This is maybe the only standard eco-camp in Iran. the standards in this complex are green. The power is provided by solar panels, so as the warm water. The wastes from the camp will be divided and sent to Matin Abad village.
There are organic farms which are the supplies for the food.
They offer safari tours, camel riding, trekking in desert etc…
Accommodation
You will be greeting at the entering door of the main building which is designed like a Carnanseraei. The Main building of the Complex is equipped with seven big rooms including bathroom with Hot showers and flush western toilets, Wooden beds with soft mattress, air conditioner, refrigerator and a TV set. There are two beds in each room and it is possible to add one extra bed. Top of the roof, there is an elegant suite located with a similar interior design and facilities of the rooms but with a capacity of minimum four with a panoramic view of the Desert, farms and yards. It is called Shah Neshin (King’s Room). Adorning lush Persian fabrics in elegantly designed rooms with picturesque desert views at Matinabad Eco-camp complete your Iran trip experience. The interior design of rooms is based on the traditional Iranian desert houses where a combination of thatch, break and plaster is used in decoration.
Tents
You will stay in an elegant traditional Iranian desert nomad tent equipped with mosquito nets for warm weather and with Korsi (Iranian style heating) or heater for the colder months.Tents are set up on a bench to produce minimal environmental impact while providing an efficient thermal and wind resistant unit, with great exposure to nature in our magnificent area. The tents are set up with enough space between them to provide adequate privacy. The location is close to the main building, bath and wash rooms. Electricity is available in the tents. Rug, Mattress, Pillow, blanket, and sheets are available according to the number of people reserved for that tent.
Koome ( Hut Room)
Koomeh in Persian refers to small rooms in a desert that in the past farmers built them to protect their land or hunters to hunt their prey. Matinabad eco-camp has 13 Koomehs now. Mtinabad Koomeh’s are built with brick and muds and the roof has a dome shape for the best natural air circulation in the room. These rooms are equipped with air-conditioners and heaters. Koomehs are supplied by 2-beds that have the possibility of adding one more if needed.
In the dining room of a remote hotel in Iran’s Alborz Mountains was a locked glass case displaying a solitary English-language book.TheValleys of the Assassins, Freya Stark,” said the hotelier as he unlocked the case, removed the book and turned to the page of a hand-drawn map. He pointed to our location. “You know Freya Stark? She came here in 1930. English lady, like you.” I nodded. She was one of the reasons for my journey.
“I think you are Freya Stark – but on motorcycle!” he declared as he carefully returned the book and locked the cabinet door. It seemed like a lot of reverence for a 10-quid paperback, but the book has immortalised this valley and his village.
I was motorcycling through the Alborz as part of a longer ride around Iran. My journey would take me more than 3,000 miles from the Turkish border to the southern deserts. I had long been an admirer of the British explorer and author and her forays into 1930s Persia, which she approached with a gung-ho attitude not normally associated with the serious geographical expeditions of the era. Most of all, I liked that she was entirely unpretentious about her motivation. “For my own part I travel single-mindedly, for fun,” she said.
‘A paradise of dirt tracks and waterfalls’: the Alborz mountains with Lake Taleghan in the foreground. Photograph: Ali Majdfar/Getty Images
Stark had walked this same route I was riding more than 80 years earlier, tackling dangerous terrain and doubting locals in order to map what was then uncharted territory. She was on a mission to discover the ruins of Alamut Fortress, headquarters of the ancient Ismaili sect, better known as the Hashashin, who had terrorised this region in the 11th century.
Even today, the steep-sided mountain roads of the Alborz have a lonely, forbidding feel, but here, and throughout Iran, I would find myself approached at the roadside by complete strangers who would invite me to stay at their homes. The feeding would begin as soon as I walked through the door – plates of fresh melon, sweets and nuts served with tea – always tea. Meals of flatbread and yogurt dips followed by stews, on piles of Persian tahdig rice – crisped on the bottom of the pan and drenched in butter. I asked one man about Iranian hospitality. “People must look after each other,” he told me, with a serious expression. “No matter what religion we are.”
Famous footsteps: Freya Stark in Jebel Druze in the 1930s. Photograph: Alamy
Although I set off on this journey carrying my camping gear, my tent remained unpitched. With each host, I was passed on to their friends and relatives throughout the country, all seemingly happy to host a strange British woman on a motorcycle. Occasionally I would crave the anonymity of a hotel room. In larger towns there was always a small guesthouse where I could relax.
Although the southern slopes of the Alborz are close enough to Tehran to offer ski-resorts and hiking trails, in the more isolated valleys the weather can change quickly and navigation becomes challenging. But for a motorcyclist on a trail bike, the Alborz are a paradise of dirt tracks and waterfalls, where eagles circle high above jagged black rock and snow-capped peaks.
Stark encountered her share of obstacles when she set out to explore this region, but it was a different set of challenges to those a British woman faces today, travelling alone in the Islamic Republic of Iran. In the 1930s Persia was ruled by the secular Reza Shah, who was actively modernising the country, including emancipating the female population – to the extent of banning the hijab. The British presence also remained powerful, running Iran’s oil industry, railways and telecommunications.
