Wild Frontiers

Flight Information

Flight time to Baku from London is 5:30hrs, with BMI.

Useful Tips

• Buy some local crafts in Lehic " they may not be priceless works of art but they make good souvenirs and help the local economy

• Keep your eyes peeled for the most bizarre beach resort south of Baku which looks out onto the Caspian Sea and an oil refinery!

• Read up on Peter Hopkirk’s On Secret Service East of Constantinople to understand the pivotal role that Azerbaijan played in WWI

• Try some wonderful local fruit & veg from Sheki’s market

• Sit in Sheki’s main square & enjoy some tea (or a beer) with the locals

Recommended Reading

If you want to read up on your destination we recommend a variety of guidebooks such as Odyssey Guides, The Rough Guide and Footprint Guides. All these publications have good general information as well as more specific country information that will help orientate you in the areas you visit.

Good books and maps of Azerbaijan are available at Stanfords in Covent Garden, London or online at www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk

Relevant Reading:
Trailblazers Guide to Azerbaijan with Georgia, Mark Elliott. Illustrated throughout with colour photographs and hand drawn maps this guide to Azerbaijan, with a section on neighbouring Georgia, includes a full historical background, good cultural tips, general information on all aspects (including where to eat, shopping, etc) plus comprehensive information for motorists. Mark Elliott writes with his characteristic humorous and easy-to-read style

On Secret Service East of Constantinople, by Peter Hopkirk is a marvellous good detailing how Azerbaijan and the surrounding areas came to play an important role in World War One.

When To Go

When To Go
The weather conditions can be extremely varied (even within the course of a day!). The Greater Caucasus Range moderates local climate by serving as a barrier against cold air from the north and the relatively small territory covers different climatic zones, which are determined by distance from the Black Sea and by altitude. The climatic zones range from humid subtropical to snow and glaciers.

That said; British summertime is as safe a bet as any for pleasant weather.

Packing List

Below is a list of general items you might take with you on a Wild Frontiers trip to Azerbaijan. With your booking confirmation you will receive a packing list specific to your tour, so please treat this as a general guideline only.

Luggage:
It is best to use a soft bag - rucksack/hold-all/duffel bag - so it can be transported and stored more easily.

On all our trips a small daypack is practical for keeping general items (e.g. camera, books, wallets etc.) at hand when your main pack is out of reach. It is also handy for day trips and excursions.

Clothing:
In general you should bring clothes you feel comfortable with. Therefore as a guide we suggest a packing list like this:
• 4 x Light cotton shirts or T-shirts, short sleeved and long.
• 2/3 pairs of cotton trousers. If preferred, women can wear dresses and skirts
• 2 x pairs of shorts
• 2 x Lightweight jumpers or sweatshirts
• Good quality fleece or warm jumper
• Warm jacket
• Set of lightweight waterproofs
• Set of thermal underwear
• Change of clothing for the evenings
• An extra “outfit” if you’d like to dress up a bit on occasion
• Warm Hat
• Gloves
• Sun hat or cap
• Women should have a headscarf
• Swim suit or trunks
• Pair of walking shoes/boots (walking)
• Pair of recreational shoes, adventure sandals, trainers or pumps
• Flip flops/sandals for bathrooms

Equipment:
The following is useful extra equipment for your trip:
• Travel towel, travel soap and toiletries
• Sleeping bag liner (cotton or silk)
• Torch (LED head-torch keeps your hands free)
• A bandanna or large handkerchief is useful for dusty tracks
• Pair of good quality sunglasses
• Water bottle
• Plug adapter

Personal First Aid Kit:
While we do carry a large medical kit on all our group tours, we would advise that you take some of the basics with you. This should include:
• Any prescription medication required (please inform the tour leader at your pre-departure meeting about these)
• Antibacterial dry hand wash
• Painkillers: paracetamol & ibuprofen
• Rehydration salts (Gastrolyte)
• Travel motion-sickness tablets if required (e.g. natural ginger tablets)
• Diarrhoea remedies
• Antihistamines
• Cold/flu decongestants
• Mosquito Repellent
• Insect bite cream
• Laxatives
• Plasters/Bandage/Steri-Strips/Blister pads
• Sunscreen (30+ factor)
• Moisturiser/after sun cream/lip balm
• Contact lenses and solution if required
• Tweezers
(A kit with most of this in is available at www.nomadtravel.co.uk)

