I traveled from Doha, Qatar to Yerevan, Armenia in 2017 alone. I was at one of the lowest points of my life and I impulsively booked a ticket to Yerevan for Eid holidays for the hopes that maybe, just maybe I'll be able to reassess my life and put things into perspective.
Before going to Armenia solo, I've researched a lot about its safety and how it will be like to travel solo as a female. And I can tell you now that Armenia is a safe place to visit. I strolled at night in the city with no worries about my safety. I even got lost one night and a local helped me hire a taxi back to my hostel. The driver doesn't speak English but showing my hostel card address helped.
I enjoyed my stay in the hostel. I purposely booked it for adventure, to meet new friends and get out of my comfort zone. The old lady managing the kitchen is very caring that it made me feel having a grandmother looking after me so that's a plus!
Armenia's landscapes are marvelous! Every place I went to is rich in history, culture, and adventure. They have grand monasteries and relics from centuries ago that will amaze you, world's oldest winery and the oldest Christian churches.
What I was very impressed with is their hospitality. They are very keen to help the tourists even with the language barrier. They never charge tourists like other countries with tickets almost 10 times more expensive than the locals. You can enter almost all churches for free aside from a few tourist places.
Let me take you on a journey to Armenia!
Republic Square
On my first day, I just strolled around Yerevan and went to Republic Square. It is the central town square with an oval roundabout and a trapezoid-shaped section with pool and musical fountain played at night.
It is one of the main destinations for art and history lovers, as it hosts the National Gallery of Armenia and the History Museum of Armenia.
Areni Winery
After a long winding road to Novarank, we went to Areni Winery. They showed us around 12 types of wine and they offered free tasting and I did but I think I drank a little too much. I got sleepy on the bus on our way to the next destination - a Monastery! (What are the odds!)
Tip: I booked the guided group tour to Areni Winery through Viator. It is located nearly 110-120km far from Yerevan like most tourist destinations in the country so I would recommend booking a tour for convenience as public transportation is not very reliable and some tours take a full day due to long travel time.
Wings of Tatev
Armenia established Tatev Revival Program to restore the monastery that gave birth to the World's Longest non-stop Reversible Aerial Tramway (Guinness World Record).
You have to ride the tramway to go to the Tatev Monastery. Please also note that this is approximately 14 hours far from Yerevan. Booking a group tour is highly recommended.
On the way to the monastery, there are a lot of vendors selling Armenian sweets, dolls in traditional costume, jam, spices, lavash bread, and drinks.
The Tatev Monastery is a 9th-century Armenian Apostolic monastery located on a large basalt plateau near the village of Tatev in the Syunik Province.
This medieval monastery situated at the top of the mountain used to consist of three churches - Saints Paul (Built in 895) and Peter Church (Built in 906), Saint Gregory the Illuminator's Church, and the Holy Mother of God Church (Built in 1087). Wikipedia
As I approached the monastery, goosebumps flooded my skin feeling such an unfathomable emotion being in a place this ancient, sacred and holy.
Khndzoresk Cave Village and The Hanging Bridge
Khndzoresk is a village in the Goris of the Syunik Province in Armenia. The village is located to the east of the Goris-Stepanakert highway, on the steep slopes of Khor Dzor (Deep Gorge), which the village is named after, according to tradition. Wikipedia
To reach this village, you have to go down the long steps and long swinging bridge. I was too scared to cross the bridge alone but I did it and conquered my fear of heights. For those who don't want to walk down, there’s a taxi service - a very old Soviet-era car with an old driver. It's a very steep lane so I'd rather walk than be in an old car.
Geghard
As we approached the monastery, I could already see that it is pretty crowded. There were old Armenian musicians playing old instruments eager to entertain tourists.
The monastery is partially carved out of the adjacent mountain, surrounded by cliffs. According to our guide, it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Its interior is almost identical to the Tatev Monastery and gave me the same vibes as well. This was built in 1215 but we could even go back to 301 A.D. when Armenia is rumored to be the first country to adopt Christianity.
Temple of Garni
Most visitors to Geghard also visit Garni, located further down the Azat River. It is a well known structure and symbol of pre-Christian Armenia.
The whole trip was amazing and very organized. I chose the English tour but there was a Russian tour option as well. Our guide was very knowledgeable and kept the tour very entertaining.
From this tour, I got a lot of information about Armenia and its people, history, and culture.
Lavash Baking Tour
Believe it or not, Lavash bread is Unesco listed! Armenian tables always have piles of Lavash, they simply cannot live without it. It is baked in a "tonir" (refers to an underground earth oven). This bread doesn't spoil even if you store it for a year. It is chewy and great to pair with goat cheese.
The Cascade
This giant stairway is made of limestone. Underneath the exterior steps of the cascades, are seven escalators that rise along the length of the complex. There are also art exhibit halls that you could visit. You can check out all the available galleries at Yerevan Cascade.
The exterior of The Cascade features multiple levels with fountains and sculptures from the Cafesjian collection. Check more at Cafesjian Museum of Art.
Art and Food
Armenian architecture and miniature painting dominated Armenian art over the centuries. Armenians are also good in sculpture, engraving, mosaic, ceramic, metalwork, and carpet-weaving. In fact they are notable for their early metal sculptures during the Iron Age.
Armenian food is one of the most traditional diverse cuisines in the world prepared using techniques dating back thousands of years.
Each dish reflects the ancient history of Armenia and how skilled they are in ancient food preparation. Its cuisine features locally grown fresh ingredients such as eggplants and herbs. They also serve a variety of meat such as pork, lamb, beef and veal but no meal is complete without the Lavash bread!
After my visit in Armenia there is no wonder why they made it to Forbes’ list of "The 10 underrated destinations to visit in 2020".
Despite being the hotbed of history and their dark past during the "Genocide"(destruction of ethnic Armenians in the Ottoman Empire during World War I), this tiny country landlocked between Iran and more popular Georgia and trapped between its enemies Azerbaijan and Turkey - is a fascinating place.
I'm still in awe about Armenia. It's one of my favorite travels and what I love about it most is I did it on my own.