‘Strangers would invite me to stay and the feeding would begin as soon as I walked through the door…’: Persian saffron rice. Photograph: Alamy
Eight decades, one MI6-backed coup and an Islamic revolution later, it remains a challenge for a solo British woman to enter Iran, especially on a motorcycle – a form of transport outlawed for Iranian women. But after some interrogation, fingerprinting and a little skulduggery on my part, I made it across the border. Like so many Brits before me, my fascination soon turned into full-blown Persophilia. The sheer otherness of Iran is enchanting – wandering through the 15th-century bazaar in Tabriz, piled high with saffron, gold and carpets, or exploring the ruins of Persepolis, the seat of Persia’s ancient kings.
A guidebook will point you to the glittering mosques, palaces and ancient gardens, but Iran’s standout attraction is its people. Travelling by motorcycle made for easy icebreaking, but on my few excursions by public transport I experienced the same eager hospitality and appetite for spirited conversation, laughter and human connection.
I made my journey in 2013 and the following year Iran forbade British citizens from travelling independently, so the only way to go was with an authorised tour or guide. Last year the British embassy in Tehran reopened and travel restrictions were lifted, making Iran more accessible than it has been for years. I have returned to Iran each year since my first trip and its allure never dulls. The deeper I dig, the more intrigued and enamoured I become. If you have a chance to see Iran, take it. I am so glad I did.
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“What are they waiting for?” I ask a spice seller, pointing at the long queue zigzagging down the street. “Moslem restaurant. Best tah-chin of Tehran,” he replies proudly.
In Farsi, tah means bottom, while chin suggests the idea of layering; tah-chin is the unpretentious, crusty rice layered with chicken that has absorbed every last drop of the warm saffron and melted butter lying at the bottom of the pan. The result is a slice of saffron goodness that is crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside and usually covered in fresh pistachios and sour barberries, which complement the sweetness of the moist, buttery rice.
Hidden in the meandering alleys of the Iranian capital’s Grand Bazaar, behind the screaming street traders selling dried figs, raw pistachios and brightly coloured hijabs, Moslem is on the first floor of a dull-looking building and, although popular with Iranians, it remains largely unknown to the growing number of foreign tourists. No one there speaks English, so I ask my neighbours in the queue if they can help me out.
Moslem restaurant is in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar. Photograph: Alamy
A friendly Iranian family guide me through the process – declaring loudly what part of the chicken I would like, while collecting complimentary mint-and-dill yoghurt sauces sprinkled with rose petals.
At the long communal table, after being greeted as a foreigner and offered food samples by my fellow diners, a waiter brings me the biggest portion of mouth-watering tah-chin in Tehran. “Welcome to Iran!”
•The restaurant is on Panzdah-e-Khordad Street, but ask anyone at the bazaar and they’ll point you in the right direction
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When I was 12, I went to a boarding school in Nishapur, north-eastern Iran, adjacent to the garden where the poet and scientist Omar Khayyám is buried. A part of the garden could be seen from our classroom window and the splashing sound of water, flowing down from a water tank amid the plants, was the background music of our lessons.
Each teacher coming to our class would point beyond the window and talk of the importance of Khayyám, adding that to become Khayyám, one had to study. The maths teacher would speak of Khayyám the mathematician. The science teacher would talk about Khayyám the astronomer. Even the religious studies teacher would speak of Khayyám as the expert on quotes from the prophet and his descendants, and a person who had a vast knowledge of Islam.
I became acquainted with multiple Khayyáms, but I got to know the real Khayyám in the afternoon. After school, we were admitted to the garden. Khayyám’s mausoleum divides the space into two. This garden, one of the oldest among the gardens of the old and new Nishapur, is one of the most vibrant spaces I have ever seen.
A teahouse opened there some years ago that serves the world’s tastiest tea. Next to it, a small shop sells the fine-cut turquoise of Nishapur, giving explanations lest the customers confuse Chinese and American turquoise with that of Nishapur, which has stone veins. An uncrowded, charming library has now been turned into a museum (though I’d rather it had stayed a library).
Whenever I happen to go back to the east of Iran, I deflect my route so as to have a brief stop in the garden where Khayyám is buried, to drink a cup of tea there, and, if there is time, to take a stroll on the ancient ground.
•Ali Ashgar Seidabadi is the author of more than 40 books for children and young adults. His next book, A Rainbow in My Pocket, will be published by Tiny Owl in July 2016
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At 1pm on Monday, a family van parked outside the Science Museum in central London . Within two hours, as the family of four including eight-year-old Lucas and his younger sister Emilea returned from the nearby Natural History Museum, they found their windows had been smashed.
There must have been a burglary, they thought; in fact, as they found later, their vehicle had been at the centre of a major security alert involving the bomb squad. Counter-terrorism police had evacuated the museum and closed roads before breaking into the van, suspecting it contained a bomb. Instead, they found dolls and stationery scattered around inside.
