Javakheti National Park

Javakheti national park was established in 2011 to protect a group of lakes and wetlands on the volcanic plateau in the far south of Georgia at around two thousand metres: Khanchali, Madatapa, Bugdasheni, Sulda and the marshes around them, shallow water in treeless grassland with old volcanic cones on the skyline. The birds are the reason it exists. Dalmatian pelican, white-headed duck, several grebe and tern species, cranes and large numbers of migrating waterfowl use the lakes, and the park has put up hides and a visitor centre. Water levels have been a long-running concern, with drainage and irrigation abstraction reducing some of the lakes considerably.

What you actually see

• Dalmatian pelicans - among the flagship birds of the plateau lakes.
• Shallow lakes in treeless grassland - the Javakheti wetland complex.
• Old volcanic cones - the skyline around the water.
• Bird hides and visitor centre - the park infrastructure for watching.

When to go

May to September, with spring and autumn passage the busiest for birds. A day. A telescope makes a large difference. Wind on the plateau is constant.

Honest expectations

Water levels vary enormously and some lakes have shrunk badly through abstraction, so bird numbers are unpredictable. There is almost no shade or shelter. Roads to the lakes are rough. Facilities beyond the visitor centre are minimal.

Nearby

Paravani lake is east; Akhalkalaki lies west.