Optional Extras:
• Ear plugs (if sharing a room / camping)
• Alarm clock
• 3-4 plastic carrier bags are very useful for dirty washing, dirty shoes and rubbish
• Binoculars
• Small packs of tissues
• Money belt or secure pouch for money and passport etc.
• Eye patches if light affects your sleep
• Sewing kit/scissors
• Writing materials
• Spare batteries/camera memory cards
• Swiss Army knife
NB: If you wear glasses, it is advisable to bring a spare pair since opticians are rare. If you wear contact lenses you may find that climatic changes and dust can create visual irritation, therefore, it is advisable to bring a pair of glasses.

You might be tempted to buy a few souvenirs here and there, so leave a little room for those extra purchases!!

Hand Luggage:
Although it is very rare that luggage goes missing on flights, it has been known to happen and so it’s a good idea to carry a spare top, toothbrush, wash kit, underwear and any other essentials in your hand luggage so that you can at least freshen up while waiting for your bags to catch you up. If you wear your sturdy shoes/boots it will also reduce weight in your luggage and keep them safe.

Practical Information

Time:
Azerbaijan is 4hrs ahead of GMT.
A useful website to check the time zone differences is www.worldtimezone.com

Food and Alcohol:
Food in the Caucasus is one of the biggest attractions for visitors, and is the centrepiece of domestic cultural activity. Here they pride themselves on being the bons viveurs of the former Soviet Union and much of the food and wine is simply delicious - do not expect to lose weight! Each region has its unique cuisine with flavours derived from spice combinations, but as a rule, a focus on herbs and garlic predominates and also makes extensive use of walnuts.

Electricity:
Those bringing video & digital cameras that require battery chargers should also bring a two-pin, continental style adapter. In most hotels you can charge from the mains using a travel adaptor plug.

Money:
In Azerbaijan the unit of currency is the Manat.
To check out the latest exchange rate for the places that you are visiting you can go to www.oanda.com

A few points to help you plan:
• Payments are mainly made in cash.
• Increasingly more shops and hotels will accept credit card payments, though a cash advance is unlikely.
• You can easily exchange Euros, US Dollars and UK Sterling cash.
• ATM machines are available in the larger towns but best not to be relied upon.
• If using ATM machines, be sure to notify your bank before you travel.
• In Azerbaijan porters charge a fee amounting to $2 for every bag they carry so be wary of this.

Language & Religion:
The official language of Azerbaijan is Azerbaijani belonging to the Turkic language family. Azerbaijani is closely related to Turkish, Qashqai and Turkmen. As many as 99% of Azerbaijan’s population are Muslims belonging to the Shia sect, this is the 2nd highest Shia population outside of Iran.

Cultural Sensitivity:
On our tours we frequently interact with local people, each with their own distinct customs and traditions. We therefore ask you to be considerate and to treat them with respect. Your tour leader will be able to advise you accordingly.

At Wild Frontiers we are very aware of the ethical impact tourism can have on ancient cultures. We realise that taking a group of tourists through such a region can have a negative impact on the lives of those who live there and on all our tours we therefore go to great lengths to minimise the negative and accentuate the positive…after all, there are also many good things that the tourist can bring.

To help this process we ask that our clients do not hand out pens or sweets to children. As one sign in Egypt emphatically put it, ‘Please don't make beggars out of our children!' No matter how well intentioned, in our opinion the dolling out of free gifts fosters a ‘beggar mentality' that is ultimately extremely destructive to a society. In addition we do not condone giving out money to beggars or ‘students'.

However, we also realise that we are exceptionally privileged to be travelling in areas where most of the people have far less than us and that the desire to ‘help' can be very powerful. As a result we ask that you refer to your trip dossier for information on the Wild Frontiers Foundation which supports specific projects in the areas where we travel.

Photography:
Please remember, we are guests in the countries through which we travel and we may sometimes inadvertently cause offence by taking photographs without first asking permission.

Also many countries have very strict rules about taking photos of army, police or any official personnel; restrictions apply at borders, bridges and any government building. Please exercise care in this regard as the penalty may be to have your film and/or camera confiscated.