Iran recently eased its visa policy and most westerners (but not USA and UK, I think) can get a visa on arrival at major airports. This was a wakeup call for me. I changed my initial travel plans and visited before the masses do. Iranian government wants to massively increase the amount of tourists until 2025 in order to get foreign $$$.
The flight with Mahan Air was very comfortable. While they didn’t serve beer or liquor (it’s an Iranian Airline), the cabin staff served good food. One steward sat down next to me for about 15 minutes and gave me valuable travel tips, and his digits, just in case of problems. Economy in Mahan Air is better than business class in some other airlines.
Upon arrival at Imam Khomeini Airport in Tehran, I was the only foreigner applying for visa on arrival (cost: 75€ plus mandatory health insurance 14€). The whole procedure took less than 20 minutes.
The first days in Tehran
I barely knew anything about Iran when I booked the flight, except three things: 1) alcohol is illegal 2) death penalty applied if caught on adultery and 3) no foreign credit or debit cards work, so enough cash must be brought for the entire trip.
I also didn’t plan my trip at all, I booked a hotel on a hotel website which must have been designed 15 years ago with Microsoft Frontpage (booking.com lists very few hotels, and I boycott SJW airbnb).
Upon arrival, I found out that the hotel I booked was shut down, so a taxi driver brought me to another, overpriced, hotel. It took some time to find a new suitable room and understand how Iran works. Everything is written in Persian alphabet and Persian numerals, and few Iranians speak conversational English. But once I understood the basics on how stuff works here, things changed for the better.
For an oil economy there are very few luxury cars. Most are 1990’s French makes, or Iranian and Chinese brands.
People
Everyone is friendly and hospitable, with no exceptions. Even taxi drivers are somewhat nice. People are interested in meeting foreigners, and I got approached countless times – some strangers thanked me in public for visiting Iran and kissed me on cheeks or asked for selfies with them. Unfortunately, the language barrier makes communication difficult.
A solution to that problem is having some funny pics or videos on the phone. It also happened that single guys under 30 years asked me for some softcore erotic pics or rap videos to be transferred on bluetooth. I’d advise anyone to have such graphic material in Iran. You can easily overcome the language barrier and the locals will appreciate it greatly.
Culture
Culture is the absolute highlight in Iran. I’ve seen some world famous attractions such as medieval old towns in several European countries, traditional Buddhist palaces in SEA, or beautiful places in Africa.
But Iran left me speechless, constantly. I visited well-built mosques with extensive decorations, Zoroastrian temples, Christian-Armenian cathedrals and churches as well as 1000 years old (or even older) villages, tombs and shrines and much, much more. There are endless monasteries, (beautiful) mosques, or historical remainders of violent times, such as underground cities (built in order to hide or protect from invading enemies) and fortresses. Every day I’ve spent outside Tehran I was simply stunned.
The tomb of Cyrus the Great in Pasargadae. There are two excellent articles on ROK ( 1 2 )
Nature
The natural beauty and diversity is astounding. You can see practically everything in here from deserts with (or without) sand dunes, low mountain ranges as well as snowy high mountains, places of geological interest, deserted salt lakes… I’m just naming what I’ve seen, and there is a lot more. It’s unbelievable.
You can find such dunes (or even more impressive ones) east of Kashan, east of Isfahan, or around Yazd.
Traffic
Iranians are the most reckless drivers I've ever seen in my life.
What I witnessed first-hand:
- Flash light is constantly used
- Overtaking happens whenever there's enough space. On the left, right or emergency lane, whatever
- There are lots of speed cameras on bigger expressways. Fines are obviously stiff since most drivers abide to speed limits. However, the madness happens on secondary roads or in the countryside where is no electronic speed monitoring. Several drivers reached 120 kph where 40 or 50 is allowed.
- Motorbike drivers frequently use boardwalks and sound the horn if pedestrians don't move away
- Two or three times, my driver almost crashed the car due to his reckless driving
- I’ve seen motorbike drivers who did a wheelie that lasted several hundred meters
Safety
All places I've seen are absolutely safe. Example: I had my private driver and we went to a fast food restaurant in the suburbs of a city. He left the keys in the car with the engine running while we ordered our meals.
Places I’ve been
From Tehran, I visited the cities Kashan, Isfahan, Yazd and Shiraz. Many foreign visitors take this route and I can recommend it. It’s easy to go around, especially by bus.
Kashan is 2nd tier in terms of tourist interest. Sand dunes and salt lake are worth a day trip. Fin Garden is nice.
Me and the tour guide feeding some wild camels, one hour drive from Kashan
Fin Garden is 1000 years old and very nicely maintained, but is a bit overrated in my opinion.
Isfahan is called a Pearl of the Middle East for a reason. The historical mosques, bridges and Armenian-Christian churches are very beautiful. Lots of nice parks, bazaars and museums, too.
Central square in Isfahan
Yazd - The city of Zoroastrians, a religious minority. Several Muslim sites are there as well. The mountains on the route from Yazd towards Shiraz are terrific.
From sand dunes to stone desert and snowy mountains in 10 minutes drive. This is Iran.
Iranians always combined religion and culture.
Shiraz is one of the highlights for most Iran visitors. Think of mausoleums of famous writers or holy Shia shrines. Nearby are historical sites of Pasargadae and Persepolis.
Alcohol
Alcohol is banned, even for non-muslims. You cannot bring it into Iran, and no shops (officially) sell it. It’s available at bazaars though. However, I decided to follow the law and not to drink. Side effects: my mood and energy went up and I got more focused by the end of this trip.
