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| Farmer Market, Shaki Azerbaijan |
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| Azerbaijan / Georgian Border Crossing |
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| Sighnaghi Fortress, Georgia |
Day 6 Tuesday Oct 21 2025 (Shaki, Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan / Georgia Border Crossing & Sighnaghi, Georgia) - after an overnight stay in Sheki, Azerbaijan & a short visit to the Farmer's market this morning, our group took a private pre-booked taxi departing 09.00 from our guest house for our 1st border crossing at Balakan-Lagodekhi near the Azerbaijan / Georgian border. Our next destination is Sighnaghi, a eastern most highland townlet in Georgia, our group's 1st city of visit in Georgia !
Travel itinerary: Shaki > Azerbaizan / Georgia Border Crossing (Balakan-Lagodekhi) > Sighnaghi, Georgia (approx. 164km, 3hr 20mins)
1) Early morning walk with my travel buddy, KF Wong from our guest house to The Farmer Market & Seki Mall, Sheki, Azerbaijan - a very misty morning, wet & cold ! Interesting sight & a hive of activity (vibrant & lively) in the Farmer's market & we bought a pack of small & median size red apples (about 30 pieces for $1AZN = Rm2.60) from a farmer's open air market stall ..... apples were farm fresh, crunchy, tasty & incredibly cheap !
2) Hotel check-out & boarding of a pre-booked taxi (AZN47 @ANZ12 = Rm31) for our car journey ride from Sheki > Azerbaijan / Georgian border (Balakan / Lagodekhi), approx. 40-50km, takes 1 to 1.5hr depending on road conditions.
3) Arriving in Azerbaijan Georgian border check point - our group's 1st official border crossing between Azerbaijan / Georgia (Balakan-Lagodekhi); after the immigration clearance at the Azerbaijan border check point, we had to walk pass a narrow pedestrian footpath (not so visitor-friendly if you have big & heavy luggage to lug along & if drizzling at the time of your crossing !) to the Georgian Immigration check point ! Passport stamping & luggage screening were pretty straight forward on both sides, no visa is required for Malaysian visitors entering Georgia.
4) After the immigration clearance, passport stamping, luggage screening etc, we exited & walked pass a bridge towards the Georgian side; our group hired a private taxi (80 Georgian Lari = US$30, each pay US$7.50 = Rm32) from the Georgian border > Sighnaghi, Georgia & stayed overnight.
Georgia, a country at the intersection of Europe & Asia is a former Soviet republic that's home to Caucasus Mountain villages & Black Sea beaches, it's famous for Vardzia, a sprawling cave monastery dating to the 12th century & the ancient wine-growing region of Kakheti; the capital, Tbilisi is known for the diverse architecture & maze-like, cobblestone streets of its old town.
5) Earthworks & muddy road - this stretch of roads were under repairs, re-tarring, undulating & muddy hence our group members had to get off the car & walk for a short distance to enable our private taxi to drive passed the muddy roads with a full load of luggage !
6) Arriving in Sighnaghi, Georgia - a town in Georgia's eastern most region of Kahheti & the administrative centre of the Sighnaghi Municipality.
7) Hotel Accommodation (1 night): Guest House, Signaghi, Georgia, a short walk to the Signaghi Fortress.
8) Sighnaghi Fortress, Georgia - located in Kakhet, in a small town of Sighnaghi, now one of the most popular tourist destinations, the city of Sighnaghi was founded by King Irakli 11 in the XV11 century, the fortress is considered one of the most picturesque & beautiful in all Georgia, huge fortress towers & walls are visible from far.
9) St George Church, Sighnaghi, Georgia - a hall type building built in the 19th century with a stone bell, a serene Orthodox church offering stunning views & rich cultural heritage.
10) Sighnaghi fortress towers - the towers are cylindrical & have several floors, scenic view of the surrounding from the upper floor of a tower.
11) Sighnaghi Wall - built in the 12th century during the reign of Queen Tamara, 4km long (not accessible today) with 28 towers, built as a refuge & the fortress has 23 towers, the fortress walls are located on the slopes of the mountain, sometimes rising & repeating the contours of the mountain, they have an upper-tier with a path for defensive purposes & a lower tier with no passages; when I set foot on the Signaghi Wall of Georgia, I thought of the Great Wall of China, both these high & mighty wall structures had a strong military & protective role to play against invaders & enemies in order to preserve internal security & protect civilians etc !
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