Is Batumi safe?
Georgia’s Black Sea city is known for its beaches, casinos and funky buildings!
But is Batumi safe? While it’s not as well-known as other European cities, it is a safe city that’s welcoming to travellers.
I recently visited to assess the atmosphere and safety in Batumi!
Here’s all you need to know.
Is Batumi safe?
Yes, Batumi is a safe city.
Generally, I felt much safer walking around Batumi than I did in large European capitals.
There are a couple of things to be mindful of, but they’re only minor compared to other cities.
Crime in Batumi
The crime rate in Batumi ranges between “low” and “very low”, while the safety rate walking around in the daytime in Batumi is “very high” and in the night is “high”. (Source: Numbeo).
This goes to show that crime is rare, and violent crime is even rarer.
My experience in Batumi backed this up; I felt completely comfortable walking around, and didn’t experience any harassment or attention.
I stayed in Rooms Hotel Batumi, which was right in the heart of the city and was a welcoming place to return to every night!
Geopolitics in Batumi
Of course, the Black Sea region is currently going through a lot of turmoil due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
At present, these issues aren’t affecting Batumi.
It’s unlikely that the fighting will spill over into Georgia (and in the rare event it does, there will be a warning).
Batumi is around a two-hour drive from the region of Abkhazia, which is a breakaway region that Russia currently controls (and has done for the last 30 years) along with the other region of South Ossetia.
There is no active conflict in this area at the moment, but it is very much a stalemate; Georgia wants the region back and Russia doesn’t want to give it up.
Issues could arise with this in the future, but it is quite a long way from Batumi and is unlikely to affect the city.
I would recommend keeping an eye on the news and your government travel advisory (I use Gov UK Georgia) – just as you should do before visiting anywhere in the world!
Solo female travellers in Batumi
Generally, I find Georgia to be quite liberal for solo female travellers. I’ve never had any excess questions in the country when travelling alone, and have never experienced any harassment.
I haven’t actually been to Batumi on my own (I visited with my partner) although I did go for a solo walk and didn’t experience any issues.
Advice for LGBTQ+ travellers
Unfortunatley, homophobia is present in some Georgian societies, although attitudes are improving. I’m straight so can’t voice any experience, but I’d recommend that LGBTQ+ travellers read guides like this one before visiting the country to know what to expect.
Batumi is a liberal city (often called the “Las Vegas of the Black Sea” due to its amount of casinos!) so it might be better than other places when it comes to attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community, but as mentioned, I can’t be 100% sure.
Driving in Batumi (and Adjara)
Personally, I wouldn’t drive in Georgia, just because the rules of the road are slightly more relaxed than what I’m used to!
This also goes for Batumi and Adjara, although I didn’t experience any traffic incidents of note. More confident drivers may well be happy to drive themselves around the city and region!
I’d recommend being particularly careful if you’re heading from Batumi up to the mountains of Adjara and researching the roads carefully. If in any doubt, ask a local or use a driver.
Food and drink safety in Batumi
You can drink the tap water in Batumi – both tourists and locals do, and we enjoyed it throughout our stay.
Food-wise, like the rest of Georgia, restaurants in Batumi use fresh, delicious produce to create their sumptuous signature meals.
The Adjaruli Khachapuri, a cheese-filled bread “boat” with an egg and slab of butter in the middle, certainly wouldn’t be good for you if you ate it every day, but it’s delicious and well worth trying!
I’ve never heard of anyone getting food poisoning from a Georgian restaurant – generally, they take great pride in their food and I imagine that restaurant kitchens are kept hygienic.
Street dogs in Batumi
Like everywhere in Georgia, Batumi is home to many street dogs.
This shouldn’t cause any alarm or anxiety; Georgian street dogs are friendly and if you show them some affection they’ll follow you around the city!
But if you’re not a dog lover, they shouldn’t be too bothersome if you ignore them.
Rabies is a risk in Georgia, although the risk is low and most street dogs are vaccinated.
If you are bitten or scratched by a dog it’s important to see a doctor or vaccination centre to get a course of post-exposure vaccinations.
So, is Batumi safe?
Yes, Batumi is a safe city!
Crime rates are low, people are friendly and while it’s a good idea to be aware of current geopolitics, they shouldn’t affect your stay.
In fact, just like Tbilisi and the rest of Georgia, Batumi to me felt much safer than many Western European capitals.
