While Azerbaijan has been on our list for a long time, direct connectivity from India is something that had stopped us from planning a trip to the Caucasian region. But with both Indigo and Azerbaijan airlines operating regular flights from Delhi, planning a vacation to this place is very easy now. It is a quick 4 hours flight from Delhi to Baku. Ours was a 11 day trip where we went from Delhi to Baku, Baku to Tbilisi and Tbilisi to Delhi. We spent 5 days in each place. The visa to Azerbaijan is also pretty easy. It was a simple online application and we got the e-Visa in 3 days.

There are parts of Baku that will look like a replica from Paris. The roads, the building architecture and the trees; everything will resemble a typical street in Paris. While there other part of the city (including the Flame Towers) will give you a feel of Dubai. Even the waterfront is very well developed. This city is very kids friendly with lot of outdoor activities available for the kids. We also did few day trips from here exploring the outskirts of Baku. Below are the key must try things when in Baku.

Things to do:

• Exploring the Waterfront: The waterfront is very long and is full with engagement activities and restaurants. Our daughter had a great time enjoying many rides and a big trampoline installed over there. We were able to enjoy our books getting some time for ourselves. The restaurants are not that expensive in Baku and the ones in waterfront have very good ambience with a view of the sea.

• Parks in Baku: Every 500 meters you will find a park in Baku. There was one big park right in front of our hotel where I used to go for an early morning walk. There will be kids riding scooters and toddlers chasing pegions. Each park will be unique in its theme and some will also have nice fountains in it. Do keep some time aside just to take walk across these parks spread through out the city.
• Fire Temple: This is a very ancient temple with natural gas reserve underneath. There are couple of places here in which fire is always lit. Historically people in Azerbaijan were fire worshippers while today it is dominantly a muslim nation. A lot of Hindus also found their way to Baku and both set of believers used to worship in this temple. You will find a lot of sanskrit verses here and hindu deities placed in different parts of the temple. Off late this place has been a sensation in social media and is the iconic photo for Azerbaijan in India.

• Mud Volcanoes: They are very close to the city. Once you reach there you have to take old soviet era cabs to reach the actual volcanoes. They are not hot but there are bubble of mud coming from the ground at different places. The drive will remind you of Mad Max and overall a very interesting place to visit during your trip. Our daughter enjoyed playing in the mud and we had a hard time cleaning her up afterwards. So if you are going there with kids, then do have additional set of clothes.

• Gabala: This place is best planned as a day trip from Baku. It is a ski town when it snows but otherwise has good green view of mountains if visited in summers. You will come across many photo points on the way to here. Our guide also took us further up in the mountain where they had small cottages and nice little restaurant for snacks.

• Red mountains: These mountains were a part of our day trip to Gabba. You have to make a small hike and get amazing view of the barren mountains around you. They are a part of Candy Cane mountains. The color is formed by different mineral composition in the rocks. It is nice place for photoshoot.

• Nizami Street: This is the shopping and dining hub of Baku. It is very vibrant and probably worth spending half day just to walk around. We tried few restaurants serving local cuisine on different occasions and were never disappointed. And when you are tired of walking in the hot weather, just get inside any of the shops near by to get some rest and also do bit of shopping.

• Old City: This place will feel a bit out of the place compared to everything else that you see in the city. It is the cultural heart and was also declared a Unesco world heritage site. You will see narrow lanes and old houses giving a glimpse of what Baku was before it bloomed to this big city that we have right now. It is also a good place to buy local souvenirs and have some great food.

• Baku Eye: This is a giant ferris wheel located near the waterfront. It is an iconic modern landscape depicting Baku. Unfortunately we had kept it for the last day and it was closed by the time we reached in the evening. So do check the timings as it closes sooner than we expected on weekdays.
• Hyder Mosque: This is one beautiful mosque and best visited in the evening. It is a short taxi ride from the city center. It is very grand and is a symbol of the architecture of Azerbaijan. Do keep enough time in hand as you will enjoy the evening breeze walking around the mosque and loose track of time.

• Bibi Heybat Mosque: This mosque was on our way to the mud volcanoes. It was restored recently. Though not as grand as Hyder Mosque, this place is of significant religious importance for the city. The locals and tourists both visit this holy place. This place represents the culture and the values of the country.

So overall a great trip from India (or from anywhere). The city as well as the outskirts offer a lot to of for kids and adults equally.