So this time in kids vacation v planned to go to GEORGIA, we were super excited, but few days before leaving we came to know that alot of people were deported on Georgia airport (click the link for gulf news report). We were heart broken... a friend suggested us to go to Baku.When I searched Baku on internet I couldnt find any detailed information. But since we had no other option and my kids were adamant to go somewhere out of UAE so WE DECIDED TO GO TO BAKU.
We were happy just because we were travelling with two other family friends, other than that there wasn't much we were expecting...
COST PER PERSON
Cost per person was 2000 AED.
We went in a group of 6 adults and 7 kids arranged by Musafir.com Cost included
Return Flight,
Hotel stay for 4 nights 5 days (in 4 star Shah Palace Hotel)
Hotel pick up and drop off,
3 days guided tours,
Tickets of all the museums, parks and chair lift in Gabala
Mercedes mini van for day 2 & 3. (Gabala was 4 hour drive one side)
OUR ITINERARY
Day 1
Dubai airport to Baku airport 1pm to 5pm.
Stay at Shah Palace Hotel (in old city)
Day 2
Old city guided tour
Day 3
Visit to 2 Museum showing village life of azerbaijan
Fire temple.
YANAR DAG, (meaning burning mountain).its a natural gas fire which is blazing countinuously on hillside for thousand of years.
Day 4
Gabala (its a beautiful place with chairlifts)
Day 5
Hyder Ali Airport to Dubai.
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND
It is a beautiful city, but do get hotel in OLD BAKU city there is so much to look around... specially dont miss Nizami street.
We went in the month of August, in morning weather was super hot so do pack your umbrellas. but in evenings it was very pleasant. It was a lovely break after hot weather of Dubai :) It is a tourist friendly place so you will find water and cold beverages on every corner.
Knowing education is 100% in Baku, It was little strange when I noticed there were very few people who could communicate in english, even mcdonalds manager at Baku airport couldnt understand us. When I asked my tourist guide, (who had excellent english) he said no one is uneducated in BAKU but they resist learning and speaking English... though its changing now.
You will not hear Azan, or see any mosques around. our guide told us though it is a muslim country but there are very few mosques in Azerbaijan and they all are at one place, plus they dont have loud speakers so u cant hear Azan unless you are living next to the mosque.
By the way it was super cheap... their currency is manat, and 1 Manat = 2.16 AED. Approximate meal per person is almost 7 to 10 Manat (15 to 20dhs) which includes drink salad, and good portion of food. We got little toys for kids for 2 Manat. Souvenirs we bought for 30 Manat.
dont forget to bargain though... ;)
Super Clean. It was v neat and clean. New and old both parts of the city were very clean.
One thing I read about Azerbaijani people on internet before going was that they are very friendly. But sadly speaking my experience was completely opposite to that other than v few ladies, who wanted to know where are we from...
Check out some pics and a video I compiled from our Baku trip.
Check out some pics and a video I compiled from our Baku trip.
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| Shah Palace Hotel, Old Baku City |
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| Me & Hubby all fresh for 2nd day touring. |
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| Our tour Guide, Kareem. |
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| Kids after a tiring day. |
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| Me, at Baku Museum |
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| Me & my friends. |
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| Beautiful Old Baku City Streets |
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| Kababz yummm |
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| And more Kababz :) |
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| highly recommended, hand made ice cream from Doner Kabab |
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| crafter mom's family, 1 sleepy head missing. |
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| Fire Temple. |
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| Fire Temple. |
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| fruit sellers, in our van... when we stopped for a while, on our way to Gabala. |
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| Kids in front of Baku's ancient bazar. |
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| This Bazar is centuries old. |
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