CreaTour Georgia

When it comes to good food and the values behind Georgian cuisine, there is just one man we trust to curate the Creatour culinary experience. Edisher Baghaturia is the Culinary Program Director who will bring to life the richness and diversity of the Georgian food landscape. 

He is native to the Samegrelo region and has made it his life’s mission to share the unique profile of western Georgian food with people from all over the world. He is also a little more than just your average foodie. Edisher has a BA in International Relations, an MA in Geography, and is currently studying Ph.D. in Urban Policy so you will soon be able to call him Doctor Foodie.

He describes Georgia as “proud and vibrant”, but also as “forgotten”, an attribute he is trying desperately to change. The uniqueness of Georgia is something that needs to be shared and he wants to show guests “how the worlds of the West and the East meet here and this is reflected in everything - Georgian cuisine, folklore, art, nature, architecture, and the fibers of everyday life.”
The region of Samegrelo lies especially close to his heart making him an invaluable addition to the Creatour team. “My favorite place in Georgia is Nokalakevi,- it is a unique place in Samegrelo, where the magical nature of Tekhuri valley movingly merges with the deep history of the ancient capital of the kingdom of Colchis.”

The culinary program on your tour runs much deeper than just taste-testing a few dishes. Edisher has gone above and beyond to involve our guests in every aspect of Georgian food culture. “Guests will learn about the art of cooking special dishes, exploring unique flavors, and experiencing a Supra. There is much more to it than just tasting local unique dishes. During the program, you will really see why Georgian culinary culture deserves greater international recognition.”

Before visiting Georgia, Edisher has some parting words of wisdom: “Open your eyes wide and your heart even wider, there is so much to see and feel in the beautiful country.”

When we said the Creatour team is diverse, we weren’t joking. The man behind the mic on your creator experience will be Rudolph Thorpe. He is a world traveler that has lost his heart to the incomparable landscapes of Samegrelo. He is a South African native with roots in the UK and holds several qualifications including an associate's Degree in Health Science, Diploma in Teaching English, and diplomas in Epidemiology, Biology, Public Health, and Behavioral Health.

Rudolph wears many hats as part of the Creatour team but you will get to know him as a host and presenter, taking you on this unforgettable journey. As an avid photographer and off-the-beaten-track traveler, he is the perfect person to introduce our guests to the dynamic culture of rural Georgia. He is no stranger to traveling and his keen eye for the small and beautiful details will heighten your sense of curiosity too. 

“While most tours focus on a particular aspect, very few (if at all) focus on a more holistic approach by combining food, culture, drink, and history. While many tourists opt for the more frequented places, the road less traveled often subjects one to far more interesting experiences and paints life from a different perspective.”

Rudolph firmly believes in the power of traveling in broadening your horizons and he suggests visitors pick up a few local words to break down language barriers. We strongly suggest “Gaumarjos” as your first effort. A phrase heard far and wide as full wine glasses merrily chime together. 

I describe myself as hard working, loyal, honest and very punctual person. I am passionate about my work. Because I love what I do, I have a steady source of motivation that drives me to do my best.

I have 6 years of experience working as an assistant manager for a tourism company. My duties include learning about the history, geography and cultures associated with the different tourist sites in addition to handling all of the paperwork and making travel arrangements; also I'm responsible for hotel, restaurants and wineries reservation.

I enjoy meeting new people and can work flexible shifts to accommodate customer needs. I also have strong organizational and multitasking skills along with the ability to deal with customer issues and emergencies as they arise. My strong analytical, problem solving and excellent communication skills combined with my persuasive nature make me a great match for this job.

I am highly organized. I always take notes, and I use a series of tools to help myself stay on top of deadlines.

My passion for cooking lead me to organize individual and group cooking classes in my own country for people from all over the world.

Tekle Zakalashvili is another dedicated Creatour tour leader. She is ready and willing to share her vast knowledge of Georgia, its unique landscapes, and most of all, the treasured wine culture. Her passion runs so deep, in fact, that she is currently a Ph.D. student in viticulture. 

She has an insatiable love for traveling; the road is her second home. The raw aesthetic of Georgia’s nature lies dear to her heart, but she believes that the memories she has made along the way make these landscapes even more endearing. This is an experience she wishes to pass on to our guests.

“Traveling helps me to take note of the variety of places that surround us. It is amazing how you can leave the vibrant capital, Tbilisi, and be in a different world within 2 hours. You can find yourself somewhere calm, slow, and even strange” she says.

She also feels that traveling also gives you a renewed sense of gratitude toward life. “It awakens new emotions, gives you new ideas, and simply makes your heart beat faster.”

Tekle aims to share Georgia as an experience, and not simply a destination. “It is not just a place to see, but more a place you need to feel. You cannot define it as a “thing” but rather the sum of nature, the people, and the ideals that you find here.”