Cristian Ivan, the Romanian father, had no idea the big “Iran is Great” sign emblazoned on both sides of his van could cause such a commotion.
Cristian Florin Ivan and his family with their Iran van outside the Science Museum, London. Photograph: Ivan family/Facebook
Cristian, his French wife, Audrey, and German-born children had arrived a week earlier to participate in a festival in Wales, their first visit to the UK. In the five years since they started to live and travel in their van around the world, visiting museums has become an essential part of the home schooling of their kids. It was during a trip to Iran that they fell in love with the country and later decided to start their own campaign encouraging others to visit.
“Visiting museums is like school for our children,” Cristian said. “We parked the car in front of the Science Museum; when we came out we were confused – why would the police do something like that? We were told it was because of the message written on the van.”
Cristian particularly felt agitated that the police had not left any note behind, explaining what had happened. “I went to the police station and they accused me of provoking the whole thing, they wanted me to feel responsible for expressing my views about this country, Iran.” He has not received an apology.
Later that day at the station, a policewoman told Cristian in an episode that has since been posted online: “We had to block the road, we had to call out the bomb squad, we had to call up supervisors to come down, we had to close everywhere off because your vehicle was parked in a higher security hotspot in London with that written on the sides. That’s the justification, it doesn’t say ‘Spain is Great’, ‘Italy is Great’, whatever.”
A >Metropolitan police spokeswoman told the Guardian on Thursday: “There was a security alert in the Kensington area on Monday as a result of a suspicious vehicle.” When pressed if the police has since apologised, the Met said it has not received an official request of such.
Cristian Ivan cleans up his van after a window is smashed outside the Science Museum
“Do I have to beg for an apology?” Cristian complained. “They broke into my private property, they damaged my property, it’s where we live. Our children are frightened, they don’t feel secure, they were so scared they slept in our bed.”
“I’m not blaming the police for what they did, I’m blaming them for what they did not,” he said. “I understand they need to do their job but they could have left a note ‘we damaged your car’, ‘sorry’ or at least saying ‘it was us, please call us’.”
Falling in love with Iran
The Ivan family began their new lifestyle five years ago. Cristian met Audrey in Germany where he was studying economics and then engineering. They made enough money to buy a house in Kassel, Germany, and later decided to rent it out to fund an adventure in their van across the globe. A monthly income of €2,000 has been more than enough.
Their first destination was India but in order to get there overland they had to cross into Iran. They initially hesitated but then decided to go. What they saw there took them by surprise.
Cristian Florin Ivan and his family with their Iran vis Great an in Paris. Photograph: Ivan family/Facebook
“We planned to stay five days; we ended up staying two months,” Cristian said. “During the Mahmoud Ahmadinejad years, Iran had a particularly negative image in Europe. We went there anyway, we were overwhelmed by the beauty of the country and how people treated us; something we had never experienced in any country before and after.”
“We expected thieves, terrorists to attack us, instead we saw people waving at us and welcoming us and giving us gifts and saying how honoured they were that we were visiting their country.”
What happened earlier this week in London was not the first incident involving their van. In 2013, while visiting Iran for the second time, they were actually robbed when staying in the city of Karaj, west of the capital, Tehran. Thieves took all their money and documents, including passports. Without them, they couldn’t leave the country.
“We were in deep trouble, we had to apply for Romanian, French, German passports,” he said. “When thieves took our things we put a sign up saying ‘dear thieves, please at least give us our paper back, we want to go home’, it was so desperate.”
The Iranians, he said, reacted overwhelmingly. “There was a lot of reaction online, there was a hype, many many people knew about our situation when there were meeting us in the metro in Tehran, for example. They would ask us going to their house, they would say ‘can I give you some money?’, ‘please forgive us’, ‘this is not the real Iran’,” he said. “We were already in love with Iran but that showed us that we can do something in return to these people.”
Could he compare that incident in Iran to the trouble in London? “In Iran we had a better experience afterwards. OK, we had a bad moment, but then the reaction of the people and the authorities in Iran was tremendous, overwhelming,” he said. “It was the moment our project was born, it was born in a very desperate moment but it was born of the reaction of Iranians and authorities, the way they treated us. The high ranking officials invited us to their offices, they said sorry for what happened, it’s something I’m still missing from the British authorities.”
Their 2013 trip to Iran was intended for a month but they ended up staying for half a year before their documents were retrieved. “At the end it was the trick for us to discover the real Iran, we stayed longer, we had more interaction with people,” he said. During that say, did they visit an Iranian home? “I would say we accepted a thousand invitations, we can’t count the number of the times we went to people’s houses.” He added in Persian: “This is how I learned Farsi language.”
Cristian stressed that kalout is purely a family project, not funded by any Iranian official. “We are not making publicity for the Iranian authorities, we are only trying to encourage people to go to Iran and build their own opinion about this magnificent country.” The vehicle carries a message of peace, he said. It also carries a poem from the ancient Persian poet Saadi on the top of its front window: “Human beings are members of a whole, in creation of one essence and soul.”
