South Caucasus | September/October, 2026

A very enthusiastic and organised group gathered at Auckland Airport — you know the tour is off to a good start when everyone arrives early and check‑in runs smoothly. Once everyone had their two boarding passes, the Economy and Premium Economy travellers met for a coffee, while those in Business Class enjoyed their lounge.

Thankfully, the plane wasn’t full and most of us had room to spread out.

Arriving in Dubai early in the morning, we navigated the connections and made our way to Terminal 2, about 40 minutes by airport shuttle. Once there, we all settled into the lounge to rest, grab some food and drink, and enjoy a bit of recovery time. With a time, change on our next flight, we suddenly had most of the day to fill in. The best entertainment was people‑watching, as a mix of nationalities passed through this terminal: Russians, tribal groups, religious travellers, and others who looked as though they’d come from distant mountain regions in the heart of Afghanistan.

Once on the plane to Baku, we settled in for the four‑hour flight through the safe corridor. Night fell quickly, with a clear, bright moon dominating the black sky. Below, scattered towns and oil flares glowed in the darkness.

And just like that, we were in Baku — greeted by an extremely smooth passport control and then that anxious wait to see if all the bags had made it. Thankfully, yes… clothes for tomorrow!

Toghrul Baghirli, our Azerbaijan guide, was waiting for us, and in no time we were at our hotel and finally getting some well‑earned sleep.

Everywhere in Baku there was evidence of the huge F1 event held over the weekend; posters, decorations, barriers and spectator stands. Our hotel even happened to be right where the start and finish line were. Today’s scavenger hunt was to find an image of Liam Lawson, an Aladdin lamp, and a lady walking a dog. Poor Toghrul was mid‑sentence, sharing information about Azerbaijan, when we all got distracted by a giant Liam Lawson poster…

Back on track, we soon arrived at the Old Town with its winding medieval streets. Baku is a wonderful mix of ancient, imperial, and modern. The old city walls still stand, and inside them are palaces and buildings protected under preservation orders. Cats wander everywhere, and small shady corners filled with flowers and grapevines make the whole area feel incredibly charming.

We did pay attention as Toghrul walked us through the history, especially Imperial Russia’s influence and then the USSR’s role. It’s fair to say that anyone who invaded anywhere seemed to have a go at Azerbaijan at some point.

Walking through the streets to Maiden Tower, the oldest and most original part of Baku, none of us felt inspired to climb it, so we opted instead for a cooling stroll along the Boulevard by the Caspian Sea. Our walk continued to Fountain Square, lined with cafés and boutiques. Everyone enjoyed some free time for a small lunch, coffee, or a snack.

Back together again, we took the bus to the hotel for a well‑earned break.

At 4pm, Mandy trotted us across to the mall for snacks and beverages. At 5pm we had our first social drink time in her room, and once again this happy group found plenty to talk about.

Later we ventured out into the traffic (and it was bumper to bumper) to get to our restaurant, Shirvanshah. This astounding place was once a hamam (bath house) and has been converted into a spacious restaurant with ornate curtains, carpets, mirrors, and private rooms. Very impressive. Driving back through quieter streets, the neon light displays on the skyscrapers were something else — particularly the Flame Towers.