Azerbaijan, a.k.a ‘Land of Fire,’ is a country of contrasts. The reason for this is that Azerbaijan has gone through such a drastic transformation from the Soviet-era to its current state – and Baku, its capital city is the best example of this. The transformation, thanks to the injection of oil money has placed Azerbaijan on the top of the travellers list.
Baku has become a playground of architectural experiments and one look at the futuristic Heydar Aliyev Art Center or the flame Towers is enough to reinforce that belief.
For the sake of convenience, I stayed in the Old Town where I found both old stone structures and hypermodern buildings existing side by side, creating a harmony of elements and aura.
Location: Azerbaijan shares borders with Russia, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia and Iran, with Caspian Sea on its East.
Before I go into details, let me say this straight away. Baku is very safe to travel, even for solo females. If you are a solo female traveller, cast your travel worries aside.
Why Baku should be on your travel list
From the moment I set foot in Baku, I was mesmerized at how everything was. I was surprised at how clean and organised the city was. My first impression was that of awe. Baku had its own charm. Picture this – A mysterious old town (Icheriseher) surrounded by futuristic buildings naturally made it a tourist’s paradise. Baku offers the best of the Old and New – is at once luxurious and archaic. It is intriguing, to say the least and definitely worth a visit.
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What to expect
I had come with an open mind but frankly, Baku (and the whole of Azerbaijan) exploded al the myths surrounding it. I had not come expecting to find awe-inspiring architecture or modern boulevards, luxury shopping, vintage cars and oil rigs but it was all right there, snuggling up to the old Town (Icheriseher), the city’s medieval heart.
Both sides of Baku blended so seamlessly with a lot of Soviet touches.
What to do on a short visit
I enjoyed the week I spent in Azerbaijan, dividing my time between the city and the countryside and a short visit to Gabala. But if you are doing a weekend- trip to Baku, you can just as easily take in a lot of sights around the capital city itself. The best thing about Baki us that is there is no “established” tourist trail – so you don’t really need to go about ticking boxes.
- Old City (Icheriseher): This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site dating back to the 6th century and includes the Maiden Tower. Just outside this is the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum.
- Yanardag: The mountain that burns. Fed by natural gas, this fire has been burning for thousands of years.
- Mud volcanoes:
- Heydaer Aliev Centre: The most famous buildings of all containing a museum and conference center with rotating exhibitions.
- Shopping
- Dining: Enjoy digging into delicious kebabs and manti.
- Gobustan: To see the petroglyphs – people dancing, hunting and petroglyphs of animals. Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Day trips from Baku
I suggest hiring a taxi for the below activities. You can easily get help from your hotel/hostel for this. In fact, with a little planning, it is possible to visit all the following spots in one day –
Gobustan National Park, the Mud Volcanoes, Yanar Dag and the famous Ateshgah.
Where to stay
Baku has all the top hotel brands besides the smaller, locally run guesthouses and hotels and some backpacker accommodation. Although I’d suggest staying closer to the old Town which is near most of the attractions and eateries. Most hotels offer breakfast with the room, are clean and spacious and can help you with your taxi and tour bookings.
What locals dishes to try
1. Pilaf/ Plov: Rice with meat, dry fruits, apricots, spices, herbs – this dish takes centre stage always.
2. Dolma: Vine leaves stuffed with meat and vegetables
3. Qutab: A quesadilla shaped flatbread with filling of meat/cheese/greens
4. Kebabs
5. Dushbara: Meat dumplings in a broth
6. Pakhlava: Also called Baklava is an ubiquitous dessert
7. Manqal Salati: A delectable salads containing eggplants, tomatoes, bell peppers, coriander, dill, basil and spicy peppers and spring onions.
Here is what an Azeri breakfast looks like –
Simple and modest the Azerbaijani breakfast all about sweet tea, tandir bread, with homemade white salty cheese, butter, cream, and honey. However, no breakfast set is complete without the main dish, pomidor yumurta (tomato and egg) or eggs mixed with greens.
Shopping in Baku
Baku has world-class shopping. From top luxury brands to high street fashion, there is everything to be found. Baku Mall has more local options and Nizami Street is a great place for bargain shopping and souvenirs.
Transportation in Baku
The city is best when explored on foot. You can get just about anywhere on foot. So, if you are planning to spend your time only in Baku, avoid renting a car. But if you want to explore the countryside, hiring a car and guide is a good idea.
The use of bicycles is gaining popularity.
Buses and metros are safe to use, are quick and efficient and best option to get around the city.
Uber and Bolt are also available.
Getting to the airport: There are buses going/coming to the airport every 20 or 30 minutes, all day long. The buses drop off passengers in downtown (at 28th May metro station).
Budget
Baku, in comparison to most of Europe is relatively inexpensive. Here is roughly what it costs for essentials –
Sim Card: 46 Manat
Taxi from airport to city: 30 Manat
Entry into Sirvanshah Palace: 30 Manat
Gobustan Tour: 225 Manat (includes pick up/drop from hotel, Gobustan national park, mud volcanoes, Yanar Dag and Ateshgah and lunch.
Starbucks coffee: 5 Manat
And lastly, remember to…
- Watch out for scams though and avoid walking alone late at nights.
- Watch out for taxi scams and SIM Card scams (I suggest getting your SIM card at the airport)
- Always check your bill in the restaurants. In some places they might charge extra for bread and salads. If you don’t understand the bill, don’t hesitate to go over every item on the bill before paying.
- Before taking a cab discuss the price to avoid disappointment.