What about the children and school? “No, they don’t need to go to school, they don’t have time for school,” he chuckled. “Because they are busy with educating themselves.” Although the law in Germany is complicated, the kids are registered in France, a country that allows home schooling. He reassured: “We are not doing this illegally.”
But would the kid be able to make enough friends, since they are always travelling? “We have a problem here,” he said. “We have too many friends. We have many friends in many countries, in Iran as well. Our kids learned Persian because they interacted with Iranian friends, we have friends everywhere.”
“It is our dream to travel and educate our kids in a free way, and go to museum, we do that very often,” he said. “Not going to school doesn’t mean we don’t learn, in fact we learn a lot more.”
Despite all, both incidents in Iran and London have not left the family with bad feelings. “Do you know the word serendipity?” he asked. “Unfortunately it doesn’t exist in my language. What happened to us in Iran was serendipity, what happened to us in London was also serendipity. There couldn’t have been a better unexpected publicity for our project.”
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Iran, host to many unique cultural treasures largely unseen by western eyes, is expecting a significant rise in the number of tourists visiting the country in the wake of this week’s historic nuclear deal.
President Hassan Rouhani’s government is taking fresh measures to ease or abolish visa requirements for most foreign visitors and build as many as 200 new hotels, as existing accommodation is insufficient to cater for the spike in tourism that has occurred since his election in 2013.
Iran’s vice-president for tourism, Masoud Soltanifar, said that “bright days” lie ahead for the country’s tourism industry following the nuclear agreement struck in Vienna.
“No other industry in Iran will see a bigger boost than tourism as the result of this deal,” he said. “The news about the nuclear agreement and lifting of economic sanctions has delighted our tourism industry.” Soltanifar announced earlier in July that Iran was increasing the length of tourist visas from 15 days to one month, and from as early as next year tourist visas could be issued electronically.
Tourists at the Tachara Palace in Persepolis. Photograph: Behrouz Mehri/AFP/Getty Images
Earlier this month, Unesco added two more ancient sites – Susa archaeological mounds and the stunning Meymand village – the 18th and 19th sites on Iran’s world heritage list. The country was a popular destination for visitors until the 1979 Islamic revolution, and hosted world luminaries such as Andy Warhol, violinist Yehudi Menuhin and choreographer Maurice Béjart.
Iran, which was a Zoroastrian country before Islam arrived, is home to some of the world’s most magnificent historical and archaeological sites with ancient ruins, glittering mosques and spectacular landscapes. Relics of a proud ancient civilisation include: Persepolis, the capital of the largest empire that the world has ever seen; the city of Isfahan; Shiraz, the city of love and poetry; and Hamadan, where Avicenna, the father of early modern medicine, is buried. The capital Tehran is famous for having ski resorts on its doorstep.
Michael Pullman, marketing manager of UK-based tour operator Wild Frontiers , which has been taking western tourists to Iran for the past 10 years, said demands for Iran tours have soared since the nuclear deal was reached earlier this week. He also said that since 2013 demand to visit Iran has increased significantly, and last year the tour operator, which specialises in small, tailor-made group tours, took 150 people. He expects that number to increase by 30% this year.
“When relations started to thaw between Iran and the west, suddenly people felt safe to go,” said Pullman. “It had been branded as part of the ‘axis of evil’ by George Bush, which didn’t help things, and it’s taken time for Iran to rid itself of the label.”
The reactions from westerners visiting Iran is remarkable, he added: “They all come back unanimously saying it’s their ‘new’ country. The sites are one thing – there’s just stunning Islamic architecture and ancient sites, such as Persopolis – but everyone seems to agree that it’s the people that are the biggest surprise.”
David McGuinness from Travel The Unknown, echoed Pullman: “When Rouhani got elected, it made a sea-change difference in terms of bookings. Immediately we saw a rise in bookings for Iran, it suddenly became one of our most popular destinations.” His company, which took 100 people to Iran last year, has already planned several other tours – two classic and archeology tours in September and four more in October, including off-the-beaten-track tours.
But is Iran safe to visit? McGuinness said: “The country is very safe, I have travelled there myself five or six times over the last two years and we have never had any problems with anybody. Iran is probably the most friendly, most welcoming country I’ve ever been in.”
Pullman agreed: “I felt very safe. With what’s going on at the moment with Isis, if you look at the countries surrounding Iran, such as Syria and Iraq, they are unsafe but Iran is quite a strictly-controlled country, it’s 90% Shia and there’s no kind of Sunni-Shia friction. You feel safe walking in the streets, I felt safer there than I do in most places in London.”
One big disappointment is that the British foreign office (FCO) still advises against all but essential travel to Iran. “FCO still advises against travelling to Iran but we feel it’s perfectly safe and that seems to be more of an issue with the fact that there’s no British embassy in Tehran, rather than any particular threat,” said Pullman. Wild Frontiers works with an insurer who provides cover for its clients as standard insurance policies are not valid while FCO advice against travel is in place.
The FCO announced on 15 July that it was planning to reopen its embassy in Tehran by the end of this year. “When that happens and the FCO lifts its advice, the demand will increase further, in fact it will go to the roof,” said Pullman.
