Month: September 2025

Armenia

1 Comment

CITIES VISITED:

  • Yerevan – the capital of Armenia. It’s a great place to base yourself as the country is small so it’s easy to do day trips from here.

PRO TIPS:

  • No visa required for US citizens (as of Sept 2025).
  • If you plan to visit Armenia & Azerbaijan, I’d heard rumors that you can run into trouble with the Azerbaijan border control if you have an Armenia stamp in your passport, so I chose to come here first. Maybe just do some research about order of countries to visit in this region 🙂 For context, there is no love lost between Armenia & Azerbaijan.
  • Credit card is accepted at most places so no real need for cash other than maybe small street vendors.
  • Download Yandex Go to get around (an uber equivalent). You can also get food delivered from this app.

TRANSPORTATION:

  • Sighnaghi –> Yerevan: I had to go to Tbilisi first unfortunately so I took a 2 hour bus there for 10 Lari ($3.70 usd). Then I had to take a local bus to the Avlabari metro station to buy a bus ticket to Yerevan. The bus to Yerevan was about 6 hours and cost about $21.
  • Yerevan –> Tbilisi: I reserved my seat ahead of time through their WhatsApp & just paid when I arrived, but you can also book your ticket on their website. Here is where the shuttle left from. It was a very long bus ride because the border took longer than normal and our driver got pulled over by the police for speeding (hahah just another day in the Caucasus region) and cost 8000AMD ($21).

CITY: YEREVAN

HOW LONG: 5 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

Because my childhood friend Sabrina spontaneously joined me for the Armenia adventure, we got to splurge on a hotel! We picked the Sunset Apart-hotel. It’s in a brand new building (like I’m not sure any other businesses are in the building yet), so it kinda looks wonky as you walk into the building, but once you are on the 16th floor it’s all good. The room is small but has everything you need. It’s very clean & high quality. The bathroom is lovely and there is a washing machine, which was such a treat! I think we did a total of 6 loads of laundry. The best part is the location. It’s highly walkable to any part of the center of Yerevan, which is the main things we wanted! I would definitely recommend this hotel if you are looking for a nice spot to base yourself at a very reasonable price. 

Views from the hotel balcony
Sabrina!

WHERE TO EAT:

Lavash Restaurant – cute restaurant in the center of town with yummy local dishes at a reasonable price. This was my favorite dinner spot in Yerevan!

Jermots Cafe – a great cafe for breakfast all day! We went twice we loved it so much. Tons of great breakfast options that range from more Armenian to more American. 

Surf Coffee– a cute cafe that was great for a mid-day coffee or tea + working on a laptop or playing some monopoly deal 

Lali Kitchen & Bar – fabulous, hip Georgian restaurant right by the Republic Square. Would highly recommend coming here for a dinner. We had Khinkali, a large twisted Georgian dumpling + Khachapuri, a traditional Georgian dish of cheese-filled bread, + Shkmeruli, a decadent chicken dish cooked in a garlic, sour cream sauce. YUM!

Dalan Art Gallery & Restaurant – cool restaurant serving authentic Armenian food in a gorgeous outdoor patio space filled with plants & art.

WHAT TO DO:

  • Do a walking tour on your first day. This was helpful for orienting us around town as well as learning a bit about the history of the country. We also met some cool people that we ended up grabbing dinner with. 
  • A must- visit the Armenian Genocide museum. It’s a heavy topic but incredibly important. 
  • There are many day tours to consider. We chose one to visit Garni, Geghard, Symphony of Stones & do some Lavash Baking. You can also choose to visit Lake Sevan. 
  • Check out the Cascade Complex, a cascading series of stairs, landscaped gardens, fountains & sculptures.
  • Walk around the city center day or night. It’s gorgeous all times of day. 
  • Get a massage – we booked massages at Thai House

Armenian Genocide Museum
New friend: Ari!

We decided to do one day trip to get out of the city, but also didn’t want spend ALLLL day in the car. We chose a 6 hour tour that visits the Temple of Garni, Geghard Monastery, and Azat Canyon. We also got to see local Armenian women making Lavash bread. It was a perfect half day trip!

