Azerbaijan travel guide

No trick photography nor photoshop magic, the red lakes of Masazir are an odd site to behold. Although not unique in the world, the colour salt lakes make for a interesting day trip on their own (from Baku) or as part of a larger area exploration. The reason for the colour is due to a microscopic organisms that thrives on the extreme salt nature of the lake. Best seen on sunny days with high humidity in the mid afternoon, the colours can be quite stunning. As an extra souvenir, travellers can even buy some of the processed salt from the village as it's production is a major economic staple for the otherwise uninteresting village of Masazir.

Located in the North-West of Azerbaijan, the village of Ilisu offers some good options for camping, hiking or just setting out a nice picnic. The picturesque little stone-house village itself makes for a nice day trip. The simple architecture is highlighted by the simple way of life. But the place is made all the more special as it's perched on the edge of the Ilisu State Reserve. A popular place with locals in the summer, there are easy to challenging hikes available for the more adventurous as there are no map or tourist information for the region. Important note, there are no accommodation or restaurant choices in Ilisu, for these a traveller will need to use the nearby town of Qax as a base.