COMMENT.am

There's something magical about driving through the Caucasus with the windows down, the scent of pine and mountain air drifting into the car - and knowing that a steaming mineral pool awaits at the end of the road. Armenia and Georgia, both sitting on centuries-old volcanic beds, are dotted with thermal waters that bubble straight from the earth. Some lie in well-developed spa towns; others hide deep in gorges, accessible only by winding gravel roads and a sturdy SUV.