Capital: Yerevan
Language: Armenian and Russian
Population: About 3 million
Location: Caucasus Mountains (between Georgia, Turkey, Iran, and Azerbaijan)
Interesting fact: Armenia was the very first country to adopt Christianity as an official religion (301 AD)
(click on images to navigate)
MY TRIP
YEREVAN
KHOR VIRAP
ADVICE / RECOMMENDATIONS
SCENES FROM AN ARMENIAN ROAD TRIP
LAKE SEVAN
MONASTERY PHOTOS
LANDSCAPE PHOTOS
So basically, two friends and I rented a car and road-tripped around Armenia in late-September/early-October of 2018. While the roads may not have been in the best conditions, the places and landscapes were pretty stunning. I could attempt to describe it, but since I’m a bit lazy, I’ll give you the pictures instead. Please Enjoy!
Sunset over Yerevan
Archway near the city Alaverdi
Lake Sevan
Mt. Ararat (near Khor Virap)
Lake Sevan
Sevan (town)
Dancing fountains of Yerevan
Knor Virap
Southern Armenia
Southern Armenia
View from Tatev Monastary
Traffic
Tatev Monestary
Visited October 2018
Roughly an hour north of the capital Yerevan is Armenia’s largest body of water, Lake Sevan. Located at nearly 2000m in elevation, it is one of the highest Alpine lakes in the world. Naturally, my friends and I decided to go see it. Getting there is fairly easy. Most people usually take a public marshrutka (minibus) from Yerevan for 700 dram ($1.50), but we decided to come down from Tbilisi, which just involved taking the bus to Yerevan and getting off early. Together, we stayed at a guesthouse in the main town, also called Sevan. The town itself wasn’t much, but the surrounding scenery was really beautiful. Plus the guesthouse was nice and dinner in town was very, very cheap.
We explored a little and then went out to see the ancient monastery on the shore of the lake. The monastery used to be located on an island, but during the Soviet times, Stalin ordered a land bridge to be built. Therefore, it is now on a peninsula. On the downside, it took away a bit of the awe surrounding it, but on the bright side, we didn’t have to take a boat to get there. Although it was pretty reminiscent of most other Armenian monasteries, the views of the surrounding lake were incredible. The building was situated up atop a hill, and from there, you could see out across the water to the mountains on the horizon. I definitely recommend going, and although I could probably ramble on for a bit more about it, I’ll spare you readers for now and just show pictures. Please Enjoy.
So Armenia has monasteries. A lot of monasteries. Specifically old ones. Since it was the first country to convert to Christianity (301 A.D.), it is a pretty big part of the culture. Most of them were entirely made of stone and lit almost entirely by sunlight. There were far less decorated and grandious than European Catholic and Protestant churches, but it was much more calm and relaxing. Anyway, this is what they looked like.
Based upon my summer 2016 visit
Where to Stay: Guesthouses or Camping
Throught my trip, I stayed in guesthouses all over the country, from Yerevan, to Sevan, to Goris, and found each one to be incredible. This ranged from being given home-cooked breakfast every morning to free bottles of homemade wine, to comfortable beds, to help with anything you might need. Usually, the price was the same per person as a hostel, but instead of risking being stuck with a large group of 19-year-old dude, you’ll get a super nice local Armenian family. My advice would be to look on bookings.com
If you go into the countryside, it is very easy to camp out in many places. The temperature is usually warm and rain is infrequent so most of the time you don't need to worry about the elements. And although it may not be 100% legal, I've met several people who have camped inside historical sites and ancient churches without any problem.
Cost of Travel: Very affordable.
30 minute taxi ride - 1000 dram ($2)
Drink at a bar - 300-500 dram (60cents - $1)
Dinner at a descent restaurant - 2000-3000dram ($4-6)
Hostels (about 5000 dram ($10) per night
Tap Water: Great
The water is very safe to drink without risk. This is true both in Yerevan as well as throughout the country. There are even many public water fountains throughout the city that are kept clean and well maintained.
Communication: Mostly Armenian and Russian (a little English, but not much)
Having been part of the Soviet Union and since almost everyone in the country has family living in Russia, knowledge of the language is widespread and spoken by almost everyone. Because of this, almost everything is written both in Armenian and Russian, and since ties between the two countries are still pretty good, no one will be offended to speak Russian to you (as opposed to other former Soviet states like the Baltics). That said, knowledge of either Russian or Armenian (even if it is just a few basic phrases) is very beneficial since English is not widespread. In Yerevan, you may be able to find a few English speakers, such as at restaurants and in hostels, but outside the capital it is highly unlikely you'll find anyone who does.
