An interesting holiday destination: medical and wellness tourism.
I am bringing to your attention an interesting experience I had recently, suggesting an attractive holiday proposal, combined – for those who want it – with curative and relaxation treatment, and even physical beautification through cosmetic surgery, hair or dental implants, all provided by the same hosts.
I recently returned from Batumi, on the eastern shore of the Black Sea in Georgia, where I was invited to a tourism fair to promote the area’s medical tourism and balneotherapy facilities.
The area is located much further south from our coast, about the same latitude as Istanbul, Rome or Barcelona, and the climate is moderate-continental.
Batumi has a well-preserved old centre but also an ultra-modern area with luxury hotels and shopping centres, full of casinos. The city is undergoing an effervescent transformation, with high-rise buildings like in big cities, but also areas where transformation is still to come.
The local currency is LARI: 1 Euro = 2.80 Lari, 1 Lari almost 2 Lei, almost everywhere you can pay by card and there are currency exchange offices everywhere.
The town is safe, about 15 km north of the Turkish border, the locals are very friendly, they don’t speak much English but we managed, and the authorities are working to integrate Georgia into the European Union.
I recommend the resort outside town, LITZ RESORT 5*, situated on a mountain plateau 400 metres steeply above the sea, with breathtaking views and all the facilities to spend your holiday there: 2 no-limit pools and one indoor heated to about 30 degrees, indoor and outdoor jacuzzis, jazz club with live music, fitness room including a jacuzzi with 4 treadmills sunken 1 meter deep, 3 restaurants with hearty and good traditional food and renowned local wines or XO Sarajishvili brandy.
They have there a medical center affiliated to the specialist clinic Eliava Phage Therapy Center in Tbilisi, for antibacterial therapy, they call it Phage Therapy, developed for almost 100 years, and in the tourist package for this resort reservations can be made for this type of therapy or for the above mentioned, balneotherapy, colon therapy or implant and cosmetic surgery, etc.
LITZ RESORT is owned by a Georgian personality, Prof. Dr. Dmitri Tvildiani, President of David Tvildiani Medical University, directly involved in Eliava Phage Therapy Center. I met him personally, he assured me that he will take care of the guests I will recommend himself.
Prices in the resort are much lower than in other coastal places in Europe and we can negotiate them, the mountain air mixes interestingly with the sea air, which gives a permanent feeling of freshness.
Prices in town are also affordable. For example, a meal at a well-recommended restaurant in the historic centre of Batumi for four people with drinks costs no more than about 50 euros, Bolt taxi from the resort to Batumi (equivalent to a trip from Otopeni to downtown Bucharest) costs only 40 lei, super petrol or super diesel costs about 1 euro and 5 cents. I saw tourists on the plane carrying electronics and furs to Turkey, which makes me think that prices are better in Georgia.
For those interested I recommend planning a reasonable holiday there, and accessing the medical and welness services offered by the hosts.
We can assist you in booking accommodation, flight and transfer from airport to resort. Just hit the contact button.
Flights are with a stopover in Istanbul, from where a Turkish flight leaves in the evening and morning (1 hour 45 min), and there are good flights from our country. Just remember, keep your passport valid for at least 5 months, and try to book your hotel and flight in advance.
Article written by Ovidiu Galea
- the whole article is a romanian perspective, the informations are offering recommendations to Romanians but not only.
- we were visiting Batumi, Georgia to the invitation of Paata Ratiani and GMTA (Georgian Medical Tourism Alliance)
