A rather unique place in the vast expanses of the former USSR. Wagons are lowered into the cave. A comfortable and interesting excursion, especially for tourists with children. And, of course, the opportunity to take a 1.5 hour break from the sweltering Abkhazian heat.
Cons: it is better to arrive in the morning, much in advance of the expected hour of visiting the cave. Tickets for the root are bought by tour companies for large groups of tourists and you have to wait for an "empty seat" in the queue at the entrance for an average of 1.5 - 2 hours. Sometimes there are no tickets at all. Waiting, naturally in the heat, outdoors.
There is a toilet, moderately dirty and small. It is completely not designed for a passability of several thousand tourists per day.
The lack of its own parking. Rather, there is a parking lot, but it has been seized by local merchants. The cost of placing a car is 250 rubles.
I'm not a fan of such places, but the cave was very impressive in its scale. The guide competently and consistently told about the history of the cave, many beautiful locations. I really liked it! Of course, there are disadvantages, firstly parking, in order to leave the car for 1.5 hours you need to pay 250 rubles, secondly - a huge number of people, especially when they come in groups. There is a very huge queue.
We were with my wife and son in July 2024, we liked it, the size of the caves, huge vaults, the lake are impressive, it's very atmospheric, and when Bach was turned on, the atmosphere became even more fascinating) It's cool in the cave, somewhere +14-+15 I walked in a T-shirt, it was comfortable, my wife and son froze a little, the tour was long-about an hour and a half, so be patient, do not buy permission for photo and video shooting, no one there will give you a hand, take pictures for your health!