Azerbaijan
Country: Azerbaijan
Highlights: Gastronomy ★★, Art / Museums ★★, Historical sites ★★, Natural Beauty ★, Shopping ★; Sports/Adventure ★, Geographic extremes ★★★, Glamour ★,
When to go: Mid-seasons
Where to go: Baku and Registan
Downside: Ugly oil production facilities all around. No more Sturgeons from the Caspian Sea.
Our Experiences: Azerbaijan is a very rich oil producing nation. After the Soviet Union split, this small country has retained one of the biggest oil sources in the region. The city of Baku is inviting and modern with some original architecture concept, preserving an identity. The international luxury hotel chain is now present. We have visited interesting archaeological sites, mosques and forts. Everything with nice high-end tourist services. The Caspian Sea (the world´s largest lake ) is the home of the famous Beluga Sturgeon, unfortunately chased almost tp th extinction due to it´s gold priced fish roes, the Beluga Caviar. The fish is now protected and the world caviar production has been farmed, since then. ( And doesn´t taste the same anymore) We have tasted in Baku the world´s last wild caviar ever produced in 2011. We actually bought the maximum permitted allowance at the time. It was so delicious, but very sad to know there would be no more.
Hotels we love and recommend: Marriott ( Baku )
