Hello! I am Natia, from one of the magical villages of Tusheti - a place where time seems to stand still, making you feel like you've stepped back a century or more, untouched by modern technology.
Like most Tush people, I spent every summer in Tusheti with my family. I was one year old when I was first taken there. Back then, we traveled most of the way by large truck, and where the road ended, we continued on foot or by horseback to our village. The children were placed in saddlebags on the horses, and that’s how we were transported. Even today, we still travel to our village by horse because there is still no automobile road.
Since I spent every summer in Tusheti and couldn't imagine a summer without it, I decided to connect my future career with Tusheti.
Professional Experience and Education I had a solid foundation to start with - I already had a bachelor's degree in tourism, I was well acquainted with the region, its history, and traditions, and I had a good local network (experienced drivers, hotels, and guides).
Approach and Values
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I wanted tourists who visited Tusheti to return home not just satisfied but genuinely happy. In this busy and fast-paced life, they have only a few weeks to rest, and it should be truly special so that these positive emotions stay with them for a long time.
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I aim to support local businesses - that’s why I work only with local drivers and guides. Additionally, unless there is a specific request from the tourist for camping and the tour route supports this, we always stay in family-run guesthouses.
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I wanted to promote lesser-known trails and places. The area where my village is located is precisely such a less popular place. The impressions and emotions that await tourists there cannot be fully captured in words or photos - generally, Tusheti is so emotional that it is impossible to convey it in words.
Starting and Growing My Business: To gain experience and better understand the needs of tourists, I started with booking hotels, organizing transportation, and arranging simple one-day tours. Since 2022, I have fully transitioned to organizing multi-day tours, which mainly include horseback riding and hiking tours for both groups and private clients.
Guiding History In 2022, I received a request to organize a private horseback riding tour for a large group that was supposed to last eight days. This was my first multi-day tour, and I felt a great deal of responsibility. I was also curious about how it would go, so I decided to join as the guide. The tour, which was 8 days for the tourists and 10 days for us (it takes two days to return the horses from Khevsureti to Tusheti), became the tour that made me love guiding. Since then, I have been both the organizer and the guide for all my tours. You can't imagine how much I love traveling from mountain to mountain and village to village with my tourists. As soon as the season ended, I returned to Tbilisi, took a first aid course, and completed a three-month certified guide program at a college.
If you are someone who loves exploring wild, remote places and adventures, if you are interested in learning about local culture and traditions, if you enjoy traveling by horseback or on foot in the mountains and being close to nature - you have definitely come to the right place!
Join me to unplug, recharge, and create lifelong memories that will last forever!