This couple spent just ₹1.3 lakh during an unforgettable week in Azerbaijan and Abu Dhabi. As?

For those who want to satisfy their passion for travel,Mintis launching a series that will capture the costs and experiences of various international destinations through travelers’ personal stories.

Here, Navdha Khera, director of a fintech company, based in Bengaluru, and her husband Kshitij Jain, founder of a travel startup, share the story of their trip to Azerbaijan:

Just before turning 30, my husband Kshitij floated the idea of ​​our own version of the 30 under 30 list: visiting 30 countries before turning 30! At that time he had visited 28 countries and had only 15 days to achieve the feat. The goal was to focus on destinations that wouldn’t put a hole in our finances and wouldn’t give us short notice visas. Azerbaijan met all the requirements.

We started the search by looking for flights from Benagluru to “anywhere”. Flights to Abu Dhabi were unusually cheap and all flights to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, from Bengaluru were via Abu Dhabi. This is how we decided on Azerbaijan and Abu Dhabi.

The fact that Azerbaijan is trending on Instagram right now was also a big factor in our decision. It’s known as a cheaper version of Europe, so the decision wasn’t just about budget: we were excited to see what all the fuss was about.

“The four days in Azerbaijan cost us $50,000 including hotel, meals, sightseeing and local travel.”

Having visited 28 countries, we are experienced travelers and manage to spend approx. $1.3 lakh for this week-long trip. The four days in Azerbaijan cost us $50,000 including hotel, meals, sightseeing and local travel.

Like Europe, but cheaper.

Azerbaijan is located between Western Asia and Eastern Europe on the Caspian Sea and offers the best of both worlds. It does not require a Schengen visa and has an e-visa that is processed in just three to five business days. It costs around $2,100 but we paid almost $10,000 for an express visa, since we requested it only three days before our trip.

Baku has cobblestone pedestrian streets like Paris or any other major European city and several historical monuments and attractions. But everything from restaurants to shops is much cheaper. For example, we spend an average $1,000 on each of our vegetarian meals, or about $12,000 in four days.

We spent the first day exploring Baku and its history on a two-hour guided walking tour. For a country that only gained its independence in 1991, it was quite impressive.

The first night was also the eve of my birthday and we decided to celebrate it on Nizami Street, the liveliest place in the city that offers a purely European atmosphere. We bought a tres leches cake at a local bakery and cut it in the middle of the street at midnight. The next day, baklava served as my second birthday cake, according to local tradition. It was a truly memorable birthday.

We also did two more walking tours. One was a tour of the old city that took in centuries-old palaces, towers, and mosques, among other places. The other was a night tour, the highlight of which was riding up to Highland Park on a funicular for a panoramic view of the city at night.

“Even with tips, these tours are an inexpensive way to learn about a city’s history and culture and are common throughout Europe.”

All of these guided walking tours were free. We found them through an online platform called GuruWalk. Tourists are expected to tip guides, although it is not required. Even with tips, these tours are an inexpensive way to learn about a city’s history and culture and are common throughout Europe.

We were also lucky with the timing, as Baku was hosting a Formula One event the same weekend. Baku has a street circuit, which is unusual, and we were able to see how the city was preparing for the event. It was a unique experience to see the city streets converted into an F1 racing track.

More money tricks

Kshitij and I have compiled some money tricks that we use to plan our vacations cheaply. It is a necessity since we travel frequently.

For example, flights make up the majority of the travel budget, hence the decision to choose Azerbaijan. Last minute plane tickets to most countries cost a fortune. In fact, last minute air travel within India also costs a bomb.

Low-cost airlines like Wizz Air and Air Arabia from Abu Dhabi to Baku can help. Tickets cost only $25,000 for a round trip for a couple. That’s probably what you’d pay for tickets to Goa. we pay another $41,000 for the section from Bangalore to Abu Dhabi.

“The problem with low-cost airlines is that they only allow 10kg hand luggage and checked luggage has to be paid for separately.”

The problem with low-cost airlines is that they only allow 10kg carry-on luggage and checked luggage must be paid for separately. We used this to our advantage since we weren’t carrying much anyway, given the length of our trip. We pay for a 25 kg checked bag for $4,000 and this worked perfectly for us.

Hotels in Baku are even cheaper. We booked a three-night stay at a three-star hotel for approx. $12,000, which was actually relatively expensive. We were short on options as most hotels were full for the F1 race. It is possible to find better options at lower prices.

I would suggest booking a hotel in the city center as they are close to Nizami Street and the old city and open up public transport options. We do not use taxis for any of our trips, including airport transfers. Although Bolt (a transportation app) operates in the country, drivers do not agree to ride at the price shown on the app. It’s a scam that travelers can avoid by taking buses. We took a bus from the airport to our hotel to $75. The taxi driver was demanding $2,500. We were feeling pretty proud of ourselves.

Group trips are your friends

Another money-saving trick we used was to book group tours for our day trips to the nearby towns of Shahdag and Gobustan on the second and third day. These sightseeing trips can be found on Get Your Guide and Viatorto.

The main benefit of these tours is shared transportation and guidance. The other option is to take taxis, which are expensive. We thought about renting a car, which is also cheap, but decided against it because of the inconvenience. In any case, you will have to hire a separate guide on site or not get one at all. We prefer to explore with guides, so group tours help save on this cost. Entrance fees to tourist attractions are not included in group tour packages.

“For payments we use cash and a Forex card. The cash conversion rate from rupees to manat is low, so I would suggest carrying US dollars.”

For payments we use cash and a Forex card. The cash conversion rate from rupees to manat is low, so I would suggest carrying US dollars. We used the Forex card for most payments as it was accepted everywhere. We only needed cash for entrance fees to several monuments, as they do not accept other forms of payment.

The country’s rich history was a highlight of the trip. Since we’ve both covered Europe, including Switzerland, Italy and France, we didn’t like Baku for its “cheap European” vibe, as highlighted on Instagram reels. Instead, we loved it for its culture and history. It is a beautiful and economical getaway that can be planned even for a long weekend.