Iran: When you become a better person by traveling

Iran: When you become a better person by traveling is written by Jacob Gowland.

A special travel experience

Besides Rwanda I do not think I have been in a country where the difference between the general perception of the state of affairs and the real reality of the journey has been greater than in Iran.

It's simply unbelievable how many prejudices there are when you travel to Iran. And even though I love to travel, it's still rare that I feel like I come home a better person after a trip.

But that's how I felt in the spring after 9 intensive days thanks to all the openness and hospitality that you were constantly greeted with. Here is my account of one of my trips to Iran.

How do you get to Iran?

I had arranged the trip myself together with my old friend Jesper. We flew with Turkish Airlines directly into Isfahan, where we got VOA – On-Arrival Visa. From there we took the VIP bus to Yazd and ended up in Shiraz, from where we flew home via Istanbul.

The country with the friendliest population

Already in the flight queue in Istanbul on the way to Isfahan, we met an Iranian family with father, mother and daughter, who lived such a modern life with such modern values ​​that most Danish families would appear provincial in comparison.

They were fluent in English, the mother was a PhD student in another city, and the father worked in an oil company down south and commuted regularly.

They were on their way home from a headscarf-free holiday in Madrid. And they offered to show us around the beautiful central square of Isfahan. They took us to the tea house and we were absolutely not allowed to pay for anything; they were just happy to be able to show their country as it really is - and speak English.

Isfahan, Iran

Unfortunately we ended up at the Morvarid Hotel, which is not going to win awards for cleanliness or noise reduction. However, it was well located just north of the square.

Isfahan was a cool city to walk in, with nice wide sidewalks, lots of trees and the beautiful old bridge full of life. And they even had new bike lanes! With cyclists on!

We kept getting greetings "Welcome to Isfahan" and "Where do you come from", wherever we went, without anyone trying to sell us anything - it was a bit wild. Even in the bazaar, one was not just a wandering purse, it was an incredibly pleasant surprise. A beautiful and very friendly city.

Yazd, the old caravan town

Yazd was an experience in itself. It is only 300 km away, but is of another world. The old caravan town with the crooked alleys, beautiful houses and fire temples was fiercely tourist friendly.

We ended up at a brand new hotel in a traditional house, Hotel Qanat. Here we were quickly adopted by the always present and servicing family, where both mother and daughter spoke excellent English, while father was more on pointing.

With underground

We were the first guests ever to go underground to the hotel's underground water system, called a qanat, which is the traditional water and cooling system in the desert city. It runs from the mountains down through Yazd.

The mother had not been down there before either, so the maiden voyage was celebrated with pictures and lots of smiles.

That the owner of the hotel, who was rarely seen, became greedy for money and we had to insist on staying in our large bright room for the 40 USD we had negotiated it for is another matter. However, one has not traveled for nothing, so we stayed where we were for three nights. Remember to visit the Towers of Silence and the desert. 12 points to Yazd, Iran.

Surprises in Shiraz, Iran

We ended up in Shiraz, 450 km southwest. At first glance, it was a bit of a busy mess compared to where we came from. There were lots of sights, but our eyes were only really opened when my travel companion got in touch with a couple of locals who were siblings of one of his acquaintances.

The acquaintance had, in the best Iranian spirit, immediately insisted on giving my travel companion the contact details of his family in Shiraz. We met with the family for a cup of tea at a tea house.

Then it went hand in hand with them showing us the city, again insisting that we should not pay anything ourselves. We did get that changed though, as entrees and food despite the low price level after all ran up in some money.

Shiraz, Iran's most liberal city

The locals are very proud that Shiraz is perhaps the most liberal city you can experience when traveling to Iran. The women show more hair than headscarves, and they have a vibrant cultural life with theatre, opera and music in the street. And then they have some very impressive mosques that you must visit.

They were proud that their city is a modern city. Here you drive a car, go out in the evening, and many take a long course. And even if there wasn't exactly equality, there was something that smelled like that.

We even saw a waiter with a headscarf in the shape of the American flag.

We got a blurry snapshot taken of her, which she discovered and smiled at before she went outside and smoked a cigarette. Hats off to rebels in a clerical regime.

Persepolis, the ancient world empire

One of the highlights of Shiraz is an hour’s drive outside the city with beautiful Persepolis. Near it lies Necropolis, which was decidedly impressive if one is into that sort of thing.

Persepolis is considered the capital of the first world empire that stretched from present-day India across Iran to the Balkans. There were built centralized, cohesive societies until Alexander came and smashed it in 330 BC.

We also went to Eram Gardens and to the significant Hafez Tomb in the evening before sunset. It's like a local, cozy folk party with a picnic included, and you instinctively feel included in the party.

By the way, the food is really good in Iran. It is spicy without being violent, and you can even have a beer with the food. Yes, yes, it was so non-alcoholic, but it tasted good.

A more open and free Iran

If one was in doubt about how seriously the locals are working for a more open and free Iran, then at least one was not after experiencing some of the major streets in the evening in Shiraz. There was an election campaign right when we were there.

Although the supply of candidates is very limited, they said that they could easily feel the difference in everyday life, whether it was the reform-minded Rouhani who is sitting there now, or it was the tighter Raisi from Mashhad, which is perhaps Iran's most religious and conservative city. .

There were lots of mostly younger people standing with election posters shouting and singing and smiling while reminding people to vote. Democratic spirit in its purest form, although the electoral system itself can hardly be given the same designation.

Rouhani won comfortably, and he promised to continue the reforms and open up to the world. It was a different - and very positive - travel experience in the middle of a Trump era.

When are you going to Iran?

April is absolutely high season with clear, dry weather, and is an obvious choice when traveling to Iran.

As we approached Easter, there were more tourists in Yazd who couldn't seem to find a place to stay in the Old City. Booking is therefore important in that area.

We booked by mail, because the big booking sites do not work in Iran. Once we also got the hotel to book a hotel for us in the next town.

We got unproblematic Visa On Arrival in Isfahan. Just remember the patience, 75 euros, a printed hotel booking and a piece of paper from your travel insurance company describing in English that you have a travel insurance that covers Iran.

Turkish Airlines flies directly to quite a few cities in Iran from Istanbul. Consider an Open Jaw ticket - into one city and out of another - to avoid wasted time. Only downside is the flight times, which in both our cases were at night.

Remember the cash on the trip to Iran

Iran is cash only, so remember USDs in large and small banknotes. They can be exchanged in many places, but you get the best rate at the exchange offices. We ended up spending $ 900 a day including flights, which was clearly the most expensive part.

It is quite cheap to eat out, and hotels are available from 30 USD per person. night for a twin room. If you can find cheap flights, it can easily be a reasonable trip.

It cost only 9 USD to get from city to city in nice VIP buses that ran on time on good roads. There are also train routes, but that didn't fit into our schedule. Unfortunately, because I like traveling by train. Those I know who have done it during their travels to Iran have been positive about it, although it may take a bit longer than by bus.

So herewith my warmest recommendations for Iran as a travel country. Finally, remember to talk to the locals and say yes when they invite you to tea and tours. You will not regret it in one of the most hospitable countries I have ever been to.

Have a nice trip to Iran.

4 cities you must experience in Iran

• Isfahan
• Yazd
• Shiraz
• Persepolis
• Tehran