Make Your Next Trip Extraordinary

We are spending the year traveling, and Georgia has been one of the highlights. To start, it is one of the most scenically beautiful countries, with mountains, rivers, wine country, vistas, etc. If there is a “boring part,” we certainly did not see it. The range of activities and sites to visit was extremely broad. We saw cave dwellings carved out of mountains, dating back to 1,000 B.C.E, more “modern” cave dwellings dating to the 12th century, sixth century churches, wine country and culture distinct from anywhere else we’ve visited. Georgian history is long and storied, and it seems that everyone there is both well-versed in and proud of it. We learned about the early adoption and spread of Christianity (300s C.E.), the clash of empires (Ottoman, Persian, Russian), and the Soviet occupation and post-Soviet struggles/civil war. We spent 8 days and could easily have spent another week, given all there was to do and learn. The food and wine were wonderful (we will be searching out Georgian restaurants in the U.S.), and Anna is head and shoulders the best guide we have ever had. Her mission is not solely to parade you through sites but to educate you about all things Georgian. On many trips, there are typically one or two “meh” experiences that in hindsight you could have skipped. This trip had none of those. We thank Jody Ricottone for understanding our wide range of interests and matching us with the perfect guide.

Given all there is to do and see, we probably tried to fit too much into our short visit, and our days were long. We often got to places after dark, which is not ideal, especially given some of the roads or the scenery that we missed. The hotels were good and the service was what you would expect at nice establishments. Most people had at least a few words of English, and many could communicate easily. Given the good care taken of us, we never felt uneasy or at a loss.

A number of people wondered whether the war between Russian and Ukraine might create problems in Georgia. That conflict is far away, and we did not encounter any issues (except for some anti-Putin graffiti). What we learned about the war and Putin strengthened our support for Ukraine. Putin has stirred up so much trouble in the former Soviet republics, we believe he must be stopped. There were more Russians in Georgia than usual, but there are always a lot of Russians in Georgia given their proximity and history. If this is a worry, I would cross it off the list, as it had no impact on our trip.

Based on all we learned about Georgia and its history, we would also now like to visit Armenia and Azerbaijan, or at least Baku, the capital. The histories and people of this region are intertwined over the millennia, especially Georgia and Armenia. Armenia, we learned, chose to remain close to Russia while Georgians chose democracy – interesting contrast.

We definitely would like to return, perhaps to hike in the mountains and see parts of Georgia we did not get to. One thing to note is that Georgia is not cheap. Thus, don’t go thinking you can get a great meal for $5. Having said that, it is not expensive by American standards. The sights and history are truly amazing, and you just need to go in with the appropriate expectations.

A note about Covid — during Fall 2022 Covid felt like an afterthought. The weather was lovely and we spent most of our time outdoors. Indoor restaurants and museums were not crowded. We were often some of the few tourists present. Georgians were really happy to see us visit!

PANDEMIC TRAVEL  Just back from Russia and the Baltic’s … when I saw a three week window open on my calendar recently I made a very last minute decision to go to Russia … Greg and Stella put together a fabulous and interesting itinerary (encouraging me to add Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia) expedited my visa application and guided me through all of the covid related hoops going from country to country … when my own covid test results didn’t come through in time for my initial departure, Stella found and set up an appointment for a rapid test 5 minutes from my ATL hotel the morning of departure, thereby saving me a potential delay in leaving for the trip. As for the trip itself, I had a blast. Every single detail was taken care of, the extraordinary experiences (behind the scenes at the theatre in Moscow, dinner in the home of a lovely young woman in Suzdal, theatre tickets, a boat trip in St Petersburg, chocolate making class in Estonia, I can’t remember them all) were each phenomenal. Guides, drivers, covid testing and hotels all perfectly arranged and top notch. Thank you Greg and Stella for a very memorable return to travel after 20 months at home due to covid restrictions (both here and abroad) and to one of the places that has been on my list for a long time. I’ve already got designs on my next trip!