Pullman visited Iran last year and noted that: “Iran has an incredibly young population, I think over 60% is under 35; it has a history of being a cultured nation, and very well-educated. It also has one of the highest female university rates anywhere in the world.”
The UAE-based Rotana hotels is planning to open a number of hotels in Iran, and France’s leading hotelier, Accor, is involved in at least two four-star hotels in the country. Iranian officials, looking at neighbouring Turkey with envy, have expressed hope that the country could attract as many as 20 million visitors a year by 2025.
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For experienced skiers who have ticked off many of the resorts in the Alps, exotic skiing destinations renowned for their powder hold a special allure. Kashmir, Japan, Russia and Chile are among dream destinations but the ultimate edgy ski trip has to be to Iran. Tourism is growing at a stupendous rate, especially since FCO advice was relaxed for the country last summer.
Overnight snowfalls in excess of 50cm are not uncommon at its two main resorts, in the Alborz mountains north of Tehran. Shemshak is 2,550 metres high, and Dizin 2,650 metres, with slopes up to 3,500 metres, making it the highest resort in the country, with views of Iran’s tallest mountain: 5,610-metre Damavand.
Dress code is more relaxed on Iran’s ski slopes than in Tehran. Photograph: Reuters/Corbis
I picked Dizin for a day trip from Tehran in early December: a taxi takes about 90 minutes. Ali, a guide from new operator helped sort out equipment hire (just £8 a day) and a lift pass for £6. I yo-yoed up and down the French-built chairlifts and gondolas a few times and covered a good chunk of the ski area’s nine wide, long, rolling runs and powdery bowls, full of fantastic dry snow.
Men and women are segregated on the lifts but unite at the top and can share food and tiny tumblers of tea in the few cafes and restaurants.
Up here the Islamic dress code strictly enforced in Tehran is casually relaxed. I saw peroxide-blonde hair pouring from under woolly hats and forearms scandalously uncovered.
“Sometimes the gaste-ershad [morality police] come up here, but most are bad skiers so we can escape them,” said Soriah, from Tehran. At the foot of the slopes, she and her friends were drinking cans of non-alcoholic beer and smoking stubby Iranian-made Bahman cigarettes.
Four men return to their car pleased with the day’s skiing at Dizin. Photograph: Alamy
“You must have the ghormeh sabzi!” said Soriah, referring to Iran’s national dish of green herb and lamb stew, with sides of radishes, onions, gherkins, limes and mint. “In Tehran, I feel trapped,” she added. “I come to Dizin as much as I can in winter. I feel freer up here.”
After a couple of rounds of Iranian tea, served with lolly-like dipping sticks of crystalline yellow sugar, we stepped back into our skis.
Dizin’s pistes may be splendid, but it has no après ski at all – the Islamic Republic is not big on public nightlife anywhere. Most skiers avoid the cluster of sad-looking concrete hotels and head back to the capital after the slopes close.
On the way back, I stopped on the edge of the mountains an hour from Dizin in Darband. Once a village but now part of the fringes of northern Tehran, it has dozens of Persian-carpeted, open-air cafes, some on wooden platforms over the rivers that flow from the Alborz mountains on to the Tehran plateau below.
I ate garlic and lentil soup and beautifully cooked koobideh (minced lamb) kebabs, washed down with doogh, a popular salted and minted yogurt drink. A boy was preparing tobacco in an alyān, a variant of the Arabic hookah with a straight wooden pipe and an almost hysterically sorrowful old-time Persian tune played though the cafe’s crackling speakers. OK, I wasn’t doing vodka jelly shots with British seasonaires in Tignes but, for me, Darband’s après ski was a fine thing.
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Being completely disconnected on holiday isn’t as romantic as some purist travellers may suggest. It might be fine if you plan to stay on a beach or spend your days snorkelling with dolphins, but if you have to navigate your way around a country, travelling without access to GPS-assisted maps, currency converters and email seems a silly restriction. Especially when travelling in a country like . Here, the private and public spheres are two completely different worlds and access to social media can make the difference between merely learning about heritage through visits to historical sites and experiencing the everyday lives of modern Iranians.
It was how I came to be at a party in Tehran among a crowd of good-looking, fashionable millennials: men, women, gay, straight. The obligatory hijabs were left at the door. On the kitchen table, there were unmarked bottles of aragh saghi – literally, dog alcohol – a moonshine made from raisins. People were dancing, drinking, and discussing whether it was time to call a drug dealer.
Coffee bar in Tehran
Before I embarked on my month-long trip to Iran, Iranian friends suggested I use social media to guide my travels through the Islamic Republic. Even during the first two weeks, which I spent on an organised tour, writing a feature for another publication, I was able to fill a few holes in the standard group itinerary with meaningful interactions outside the comfortable but limiting tourist bubble. It started in the city of Isfahan when I accepted an offer from Alireza, a 24-year-old auto parts dealer who had contacted me through couchsurfing.org, a social media platform for hospitality exchange. He invited me to dinner with his family.
