Solo Female Travel: Azerbaijan
December 13, 2023
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Overall Azerbaijan felt safe for solo female travel and there are plenty of females who travel across Azerbaijan alone so you are bound to meet similar solo females along your journey.
The Azeri people are friendly and welcoming towards females so expect people saying hello to you.
Azerbaijan and Armenia Conflict:
The Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict is centred around the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Emerging after the fall of the Soviet Union, tensions flared as Armenia and Azerbaijan fight for control over Nagorno-Karabakh. Decades of sporadic violence resulted in a devastating war in the early 1990s, this lead to a ceasefire. The conflict resurged in 2020, leading to another war that ended with Azerbaijan gaining significant territorial advantages. This conflict shows the difficulties between ethnic identities and the challenges of achieving a lasting peace in the region.
Today Azerbaijan is safe and peaceful place to travel around. Just be aware that things could escalate at any moment. Exercise caution when travelling here.
Entering Azerbaijan after entering Armenia:
If you have previously travelled to Armenia then you will have received an entry and an exit stamp from Armenia in your passport. This may cause you some problems when entering Azerbaijan. As long as you have not entered Nagorno-Karabakh then you should be fine.
You may be asked questions about your trip as I was. You may be asked what your purpose of travel to Azerbaijan is and why you visited Armenia. You may be asked about your itinerary in Armenia and if you visited Nagorno-Karabakh. You will notice when applying for a visa to Azerbaijan you have to declare you have not visited there so make sure you haven’t as you could be denied entry!
Overall, other than a few scary minutes of questioning, I was let into Azerbaijan so you should have no problems like me. As long as you aren’t doing anything you shouldn’t be doing!
Safety:
Azerbaijan’s borders – Be careful when travelling close to Azerbaijan’s border with Armenia as it is currently closed. There is a risk of military action so exercise caution when travelling within 5 miles of the border.
Nagorno-Karabakh – avoid travelling to this region as there is a conflict between Armenia over who controls this territory. There is a risk of military action and if you enter this land you may not be allowed to travel into Azerbaijan.
Author
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Katie
Full-time doctor, part-time traveller. I am the kind of traveller who travels on a shoestring and somehow manages to pack two weeks worth of clothes, a tripod and all my books into a little rucksack.