We want to invite you to Pankisi Gorge, home of proud Kists - descendents of Chechens - and to let you feel the stamina of this nation with unique culture and history. You are warmly welcome at our place and we and our guides are ready to help you with discovering wild beauties of this valley. We offer:
Accommodation
At the moment there are available two rooms (2 places+ 3 places), huge living ro
om, simple bathroom and traditional outside privy:), terrace and yard with garden. Our house is situated just one minut walk from the main road and five minuts from the Alazani river, from which banks you will see the whole valley with dominating Mt.Kochara (Speroza), 3 110 m. Food
Maka is a professisonal cook and you may taste local Georgian and Chechen Cuisine made by her from organic food. If you wish you may learn to make khinkali or zhizhig galanysh:)
What to do in Pankisi
Walks
Around the valley (half day -all day trip): Old Mosque in Duisi, protecting tower above Jokolo, old cemetery in Jokolo, Omalo bridge, old wooden houses in Dzibakhevi and Khalatsani, bathing in Alazani river,
Ruins of fortress Torghva Pankeli (half day-all day trip) above village Khalatsani. Khadori waterfall and hydro power stations (half day trip)
Batsara protected reservation (half day - one day trip)
Trekking or horse back riding
You may explore the mountains on foot with rucksack or on a horse, because horse is still common mean of transport in the valley and in the mountains it will enable to get whereever you want. Our guides and horse-guides will be helpfull, because the paths are not marked and the guides know the mountainers (and their dogs) well. Kochadala shepherds' summer huts - Mt. Lamazuri - Tbatana shepherds'summer huts (two - free days) You may see life of real shepherds, making cheese and other milk products and you will smell fresh mountain air and drink tea by open fire. Here start the real Caucasus mountains. From Pankisi to Khevsureti (5 days trekking) This forgotten trail is connecting two spectacular mountain regions. From the Pankisi valley you will be slightly getting up through wild mountains to the land of Khevsurs with their specific stone architecture and towers. (via Tbatana, Sakisto, Didi Borbalo, Archilo, Andaki, Mutso)
From Pankisi to Tusheti
Events, culture
There is a small ethnograpic museum in Duisi with exponates found in the Valley. But a good observer may see the live-museum around himself. There are a few "teka" makers in the valley. Knitting is popular as well among olders. Traditional music and dances are preserved due to two folklor groups (Pankisi ansamble in Jokolo and Marshua Caucas in Duisi). Good time for visiting the valley is during one of the feasts here:
9. May - The end of the 2nd world war - horse riding and concerts in Duisi
21. June - World refugee day - concerts, exhibitions, competitions, free-wrestling, chees
The end of Ramadan - we will infrom you about the exact day
We can also help with arranging transport in the region, including transport to Tusheti (4WD). Please take into consideration, that you visit Muslim community, so we kindly ask you to choose appropriate clothes. The project was created in order to support the battle with unemployment in the valley, therefore the income from renting horses and hiring guides gets straight to the horse owners and guides. for more info about Pankisi follow: www.pankisi.org