When I arrived at his home, I was welcomed with a generous meal and curious questions from family and friends gathered around a fire in the leafy courtyard. In particular, they wanted to know about the image of Iran abroad. This had been the recurring theme from people who had approached us in the street, often stopping simply to express their gratitude to us for visiting Iran.
I had grown used to Iranians going out of their way to point out that any anti-western propaganda we encountered was an embarrassment to them. On a walk around downtown Tehran on the day of my arrival, I had paused to photograph a large sign on the side of a 10-storey building. It depicted Barack Obama on par with Shemr, the seventh-century villain who killed the beloved Imam Husayn, grandson of the prophet Muhammad. “Please, nobody takes these things seriously,” said two passersby. This apologetic attitude continued on Instagram after I posted the photo, and applied the hashtags #seeyouiniran and #tehranlive. In the comments, Iranians ridiculed the sign and assured me that “only a tiny minority of idiots” thought this way. Along with their messages came invitations to show me around in Tehran.
Cafe Kooche in the Gheytarieh neighbourhood, Tehran.
After we finally cleared our plates, Afshin called friends who arrived in a car to drive us all to a mountain park, where we watched the shimmering city lights, talked politics and religion, and smoked weed. It was my first glimpse of a different side of Iran: the everyday reality hidden behind news reports and history pages. It was generous, warm, fun and defiant.
In the following weeks, I travelled independently, relying on the advice and generosity of ordinary Iranians through Facebook, Instagram, and the hugely popular instant messaging app Telegram Messenger, which many believe is better secured against government monitoring than WhatsApp. Of course, not all encounters were limited to instant messages and emails. Through Couchsurfing, people invited me to stay at their homes and show me around.
In Shiraz, I stayed with a poet and human rights activist who demonstrated how he, as with many others in the city that was once renowned for its wineries, secretly produced his own wine at home. “You crush grapes, leave them to ferment, stir every three days, and after 40 days, you’ve got wine,” he explained, pointing at a large glass container in the corner of his kitchen.
Tajrish bazaar, Tehran
While he was at work, his friends took me to their favourite sites in Shiraz: the Nasir ol Molk mosque (also known as the pink mosque), where stained-glass windows cast kaleidoscopic patterns on the Persian-carpeted floors in the early morning; and the palatial Narenjestan-e Qavam, a 19th-century merchant’s house overlooking a lush garden with fountains and towering date palms. But they also showed me their favourite shopping malls, design boutiques, and Brentin, a busy restaurant inside an old, atmospheric villa. Before the mountainous chelow kebab arrived, I had already helped myself to a salad of pomegranate and lentils, a bowl of yoghurt with little rolls of fried courgette, vegetable samosas and bread with a dip of fried aubergine, onion, walnut and mint.
Stained-glass windows cast kaleidoscopic patterns on the floor of Nasir ol Molk mosque, or the Pink Mosque, in Shiraz
In Tehran, I was shown around the city’s cinema museum by a local photographer. Afterwards, we enjoyed a lunch of tagliatelle at the posh museum cafe, where a famous actress was interviewed under the cool gaze of a crowd with fashionable hairdos, who sipped expensive teas flavoured with saffroned rock sugar. This was followed by a quick walk though past the stalls of the old Tajrish bazaar, selling everything from framed carpets to Kalashnikov-shaped hookahs, after which we moved to the intimate Cafe Kooche in the Gheytarieh neighbourhood. Here, I was introduced to a blogger who would later take me on a tour to Etemad, one of the leading art galleries in Tehran.
Poetry event in Tehran organised by a local Couchsurfing member
The gardens of Mahan
While I was trying to resolve the practical matter of staying online in a country where the internet was throttled and censored, it took less than half an hour to receive the necessary information about where to purchase a local sim card for data, and which app was used to circumvent the Iranian firewall. One of the Facebook group members even gave me her password to a paid VPN service.
Initially, this seemed an online extension of Iranian hospitality, which was the only form of “extremism” I encountered during my stay. But there is another, more political reason: a strong desire to battle cultural misunderstandings and what the group’s founder, Navid Yousefian, refers to as “Iranophobia”.
Clearly, Iran’s poor image abroad is an endless source of frustration to many Iranians. “I was surprised and saddened to hear that some well-travelled people think they can’t visit Iran,” wrote Yousefian, a expatriate PhD student living in California, in the Facebook group’s introduction. He called for Iranians in and outside the country to join the group to help visitors.
Etemad art gallery in Tehran
Today, See You in Iran has close to 45,000 Facebook members and has branched out to Tumblr, Instagram and Telegram Messenger. “What makes it different from the usual guidebooks is that all the input is directly from Iranians and former travellers,” says Sogand Fotovat, an American-Iranian repatriate studying Iranian history in Tehran, who is one of five active administrators of the group. “Because of our on-the-ground organising and networking efforts, See You in Iran is grassroots. We don’t dictate or control any of the content.”
