Category: Where to go in Iran
-
650-year-old Air-Conditioning in Iranian University
The AC still works. No one cares.I don’t think it’s possible for a thinking person to step onto the gorgeous courtyard of the 650-year-old Khargerd Ghiasieh School in northeast Iran and not feel both pity and amazement. Amazement for the beauty of its iwans and the technical engineering devised to use nothing but desert winds to cool down the school’s 32…
-
The Architecture of the Persian Mosque for the Iran visitor
Terminology & purpose explained for touristsSometimes I sound like I got a beef with the Persian mosque. Yes, I tend to frown on Iran tour itineraries with way too many visits to old buildings, the same way I complain aplenty about seeing too much of Baby Jesus and Hercules in Europe. But there’s a lot of beauty and wonder to…
-
Mashhad Day Trip: Purple Valley
Today, we decided to check out the fall colors in an area known as the Valley of Purple, known locally as Valley of Arghawan. Persian: purple.
-
Touring History in Iran: Ancient rock art in my backyard
This time we find 4000-year-old petroglyphs 2 kilometers from our apartmentIran still manages to surprise us, this time with 4000-year-old petroglyphs near our home.
-
Badab Soort hot springs of north Iran
Iran’s Answer To Yellowstone’s Hot SpringsBadab Soort hot springs is a unique must-sea tourist site in the rocky and arid part of the southwest Mazandaran province of Iran. We visited on our road trip through the Caspian Coast region.
-
Camping in Iran: Alendan of Mazandaran
Fresh water lake at 1200 meters above sea levelThe beach at this 2-million-year-old lake in the middle of an Iranian forest is the perfect camping site for a road tour of the Iran’s Caspian Coast – even if it gets bone-chillingly cold this late in the fall.
-
Tour of Caspian Coast: City of Sari
The northernmost province of IranOn our road trip from Tehran to Mashhad, we passed through Sari, one of the largest cities in Iran’s Caspian Coast region.
-
Waking in a traditional Iranian village home
Deep unscientific analysis of sleeping on the floor in IranI’m a happy man in an Iranian traditional home because everything – eating, sleeping, receiving of guests – happens not on furniture but on floors covered with nothing but Persian rugs. Empty rooms are peaceful.
-
North Iran Tour: Fantastic local food
And avoiding Iranian hotels on our 4th day of escape from TehranGetting non-industrial food in Iran is as likely as running into Joe Biden at the supermarket – unless you specfically ask for farm-fresh food. And beware of Iranian hotels many fake stars.
-
Touring Iran’s Caspian Region: Filband
Day 3 of our aimless escape to the highest point in Iran’s MazandaranFilband is a village in northern Iran in the middle of the clouds so dense, you would swear you’re at beach not on top of a mountain. Were having a blast touring Iran’s Caspian Sea area.
-
Iran Caspian Trip: Journey into the clouds
The journey to Filband, Mazandran’s highest point“You haven’t even hit the jungle yet!” our host cried on the phone. Just the foggy climb to the 10,700-foot Filband village in northern Iran is an adventure during our Iran Caspian tour.
-
Iran road travel: Tehran to Caspian Sea trip
On the infamous & alluring Haraz RoadThe infamous Haraz Road north from Tehran offers lots of danger and bad roadside restaurants. It is, however, the shortest most beautiful and interesting path from Iran’s capital Tehran to the the Caspian Sea coast. The breathtaking views of the Alborz mountains are unbeatable.
-
Iran Road Tour: Mt. Damāvand’s first sighting
Escaping from Tehran keeps paying offThe first sight of the snow-covered Mt. Damāvand was so unexpected and thrilling, that I just slammed on the brakes. Saeideh jumped out and ran.
-
How to plan a road tour of Iran
First night of an unorganized tripOn our latest escape from Tehran, we intentionally plan minimally, seek traditional lodging and foods and not worry too much how long things take. Goal is to be open to new experiences.
-
Touring Iran’s countryside: Our first night
Iranian village stay on Day 2 of our trip to KhorasanWe had the complete symphony this morning waking up in the village of Lāsem (LAW-sem), a couple of hours northeast of Tehran. Then fell asleep again on the floor of the village “suite” we found by chance.
