Baku Travel
Baku is the capital of Azerbaijan, featuring a mix of old and new architecture. To fully enjoy the city, it's best to spend two to three days here. There are many places worth visiting, but getting around can be challenging as taxis are not always easy to find and not all attractions are accessible by public transport. During my visit, I explored the Old City, Fountain Square, Baku Boulevard, the Carpet Museum, and the Heydar Aliyev Center, among others.
The Old City is a large area filled with ancient buildings, mostly selling souvenirs, textiles, and paintings. Interestingly, there's a small museum in the Old City where a black cat greeted me after I bought a ticket, almost as if it was guiding me through the exhibits. The displays are not behind glass, and the cat can roam freely, suggesting the items are not of high value. You can spend about two hours exploring the Old City, but be prepared for persistent tour guides trying to sell their services, which can be annoying.
Fountain Square is a newly developed area with cafes, clothing stores, supermarkets, and fast-food outlets, offering a pleasant atmosphere. I recommend visiting Baku Boulevard in the evening to see the Flame Towers illuminated. The boulevard also features a lotus-shaped shopping center. The Carpet Museum, located nearby, has exquisite exhibits worth a detailed look. There's also a pool designed to resemble Venice, giving off a somewhat extravagant vibe. The view of the Flame Towers is more impressive from Baku Boulevard than from their base.
My favorite spot was the Heydar Aliyev Center. The building itself is unique, with no two angles looking the same as you walk around it. The exhibitions inside were fascinating, featuring carpets, local stained glass, traditional instruments, and creatively designed metalworks.
Baku has much more to offer beyond these highlights, but transportation is a major challenge. The metro only covers limited areas, and buses are often crowded. I've heard about taxi scams where drivers manipulate meters or overcharge, so I only used taxi apps. However, drivers frequently cancel bookings, sometimes after making you wait for over ten minutes. This might be due to the heavy traffic, which even the drivers find unbearable. Before my trip, I learned that some drivers might ask passengers to cancel the booking, claiming they have to pay high fees to the platform, and then charge triple the fare upon arrival. I experienced this firsthand when I booked a taxi to the airport at 3 AM. Half an hour before departure, the driver messaged me through the app, demanding an additional toll fee equivalent to HKD 150, while the taxi fare to the airport was less than HKD 25 for a 15-minute ride. Knowing this was a scam, I refused. The driver responded that no one would take me to the airport for HKD 25 and canceled the booking. I quickly booked another taxi through the app and ended up paying less than HKD 23. I wanted to share this experience to warn others.
In Baku, I encountered fewer than five English speakers, relying mostly on Google Translate. The food suited my taste quite well.