Safety: Pretty safe
Even though this was the one place outside the US where someone tried to rob me (unsuccessfully, thankfully), the country is overall pretty safe. My incident occurred because I was wandering around alone in rural villages, oblivious to happenings around me. However, since me assailants were unarmed and about 6 inches (15cm) shorter than me, I was able to drive them away by shouting loudly and becoming very animated. Other than that, I had absolutely no trouble. I never saw any street crime happening and I felt pretty safe walking around Yerevan any time of the day or night.
Probably the biggest "danger" you would face is someone (most likely a taxi driver) trying to overcharge you or rip you off. Just use common sense and you'll be fine.
Transportation: No luxury but very cheap
Yerevan has the country's only metro with two lines. Quality isn't the best and sometimes you can wait a while for a train, but it only costs 100 dram (20 cents) to ride and it will get you from point A to point B. You can also go anywhere in the city by taxi for 1000 dram ($2) fairly quickly since the city is easy to navigate and not too congested. If a driver tried to charge you over 1000, he's ripping you off. Either haggle it down or go to the next driver.
You can also get just about anywhere in the country by taking a minibus or marshrutka from the main station (NAME) for less than 5000 dram (sometimes even less than 1000). And since Armenia is a small country, no trip will exceed 3 hours. You can also go to Tbilisi, Georgia for 8000dram ($16) which takes about 5 hours total. Keep in mind though, the buses and marshrutkas often wait until they're nearly full before they go, and often do not stick to the schedule.
Cultural Customs
Based on my experience, people were very hospitable and very direct (small talk is not really a thing). Expect some personal questions about who you are, why you're visiting, and what your life is like. In turn, most of the people will be eager to share something about their country with you. And unlike their neighboring Georgia, no one will be offended if you speak Russian to them, but much less people will know English.
Since there are not many foreigners visiting the country, there is a good chance someone (or a whole family) will invite you over for either coffee, food, or drinks. It is considered rather rude to refuse, so if you're not hungry or thirsty, just ask for a small portion or smaller shots of cognac.
Over 95% of the country is ethnically Armenian and Apostolic Christian, which is a bit unique compared to Catholicism, Protestantism and Orthodox Christianity. A lot of people, especially in the countryside, take pride in this as well as the fact that they were the first nation on earth to adopt Christianity as an official religion.
Do and Don't
DO
Visit as many historical sites as possible. Despite it's size, Armenia has some of the richest history of any place on earth.
Try the cognac (Ararat). It's the national drink of Armenia and the most affordable good cognac in the world (that's right France. I said it.)
Visit Khor Virap. The site in and of it's self is amazing and the backdrop of Mt. Ararat is unlike anything I've ever seen.
Walk to the top of the giant stairs in Yerevan and look out over the entire city.
Visit the dancing fountains at night.
See Lake Sevan and watch the mist roll down from the mountains to the water
Learn some phrases in Russian (or Armenian if you feel particularly adventurous) since English is not widely spoken.
Don't
Do not carry around anything with a Turkish flag. Tensions are still high due to the genocide and the border between the two countries remains closed even to this day.
Don't eat at restaurants with English names (or lettering). They are overpriced and of much lower quality than the local Armenian places.
Don't go on a trip in the summer without taking water with you. It's hard to find in some places and temperatures can often reach 38-40C (100F)
Don't get into a taxi without haggling a price. It is the common thing to do, so most drivers will start off by saying something far too high. You'll always be able to knock it down at least by a third.
June 2016
I first traveled to Armenia in June of 2016 and spent one week in the country before taking a Marshrutka (a Soviet style van) up to Georgia. The second time, I returned with two friends, Teresa and Remi, and we rented a car to drive around the country. I spent spent a good deal of time exploring the capital city of Yerevan and the country seeing such sites as lake Sevan, Khor Virap, many historical monasteries, and spent a night in the town of Goris.. Overall, especially as someone who has studied history, I found Armenia to be one of the most interesting places to visit.