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Yerevan was delightful! I would’t say it was the best or prettiest or my favorite, but somehow I still really enjoyed it. I loved being in one place for 5 days, which allowed Sabrina & I to really catch up, and slowly explore the city. Learning about the history here was fascinating & felt important. Also the food continues to be top notch in this region!!!

BUDGET FOR 5 DAYS IN ARMENIA:

  • Accommodation: $213 ($42.60 per night)
  • Food: $110
  • Activities: $73
  • Local Transportation: $9
  • Miscellaneous: $45 (massage)

Total: $450 (Daily average: $90) 

Transportation to next destination: $21 (Bus to Tbilisi, Georgia)

Azerbaijan

1 Comment

CITIES VISITED:

  • Baku – the capital of this small country. I LOVED it. Might be because I made a fun friend and we explored the city together, but I would be excited to come back here. Lots of sites to see and the old walled in city is lovely. Huge mix of old & new all along the Caspian Sea.
  • Sheki – old city along the Silk Road with beautiful old palaces. Felt more like a “real” Azeri city where normal people live their normal lives.

PRO TIPS:

  • E-visa was required for US citizens (as of Sept 2025). You can apply here & it cost $20 usd.
  • Download Bolt to use to get around the city. It’s their equivalent of Uber. I found that it works great & the rides were ridiculously cheap.
  • English was spoken enough in the old town, but don’t expect your Bolt drivers to speak it.
  • It’s muslim country so dress appropriately. I chose to cover my shoulders and knees as I walked around and felt like that was sufficient.
  • You must enter Azerbaijan via air, but can leave via land crossing.
  • If you plan to visit Armenia & Azerbaijan, I’d heard rumors that you can run into trouble with the Azerbaijan border control if you have an Armenia stamp in your passport, so I chose to come here first. Maybe just do some research about order of countries to visit in this region 🙂 For context, there is no love lost between Armenia & Azerbaijan.
  • Credit cards are fairly widely accepted in Baku, but less so in Sheki (or other parts of Azerbaijan) so I’d recommend taking some money out.

TRANSPORTATION:

  • Baku –> Sheki: I headed to the bus station & asked for a ticket to Sheki. It was ~$8usd & took about 6 hours. You can check the schedule or even book tickets ahead of time here.
  • Sheki–> Sighnaghi (Georgia): There are marshrutkas you can take but they only get you part way to the border, so instead I linked up with two other backpackers and we shared a taxi to the border of Georgia. He left us there and we walked across. Then I split a taxi with one of the backpackers from the border to Sighnaghi. Took about 4 hours door to door. The first taxi was 35 AZN in total (so my portion was $7. The second taxi was 50 GEL (so my portion was ~ $10). You can definitely do it cheaper, but I opted for convenience haha.

CITY: BAKU

HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at Friends Hostel. The hostel is very cheap, especially if you extend and pay the direct price. The owner is kind and doing his best but the hostel has some kinks to work out. The WiFi worked well. The location is fabulous- right next to Old Town (like a 3 min walk). There’s good lockers in the room with a key provided. It felt very safe! AC worked great- and it was so nice to have the remote in the room so we could control it! BUT when I arrived, it didn’t look like the room had been cleaned in a while. There was hair and dust everywhere on the floor. There was literally never toilet paper in the women’s bathroom which was a nightmare. I had to ask to restock it 5 times while I was there (4 nights). There’s no real area to meet other travelers. The vibe isn’t very backpackery – lots of groups of older travelers who don’t speak English (which is totally fine) but meant it was hard to meet people as they stuck to themselves. Online it said there was breakfast but I never saw it. Overall, I’d see if anywhere else tickles your fancy before picking this hostel, but it’s not the worst place I’ve stayed!