We’re grateful to Greg for a memorable trip to ever-fascinating Russia. There were too many highlights, exclusive experiences, and magic moments to recount.

We’d end each day thinking it couldn’t get any better only to have our expectations surpassed.

Our carefully curated itinerary together with our personable, expert guides gave us the historic and cultural context to see the heart and soul of Russia.

We leave with a deep affection for Russia.

Thank you, Greg and Stella, for an unforgettable trip!

Pat and Anne-Lise Morss | September 29, 2019

Greg Tepper and Stella Bayley put together a marvelous custom trip to Russia for my wife Anne-Lise and me earlier this month, September 2019. We enjoy being independent, and their skill organizing many components added up to an excellent experience in a new destination with an unfamiliar language. We were impressed with how smoothly everything went. Our first step was to secure frequent flyer tickets as soon as available most of a year in advance. We then worked with Stella to select preferences for guides, interests, transportation, hotels, and restaurants, with plenty of time to fill out our itinerary. The plan was for 3 nights in Moscow (Ararat Park Hyatt), 2 nights in Suzdal, one of the historic towns in the Golden Circle to the east (Pushkarskaya Sloboda Hotel), and 4 nights in St Petersburg (The Lotte Hotel), before heading west to Helsinki and family in Oslo.

We appreciated the knowledge and experience of our guides, Gennady in Moscow and Suzdal, and Luda in St Petersburg, both of whom were great travelling companions with decades of experience with Greg. Luda was particularly adept at maneuvering us through the unexpected hordes of tour groups at some of St Petersburg’s primary attractions. Being independent travelers, and probably due to deserved Russian pride and cultural background, it was difficult for our guides to cut back on “seeing everything.” A recommendation – set up a couple of half days with guide and driver in the morning, and then do your own thing in the afternoon; this allowed Anne-Lise to shop or rest after much walking, and me (an architect) to return to a location or two for more intense photography. All our drivers were excellent, the cars immaculate, and we took advantage of the highspeed bullet trains from Moscow to Vladimir (Suzdal), St Petersburg, and Helsinki.

The hotels/service and restaurants/food were impressive. The one restaurant reservation that did not measure up to expectations was Mam Gochi in Moscow – it was almost empty on Saturday evening, and we ordered from a menu of photographs. Gennady’s suggested lunch at the Vogue Café, a short block from the Ararat Park Hyatt, was elegant and this would have made for a classy dinner. Our favorite dinners were at Dom and Cococo in St Petersburg. Our guides joined us for lunch at excellent local restaurants when we were on the go. Imported premium wines were extremely expensive, as warned, but we were able to find a few southern European and South American wines by the glass or bottle on most any wine list at prices close to those at home. Remember that tipping is expected everywhere like in the US, and cash is preferred to get to the right person. US dollars, Euros and local currency are welcomed, and I filled up a secure wallet with crisp $5, $10 and $20 bills before leaving home.

We came away with a very favorable impression of this part of contemporary Russia. Everyone was extremely helpful, and we never felt unsafe. The reconstruction that has taken place following the Nazi destruction is mind-boggling, and streets and public places are clean and extremely well maintained. Our private visit to the “Amber Room” workshop at Catherine Palace outside St Petersburg and the classical concert for an audience of 50 at Grand Duke Vladimir Palace in the city were special. Challenge Greg and Stella with a special interest request. They arranged for me to meet up again with Father Roman in Moscow at the Danilov Monastery; he was our Russian bell expert who came to Harvard University a decade ago and advise us on the exchange of 18 new bells to replace the originals that were rescued from Moscow during the Stalin era; the originals returned home to Danilov Monastery. Greg’s contact got in touch with Father Roman and we ended up chasing him up the tower where he played the bells in the weekly Sunday ringing; a wonderful reunion.

I am certain Greg and his team will put together a great trip for anyone travelling independently or interested in a small group.

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