Batumi

Getting around: From Batumi Airport: city bus No. 10 (also 10a and 9) runs through the center for under 1 GEL — cheapest, but you'll want small change ready. Taxis have no meter, agree a flat rate of ~15–25 GEL (10–15 min for 6 km), while the Bolt app shows a fixed price before you book and usually undercuts taxis (~8–15 GEL). In the city: a flat-fare bus network (~0.7 GEL by bank card, cheaper with a Batumi Card), though the boulevard, city center and Piazza are all a comfortable walk from each other. Reaching the Adjara mountains (Makhuntseti, Martvili) needs an hourly taxi or a rental car — there's no practical direct bus for a comfortable day trip.

Halal & prayer places: Modest but real and easy to track down — Batumi isn't a major Islamic hub, but proximity to Turkey and steady Gulf summer tourism support a small cluster of known Turkish/halal restaurants around the seafront and center (Grand Grill Türk, Sanapiro Turkish, Kiz Kulesi, and Spice Garden Indian-halal near the Alphabet Tower and Ali and Nino statue). There's only one mosque in the city — the Ottoman-era Orta Jame Mosque (19th century), tucked behind Piazza Square near the cable-car station, and it's the sole spot for congregational and Friday prayer.

Local safety: Same as country →

Cost figures: 2026 prices: a city bus ride ~0.7 GEL (cheaper with a Batumi Card), an airport taxi 15–25 GEL or Bolt 8–15 GEL, a casual local meal (khinkali or khachapuri) ~15–20 GEL, a full mid-range restaurant meal ~50–80 GEL, an Argo cable car round-trip ticket 30 GEL, the bus to the Botanical Garden ~2 GEL.