Lets me give you pointers on what i have experienced in Baku for those of you who decide to travel to Baku, Azerbijan. ( this is from my own experience and may vary with others who have already been here- no bad intentions).
Travelled July- hot(32-37c) with winds.. cooler in evenings. Best time to travel is Mar-June and Sept-dec. Dec-Mar - Cold. Mountain range is cooler by few degrees during July.
Visa- There are document pre check at the airport so head straight over there… this is the Visa counter past the visa machines, where documents will be checked, remember to print out your PCR test/ vaccination card for easy checking.. after that you head back to the visa machines for payment… the cost of the visa needs to be paid via machine so has to be correct , so carry USD26 in exact change as the machine wont give change, or you can request to make change at the exchange( but the visa counter might take time so better come with change)
Airport- My luggage got damaged my trolley box wheel was broken and so if anything like that happen to you, you can claim this from the airlines- for that you need to approach the lost and found at the airport fill in a form and email the report with pictures to the airlines a d this is subject to their approval on if they will refund you amount of the box or repairs.
Currency- Though you use dollar at the airport, carry/convert to Manat as shops and excursion area use their own currency.
Hotel: we stayed at the Rusel park hotel near Hyder park. The hotel is new and is clean. the rooms are large and spacious.
Taxi- its better booking via Bolt app as its cheaper than calling a taxi off the road.
Rent a car- please ensure to check in advance for rental of cars as cars can be quite pricey.
Driving- driving is the same as Dubai but rem the rules are quite different and people are quite rash.. so new drivers it might be a nightmare. Loads of speed cameras and police though out. Better use the waze app to navigate around.
City- The city is charming and small as one of the airport staff was kind enough to explain quite a but of stuff to us on what we should visit see and eat..it is always good to get advise from locals who are to speak English.
Places to visit-
I used the Blot app to book taxis for local city travel as this was said to be cheaper than normal taxis..(also depends on distance - payment can be done though credit card and cash)
Sight seeing area-
City area:
Mini Venice- cost is manat 3 per person.. is a very short boat ride around a man made venician style river.
boulevard- is the walk side are next to the caspian sea
carpet factory - museum of intricate woven carpets and the history behind the weaving techniques
caspian sea- land locked sea flanking on side of baku.
All the above area are close to each other so rem to wear comfy shoes coz there is a bit of walking involved.
old Baku - beautiful old street ways with restaurants and houses on old cobble streets. Where you can buy your souvenirs from the government souvenir store where its at discounted prices.
Nizam street- fancy high end eatery and shops.
fountain street- different types of fountains
This area is on the opposite side of again involving a lot of walking.
Gabala mountain range- long drive atleast 2.5-3 hrs with weaving roads , flat lands and mountain ranges, carry water as prices more pricey are as you go further out of the city.
Waterfalls- very commercialized, with a small waterfalls, involves some short but steep hiking so wear comfy shoes, you can enjoy the Azerbaijan favorite jam tea at the top of the waterfalls.
Cable car at Gabala mountain ski resort- definitely worth a visit as its the most beautiful view of the mountain range from the top. The cable car takes you all the way up 2000m. Tickets range from 20-25 manat.
Nohur Lake - Lake surrounded by mountain range beautiful clean, lake is commercial with kids play areas and activities and boating. Entry is free but Self paddle boat on the Lake costs 9 manat.
Fire temple: situated in the city limits. This temples tells of the history of how Azerbaijan was on the silk route and how Hinduism plays a vital role in their culture. The entry is 4 manat.
Animal sanctuary- this requires that you drive or cycle into the reserve and boasts of seals, foxes and turtles. But we didn’t see anything except a viper and a few water snakes. Entry is 2 manat per person and 2 manat for the car. But honestly not worth the money as there is nothing to see.
Food-
Local cuisine has a very Arabic/ Mediterranean flavoring, their dish involves meats like beef/mutton/chicken.. they are special in their kababs shawarma and pilaf.. they also have very fresh olives and cheese so if are a fan you must try them. They also have over 10-20 varieties of local honey and fresh preserves and drinks. The preserves and drinks called komport are from these fruits that are abundantly available locally like pomegranate, strawberries, grapes, blackberries, cherries , peaches plums and pears
They also have a good selection of in house baked breads. Topped with sunflower seeds.
They use sumac(local spice) a lot in their salads.
Their home brewed beer is xirdalan( taste somewhat a bit of Amstel and Heineken) and many vodka and burbon. They also have selection of chocolate made with fresh milk- can be got from the local supermarkets.
Places i tried:
The cheese restaurant- beautiful interior and good selection of cheese and wines. Soft and delish sunflower rolls with fresh cold press olive oil.
meat lovers pizza spicy- 8 slice pizza with their own cured deli meats which was 2 types of beef and chicken with fresh basil/olive oil . Tiny chopped pickled chilies flank the top.
Penna pasta- al dente creamy cheese pasta with white sauce, with the best mozzarella and Parmesan cheese ever..
Xirdalan beer is available on their menu
Restaurant-
Tavaci baku-
Pidal- (similar to manakish) a flat bread topped with minced meat and sun dried tomatoes.
Sandwich- bread stuffed with small pieces of crispy fried chicken pieces
Shawarma- their is the Arabic style loaded with meat fries and pickle with tahina sauce.
Chicken Snitzel- crispy batter coated chicken with fries
Beef steak with fries- lovely seasoned pepper steak
Beef stroganoff- very creamy mushroom sause with beef strips served with fries
Beef kabab- juicy pieces of beef flanked with capsicum grilled to perfection
Malabar in galabala mountain range- This restaurant sits in the mountain between acers of vegetation. Its owned by a malayali who has been in Azerbaijan for over 13 yrs. This was part of the package tour that we took for the day. They served fruits like watermelon/ musk melon, clotted cheese( this is a very distinct taste and smell so check before you eat) cucumber/onion/l salad with sumac. For the mains they served roasted potato/brinjal/tomato/pepper with meat kabab/ mutton chops and roast chicken. Juice they served is a fruit punch drink made from plums called komport whuch has preserved plums inside the bottle.
Chalet and steak house at Gabala mountain range- the traditional tea with jam is definitely an experience their pot is good for 5-6 teas.
Kfc- the last day before we left we tried the kfc.. here buckets mostly are legs and wings and there is no meal boxes.
Around the lake small outlets- huge candy floss puff and potato swirl.
Basic: 1 manat-2.3dhs (subject to exchange rate change)
water bottles-(small to large) 1-3 manat
Coke bottle-(small to large 1-5 manat
Shawarma- medium 5manat
Beer in supermarket- 2 -10 manat
Beer in restaurants 3-15 manat
Pasta - 20 manat
Pizza -20 manat
Pidal- 6 manat
Sandwich- 7 manat
Candy floss- 2 manat
Potato swirl- 4 manat
Jams - 3-10 manat nothing more
Komport- Plum drink- 10 manat
Tea with Jam- 10-16 manat
Tea packs 2-19 manat
Saffron- 29-80 manat
Cost 20-40 manat.
People are very friendly though language is a barrier as many know little to no English. Many of them love Hindi music and can sing them quite. Check around many places before you settle on what you are planning to get as a souvenir.
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