One of the things that makes Armenia so distinct is that far more Armenians (about 10 million) live abroad in the diaspora (primarily in Russia) while only three million live within the borders, making the residents of the country the minority among Armenians. Also, the borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan are closed, making entry to the country only possible through Georgia, Iran or by flight. As a result, it's rare to see someone who is not Armenian within the country. That isn't to say the country doesn't get tourism, but most of the tourism happens to be Armenians from the diaspora. Therefore, I, a lanky, hairy, American of Polish descent, stood out like a sore thumb. Nonetheless, I found the country as a whole to be pretty welcoming.
In general, The culture did not seem as outwardly open and as relaxed as the Georgians, but while there, I had nothing but positive interactions. Nearly everyone I came across was interested to learn about me, who I was, and why I had come to Armenia, and on top of that, many people were eager to share with me part of their lifestyle and culture. This even got to the point where a family even invited me in for apricots and coffee, which (partly due to my caffeine addiction) I happily accepted. Keep in mind, however, this was all made easier by the face I can speak conversational Russian. English as a whole is still not widely known, but nearly everyone speaks Russian alongside Armenian.
Capital city, population 1 million
Being the capital city and home to over 1/3 of the country's population, Yerevan is without a doubt the cultural center of the country. Although the city claims to date back 3000 years, nearly all of it was built during the Soviet era so the layout and buildings are fairly modern. Still, the city itself holds onto a distinct appearance. There is clearly a Soviet influence in the architecture as well as the many statues scattered about, but everything is much more artistic and vibrant than the classical Stalinist design that is found in so many other former Soviet cities. It is also fairly easy to get around, as the city center is all contained within a circle that builds up to a large monument of stairs (roughly 600 steps) that allow you to see the entire city from the top.
There were two things that struck me most of all. The statues and the 'Singing Fountains.' Scattered throughout the city, on nearly every street and in nearly every park, you'll find a very unique array of statues. They had a slight resemblance in design to other statues in former Soviet states, but these were much more detailed, unique, and, in my opinion, odd in the best way possible. Some could be found on street corners, while others in parks and squares, yet others stand in bizarre places like forested areas and narrow walkways. Yet, the most interesting aspect was the actual designs of the statues themselves. There must have been hundreds, and literally each one had its own quirks and tone. A few were made to look somber while others glorious, some artistic, and a few just down right bizarre. I could ramble on in description, but you'd probably get a better idea checking through the slide of pictures above.
And then, the fountains. I am often enthusiastic when describing things and do my best to make city highlights amazing, but Yerevan's singing fountains truly blew me away unlike anything else. Near the main city center square, there is a rather impressive construction of stone-carved fountains that are nice to look at in the day, but out of this world at night. Once the sun goes down, the fountains suddenly light up in an array of colors. Then a musical score begins to play, and the fountain sprays begin to synchronize accordingly. I know I'm not doing this justice with such a simple description, but even someone like me, who does not spend much time at all listening to musical scores, spent hours just standing there memorized.
Travel: One hour from Yerevan by marshrutka
Just about an hour outside the capital lies arguably Armenia's most famous site, an ancient monastery called Khor Virap. If you've ever looked into traveling to Armenia, you've probably already seen this image before. Usually, it is presented with the monastery in the foreground and the giant Mt. Ararat looming behind (as pictured above). Let me say this, however, that these pictures do the area no justice. Going there are seeing the site myself was something far beyond anything that can be conveyed by camera or written description. Nonetheless, here's what I can say. Everywhere, the Earth seemed flat and dry due to the clearly arid climate of the area. There is one hill, and on that hill stands the old stone monastery, which by itself would have been an impressive site to see, but is dwarfed by the mountain in all its glory, covering the entire horizon with absolutely nothing blocking its way.
What made this so incredible is that mountains are usually found in groups, or just a segment in a greater chain, but Ararat literally stands alone, allowing you to see just how massive and monumental it is. Even from hundreds of miles away, Ararat covers the entire length of horizon visible to the eye while its snow-capped peak at 5200 meters (18,000ft) pierces the clear blue sky. And while the mountain is visible from many parts of the country, including the capital, it was only here that I was able to see it quite like this
Spend at least two days or more wandering around Yerevan and take the time to stop and focus on the many different statues. At night, the singing fountains are an absolute must, and I recommend staying for a little while because the show will always be different, unique, and pretty incredible. Most importantly, however, make sure you get out of the capital at some point. Armenia has historical sites unlike any place in the world I've ever been too. Finally, if you know some Russian (or even better, Armenian), talk with a local. As said, Armenia does not get many tourists that aren't other Armenians from the diaspora, so people will likely be very glad to show you around and share their culture with you.
