Azerbaijan holiday
A curious country, Azerbaijan shares the trait of its Caucasian neighbours of not really belonging to either Europe or Asia, taking elements from both but in a class of its own. With flaming hillsides, ancient temples and the grandeur of Baku, this intriguing little country is as unusual as it is enigmatic. Our short tour to Azerbaijan starts in the capital, a mish mash of Soviet planning, medieval architecture and modern buildings, distinctly unique and rather alluring. We explore the surrounding Absheron Peninsula with Yanardag – the fire mountain – and the Temple of the Fire Worshippers, and then gaze in amazement at the bizarre mud volcanoes of Gobustan, yet another quirky side of Azerbaijan. After exploring the historic centre of Baku we head away from the big city to Sheki with its centuries old caravanserais, old Khan’s Palace and a distinct flavor of yesteryear, as well as visiting nearby monasteries and churches. Returning back to the capital, we have a little more time to soak up its ambience and also take a boat trip on the Caspian Sea, the world’s largest body of inland water. For those with a little more time to spare, why not extend your visit with a brief stay in Nakhchivan, a landlocked Azeri enclave with some fantastic old monuments and superb scenery. Azerbaijan may just be one of the most incredible places you’ve visited yet.
Day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Baku - Arrive in Baku and transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax or explore. Overnight Diplomat Hotel or similar.
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| Day 2: | Absheron Peninsula - We spend today exploring the Absheron Peninsula. Visit the ‘flaming mountain’ of Yanardag, continuously alight with burning underground gases that seep through holes in the earth’s surface. We then visit the ‘fire-worshippers’ temple of Ateshgah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and continue to the medieval fortress at Amirjan before returning to Baku for the night. Overnight Diplomat Hotel or similar. (BLD)
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| Day 3: | Baku – Gobustan - Explore Azerbaijan’s capital, including the medieval fortress of Icheri Sheher, the Shirvanshahs’ Palace and the 15th century caravanserai among other sites. From Baku we head to the bizarre mud volcanoes at Gobustan, and see the numerous Neolithic rock drawings nearby. Overnight Diplomat Hotel or similar. (BLD)
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| Day 4: | Sheki - Travel west to the historic town of Sheki. En route we visit the Diri Baba Mausoleum in Maraza and the Yeddi Gumbaz Mausoleum at Shamakha. From here continue to Sheki across the Muganly Pass, with great views of the mountains along the way. Overnight Sheki Olimpik Hotel or similar. (BLD)
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| Day 5: | Sheki - Explore Sheki with its 18th century Khan’s Palace, caravanserais and old mosques. Sheki is a delight to wander around, with winding streets and traditional houses giving the feeling of yesteryear. Overnight Sheki Olimpik Hotel or similar. (BLD)
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| Day 6: | Kish - Ganja – Baku - From Sheki we take a trip to the nearby village of Kish with its interesting Albanian church. We then head to Ganja, Azerbaijan’s second city. Upon arrival visit the local bazaar, the 17th century mosque of Shah Abbas and the unique ‘bottle house’ a local building decorated with nearly 50,000 bottles. Our final destination for the evening is Baku. Overnight Diplomat Hotel or similar. (BLD)
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| Day 7: | Baku - Our last day in Azerbaijan. We visit the History Museum for an insight into the various cultures and civilizations that have held sway here, and take a boat trip out on the Caspian Sea. The rest of the day is free for you to explore. Overnight Diplomat Hotel or similar. (BLD)
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| Day 8: | Baku - Transfer to the airport for departure. (B)
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How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
Our guides will brief travellers on appropriate behaviour, both cultural and environmental, and we make a point of ensuring that we leave no permanent traces of our stay behind, taking all rubbish with us. We work with our local suppliers to highlight best practice in terms of environmental issues, and introduce them to ‘green thinking’, which often does not feature as an issue in the nascent tourism industry in Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan does not see the same numbers of visitors that many other countries experience and as such some practices which we take for granted in other parts of the world may not be found here. We work closely with our suppliers to introduce concepts of environmental responsibility to the communities that we travel through. This can include asking hotels to implement practices such as asking guests if they need fresh cleaned towels each day, and reminding guests to turn off lights when they leave the room – small things that are standard practice in many places in the western world but not necessarily elsewhere. Most of the places that we stay in on this tour will take advantage of the excellent local produce, not only sustaining traditional communities but ensuring that unnecessary food miles are not made.
Gobustan, with its mud volcanoes, is a unique environment and is susceptible to human pressures, Our groups are carefully briefed on appropriate behaviour here in order to minimise human impact.
Community
Our philosophy is to only use small and locally owned suppliers, meaning that the income remains within the country and creates a real economic contribution. We also feel that the passion inherent within such suppliers means that your experience will be enhanced. We also try to engage with our suppliers on an equal basis – getting the lowest possible price usually isn’t the best outcome for local communities and is ultimately unsustainable. We aim to always treat our suppliers fairly and with respect; they are after all part of the key to our success and to us working together is much more than just a business arrangement, but an ongoing relationship that we aim to ensure truly benefits everyone involved.
We believe that tourism is a double edged sword that needs to be wielded very carefully. Our philosophy is to have a limited amount of departures – usually between one and three a year - for each of our itineraries. By limiting our presence in areas where local culture can be quite fragile, we hope to avoid as much as possible the phenomenon whereby an area changes in character due to repeated and prolonged exposure to tourism. We want to visit an area as friends, not intruders and to ensure that what we see will also be there for others to enjoy for many years to come.
We only employ local staff and unlike many operators we believe that to send a foreign Tour Leader along to accompany your trip is an unnecessary burden on your wallet and our carbon footprint. We believe that locals know best. Our local operators only use locally owned accommodation. This means your money stays in the area to benefit the local community. When possible we use local transport, (i.e. rail or bus) and we always use local restaurants, markets and shops and encourage our clients to interact both financially and socially with the communities that they are passing through. In doing this your travels are supporting and encouraging the development of local services.
We only work with operators who are as committed as we are to putting something back into the communities we visit. This may include giving a percentage of the profits from each tour to a foundation to help street children or local conservation projects. Furthermore, in order to allow our clients to make an informed decision on where a greater proportion of their money should be spent, we avoid including pre-paid full board meals where possible. Local restaurants and cafes then benefit.
Our groups average only six clients, and many tours operate on a private basis with just two travellers. This has much less impact when travelling through rural areas, reducing our environmental and social affects. Finally to emphasis our commitment to Responsible Tourism all clients will receive a copy of our Travellers Code of Conduct with their travel documents.
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