Azerbaijan is known for its stunning natural beauty, sublime beaches, halal food and world heritage sites. What’s more, Atlantis Holidays is making increasingly affordable packages to the country this summer, focusing on wellness, fishing and hunting activities that are fast becoming popular with GCC nationals.
GABALA
The town of Gabala is fast-gaining traction with Arabs because of its tranquil nature, abundance of attractions, well-developed infrastructure and a rich, ancient history. To add to this, Gabala can be accessed directly from Dubai with Fly Dubai.
The town is located about three hours from the capital city of Baku, and has a great variety of historical and cultural monuments from different eras. Gabala is also known as the cultural capital of Azerbaijan. Local beauty attractions include forests, river valleys, waterfalls, lakes, the famous chestnut forest, numerous picturesque villages like Vyandam, Gyamarvan, Engidzha, and the mountainous village of Laza. The flora and fauna in Gabala are extraordinarily rich and the abundance of game in the season makes for perfect hunting activities.
Gabala is a great destination for family travellers as it has a large, open-air amusement park called Gabaland. Adventure tourists can enjoy the ice arena, go-carting, sports fields, theatres, and the great halal food that is available here.
The five-star complexes in Qafqaz can accommodate up to 1,000 guests comfortably. Small family hotels are also abundant, health and wellness facilities, tourist camps and recreation areas dot the area, and you can comfortably relax in the open air.
SHAHDAG AND BAKU
For a more adventurous journey, travel to Shahdag in Guba Gusar region. Shahdag offers opportunities that will up the excitement quotient for thrill-seeking family members. Here you will find ample bike-riding, horse-riding and hiking opportunities with scenic hiking paths heading into the mountains.
Finally, there is Baku, the capital city. The most attractive city in Azerbaijan can be reached within two and half hours from Dubai. The temperature in Baku is currently between 22 and 28 degrees Celsius.
Baku has a fascinating mixture of the East and the West. It is a Unesco World Heritage city marrying an ancient city with stunning mosques, intricate alleyways and historical architectural buildings, with a modern town.
GETTING THERE
It takes about three hours to reach Baku with Azerbaijan Airlines AZAL, Air Arabia, Fly Dubai, Qatar Airways and Jazeera Airways. The visa procurement is hassle free, as nationals of the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Japan, China, South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore can get their visas on arrival. Other nationalities can apply for visas online in advance of travel, and get the visa within three working days.