Why Baku?
I needed a change of scenery. Don’t we all? I wanted to travel to a country but not sit for more than 6 hours on a flight. I did a quick search online and discovered Baku. I will admit the name intrigued me. The country’s name is Azerbaijan, and Baku is the infamous city. Well known to F1 fans like myself. The city is all the buzz during the F1 season. I was skeptical before landing and was not expecting much. I was in for a surprise. Azerbaijan, Baku, and Qabala did not disappoint. I fell in love with the country.
Azerbaijan has it all from beautiful old buildings to amazing 21-century architectural wonders. There is quite a lot to do and see in Baku. For those willing to adventure further out of the city, beautiful mountainous Qabala awaits. If you are seeking a bit of adventure or quiet time Qabala is the place for you. There are waterfalls, hiking trails and picture beautiful towns. It is also a lot cheaper than Baku. For many people who aren’t living in the middle east. This country is far to travel to but highly recommended. You will not be disappointed. The next time you plan on visiting Dubai why not take a trip to Baku too? For all those expats living in the middle east, make sure you travel to Baku. The flight time is short, and you can experience great weather, architecture that will blow your mind, food, culture, mountains, waterfalls, nightlife, family entertainment in a modern country with a rich history of the past. Beyond the old city, lies the new buildings waiting for you. Take me back to Baku anytime!!!
My Honest Opinion about traveling
Traveling is not cheap. Whether you a luxury or budget traveler or the in-betweener. You are spending money. Sometimes you able to stretch your notes a little further when the currency is in your favor. As the world is changing and tourism has increased a lot more. A lot of countries are now using the USA dollar or pecking their currency against it. Things are not staying cheap that’s for sure. But being in a new country has its advantages. No two countries are the same.
My rule of thumb is not to travel more than once to the same country. Its just too expensive and I’m invested in exploring other countries also. The world is vast, and I want to see it. Don’t you?
I have been traveling for 18 years now. I have a full-time career and kids, lots of responsibilities but I am a committed traveler. I think of myself as a person of the world now.
I am going back to Baku that’s for sure. It’s worth it. When my rule of thumb goes out the window, the country has had an impact on me.
Where is Azerbaijan?
Let’s not forget Azerbaijan is the country and Baku the city. Most often people refer to Baku as if it were a country. There is a lot more beyond the flaming towers and old city. A short drive out of the Baku lies mountains and valleys.
Azerbaijan is a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia a crossroad between Eastern Europe and Western Asia. Bounded by the Caspian Sea, the largest enclosed inland body of water on Earth. Well known as the world largest lake. This fact would be a reason to visit these countries that border the Caspian Sea. Russia is north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west and Iran to the south. Each country is unique and completely different. Check out my travels to Georgia and Armenia for more information.
Which do you prefer planning your trip or booking through a travel company?
When in doubt? Use a travel company! I like planning my holidays and its always better to do it yourself especially if you want to keep your budget and save a bit of cash. When I don’t have time to do it myself, I usually prefer a reliable and cost-effective company like the Holiday factory, https://www.holiday-factory.com/crazydeals/. I am a big fan of the holiday factory regardless of what you read online, I have read positive and negative reviews. I like to experience things for myself anyway, so I tried the company, and I have had no regrets so far.
The company offered what I wanted location, hotel, and price. The packages from the holiday factory tend to work out less expensive as opposed to booking your flights and hotel. The company provides airport pick up and a holiday representative. Al I needed to worry about was packing and educating myself about the country. I always have to know about a place before arriving there. The rest of my education comes from my experience and admittedly the Travel Guide’s knowledge. I am a mum of two kids, and they take a lot of my time. I do envy the single couples or people that sit on flights with their guidebooks reading away, while I am making sure my son has finished his meal and is not feeling restless next to me. So it’s usually a game of Uno cards or a movie for us. After the drama of packing three suitcases and planning the trip. The flight is a welcoming break for me. I get to make myself comfortable and sleep.
Getting Access into Azerbaijan
Firstly, your passport must be valid for six months to get a visa. There are nine countries which are exempted from obtaining a visa. No visa is needed – Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan.
Visa on arrival countries – 30 days access
Bahrain, China, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Oman, Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Turkey (60 days ), United Arab Emirates- residence from UAE can get a visa on arrival. Make sure your UAE residence visa is active and not expired.
Electronic Visa
This system which is called ASAN visa is a single entry for 30 days. The e-visa is issued within three working days. Print your visa, and you all set to enter after getting the required stamp from border control. For more information and application the link can be useful. https://www.azerbaijanonlinevisa.com
Best time to travel to Azerbaijan
We visited during the summer vacation, July and it was hot but pleasant. The evenings were cooler than the daytime. Baku has a great climate. The summers are not too hot ,and the winters are mild. December, January to February is the ski season.
