Azerbaijan Away - Saturday 9th October 2021

In Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, you should expect crime like in many cities around the world, but the problem here is that petty crime made way for more violent types of crime, some of them involving foreigners.

Surprisingly, male tourists are more targeted than female ones and these attacks occur with groups of men just approaching and attacking unsuspecting tourists.

These crimes happen more during the winter months.

So avoid drinking and roaming around the tourist frequented areas such as Fountain Square and the Maiden’s Tower, and know that in case something happens, you can’t really rely on the police.

Expect corruption in this country – the police will expect you to pay if you want anything from them. Avoid giving them any bribe.

If you are traveling outside of the city, do it during the daytime.

The roads are filled with potholes and bumps and driving at night is advised against.

Apart from the potholes, drivers in Azerbaijan often drive with dimly lit cars, so accidents are common.

Keep in mind that you might easily get scammed or attacked in this country, especially if you go drinking to a tourist bar.

One of the scams involves a woman approaching you for a drink and leaving you an astronomically high tab.

If you refuse to pay, a group of men approach you and demand you do, threatening to beat you up.

Azerbaijan is filled with scammers so be very careful.