Unrecognized Vacation: What Awaits Visitors in Abkhazia 0 13

Abkhazia has been and remains almost a home resort for Russians, where you can go without a passport. It's cheap, cozy, the sea is nearby, and wine flows like a river. But in the last couple of years, something has changed. Scrolling through social media, you increasingly see not enthusiastic "Best vacation of my life," but tired "Well, it was okay. I won't go again."

We did not retell forums. Instead, we gathered reviews from those who traveled in 2025–2026 and now discourage friends from going. Without embellishments and attempts to appear "objective." Because the objectivity here is simple: either you are ready for adventures, or it’s better to pay extra.

About Money and Attitude

Previously, the main argument in favor of Abkhazia was the price. Tickets were cheap, accommodation even more so. Now this argument has fallen apart.

"Listen, I’m still angry. We’re not oligarchs, right? Well, we saved up, decided – let’s go to Abkhazia, soul, sea, wine. Ha. We paid almost 120,000 rubles for a room for a week. I understand what 'budget' means, but when for that money you come in and the floor is sticky – I ran my foot over it, it sticks. And the owner is offended when you ask for clean sheets."

It gets worse. A local tourism official stated that guests who pay 300 rubles for everything will not be welcomed in Abkhazia. Supposedly, they are not the right kind of people. The text quickly spread through chats and news, and the reaction was predictable.

"So, my husband and I are locusts? For that money (which we paid for Abkhazia - ed. note), I could have stayed in Sochi, maybe not at the Radisson, but in a decent hotel with a pool. And here I should be grateful that I came to their 'country of the soul.'"

Hoteliers, of course, may want wealthy guests. But wealthy guests want clean sheets and hot water. And here lies the disconnect.

About Food Poisoning from Homemade Wine

Someone returned home with upset stomachs. And it turned out not to be due to unsanitary conditions on the beach, but rather what they were served.

"On the second day, we stopped by a local at the market. A friendly guy poured us some 'homemade red' to try. Well, it was tasty, really. We bought a three-liter bottle for 600 rubles. But at night... At night I thought I was dying. Fever, bathroom every half hour, my husband lying next to me with the same expression. A neighbor at the hotel said: 'Ah, you probably had 'chemistry.'"

Buying wine in Abkhazia from random sellers is a lottery. Some bring home bottles of 'Lykhny,' while others bring home powder mixed with water in a plastic bottle.

"We spent three days recovering. Luckily, we had a first-aid kit with us, otherwise – call an ambulance, but you won’t wait for one in Tsandrypsh. And the most annoying thing is that the guy at the market was standing in the same spot the next day selling the same stuff to someone else. In general, wine in Abkhazia now is only from proper wineries. But the nature is beautiful, really."

The issue of illegal wine keeps coming up in chats. But for some reason, after 2025, complaints have noticeably increased – either the alcohol has become cheaper, or some sellers have completely lost their conscience.

About Stray Dogs and Garbage

A separate topic that tourist brochures remain silent about is who you will meet on the beach and in the woods. No, not tourists from the neighboring hotel.

"Laughing through tears, seriously. You walk through the territory of the base, and a dog comes towards you. Big, but not scary, but there’s a pack of them. About five. They don’t bite, but they escort you all the way to the sea and back. Like a convoy. I love dogs, but when every morning five strays with unclear ailments sniff you – it’s hard to relax."

Stray dogs at resorts are a problem not only in Abkhazia, but there it is particularly acute. Packs gather near dining areas and trash bins, which, by the way, are also abundant.

"And the trash bins... You can’t imagine the smell when it’s +30 degrees. We get out of the car and pinch our noses. Mountains of bags that haven’t been taken away for three days. Seagulls circle above, dogs rummage through. And the nearest café is twenty meters away. In general, the appetite disappears immediately. We then survived on sandwiches in our room. Is Abkhazia beautiful? In photos – yes. In real life – if you’re a fan of extreme experiences."

About Small but Annoying Thefts

The topic of theft in Abkhazia cannot be overlooked. But stolen underwear, which moves from one article to another, has become a meme. In reality, more expensive and practical items are stolen more often.

"My husband had a power bank stolen from his backpack pocket. You understand, not a phone, not money – a power bank worth 1500 rubles. We were sitting on the pebbles, went swimming for ten minutes, and left our things under a towel. We come back – the backpack is unzipped, the charger is gone. Well, who steals a power bank, why? And the locals just shrug: 'We don’t have thieves, you imagined it.' Yeah, sure."

Travelers' chats are now full of such stories: chargers, headphones, plug adapters, even towels from sun loungers go missing. Not fatal, but it leaves a bad aftertaste.

"And it’s also annoying that every second person on the street: 'Shop, come in, wine, honey, cheap.' The guide on the tour initially seemed normal, but then halfway through he starts begging: 'Chip in for gas, we’re all friends here.' I told him: 'Isn’t gas included in the tour price?' He got offended, and I got tired. I just wanted to relax, not haggle like at a market and worry that something would be taken from my bag."

About Scheduled Electricity

If you think that having hot water turned off for two weeks is a disaster, you just haven’t been in the private sector of Abkhazia in July.

"I’m a normal guy, not picky. I can sleep in a tent, I can go without a shower. But here it’s something else. The heat is around 35 degrees. Every evening, EVERY, at 7 PM the electricity goes out. And you sit there without air conditioning, without a fan, your phone is dying, and there’s nowhere to charge it. We lit candles – romantic, yes, but only on the first evening. By the fifth evening, I just wanted to turn on the kettle and wash my hair. And there’s no hot water at all; it’s turned on for an hour in the morning and that’s it. So I think: for this money, I could have rented a room in Krasnodar with air conditioning and Wi-Fi, and here I have 'color' in the form of complete darkness and cold showers."

This is not an isolated case. Power outages in Abkhazia are a systemic issue. Once, people were lenient about it: 'Well, it’s the South, it’s a country with a soul.' Now it’s more often: 'I worked for 11 months to sit by candlelight?'

Abkhazia is beautiful in nature. And there are indeed people who strive to make you happy. But the mass tourist is not an extreme mountaineer. They want three simple things: a clean room, electricity in the socket, and not to have a stomach ache after dinner.

While officials dream of wealthy guests and call budget tourists 'locusts,' ordinary people are simply stopping to come and are already writing: 'Honestly, we’ll go to Turkey next time.'