Azerbaijan seems to be a very obscure and possibly considered a “weird place” to many travellers, albeit few have a clue what Azerbaijan is all about. Even the more intrepid travellers of our world, don’t consider visiting Azerbaijan.
I recently ventured here and found the capital city, Baku, a pleasant town with friendly people. The country certainly is worth a visit and offers some very memorable experiences.
I was travelling around the Baltic state of Latvia, when I decided to fly down to Azerbaijan to see and experience it for myself. I’ll never regret this decision.
To make a long story short, I was very impressed. The capital city of Baku is filled with surprises and even a few culture shocks. People are friendly and often will ask you to join them enjoying a pot of tea or a pitcher of beer in the many cafes scattered around town.
Many historical buildings have been nicely renovated and the city is going through a boom of improvements and upgrading which means, if you want to see the way Baku has been for millennia, you better visit ASAP.
A visit to nearby Georgia and Armenia will convince you just how special the Caucasus region is.
Around town are many gas fields to the south with very interesting and surreal areas where cold gas bubbles out of mud pools which looks more like you are on the moon.
Rural Azerbaijan has much to offer, including the mountain in the north, known for their authentic mountain villages.
From Baku, trains run west towards the incredible state of Georgia, which is one of my favourite countries in this part of the world.
During my visit I found the region to be safe, as safe as travel can get these days.
Go and enjoy Azerbaijan and tell them Globerovers sent you!
Maiden Tower, Baku, Azerbaijan Old City Walls, Baku, Azerbaijan
Blog post and photos by Peter who has been travelling almost full-time since 2005 and has been to over 122 countries. He visited several countries, such as Japan, more than 20 times. Peter is Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of GlobeRovers Magazine, an independent travel magazine focused on intrepid destinations.