I met John when I toured Georgia with him in June 2017 and on my return home immediately started planning this tour. Together with twelve friends we toured the entire country from Sighnagi in the east to Mestia in the high Caucasus, the Black Sea and Akhaltsikhe in South Georgia.
John's exceptional ability to patiently explain the history and ways of this wonderfully diverse country and its charming people has been well documented in other reviews. For us he painstakingly researched the flora, enabling us to see some of the rare endemic flora and fauna in the different regions. His intimate knowledge of so many areas has led to a broad basis of friends and during an impromptu singing session by a river he was recognised and I was told how exceptional he is, not only the chanting which is the basis of his phD, but also singing in general including the local folk songs.
The tour was created round my various, sometimes challenging wishes, including the desire to put a toe in the Black Sea where John researched and found a stunning hotel which mirrored the best of what the area offered.
Our visit to Mestia, deep in the Caucasus, with remarkable weather, was perfected thanks to the contacts John has, including Svanetti singers, and dancers, alpinist and fresco conservator opening doors to frescoed churches and medieval towers as well as visiting glaciers and alpine meadows ablaze with flowers with a back drop of some of the highest snow covered peaks in the Csucasus.
There are not enough superlatives to describe our two weeks in the company of such a conscientious and gifted guide..

I learned about this trip a few years ago on nyt.com and asked to be on John's mailing list.

The trip certainly met my expectations-- great sites, food and wine, singing and museums, and lots of photo opps. The monasteries and churches were remarkable, and often, if we were the only ones there, John sang to demonstrate the acoustics. I was surprised by the many candles and beautiful candelabra in the churches and monasteries.

I had asked about fresh fruits and vegetables, not realizing that the area is famous for its produce and vegetable dishes. We had vegetables with every meal! And there are greenhouses so that the people can have their tomato and cucumber salads year-round.

The informal restaurants were remarkable. I enjoyed seeing how families started these businesses in their homes and gardens. John did an excellent job of selecting restaurants and menus. There was a lot of food, and we ate family style.

I appreciated the commentary and explanations. Roseanna, the Armenian guide, gave us the Armenian and women’s viewpoints.

We had Georgian singing —chants and folksongs— at two dinners, and John taught us how to toast with the wine at dinner. The frequent and long toasts that are mandatory probably explain why I didn't notice any drunken people on the trip.

A few additional comments:

There was a lot of walking on this trip, uphill and on cobblestones to visit the monasteries. Skirts were required for women visiting the monasteries. I didn't have one so borrowed wraparound skirts at the entrance..

I was sorry that I couldn't communicate better with most of the people, but the ones who did speak English were friendly and very nice.

Facial tissues are the all-purpose paper product for the rooms and dining; I would have considered taking my small washable microfiber towel if I had known.