A Week by the Caspian: Baku’s Buzz and Gabala’s Serenity (Day 1 & 2)

We begin with a travel series by Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (Retd.), who recently visited Azerbaijan. This exceptional travel series is unique because it’s written from the heart and includes a mix of bitter-sweet and witty moments that our readers will find entertaining and informative. This comprehensive travelogue will be helpful if you’re considering a trip to this distant land in Eastern Europe and West Asia.

When you think of a trip abroad, a name like Azerbaijan hardly comes to mind immediately. It didn’t, for us too. Due to other engagements, we only had a mid-August slot, and it was already July. Some places we considered were in the Far East or Southeast Asia, but the weather would either be too wet or too warm. Europe was difficult as restrictions were imposed on the Schengen visa, and several other destinations were in the vicinity of conflict zones. So when a friend suggested Azerbaijan on the banks of the Caspian, it sounded like an idea. The e-visa process was quick, efficient and inexpensive. And Indigo had to and fro flights that were not too hard on the pocket.

Azerbaijan (Baku – Gabala) 

Day 1

We flew Indigo from Kolkata at 2.30pm on 10 Aug 24 and reached Baku just past midnight local time (-4) with a four-hour layover at Delhi. Don’t expect any frills from Indigo. It is best to eat in-flight and snack from the airports’ food courts.

We were received warmly (bouquet and all) by a friendly driver-cum-Man Friday, Shahin, who could understand and make himself understood in broken English. 
Shahin drove a Chevrolet Aveo sedan organised for us, since we were just two. Larger vehicles are organised for bigger groups so that everyone moves together. A 30-minute drive took us to Hotel Addison, a 4-star property in the heart of town. Beautiful, clean, wide roads. Azeris drive on the right side of the road, which, in India, is the wrong side.

100 AZN Note. Photo Courtesy: Biswajit Dasgupta

En route, we stopped to pick up some local currency, guided by Shahin, who assured us that the exchange rate was decent. Incidentally, one Azeri MANAT (AZN) is roughly INR 49 as on date.

The hotel was quite decent for the price we paid – an old Soviet-era property, it appears. It was a quick, no-frills check-in. The room was very spacious. There was no tea/coffee maker in the room and the carpet could be cleaner, but, there was little reason to complain. The linen and bathrooms were clean. There was running hot water. The staff was helpful, and there was good wi-fi connectivity. We had picked up a 10-day international roaming Airtel package back home, so connectivity all along was seamless over WhatsApp. 

Though English was not spoken much by the hotel staff, it was enough to get by, thanks to Indian ‘abhinaya’ skills. We crashed for the night after a day-long journey with the alarm set for 0830 in the morning with the intention to sample the breakfast at 0900 (Breakfast timings were from 0700 to 1000).

Azerbaijan (Baku-Gabala) Day 2

On arrival at Heydar Aliyev International Airport. Photo courtesy: Biswajit Dasgupta

Day 2 commenced with a late hands-call and leisurely breakfast at the hotel. Again, no frills, but the breakfast was adequately diverse and catered for vegetarians and non-vegetarians, though I must admit it was overtly partial to the meat-eaters. The fare served was tasty and wholesome.

Our driver, and Man Friday Shahin (MFS) was at the hotel dot at 10 a.m. and we set out to explore Baku by 10.30 a.m. in the morning. The temperature at Baku at this time of the year ranges from about 26 to 32 degrees, and so casual summer wear sufficed. 

Stop 1 was the Old City that encloses within its walls, about 1300 houses and 4000 residents. Quaint place over an area of about 22 hectares with cobblestoned roads and houses that exude an old-world charm. Very very touristy, and every ten steps, you have tourist agents soliciting your interest with one thing or another. We took a golf-cart ride around the city for about 40 minutes to get an overview and then walked the streets thereafter. 

Travel Tip: However, a golf-cart ride is not recommended and is unnecessarily expensive. A walking tour with a guide may be better. 

Dotted with traditional cafes and souvenir shops, it is the quintessential expensive tourist spot. We were advised by MFS to steer clear of any purchases or eating at the cafes there. We also visited the Maiden Tower, which was an ancient defensive watchtower with eight levels housing a small museum. The top of the tower affords a commanding view of the Caspian Sea and Baku which is quite a sight after the trudge all the way up.

Stop 2 had four places to see in close vicinity of each other. The first, ‘Little Venice’, is a small network of artificial canals with overbridges through which boats carrying tourists ply around for a fee. These are nothing like the gondolas of Venice but motorized boats that can carry about six people. The only similarity is perhaps the red striped shirts of the boat coxswains and the imitation hats a la the boatmen of Venice. Nothing like the real thing but a novel effort to get tourists to shed some extra manats. 

Little Venice, Baku. Photo Courtesy: Biswajit Dasgupta

Just adjacent to ‘Little Venice’, starts a Boulevard along the banks of the Caspian that stretches in an arc of over 20 kilometres along the Caspian rim of Baku. Spotlessly clean and wide with seating arrangements at regular intervals and stalls selling foodstuff, the Boulevard provides refreshing experience in a picturesque setting. 

At the far end of the Boulevard stands the Denise Mall. At first glance, it strongly resembles the Sydney Opera House. An imposing structure that houses an array of restaurants, eateries and shops, it seemed to be a preferred place for weekenders. Lots of good food options at the Food Court, at reasonable prices. We sampled a Chicken Pidem, which is very similar to a thin crust pizza in the shape of a leaf. The size was pretty generous for the price and good enough for two people.

Carpet gallery at HAC. Photo courtesy: Biswajit Dasgupta

The Carpet Museum is also located in the close vicinity of ‘Little Venice’. It is an absolutely ‘must see’ place in Baku. It has everything you wanted to know about Azerbaijani carpets including a live demonstration of a carpet loom. An exquisite array of colourful carpets is on display in a two-floor configuration. The museum also has a souvenir shop that is rather ‘pricey’.

Heydar Aliyev Centre, Baku. Photo courtesy: Biswajit Dasgupta

Stop 3 

The third and last stop for the day was the Heydar Aliyev Centre, a modern museum in the heart of the city. The beautiful structure was inspired by the signature of former President Heydar Aliyev, according to MFS. Easily one of the best museums I have seen in recent years with an amazing collection of antique as well as modern artifacts.

Vintage Chaika. Photo courtesy: Biswajit Dasgupta

On display are also Presidential limousines that were used by Heydar Aliyev during his tenure – from a vintage Chaika to a modern six-door Mercedes Benz. The carpet gallery here beats the Carpet Museum hands down for the sheer artistic brilliance and minute detailing of the carpets. The other unforgettables are the musical instrument and hand-sculpted dolls galleries – simply outstanding.

Tried our luck with some local cuisine at a couple of street side cafes. We were keen to sample shawarma and some pilaf and we managed that with some difficulty trying to explain our requirements to the waiters with all the sign language at our command. Just between us – I’d put my money on any roadside shawarma in India and the good old Kolkata biryani.

A word about people’s behaviour. Folks here are generally okay but straight-faced, especially the lighter-complexioned ones. There is definitely a ‘chill’ in their interaction, except for tourist solicitors who have learnt how to smile and talk. The visible lack of warmth is noticeable, with the odd exception. The rest remind me of the Sukumar Roy cartoon character upon whom a lifetime laughing ban had been imposed (for my Bong brethren, Ramgorurer Chhana). This made us realise how the South and South East Asian warmth and hospitality are legendary.

Thus ended Day 2. Exhausted but enriched by the experience.