I’m so lucky to have had Nara & Arat as guides. They were truly amazing! Traveling as a woman alone, they made me feel super comfortable & very welcome at all times. It felt like we were all good friends as we toured all around Armenia. The guides and hosts were unbelievably kind, affectionate, funny & exuberantly happy. I genuinely felt loved. They make you feel so special & praise your honor for visiting & taking interest in their national pride & cultural heritage. I’ve never experienced anything like it. They immediately adopt you in as a part of their family. Armenians embrace a deeply spiritual culture & the pride of hospitality is rooted in their souls. I learned so much history & have immense admiration for what this alluring country + it’s people have persevered through the centuries. It’s profoundly inspiring, a legacy of true resilience & redemption.
Everywhere I went absolutely everyone I encountered was so generous & kind. The places we toured were the perfect selection. Both inside the capital city of Yerevan, & the surrounding rural & mountainous regions of the beautiful varying landscape Armenia presents. The food was beyond my dreams! Everyone is so eager to welcome you & feed you (non stop!) the most delicious high quality local & traditional foods. Ingredients are fresh, local, often grown right on the very property or village of where we were visiting.
Armenia is unique, unlike anywhere I’ve ever traveled. From what I understand, geographically its South East Asia, yet its people/culturally identify as Eastern European, but then food/ cuisine is certainly representative of both Middle Eastern & Mediterranean. I absolutely loved literally everything I tried. From the fresh baked lavash & gata to the numerous dried fruits, grilled trout, BBQ pork, cucumber tomato salads with fresh herbs, perfectly roasted peppers/eggplant/onion, bulgar wheat salads, buttermilk soup, dried fruit/nut/cinnamon baked pumpkin, paprika braised chicken dishes, kebabs, the very traditional Harisa porridge, rice/lentils, varieties of handmade cheeses, halva, chicken broth soup with dill, pickled vegetables, cured meats, fruits, pastries, chocolates, fresh juices (the black cherry was my favorite!!) and of course don’t forget the Armenian coffee. Each dish seems to have time honored tradition with deeply meaningful roots. All cooked & presented with genuine love by each special host.
Arat’s luxury car was such a treat to enjoy the perfectly curated sites & scenery as Nara expertly guided us through each region each day. She’s unbelievably brilliant & has the oratory art of articulating the vast knowledge & wisdom she knows about all of Armenia, it’s history & proud cultural heritage. This trip was truly soul fulfilling & deeply meaningful. Spending time with the both of my guides was genuinely some of the best time of my 8 days in Armenia. I do hope I’m lucky enough to visit again. I would MOST DEFINITELY make sure to hire these gems again. I adore them & am forever grateful for theses new friends 🙏🏽