Following this success, Yousefian is developing a dedicated See You in Iran app. “It will have two features,” says Yousefian. “Localiser, which will help travellers find locals to show them around and, if they want, stay with them for the night. And Travel Mater, which helps people find travel buddies while in Iran.”
One surprising aspect of Iranian internet censorship is that it seems oddly permissive in unexpected places. Facebook is blocked but Instagram, owned by Facebook, isn’t. Here, the Rich Kids of Tehran, an obnoxious yet fascinating band of spoiled brats, emulate the popular Rich Kids Of Instagram feed. Aside from the inane displays of wealth and excessive rhinoplasty, their posts are often provocative and pro-western.
Young people are sidestepping censorship to connect with friends and visitors online
While the popular dating app Tinder is, perhaps predictably, blocked, Grindr, a similar app for gay men, isn’t. Indeed, in a country where sharia law prescribes death to sodomites, the app hosts a thriving community whose members don’t seem concerned about persecution. Tellingly, even in Mashhad, a deeply religious city towards the Afghan border that rose to infamy a decade ago for the hanging of two gay teenagers, the men I spoke to were remarkably unafraid to show their faces on their profile photos. “As long as you’re not having sex in public, they’ll leave you alone,” one of them said. “The police have better things to do than to case us.”
Tinder is still used, of course, as people know how to circumvent the Iranian firewall. Through both dating apps, I received invites to underground parties in private homes and desert valleys.
This is how I ended up being offered dog alcohol at the home of someone who named her kitten “Coca”. I had not imagined taking such a risk – and it was a risk, considering Iran’s strict laws and customs governing music, dress codes, and alcohol consumption – but after a few weeks among young, modern Iranians, it was a risk I had grown used to. Even though sharia law prescribes 80 lashings for those caught drinking, partygoers remain defiant. “The risk of a raid makes it more exciting,” the friend who had invited me to the house party said. “In 95% of the cases the police just want a bribe. But, yes, there’s always that 5%.”
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The desert town of Aberkooh, between Yazd and Shiraz, was a flourishing city on the Silk Road in the 10th century and largely destroyed by the Afghans in the mid-1700s. There’s a 4,000-year-old cypress tree, one of the best coffee shops in Iran, and the beautifully restored Aghazadeh Mansion with its double height windcatcher, using 19 wooden vents to channel cool breezes into the house. With luck you may run into the charming 12-year-old Amir Reza and be invited back to his home for lavender tea sweetened with saffron sugar. baty37
No blood but plenty of sweat and tears, Isfahan
Wrestlers taking part in Zurkhaneh. Photograph: Alamy
When in Isfahan don’t miss watching zurkhaneh, a 3,000-year-old form of athletics originally used to train warriors, involving sweaty men in leather breeches doing press-ups and swinging clubs to deafening music and chanting. The zurkhaneh pits are difficult to locate but ask a local or guide to get you a ringside seat.
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Travel independently
Photograph: Jorge Fernández/Getty Images
Brits, know this: you don’t need a tour guide. The visa process remains tricky, but once an agency or Iranian citizen has sponsored your successful application, you should have little trouble going it alone. This allows you to make the most of your encounters with the country’s endlessly hospitable and inquisitive people and the inevitable invitations for tea or to their homes. While you might not think of it as a country where spontaneity is rewarded, such chance meetings will be the highlights of your stay, as they were for me (a Brit) during a recent three-week trip. ID5052288
Explore Damavand city and around
Mount Damavand. Photograph: Alamy
Damavand is a little over 70km from Tehran and one of the most authentic of small cities. Mount Damavand is the highest active volcanic peak in Asia, and one of the best ski resorts, Aab Ali, is also nearby. There are many natural waterfalls and the area is famous for its honey. panvari
Varzaneh desert at sunset
Varzaneh is a small desert town, not too far from Isfahan. Arriving at the small-but-quaint Chapaker Guest House (Beheshti Street, +98 913 203 0096) you will be greeted by the ever-smiling, energetic Mr Reza and his quirky companion Rouhallah. The neighbouring ladies wear shining white chadors in contrast to the usual black ones and peer at you with curiosity. For a couple of dollars Mr Reza will take you to splendid views of vast wetlands, a volcanic crater, the majestic salt lake and the magnificent Varzaneh desert stretching into the sunset. Jessica Fast
Hidden Alborz mountain castles
Alamut Castle in the Alamut valley, Alborz mountains. Photograph: Getty Images
After enjoying the Shiraz to Tehran route, take a few days to go north-east from Tehran to Qazvin and then into the Alborz mountains to discover the remote 11th- and 12th-century castles of the Nizari Ismaili “Assassins”, especially Alamut and Lambesar. They will remind you of the mountain retreats of the French Cathars, with stunning valleys, high mountains and views. Zarabad makes an ideal village base. BrianParrott
The unique heritage of Abyaneh village
Photograph: Alamy
