For many Indian families, a first international trip is more than a vacation, it’s a milestone. It’s months of planning, quiet excitement, careful budgeting and proud anticipation. That was exactly the case for one Indian traveller who recently took his 52-year-old mother on her first flight and first journey abroad, choosing Georgia as their winter destination.
He shared his experience on
. On paper, everything was in order. He held a valid US B1/B2 visa, which allows Indian passport holders visa-free entry into Georgia. The tickets were booked months in advance. , and his plan was just simple and heartfelt, which was to show his mother snow for the first time.
But, what followed, however, was not a dramatic travel disaster, as there were no detentions, no denied entries, no official violations. Instead, a string of interactions that, taken together, didn’t give them a good feeling, and left them feeling unwelcome.
At immigration: “Why are you even here?”
He adds, “The officer asked if I had a visa. I said I have a valid US visa. I explained that my mother cannot speak English, so we approached the counter together. The officer asked, “Why are both of you here?” I explained again that my mother only understands Tamil.
Her response, he says, was blunt: “Why are you even here then?”
“I was already frustrated,” he wrote. “So I just said: tourism.”
He described visible irritation from the officer, eye-rolling, annoyed expressions, and what he interpreted as hostility. After confirming that he had previously travelled to the United States on his visa, they were eventually allowed through.
But as they walked away, he says the officer made a dismissive hand gesture and muttered something in Georgian.
He adds that he doesn’t speak Georgian, but tone and body language don’t need translation.
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At the hotel
Their next uncomfortable moment came during a one-night stay in Gudauri. Because they had left their physical passports at their Airbnb in Tbilisi and carried only digital copies, the hotel receptionist was reportedly cold and visibly annoyed during check-in. While that interaction was ongoing, a white tourist from their day tour entered the building simply to use the restroom, she wasn’t even a guest.
“The receptionist immediately smiled and greeted her,” he wrote. “Another staff member held the door open and guided her in politely.”
When he and his mother entered earlier with luggage, as paying guests, they struggled with the door. “The same staff member just motioned us to come in.
No help. ”
The contrast was obvious, he added, and it was definitely not comfortable.
Not every encounter was negative. Some cab drivers, including a few Russians, were warm and kind. But he says roughly half of their service interactions felt cold or dismissive. “No response to greetings. No nod. No reply when I said thank you.”
Cafés and taxis offered functional service, but little courtesy. Individually, each moment was minor.
Together, he says, they formed a pattern he couldn’t ignore.
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Exit airport: Extra scrutiny
At departure security, he was selected for swab testing. He noticed two other visibly Muslim passengers being checked as well.
“I was almost asked to remove my shoes too,” he wrote, noting that only passengers wearing long boots were being required to do so, and he wasn’t wearing boots. After a pause, the officer did not proceed. At passport control, he says he was asked to show a Georgian visa despite having entered legally using his US visa.
“Nothing escalated,” he acknowledged. “But it felt unnecessary.”
He further adds, “Maybe none of it was ‘complaint-worthy,’ but taken together, it didn’t feel right.”
He went further, adding: “If you are brown, traveling on an Indian passport, or visibly Muslim, you will most likely face extra scrutiny and, at times, disrespect — even when all your documents are valid.” The most painful part, however, was personal.
“This was my mother’s first international trip. First flight ever. I was so excited to show her snow.”
He had even planned to return in spring to see Georgia’s landscapes in a different season. After this experience, he says, that won’t happen.
He anticipated criticism, that he should have researched more. He had, he says, booked three months in advance. Originally, Vietnam was the destination, but nine-hour layovers felt too exhausting for someone who had never flown before.
Georgia seemed simpler and more manageable. a
“In hindsight, maybe I should have researched more deeply,” he admitted. “And I accept that.”
The post has sparked discussion among travellers about subtle bias, passport privilege, and the difference between overt discrimination and quiet exclusion. Many Indian travellers also shared similar kind experiences while travelling abroad. It also highlights a reality many travellers agree that documentation may grant entry, but not always dignity.
