Having been to 65 countries with repeat visits in four continents, Armenia is one of the few places I know little about. Last year, Armenia was in the news for negative reasons though these days it is peaceful. All I knew before is there was a skirmish last year, the Kartrashians (aka. Kardashians) kind of come from there (in the present day, 21st century, the village is in the bordering country of Turkey) and of course the moving genocide of over 100+ years back.
Ask anyone where is Armenia and they would struggle to find it on a map. They will also say, is that Europe, Asia or an area between Europe & Asia. According to most sources it is in West Asia and most of the Middle East is in West Asia also. It borders Iran, Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan. It has no sea unlike other countries nearby - the “glorified lakes” of the Black Sea and Caspian Sea.
Very first impressions - do not judge a book by its cover! We flew into Yerevan airport and after getting our luggage, going through immigration, getting cash out of an ATM, getting a SIM and going through a light Corona check (vaccine cert needed only, not a PCR) loads of men were harassing us for a taxi. This is like what happens in Egypt, the non-Gulf Middle East and parts of Asia. We wrongly assumed the people were money grabbing - how very wrong we were.
Armenia like most of the ex-USSR (The Baltics cares more) does not care too much about Corona. No PCR or rapid test is needed to enter at the border. Very seldomly will a restaurant ask to see your vaccine certificate and masks are seriously optional. No restrictions were visible during our visit and even cops in the airport did not wear a mask. In some ways it is nice to get away from the restrictions and constant media coverage.
We left the airport in a large taxi which cost well under £10 to get to the edge of the city centre where we stayed in a decent apartment costing about £100/week. Taxis are super cheap and cost £1-3 to get anywhere, even the airport in a standard sized taxi. The currency is very weak - £1 is 600 Drams. Everything in the country is very fairly priced: museums, hotels, shops and restaurants.
After dropping off our luggage we headed out for a walk. Nearby is the impressive and possibly only (Shia) mosque in Armenia. Not far from there we walked through Republic Sq., past the Opera House and to the Cascade. At the top of the hill to the right is the Motherland Statue which is similar to the one in Kiev - Soviet origin of course. Dinner was local food which is similar to the rest of the USSR, especially Georgia and it defiantly has an Eastern flare.
Compared to the rest of the ex-USSR Armenia feels less Soviet, mentality and architecture wise. Like in Ukraine most of the communist emblems have been replaced. It is not too Western looking, and the people are a different ethnic group to those of Moldova, Belarus, Ukraine and Russia. The language looks nothing like what you have seen before. Russian is spoken by all, and English is stronger than other post-Soviet states with more English signs.
Sadly, I had remote work to do but after a few days a road trip in a Soviet style Lada Niva 4x4 which I loved was planned, mapped out and a car rented. Six days was enough to complete pretty much everything in half of the country - east of Yerevan. Armenia is not too big but because of the roads and altitude driving it is not speedy. In two weeks, driving many kilometres a day, all could be seen. In winter a normal 2-wheel drive car would not cut it.
What is there to see? Mainly tonnes of churches/cathedrals (often at altitude), abandoned villages and nature which includes: mountains, rivers, waterfalls, lakes, natural rock formations and villages made of caves.
Let the epic road trip begin… in a seriously cool car (in my view anyway!).
Day #1
- Charent's Arch - viewing point of Mt. Ararat
- Garni Temple - think of a knock off of a Roman or Greek temple though it is 2000 years old and pagan
- Symphony of Sound - a natural knock off of Giants Causeway though at a different angle. Armenia has lots of these
- Geghard monastery - a high-altitude well-known monastery
- Dvin ancient village - little to see
- Khor Virap - a monastery and viewpoint
- Night in Areni - has a winery
Day #2
- Areni Cave 1 - a previously inhabited cave with evidence visible. Not very big
- Jermuk waterfall - down a steep snowy hill and with some frozen falls
- Jermuk thermal water - a knock off of bath with a bath house with free warm water
- Shaki waterfalls - semi frozen falls with a different layout to Jermuk
- Carahunge - a knock off of both Stonehenge & New Grange (Ireland) in one site
- Night in Shinuhayr - little here to do