WHERE TO EAT:

  • The Art Club – hotel in the old city. Our favorite restaurant we went to, loved it so much we went back again. The servers were lovely & explained each dish to us. The food was divine & had all the classic Azeri dishes. Felt high end, authentic, but wasn’t crazy expensive. Would HIGHLY recommend a meal here (lunch or dinner).
    • Some dishes to try!
      • Gutab – a traditional dish in Azerbaijani and Turkmen cuisine made from thinly rolled dough that is filled with a variety of ingredients like cheese or meat
      • Shakh plov – a classic Azeri dish with rice, lamb meat, chestnut, fruits and onion
      • Dushbara soup – traditional Azerbaijani dish featuring very small, meat-filled dumplings cooked in a rich lamb, beef, or chicken broth, often flavored with turmeric and saffron, and served with a side of vinegar and garlic sauce and dried mint
  • Kurban Said – restaurant in the old town with lots of local, traditional food. We had lunch here, but it would be great for dinner as well.
  • Salam Baku – great for a rooftop drink in the open air but shaded from the sun 
  • Qayana Restaurant – Fabulous breakfast spot with local Azeri food. So fun to try a typical breakfast from here. Lots of yummy egg, cheese & bread dishes. The yogurt is incredible too!
  • Book & Coffee – cute coffee shop to sit & read a book or get some work done.

WHAT TO DO:

  • Walking tour – as always this is a great way to get oriented in a new city, get a bit of the history, & potentially make some new friends! Don’t miss the Museum of Miniature Books. I met Julie on this tour and we spent the next 72 hours together exploring the city!!
  • HamamBath – unbelievable spa experience just outside downtown Baku (a cheap Bolt ride away). You are transported into a calm little world as you are beaten with a broom, scrubbed, massaged, and washed. Julie & I loved our experience here. Would highly recommend coming here. Just reach out to them on WhatsApp to make an appointment. We got a whole slew of treatments, which were all incredible in addition to utilizing the cold plunge, outdoor hot tub, sauna & steam room. From their brochure, here are the descriptions of what we got 🙂 This 4 hour experience only cost $160!!
    • Classic steam – Steaming with oak brooms, followed by a cold water treatment. The skillful hands of the bathhouse attendant will pass oak brooms over the entire surface of the body in one go, which will invigorate and enhance the healing effect.
    • Kisa (body scrub) – the procedure helps get rid of the dead cells using a special exfoliating glove. Eventually your skin will look fresh, and start breathing
    • Classic massage – 60 min massage
    • Foam massage – the combination of sauna steam & natural foam, which covers the body in a shroud, deeply cleanses, and relaxes it.
    • Cleopatra’s Recipe (blue clay) – the ancient recipe of the Egyptian queen’s everlasting youth & beauty will give elasticity to your skin
  • Visit the Heydar Mosque – a little ways away from Old City (take a cheap Bolt ride), but has stunning views of the city. The Mosque itself is huge and beautiful. I recommend coming at sunset for the gorgeous hues and then you’re treated to a gorgeous version of the mosque when it gets a lit up at night.

  • Just meander the streets of the old town! It’s so freaking charming.
  • Walk along the water front promenade. It’s lovely & so pleasant for people watching. Pro tip: go in the evening as it’s a bit cooler and the sunset makes it stunning.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Baku was great! As I mentioned, I would happily return here. Maybe Julie & I will have a reunion here one day 🙂 I truly had no idea what to expect but the city was so clean, felt so safe, and was so darn beautiful. I loved the mixture of Middle Eastern & European architecture & culture.

CITY: SHEKI

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

There was no GREAT option in Sheki unfortunately, but Central Hostel looked clean and central (lol), but there was no way to meet people outside the room and I got BED BUGS my second night. I then had to spend 3 hours in the middle of the night to go through all my stuff to make sure no ned bugs got into the bags. True nightmare!!! Since then, I have met other backpackers who said they got bed bugs here so avoid at all costs.

WHERE TO EAT:

I honestly didn’t find the food scene here to be spectacular, but the one place I’d recommend is Qazfaz. It’s unassuming with no real menu (at least that I was offered), but try the Piti and enjoy ☺️

WHAT TO DO:

  • Summer Palace / Sheki Xan Sarayi (Unesco) – built in 1797, this served as the summer palace for the Shaki khans. It has a stunning facade & is definitely the most visited place in Sheki. I just went outside, but I heard it was lovely and worth the visit to go inside.
  • Sheki Caravanserai (upper) – served as fortified inns for merchants, travelers, and their animals along the Silk Road.
  • The Sheki Khan Winter Palace – not as impressive as the summer palace, but still worth a visit. It’s free if you just go to the outside, and my advice is that paying to go inside is probably not worth it, but up to you!
  • Khan Mosque & Cemetery – Beautiful mosque, which is free to enter. It’s around the corner from the Winter Palace.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

