One of the things that made my Armenia and Georgia trip possible back then was how accessible both countries were for Filipino travelers.
Coming from the UAE, it was one of the first trips where I realized that travel didn’t always need complicated visa processes or expensive planning.
Sometimes the easiest trips turn out to be the most memorable.
Flying Into Armenia
We flew from Sharjah to Yerevan with Air Arabia. It was a budget flight, simple and direct.
When we landed in Armenia, the airport felt smaller and quieter compared to the large international airports I was used to. Immigration lines were manageable and the atmosphere felt relaxed.
For Philippine passport holders, Armenia allowed visa on arrival.
The process was straightforward.
Fill out a short form
Pay the visa fee
Passport stamp
Within a few minutes, we were officially in Armenia.
Crossing the Land Border to Georgia
Instead of flying to Georgia, we decided to cross the border by land.
This turned out to be one of the most interesting parts of the trip.
We hired a private car from Yerevan going to Tbilisi. The drive itself took around six to seven hours, including a stop at Lake Sevan.
The scenery slowly changed as we moved closer to the border. Mountains, small towns, quiet roads.
When we reached the Bagratashen border crossing, the process was simple.
Exit Armenia
Walk through the checkpoint
Enter Georgia
The actual border crossing felt calm and surprisingly quick. No long interviews or complicated paperwork.
Just stamps and movement.
Entering Georgia
When we reached the Georgian side of the border, the process had one additional step.
For Philippine passport holders, Georgia offered visa on arrival at the land border, but it required a visa fee and valid travel insurance.
At the immigration counter, the officer checked our passports and asked for proof of travel insurance. After confirming the documents, we were directed to the payment window to settle the visa fee.
The payment was done right there at the border control.
Once the fee was paid, the officer stamped our passports and we were officially in Georgia.
The whole process was surprisingly straightforward. Compared to embassy visa applications that require planning weeks ahead, this felt simple.
One moment we were standing at the border between two countries, and a few minutes later we were already continuing the drive toward Tbilisi.
Crossing from Armenia to Georgia by land also made the experience feel more real. Instead of flying over borders, you actually watch the transition happen step by step.