Spring – (June through May )
Summer – (June through August )
Fall – (September through November )
Winter – (December through February
Sightseeing in Baku
As soon as you step out of the airport, you will be sightseeing. The purple London cabs are a big surprise. On our way to the hotel, I was amazed by the unusual architecture. I live in the UAE, Dubai is well known for the famous tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa, so seeing new buildings is very common to us. The architecture in Baku to me is mind-blowing. Unusual buildings and bridges are everywhere. I must have said a million ooooh and Ahhhhhs!! The buildings would be another reason to explore Baku.
Since we already had a travel guide, this made exploring a lot easier. Azerbaijanis speak Azeri a Turkic language. Russian and English is also widely spoken. Our guide directed us and helped with communication especially in the old town markets.
List of sights to explore
Palace of Shirvanshahs – 15th – century place with a mosque, burial vaults, architect and relic displays.
Heydar Aliyev Center – spacious modern and unique building. The design is great for pictures. Well, known art gallery and museum. The famous BAKU sign welcomes visitors and is a must for an amazing picture. Have your driver stop and let you capture the moment if you short on time for a visit into the museum.
Yanar Dag – This rare, natural gas fire blazes non- stop. Flames jet into the air 3 meters (9.8 feet) into the air. Quite a hot sight. The reason for the fire is the hydrocarbon gases emanating from below the earth’s surface.
Baku Boulevard – Established 1909 runs along the seafront. There is plenty of entertainment for the kids, restaurants, a great and vibrant nightlife. The amazing statues to keep you taking out your camera for the most unusual pics. The statues welcome for visitors and provide funny and entertaining pictures for your memories. Baku has it all!
Flame Towers – The tallest building in Baku, the three towers consist of apartments, office blocks and hotel. We took the cable car all the way to the top where there is a beautiful mosque. Crossed the busy street and got some great pictures of the Tower. Make sure to walk from the Towers back to the boulevard. There is a lot to see along the way.
Carpet Museum – Designed like a carpet, a wow moment. Didn’t I mention Baku has impressive architecture!!
Fountains Square Baku – Great for familes and for the romantic couple. Baku is a romantic city and you will see a lot of couples strolling along the boulevard.
Martyrs lane – The Kirov Park is a cemetery and memorial site in Baku. There is a flaming monument at the top of the hill, and you can get a great view of the Caspian sea. There’s a restaurant where you can enjoy a lovely lunch while taking in the views.
Nizami Street – A large pedestrian and shopping street downtown. The Opera house and Ballet theater are in the same location.
What to Eat in Baku – Azeri Delights
We ate a lot of Qutab – A delicious pastry filled with cheese, vegetables or meats. The ladies making it took so much of pride rolling the dough. I admired their skill and making money from selling it to passers. It is cheap and tasty.
Pilaf – Rice with meat or chicken and dried fruits.
Kebab – Grilled meat served with fries or salad
Dolmas – Stuffed Vegetables – Tomatoes , Aubergine, peppers stuffed with meat or Rice
Lavash Turshu – Sweet and salty flat pancake which is hung out in the sun to dry. You will see it everywhere on the streets and markets. Pickles and fruits are also sold everywhere and at a reasonable price.
You can’t travel to Baku and not to Qabala
Qabala is a city in northern Azerbaijan. It is mountainous, and there are waterfalls. Expect to see lots of green fields, old houses, and animals roaming the streets.
The top most important things to do in Qabala
Tufandag Complex – 5-star Qafqaz Tufandag Mountain Resort is located directly in the trail skiing area, right at the lower stations of the ski lifts. During the winter this place will be buzzing with skiers, we saw it July the summer month, and it was still beautiful. No snow, but a lot of greenery.
Qabala Shooting club – Very cheap and entertaining for the whole family. My kids and I enjoyed the archery.
Yeddi Gozel waterfall – Amazing waterfall and restaurant. Lovely to spend the day taking in the views and enjoying Azeri food.
Quabaland – I just had to take my son. Not the high tech Park you would expect but good enough for a family day out. It is also quite inexpensive. An hour or two is sufficient to explore the park and enjoy a few rides. There is a great photo opportunity at the entrance with the Qubala sign.
On a final note, I loved the country but was disappointed by the lack of beach access. We didn’t include spending time at the beach because of time restrictions and because you have to pay to access the beaches. There are hotels with prime beach locations, but as far as I know, the local beach is inaccessible and requires planning. We preferred a city holiday and a bit of the mountain vibes on our trip.
Recommendations for Hotels based on excellent service, location, price, and facilities.
https://boutique-hotel-baku.business.site/
https://qafqazhotels.com/hotels/qafqaz-karvansaray-hotel
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