DE S T INAT IONS
WHAT TO SEE For the visitor to Yerevan, Armenia has several half- and full- day trips easily accessible from the city centre, with prices varying from US$10 per day for a group minibus tour to US$130-plus per day for a private driver and car. In the capital itself, head for the History Museum of
When I joined a morning trip to Lake Sevan, about an
hour’s drive north of Yerevan city centre, the tour bus had a sizeable proportion of such visitors. Interestingly, among the myriad other nationalities on the bus were two Scottish students who, while exploring the country, were staying with a family from the Philippines, part of a small but growing population here. Armenia is a popular destination for Filipinos living and working in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait. Te visa rules of those places means that these workers (and many other nationalities) are required to leave the country to renew their visas. Many still simply cross the border and return the same
day, but others turn it into a short holiday, and Armenia, a short flight from the Gulf and with a Christian population, is a popular choice. While here, they take a tour, enjoy the monasteries, and also the weather aſter the heat of the Gulf. Many marvel at snow on the ground, having never experienced it. Some have made Armenia their home. In addition, the country has welcomed more than 20,000 Syrians of Armenian heritage since Syria descended into civil war in 2011. Whether people are choosing to live here or are being forced to, it is hoped that this new generation of residents will help to power Armenia into a more successful period than it has known for centuries.
bus ine s s tr a v el ler .c om
Armenia and the National Gallery of Armenia (co-located, with separate or combined entry tickets) or the Matenadaran (the repository of manuscripts). For a day trip, the most popular site offered by tour operators is Garni and Geghard. Garni Temple’s location above a high gorge within ancient walls is irresistible (as is the gorge, which has Giant’s Causeway-type basalt columns). Geghard is an ancient monastery with several churches built into the rock formation; some are almost caves, which perhaps reflect the churches’ origins of having been built over pagan temples. One has a natural spring bubbling through the rock face, from which Armenian visitors often collect water for its curative or holy properties. If you have time, a second day trip would be Sevan,
Sevanavank Monastery, Dilijan, Haghartsin, Goshavank and Lake Parz, several sites that can all be visited in one day using an inexpensive group tour. Lake Sevan and its Mother of God Church is the most photographed site in Armenia (discounting Mount Ararat, which, of course, is in Turkey). Dating from 874, but much altered, the two churches making up the monastery are fascinating, although most people sit and gaze out at the beautiful lake. Haghartsin Monastery has recently been largely rebuilt
but is in an attractive valley, while Goshavank dates from the 12th century and has a fine Khachkar (a stone cross) by the door of one of the chapels. Dilijan is an attractive village in the mountains with much renovation by Ruben Vardanyan’s Idea Foundation. Lake Parz is a nice lunch stop in the hills above Dilijan, and you can take a walk around the lake with noticeboards telling you more about the flora and fauna.
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