7 Reasons To Visit Little Explored Nation Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, the Land of Fire, combines the historical, mysterious and exotic with hospitable locals who can never do enough to help a tourist. The government recently made it easier to visit Azerbaijan by introducing an eVisa and after oil prices fell, the country suddenly became a very affordable destination. Here are a few reasons to visit this little-explored nation in the Caucasus.

# Affordable

After Azerbaijan’s oil boom, prices soared as the country’s economy skyrocketed. Oil prices dropped, and so did the value of the Manat falling to almost 50% of its value in 2015. Visiting Azerbaijan is now affordable with daily costs of travel rarely exceeding $60 including accommodation, food and drink, admission fees and entertainment. Backpackers should be able to get by on between $30 and $40 per day.

# The Azerbaijan eVisa

The Azerbaijan visa once took weeks involving trips to embassies and hefty fees. But, the recent eVisa has made the formalities faster, easier and cheaper. Tourists of 100 nationalities can apply for the Azerbaijan tourist visa, which costs $20 plus a $3 service fee taking approximately three business days to process. The ease of getting a visa combined with affordability make good reasons to visit Azerbaijan.

# Mud volcanoes

More than a third of the world’s mud volcanoes are along the Absheron Peninsula. Mud or sedimentary volcanoes by their technical name, erupt plumes of mud after pockets of subterranean gas build pressure forcing it to the surface. Azerbaijan’s Turaghai and Boyuk Khanizadagh are among the world’s largest at 700 metres (2297 feet). The volcanoes tend to bubble away slowly causing the sides to build up over time.

# The locals

Similar to their Georgian neighbours, the culture in Azerbaijan makes people open and welcoming. They give the best hospitality possible. One Airbnb host in Baku insisted on walking to the supermarket and carrying our shopping bags, despite being on his lunch break with an outside temperature of 40°C. Another in Ganja, Azerbaijan’s second city, took us sightseeing and back to his village for the night without expecting anything in return. Younger Azerbaijanis speak some English and are almost always happy to help.

# Mountain villages

The Caucasus Mountains stretch across parts of northern Azerbaijan and Georgia creating a variety of historical and cultural villages. Quba, in Azerbaijan’s northeast, is a favourite tourist destination. Nearby Laza, Xinaliq and Buduq communities make interesting villages to visit to experience a culture almost entirely lost to time. The region is also home to the East Caucasus Mountain Jews. It’s advisable to visit as part of a tour.

# The Azerbaijan grand prix

Baku hosted the Grand Prix for the second time in 2017 as the global superstars of Formula One descended on Azerbaijan’s capital. The Baku City Circuit covers 51 laps around the 6 km (3.7 miles) track in the capital’s long straight streets. Fans from around the world came for the occasion.

# The historical, traditional and modern

The architecture in Azerbaijan is varied. From Baku’s modern Flame Towers and opulent House of Government to medieval palaces and temples dotted here and there. The Walled City of Baku combines elements of medieval and traditional Islamic Azerbaijan styles. Europeans, attracted by Baku’s first oil boom in the 19th-century, designed the Old City with baroque and gothic architecture. And the same as other former socialist republics, like those found in Eastern Europe and the Balkans, you’ll face the endless apartment blocks typical of the 20th-century.