Sightseer62593015400
September 2, 2024
Azerbaijan is a wonderful confluence of the erstwhile USSR, Europe and Arab richness. People are friendly. The city is blessed with cool winds, natural beauty, technological innovation and beautiful people. Great places of historical, natural and modern significance, most of which will impress you a lot. I visited Baku with friends and engaged a private van instead of joining the SIC (Bus) bandwagon. We wanted that flexibility, hence paid about 15% extra - it was a great idea as we could stretch our time per our convenience. Our visits primarily included Baku city tour, Old Baku+Nizami street, Baku Boulevard, Little Venice, Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center, Upland Park (Highland Park) and Flame Towers, Palace of the Shirvanshahs, Gobustan/Mud volcanoes, Shahdag (with optional entertainment rides), Ateshgah Fire Temple & Yanardag Fire Mountain. Indian food is available aplenty at many restaurants across Baku. If you are a vegetarian, you might miss the typical Indian breakfast, but you will still be able to manage relatively well. Most establishments accept cards, would suggest to keep some limited amount of AZN/USD in case a need arises.. Else, cards should suffice. We were able to survive the entire 5 day trip with a forex-plus card and USD 50/- in cash (incl some shopping for chocolates and local trinkets/mementos) Last, language is a major hurdle as most folks speak/understand only Azaerbaijani or Russian. English is a major obstacle. Recommend usage of translator apps. Baku also has a decent nightlife with eateries, restaurants, night-clubs remaining open long into the night. Wish you a great vacation and hope you enjoy Baku's beauty!