You’ve been working hard all seasons and summer is your time to play hard. Visions of the perfect relaxed environment are dancing in your head when you’re clicking on the search bars to find the perfect summer destination. You picture the first summer holiday you can remember. It involves family, friends, travelling to exotic places, indulging in adventure sports and losing yourself in the lap of nature. You’re thinking… serenity, family, fun, new, luxurious…. Your tags for that great summer destination….bigger, more diverse. Well, Azerbaijan is what you’re looking for. It is the ultimate summer destination.

There is every reason to call it ultimate. In Azerbaijan you will feel at home, grow closer to your family, be one with nature and get the best out of your vacation. Azerbaijan is for everyone. Who would like to feel like they’ve disappeared from the normal everyday life and are surrounded by such raw, vivid beauty, and yet still never feel like they’re skirting their cultural duties. Azerbaijan is such a sea of history, culture and experience…

Starting with the capital Baku

Baku is certainly, the most exciting place to go to this summer. A unique destination away from your normal world but still in it. The scale development alone is enough to blow your mind. It is a massive architectural attraction. With a medieval core surrounded by an old city and a new one. Baku is elegant, with a unique scent that overwhelms the senses. The air is filled with the scent of jasmine & chamomile, characterized by the smell of the sea, a pint of chestnut leaves, a hint of grape leaves, and a splash of rich crude oil. Baku is also a heritage city. A treasure trove with many attractions and pedestrianized tree-lined streets filled with exclusive boutiques where romantic couples can hold hands as they walk on the Caspian-front Boulevard where greens and opal blues dance in front of their faces, melting away the hum drum of the city.

Away from the City we have Guba, Gusar and Shahdag

Remember when you were young and playing in the garden with your friends. Your parents chatting at a table in the left corner of the garden. The alluring smell of fresh cucumber’s and tomatoes filling the air as someone in the villa kitchen prepared a scrumptious family lunch? Well Guba and Gusar will refresh these memories if not make them better.

A holiday in Guba and Gusar is perfect for you who’s looking for a taste of laid-back serene living and the landscape of utter beauty. A summer house in the forest overlooking the beach stretched out just below the shallow valley. A place where being the first one to rise is early in the morning is a treat. Because it’s a private opportunity to check out the modest rivers that run between the trees and be able to catch the crayfish. Food here is such a blessing and so homely. And the infrastructure is so perfect- it’s built around the natural features of the breathtaking topography.

The familiar exotic solitude of Guba and Gusar will define your vacation: For adults, it will be a chance to experience the wonders of Azerbaijan with a fresh perspective. It is a reminder of younger years, when there were no bills waiting to be paid, must-answer-now emails or looming deadlines. In Guba, you’ll get that moment, where all pressures are suspended so you could find the decompression you need.

For the kids, Guba and Gusar getaway is perfect, because it offers them so many new opportunities for exploration and distraction. It’s a non-stop barrage of activity. They’ll get a chance to play in the flower fields of Guba and experience total freedom as their sun-kissed faces light up as they gather a handful of berries from a bush and gleefully smoosh them all into their little mouths at once. Such innocent and pure joy.

Shahdag on the other hand is perfect for adventure. Waterfalls and vertiginous green slopes with meandering, idyllic waterways will open your eyes to a haven hidden from time, in the shadow of the majestic Caucasus Mountains. Shahdag offers opportunities up the excitement quotient for thrill-seeking family members – although parents may prefer to enjoy the gentle luxuries at the region’s largest Summer/Winter Mountain Ski Resort &Spa or Partake in the gentle pampering that involves detox, weight loss and stress relief. Shahdag is an incomparable location for one of the world’s largest national parks. Picture deep ravines, stunning mountain lakes and canyons that promises endless summer activities and unprecedented luxury. In Shahdag you’ll find ample bike riding, horse riding and hiking opportunities with scenic hiking paths heading into the mountains.

And then there’s Gabala

A beautiful town famous for its more tranquil nature. Gabala Crams a rich variety of wildlife adventures into one conveniently small geographical package; there is definitely something for everyone in Gabala. The historical and cultural monuments of different eras found here is like an investment in your child’s academic future. And the extraordinarily rich Flora and fauna make for perfect hunting and fishing activities as you explore the wild and the secret waterfalls. While Kids will enjoy the thrills of the largest amusement park under the open sky (Gabaland). It will be time for parents to have a quiet chat, lounging by the pool, soaking up the sun or go to sleep so they could rest up for another day.

Did I mention the Beaches?

There are awesome beaches and beach clubs in Baku and a couple of nice beaches just outside the city. They are all breathtaking, populated by beautiful beach resorts and framed by the glittering Caspian Sea beyond. Games like beach soccer and volleyball bonds friends and families and the beach culture here allows even for the most reserved traveler to enjoy total freedom.

All in All, I don’t know the formula for the perfect summer vacation, but leaving Dubai to flirt with its fairly opposite—Azerbaijan, and the people who live there—can guarantee a memorable vacation. The beauty of going to Azerbaijan this summer is that: You not only get a calming cool summer escape but also the richest experience in the land that’s an incredible mix of the East and the West, just two and a half hours away from home.

Article Tags: Azerbaijan · destination · destinations · summer · travel