Azerbaijan: Naftalan Oil Spa

Oil spa – not that I am big on spas but – only in Azerbaijan can you literally take a black gold bath. The oil is naftalan, a heavier and thicker substance than crude, but pure oil nonetheless. Supposedly, it has tons of medicinal properties. It’s not really available to tourists, but after extensive search I found you can take one at a Naftalan Sanatorim if a doctor prescribes it. So after a “doctor consultation” and some formalities I was prescribed an oil bath due to something or other. 15 minutes in a tub, 1 hour scrubbing this goo off, and most of it didn’t even come off.