. This might change after the pandemic but I would recommend booking ahead until the world returns to normalcy.
My boyfriend and I opted for the speedboat tour as kayaking was beyond our budget.
Our guide was lovely although due to the language barrier we weren’t able to communicate much beyond waving our arms around and oohing at the birds.
Leaving the pier, we sped across the huge expanse of water that forms Paliastomi Lake. There were no other boats on the lake at this point and the surface was pancake flat.
Reaching the mouth of the Pichori River, our driver navigated us down the passage which twists and snakes its way through the wetlands. This bit was the most fun as we could feel the speed of the boat and our driver kept us entertained with lots of swooshing and tight turns.
10 km later, we pulled in at a small jetty where we took a stroll through the forest and each donated around three pints of blood to the resident mosquitos.
After a couple of minutes of watching us bound around under the canopy whacking our legs and yelping, our guide ushered us back into the boat, gesticulating (we roughly translated) that he would take us somewhere with fewer bloodsuckers.
We took a brief detour down a narrow canal thick with foliage that formed a green tunnel. This is the section that you have the option to explore via kayak. We couldn’t go too far in the motorboat but it did look lovely and green and peaceful.
Before we made the final voyage back across Paliastomi Lake, we took a second stop at the observation tower that stands at the entrance to the river. This grants a great view across the lake and river and is a good spot if you want to whip out your binoculars and look for birds. And the best thing besides the view? NO MOSQUITOS.
By the time we headed back across the lake, the wind had picked up and the journey was rougher and bumper. We didn’t have a man overboard situation or capsize but I could see why the centre cancels trips during blustery conditions.
All in all, our boat trip lasted a little under 2 hours from leaving the pier to returning. And here are some solid details on how to visit Kolkheti National Park as a day trip from Batumi.
How to book Kolkheti National Park boat tour
If you want to visit this corner of ancient nature for yourself then you will need to book ahead.
You can contact the Kolkheti National Park office via WhatsApp, Facebook, email, or via an old fashioned telephone call. We opted for the far more millennial-friendly route of WhatsApp and received prompt responses from the centre manager who was very helpful. The contact details are:
WhatsApp/Telephone: +995 591 96 87 85
Facebook: კოლხეთის ეროვნული პარკი / Kolkheti National Park
Email: nina_gujabidze@yahoo.com
I recommend that you drop the park a message a couple of days in advance to suss out what the availability is for the various boats and kayaks and pencil in your slot. You can then contact the office the morning of your booking to confirm, in case the weather flips.
The Kolkheti National Park Administration Centre is open 9 am – 6 pm Monday to Friday, and 10 am – 5 pm over weekends. You can expect a response from the team within these hours only.
How to get to Kolkheti National Park
Your epic boat trip starts at the Kolkheti National Park Administration Centre (exact location) where you will surrender your lari and sign your consent form.
If you have your own wheels then you can park on the premises.
Alternatively, you can travel via marshrutka from Batumi, Poti, or whatever Black Sea resort you’re currently calling home.
After paying for your boat ride (you can pay by hard cash or even harder plastic) you will then need to transit to the pier, Paliastomi Lake Viewpoint (exact location). This is a 15-minute walk (1.2 km) from the centre or a 5-minute drive. Factor this into your travel plans as you need to be at the pier ready to depart at whatever time you booked your boat tour. This wasn’t communicated to us when we booked and we ended up running late for our boat.
From Batumi
Marshrutky depart for Kolkheti National Park from Batumi Intercity Bus Station throughout the day from 8am onwards.
Note that there are two bus stations in Batumi. The “Batumi Bus Terminal” near Gogol Street is the wrong one for local marshrutka connections, a mistake I made personally. You need the one marked on Google Maps as Batumi Intercity Bus Station (exact location) on Mayakovsky Street.
The first time I tried (unsuccessfully) to visit the park I went on a van bound for Poti while the second (successful) time was headed for Kutaisi.
Clusters of men at the bus station will point you in the direction of the van you need. The guys at bus stations in Georgia always appear a bit gruff and angry but they are actually super friendly and will ensure that you get a seat on the next marshrutka to leave the station.
At the time of writing, a seat on a marshrutka from Batumi to Kolkheti National Park is 8 GEL for a single. You will either pay directly to the driver prior to departure or at arrival at the administration centre (cash only).
The marshrutka will drop you right outside the Kolkheti National Park administration centre which is located on the E70 highway.
From Poti
Kolkheti National Park is only a 10-minute drive south of Poti. You can take a Batumi-bound marshrutka from Poti Bus Station (exact location) or hail a Bolt or Maxim taxi to take you. I discovered that Yandex did not work reliably in this area.
Best time to visit Kolkheti National Park
Courtesy of the sub-tropical climate of western Georgia, Kolkheti National Park is one of the best nature destinations in Georgia that you can visit year-round. Boat tours operate across the four seasons, even winter.
The only thing to bear in mind if you intend on visiting the Kolkheti National Park is that the weather on the day is going to play a significant role.
Boats are unable to sail during windy and rainy conditions. Wind prevented me from visiting the park that first time I turned up and rain meant that I needed to wait another week before my return trip.
This part of Georgia is prone to a lot of rain and wind so it’s handy if you can be flexible.
What to take to Kolkheti National Park
The trip to Kolkheti National Park doesn’t include any hiking so you will not need to take boots or poles. Neither of us got wet during our boat trip so it’s not necessary to take a dry bag unless you intend on kayaking. But what you will need to take with you is as follow:
Passport/Photo ID: Prior to your trip you will need to flash your passport (or other photo ID) at the administration centre. We didn’t have our original passports with us but a photocopy was accepted.
Sturdy footwear: As you will be in and out of the boat a couple of times, sturdy footwear is a must. I wouldn’t recommend flip-flops as they aren’t the grippiest.
Mosquito spray: Avoid the mistake that we made by wandering in the forest without protection! I have struggled to find decent spray in Georgia so I recommend packing some from your home country or searching for it in Tbilisi.
Snacks: At the mosquito forest you will have the opportunity to eat in the picnic area, so you might want to take a packed lunch or some snacks along to enjoy. But remember you’ll only enjoy the experience if you take your bug repellent (or a lunch loaded with garlic). Otherwise, you’ll be the snack. There is a small market and bakery across the road from the administration centre, around 5 minutes southwards on the highway.
Headscarf: I thought that I’d appreciate a sun hat to protect my head but due to the speed of the boat it would have blown away had I not sat on it. Instead, I recommend wearing a headscarf that you can tie securely enough if you’re partial to a sunburned scalp.
Is Kolkheti worth visting?
I had a great time at the park and felt it was worth booking the boat tour to enjoy the scenery.
It is a far more accessible option than Mtirala and Machakhela which is a bonus and it was a peaceful experience that we were fortunate not to have to share with swarms of other tourists. This was possibly to do with the pandemic although I get the impression the park is generally not as popular as other nearby attractions such as Batumi and Ureki.
The price for kayaking was a little above our budget and it would have been good to have an option to book this without having to hire the pontoon for just the two of us. But kayaking wasn’t necessary to enjoy the nature and fresh air.
I hope this guide on how to visit Kolkheti National Park comes in handy if you decide to visit the Georgian Amazon for yourself.
very useful all the information , and very good photos . amazing blog 🙂