Azerbaijan at $599 RT

We love an "off the beaten path" destination, and we especially love when it comes with "beaten path" fares!

While frequently overlooked by American travelers, the Caucasus offers some pretty cozy winter destinations. The food helps — in Azerbaijan, you warm up with slow-cooked lamb and hearty, herb-laden stews.

This deal has you landing in Baku (the country's capital and home to the National Carpet Museum, which is much more interesting than it sounds), but the more remote towns steal the show out here. Places like Sheki, an old Silk Road outpost whose history survives in the form of an 800-year-old temple, an intricate mosaic-covered palace, and the sort of unique cultural blend you only get from being along an ancient trade route.

So come curl up in your rustic B&B with a cup of tea and a belly full of dumplings, watch snow fall over the gabled roofs outside, and wonder why it took you so long to visit Azerbaijan :-)