She is humbled to be a part of the diverse Creatour team and has gone above and beyond to help guests experience every aspect of Georgian life. “People will be amazed by the bravery of this small country and if they can seize every moment, they will be left with a life-changing experience.”

At the helm of your Creatour experience in Racha is Tamari Zakalashvili. As a junior winemaker and sommelier, there is no better person to indulge guests in the art of Georgian wine than Tamari.

Her passion for the craft is infectious and her knowledge about the winemaking world is an invaluable resource. For her, it is not enough to merely love wine, she also has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge about the precious elixir. She has a Bachelor’s degree in winemaking and viticulture from the Agricultural University of Georgia. She also took her trade abroad and studied at Geisenheim University as an Erasmus student.

She has a deep passion for the Racha region but Telavi, in Kakheti, also holds a special place in her heart. “It reminds me of wine, friendship, and good food”, the three pillars of Georgian life.

Tamari is a keen traveler in her own right, looking to gather experiences and meet people from far and wide. She is no stranger to showing off the treasures of Georgia and aims to enlighten people on the natural, historical, and culinary wealth of the country in the most Georgian way possible; with boatloads of hospitality. 

Her advice for visitors to Georgia? “When in Rome, do as the Romans do,” or in this case, Racha! Always save room for wine but don’t be shy to savor all the indulgent flavors on the supra table.

Join Tamari in Racha to celebrate wine, friendship, and history.

Growing up in Oxford, UK, I was always singing in different folk choirs and bands. I trained as an actor, first in Musical Theatre and then European Theatre. But singing in harmony with others is my main pleasure in life.

In 2017 I travelled to Georgia (Kutaisi, Samegrelo, Svaneti, Ajara and Guria) to learn about the ancient tradition of polyphonic singing. Since then I keep coming back, taking longer and longer trips. Now I spend most of my time in Tbilisi but visit other regions as much as possible. I love to visit villages where singers live, especially if they are surrounded by beautiful mountains and rivers! My favourite place in Tbilisi is the bazroba (central bazaar) where I find all manner of interesting foods! My favourite Georgian food is soko ketze - mushrooms sizzling in a clay pan with Georgian cheese melting on top. 

I have performed Georgian songs in festivals such as the Batumi Folk and Church Music Festival, and the Polikarpe Music Festival in Anaklia. I sing with Maspindzeli, the London Georgian choir of 20-30 people, and Stumbrebi, an octet from around the UK who come together to sing complex and unusual Georgian harmony songs. 

I love jazz music, and have been singing with the Oxford Classic Jazz Band since 2014. 

I teach Georgian songs to others, in workshops in Tbilisi and Oxford. I love sharing this magical country with new visitors. I like to bring my perspective as a foreigner while learning from local people all the time. 

I am artistic director of Voices of the Ancestors, a podcast and theatre show about Georgian polyphonic songs and the women who sing them, through the eyes of two British women. We have created our first series of 12 episodes, interviewing women who sing Georgian songs. We have listeners around the world in America, Australia, Europe, Georgia, Russia, India and more. I regularly share my adventures travelling around Georgia and meeting singers with our listeners.

I worked as the Event Manager and Artist Liaison for the Georgian International Festival of the Arts, a leading theatre festival in the Caucasus. I loved showing the artists around the city of Tbilisi in their time off, taking them to the sulphur baths and walking to visit Mother of Georgia with them. 

Teona Lomsadze is the musical mastermind behind the soundtrack of your Creatour experience. She has a Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology and an MA in Music Management from the University of Leeds making her the voice of authority when it comes to all things Georgian music. 

“I have always been interested in the contemporary ways of Georgian traditional culture and music existence, its adaptation to the modern world, and its internationalization.” She put this passion to work by curating the Creatour Band, a group of handpicked musicians that will showcase the unique and spellbinding nature of Georgian music. 

Teona has an in-depth understanding of the various faces of Georgian culture and how various regions are interwoven to create the complex traditional tapestry we know today. She is an Imeretian native and her secluded village remains her favorite place in the country. “The reason is quite personal - this mountainous remote village awakens the feeling of my roots for me; roots to ancestors, Georgian culture, and music” she explains. 

Her musical program isn’t only limited to performances but she will also indulge visitors in the long-spanning history of this important part of local culture. “Directing the music program at Creatour is a creative as well as challenging process that I enjoy a lot. Merging your insider’s knowledge and cultural awareness with an outsider’s vision, senses and expectations is a challenge I will face head-on.”

For her, Georgia can be summed up as “diverse, hospitable, and distinctly unique”, all aspects of the culture that she aims to capture through her music program. “I would want to show the very essence of Georgia, Georgian people and its culture, values that are beyond the level of only exoticism, are unique, different from everything else, and able to deeply affect the visitor. I believe, this effect can only be brought by a combination of things like visiting unique places and landscapes, getting aware of the distinct traditions and musical culture, and experiencing genuine Georgian hospitality and feast rich with local flavours of wine, food, stories, humour, and relationships.”