After the absolute high of Baku, Sheki was a slight disappointment that ended in disaster with the bed bugs. I’d still recommend visiting Sheki if you are headed to Georgia after Azerbaijan, but it wasn’t overall my favorite :/

BUDGET FOR 6 DAYS IN AZERBAIJAN:

  • Accommodation: $45 ($11.25 per night)
  • Food: $125
  • Activities: $148
  • Local Transportation: $42
  • Clothing: $32
  • Miscellaneous: $36 (massage)

Total: $428 (Daily average: $107) 

Transportation to next destination: $17 (Shared taxi to Georgia)

Qatar

1 Comment

CITIES VISITED:

  • Doha (3 nights) – I visited Doha as part of Qatar Airways layover program which allows you to extend your layover up to 4 nights. I decided to add 3 nights so I could spend 2 full days exploring my first country in the Middle East!

PRO TIPS:

  • I felt SO safe here. No issues walking around by myself day or night 🙂
  • Cash isn’t really necessary. Everywhere I went accepted my credit except a few street food vendors at the Souq Waqif market, which were cash only.
  • Double check if you need a visa before arriving. US citizens (when I went) did not need to get a visa ahead of time, but need to purchase a visa on arrival which cost about $20usd. I paid with card at Immigration. It was very smooth.
  • Think about the time of year you are visiting. I was here in September & it’s unbelievably hot & humid during the day, which made it difficult to spend the whole day exploring. Both days I headed back to the hotel from ~12-3pm because it was just too hot to do anything besides sit in the AC. I can only spend so much time at the indoor malls lol.
  • Ubers are very cheap & reliable. I never waited more than 3 min for one & my longest uber was 27 min and cost me $8.50.
  • English was pretty hit or miss, but it never really affected my experience.

CITY: DOHA

HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I booked my hotel as part of the Qatar Airways extended layover program so I had to pick from a list of hotels they offered. I chose the Central Inn Souq Waqif. It’s listed as a 4 Star hotel, and while it was a lovely stay, I am not sure I would call it luxurious to set expectations. However, it was perfectly pleasant in a great location to use as a base to explore Doha. I could walk to the Souq Waqif market & ubering from here was easy. The included breakfast buffet was extensive and delicious. The AC in the room was glorious & the water pressure in the shower was incredible. There is an indoor pool, gym, & spa as well. The front service folks were kind & helpful. I would recommend staying here unless you are looking for a more luxurious experience. 

WHERE TO EAT:

At pretty much every stop you’ll make in Doha, you’ll find plenty of air-conditioned restaurants ready to feed you. They might be pricier as is typical when at a tourist destination, however you’ll never go hungry. It’s definitely easier to find Western food at these spots than local food, but menus will often have a mixture of both. I wouldn’t say I did a great job of finding quality food while I was here (but that’s usually not my focus haha). 

  • I had some chicken schwarma at a restaurant at the Souq Waqif market. I just wandered around and found a spot. There are lots of stalls here but bring cash as they don’t take card. Sadly, I didn’t take cash out while here so I couldn’t stop at any of them. 
  • I had a smoothie bowl at Harvest coffee at the west walk mall, a hip, swanky, small cafe.
  • The Breakfast Club at Qanat Quartier – classic brunch spot but expensive. To be fair the whole area is but just warning you. I love an all day breakfast spot so was happy to have (beef) bacon stuffed French toast at 5pm ☺️
  • At one of the malls I found a specialty date store which had tons of fun flavors of date stuffed or date covered desserts. I tried a coconut date ball, a peanut butter stuffed date, a raspberry jam stuffed date covered in dark chocolate, and a dark chocolate covered date stuffed with peanut butter! Delightful 🙂

WHAT TO DO:

I only had 2 days here so I tried to optimize for what I wanted to see but also knowing the heat would prevent me from doing too much. I balanced indoor & outdoor activities so I wouldn’t actually melt into the ground haha. There is a subway that is cheap and easy to use, but because I was only here for 2 days, I ended up ubering almost everywhere for efficiency. It helped that ubers were incredibly cheap. 