Abyaneh is a 13th-century mountain village about 80km south of Kashan. Its culture, traditions, costumes and dialect are unlike anywhere else in Iran. In 1973 it was registered as a national heritage site. Houses built of mud and straw are stepped into the hillside; narrow unpaved roads slope up and down the hills. Women wear colourful headscarves – the size of the flowers denoting their marital status, while married men wear voluminous satin trousers. As everywhere else in Iran, the people are wonderfully friendly and welcoming. Sue Crofton
Morning sun in Nasir-al-Molk
Photograph: Tuul and Bruno Morandi/Getty Images
In Shiraz stay in (if you can) or at least have lunch in the courtyard of the (twin room £40). Once you have visited the incredible Nasir al-Molk mosque in the morning for the sun streaming through the stained glass windows, cross Lotfali Khan Street, and turn left, in the direction of the citadel, take the third right alley and on your right is a beautiful madrasa (religious school, free). The madrasa courtyard is peaceful and a great place to sit quietly, watch the mullahs in discussion and see life unfold. Continuing down the same alley, hang left and you enter the famous bazaar where you can try faloodeh, the refreshing, if strange, Shirazi dessert. Gráinne Mc Namara
Eco-tour and intellectual chit chat
Visit the See You In Iran Facebook page and check for upcoming events or tours. I went on a three-day eco-tour organised by the site and mingled with other curious backpackers and young, cosmopolitan, engaged Iranians. We hiked in the mountains near Masal, close to the Azerbaijani border and slept in a remote hillside village. It was amazing to disconnect – there was no mobile reception or Wi-Fi for miles. 1womancomments
Gheshm Island geological park
Photograph: Abdolhamid Ebrahimi/Getty Images
Fly from Tehran or Shiraz to this island in the Strait of Hormuz, or make the short ferry crossing from Bandar Abbas. You do not have to be a geologist to enjoy Gheshm’s extraordinary geology. Eight main sites are spread around an island 60 miles long and can be visited by taxi: negotiate a day rate of around £20. Otherworldly landscapes have been carved over millennia by wind and water. I stayed in Tabl village, at Mr Amini’s house, which was clean and welcoming. (Any meal or night’s accommodation was £3.) qeshmgeopark.ir cjleggett
Breakfast in Masuleh
Rudkhan castle in Fuman, Gilan Province, Iran. Photograph: Alamy
I had proudly taken my fiance to see Ephesus in Turkey; now it was his turn to show me his homeland. We arrived at our first stop, Masuleh, on a starry night, and awoke to incredible scenery. Perched on our rooftop, we took it all in over a breakfast of warm bread with saffron and carrot jam, and tea. We then drove to Rudkhan castle and scaled the 1,000 steps to absorb yet more spectacular views. Houses in Masuleh are available to rent upon arrival for around £35 a night and can usually accommodate three or four guests. FilizErol
Golshan Hostel, a shining star in Shiraz
From our trip to Shiraz, I have to mention Golshan Hostel. This traditional hostel radiates Persian warmth and hospitality, and it’s a perfect base for exploring the ancient city. There is a charming courtyard with a blue-tiled pool, flowering vines and bright, scattered cushions. It’s hard not to mingle, chai in hand, in such a tranquil place. golshanhotelshiraz.blogfa.com Shaz Rakhshan
The Golestan Palace, Tehran
Photograph: Alamy
This is a beautiful 400-year-old masterpiece, displaying the earliest representations of a fused European and Persian style, and the complex formed the foundation of Iran’s modern artistic movement. My top tips for inside the palace are the dramatic and awe-inducing Takht’e Marmar (Marble Throne), which stands in an outdoor terrace, and the magnificent Talar-e Ayaheh (Hall of Mirrors) which is exactly that. Only a stone’s throw away is Tehran’s famous Grand Bazaar. ID9101224
Isfahan, for tea and coffee lovers
Navigating Isfahan by its old teahouses and new coffee shops is a nice way to spend an afternoon. The Azadegan Teahouse, in a lane off the north-east corner of Imam Square, has ceilings and walls decked with metal pots and lanterns, with tea, snacks and qalyan (hookah) on the menu. On the other side of the city, stylised coffees and virgin cocktails can be found in Café Ahang, near Charbagh Abasi Street. With its bookshelf and tables decorated with post-it notes, it has a cosy, local feel.
Nicole Zandi
Bam
The Arg-e Bam citadel. Photograph: Earl and Nazima Kowall/Getty Images
The desert oasis of Bam, in the province of Kerman, was largely destroyed by an earthquake in 2003 but has since been rebuilt. You can wander through gardens full of orange and pomegranate trees and date palms. A must-see is the impressive, Unesco-listed Arg-e-Bam citadel, which is being beautifully restored. Bam is also an excellent base for exploring the surrounding desert, including overnight stays in desert camps. CaseyD4
Observing Ashura in Yazd
I recommend visiting Yazd at the time of Ashura (it will be on 1 October in 2017). It’s the festival of mourning for the murder of Imam Hossein and there is a genuine grief evident in the rituals. Visitors are welcome to the upper galleries of mosques, generally opposite the women’s galleries, to witness hundreds of men beating their chests as the story is chanted. Our group was invited to a large temporary feeding area for a free lunch and supper (donations welcomed). You will also see fountains running red. HelenCurrie
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