Azerbaijan

That’s exactly its charm — Baku surprises people. Inside the city you’ve got a walled medieval old town, Icherisheher, sitting right beneath the glass curves of the Flame Towers, so it’s old and hyper-modern in one frame. Out of town lies Gobustan with its ancient rock carvings and the oddly delightful gurgling mud volcanoes, plus the Ateshgah fire temple. Add a stroll along the Caspian seaside boulevard and you’ve a compact, striking city break that feels fresh precisely because so few of your friends will have been.

Very reassuring on both counts. Baku is clean, safe and used to tourists, and Indians are made to feel welcome. It’s a Muslim-majority country but firmly secular and liberal in feel — alcohol is served openly, dress is relaxed, and there’s no pressure around religious observance for visitors. Women travellers, solo or in groups, generally find it comfortable and easy to move around, including in the evenings in the central areas. Normal city sense applies, as anywhere, but this is one of the more relaxed destinations in the region.

Yes, genuinely all online — no consulate queue, no VFS appointment. You apply through the official ASAN e-Visa portal, upload the basics, and approval typically comes within about three working days for roughly ₹2,450, valid for a 30-day stay. It’s one of the easier visas we deal with. One thing to keep in mind: if you’re staying beyond 15 days you’re expected to register your address locally, which hotels usually help sort — we flag it so a long stay doesn’t catch you out on a technicality.

If you have a week rather than a long weekend, absolutely. Sheki is the highlight — the jewel-like Khan’s Palace with its stained-glass shebeke windows, and an old caravanserai you can actually stay in. Quba, up in the cooler green foothills, is a gentler, scenic escape from the city heat. Both are reached by genuinely lovely drives from Baku, doable as a long day trip but far nicer as an overnight. We usually suggest at least one overnight so the mountains aren’t rushed for the sake of a checklist.

The language is Azerbaijani, with Russian spoken widely and some English in tourist spots — you’ll manage fine. For food, vegetarians do reasonably well: fragrant plov (rice), stuffed dolma, fresh salads, and wonderful breads, plus a lovely tea culture with jams and sweets. That said, do flag pure-veg or Jain needs clearly, as meat and stock feature in many local dishes and vegetarian isn’t always understood strictly. With a little forward planning and a couple of trusted spots, you’ll eat comfortably rather than surviving on bread and salad.