Day 1

  • National Museum of Qatar – this was a highlight for me because it combined learning about the history of this tiny country with a stunning architectural building that was so fun to photograph! Would highly recommend coming here. Also this was mostly indoors so a break from the sun.

  • West Walk – this is an upscale outdoor mall with air-conditioning (even thought it’s outside!) I enjoyed this, but wouldn’t say it’s a must-do. 

  • I scheduled myself a massage as another way to beat the heat. I am also trying to have a massage in as many countries as I can 🙂 I did come across a lot of massages places that seemed slightly suspect, but this place came highly recommended and is specifically for women – LOVE! They have a few locations. I had a 90 min massage for $35 so very reasonable (much better than $110 my hotel wanted for a 60 min massage).
  • Souq Waqif – a gorgeous old outdoor market with lots of vendors selling traditional clothing, fabric, food, and more. There are also plenty of full on restaurants. The architecture is beautiful and classic, unlike a lot of Doha which is modern, new and reflects a more Western style. 

Day 2

Mina District – this port village is beautifully built with cobblestone streets, pastel buildings, cruise ships, and a big fish market. It draws inspiration from traditional Qatari architecture and coastal cities. I LOVED taking pictures here!!

Katara Cultural Village – this stop came highly recommended… and I didn’t love it. I just didn’t really understand what I was supposed to see. It was huge and outdoors (so to be fair I was very, very hot as I was walking around). There were a ton of restaurants, an outdoor theater, a beach, and a mosque, but it was all empty when I was there (maybe people are smarter than me & decided to stay indoors during the day haha). Overall I just couldn’t quite understand this place.

Qanat Quartier – This place was pretty cool. A new development on Pearl Island inspired by Venice, with picturesque canals, colorful buildings, and vibrant cafes. It was one of my other favorite stops for photos. I didn’t plan it this way, but I ended up here at sunset which was magical for lighting!

Vendôme Mall – this is the largest mall in Qatar & the architecture is French inspired. It’s GORGEOUS, but at the end of the day it’s still a mall, and malls aren’t overall that interesting to me. There is a cool lights/water show that happens hourly, which is a fun experience. I would say it’s definitely worth a visit since going to malls is kinda culturally what you do here, but no need to spend a ton of time here unless you love shopping! There were plenty of fun stores, including a lot of familiar US brands.

Other ideas to consider:

  • Villaggio Mall – Similar to the Venetian in Las Vegas where you feel like you are in Venice but you’re actually inside (in AC in a mall 🙂 )
  • Al Maha Island – Great views of the skyline in Doha + the famous Crescent Towers. Lots of restaurants & an amusement park. Lots of photo opportunities!
  • The Pearl – Qanat Quartier is actually on Pearl Island but there are other parts of the island you can walk around & enjoy.
  • Head out of Doha into the desert for a half day of sand surfing and ATVs. There are plenty of tour operators who offer this.
  • Take an evening Dhow boat cruise for sunset or dinner. A lovely way to see the skyline of Doha.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

I was pleasantly surprised by my experience here. I felt so safe, it was easy to get around with uber, there was plenty to do, but I also didn’t feel rushed. Doha is a photographer’s dream as there is so much variety in what you see, plenty of color, and a fun juxtaposition of new & old. It’s also incredibly diverse. I actually felt like I interacted more with people from other countries who had immigrated than local Qatari people (I met folks from Pakistan, India, Saudi Arabi, Morocco, Tunisia, etc). I throughly enjoyed my experience, but I also don’t feel the need to rush back or wish I had spent a week here. Would definitely recommend spending a few days here if you are ever flying through and have the opportunity to extend your layover!

BUDGET FOR 3 DAYS IN QATAR:

  • Accommodation: $150 ($50 per night)
  • Food: $67
  • Activities: $0
  • Local Transportation: $67
  • Miscellaneous: $110 (clothes + massage)

Total: $394 (Daily average: $131) 

Transportation to next destination: $100 (Flight to Baku)