Cost
Not as dirt cheap as Chaos described in his post (thread-32062.html) but still very inexpensive.
Examples:
-Local fast food or Kebab 2-3$
-Room with shared bathroom from 15-20$; Hostel dorm 10-15$ (as a general rule, prices go up in tourist cities)
-Bus or metro ticket 8-25 cents
-Spacious VIP coach, 400 km journey, including snack and a juice drink 9$
-Entrance to most tourist sites 5$, some are only 1 or 2$
-A pack of cigarettes 1$
What else
-Foreign Debit or Credit cards still don’t work in Iran due to international sanctions. There’s no Western Union neither. The one who does not bring enough cash is on his own.
-Intercity travel by coach is cheap, simple and convenient. VIP coaches offer a lot of leg room. Using a train is more difficult, more expensive, requires passport registration and stations are remotely located. Shiraz station for example is 22km outside city center.
-Currency is he Iranian Rial (1$ ~ 38,000 Rial), however most locals talk about Toman (1 Toman is 10 Rial). It’s the same money. If a taxi driver quotes 10,000 Toman for a fare, he wants 100,000 Rial.
-Iranian guys dress fashionable. Even most taxi drivers are suited up or at least wear a blazer. I constantly felt underdressed with jeans and t-shirt.
-Still lots of people who have an old Nokia phone. Those who use smartphones use Telegram as their main messenger. IG is widely used, too. Whatsapp and fb less so.
-In the Google Play top 20 are several VPN and bikini / underwear models apps. VPN is essential since a lot of websites are blocked, even PC mainstream news sites.
-Apparently, non-US citizens who visited Iran can no longer benefit from the US Visa Waiver Program (Link)
Thoughts on Iranian girls
I did not go to Iran for the girls. First at all, premarital sex is forbidden, and there’s a death penalty on adultery – not worth the risk for me. Also, the most westernized part of Iran is northern Tehran. My chances would be biggest there, but that would take time which I could not spend exploring the country.
I met several girls on the road. I was approached several times by flirty and friendly girls. Two girls gave me their numbers, “just in case.” However, those contacts lead nowhere.
Some of the girls are real stunners, I didn’t expect that. Plastic surgery is very popular – within two weeks, I’ve seen more girls with nose bandage in Iran than in my entire life before.
Conclusion
Iran widened my historical knowledge and surely satisfied my curious mind. I perfectly enjoyed this trip despite not having access to booze, bacon and girls.
Every man should know some history, and Iran is a prime location to widen your world view. This country is a real eye opener, and I highly recommend a visit to every masculine man.
PM me if you want to know more.
Question
In which European or SEA countries can I find Iranian student girls with loose morals?
The flight with Mahan Air was very comfortable. While they didn’t serve beer or liquor (it’s an Iranian Airline), the cabin staff served good food. One steward sat down next to me for about 15 minutes and gave me valuable travel tips, and his digits, just in case of problems. Economy in Mahan Air is better than business class in some other airlines.
Upon arrival at Imam Khomeini Airport in Tehran, I was the only foreigner applying for visa on arrival (cost: 75€ plus mandatory health insurance 14€). The whole procedure took less than 20 minutes.
The first days in Tehran
I barely knew anything about Iran when I booked the flight, except three things: 1) alcohol is illegal 2) death penalty applied if caught on adultery and 3) no foreign credit or debit cards work, so enough cash must be brought for the entire trip.
I also didn’t plan my trip at all, I booked a hotel on a hotel website which must have been designed 15 years ago with Microsoft Frontpage (booking.com lists very few hotels, and I boycott SJW airbnb).
Upon arrival, I found out that the hotel I booked was shut down, so a taxi driver brought me to another, overpriced, hotel. It took some time to find a new suitable room and understand how Iran works. Everything is written in Persian alphabet and Persian numerals, and few Iranians speak conversational English. But once I understood the basics on how stuff works here, things changed for the better.
For an oil economy there are very few luxury cars. Most are 1990’s French makes, or Iranian and Chinese brands.
People
Everyone is friendly and hospitable, with no exceptions. Even taxi drivers are somewhat nice. People are interested in meeting foreigners, and I got approached countless times – some strangers thanked me in public for visiting Iran and kissed me on cheeks or asked for selfies with them. Unfortunately, the language barrier makes communication difficult.
A solution to that problem is having some funny pics or videos on the phone. It also happened that single guys under 30 years asked me for some softcore erotic pics or rap videos to be transferred on bluetooth. I’d advise anyone to have such graphic material in Iran. You can easily overcome the language barrier and the locals will appreciate it greatly.
Culture
Culture is the absolute highlight in Iran. I’ve seen some world famous attractions such as medieval old towns in several European countries, traditional Buddhist palaces in SEA, or beautiful places in Africa.
But Iran left me speechless, constantly. I visited well-built mosques with extensive decorations, Zoroastrian temples, Christian-Armenian cathedrals and churches as well as 1000 years old (or even older) villages, tombs and shrines and much, much more. There are endless monasteries, (beautiful) mosques, or historical remainders of violent times, such as underground cities (built in order to hide or protect from invading enemies) and fortresses. Every day I’ve spent outside Tehran I was simply stunned.
The tomb of Cyrus the Great in Pasargadae. There are two excellent articles on ROK ( 1 2 )
Nature
The natural beauty and diversity is astounding. You can see practically everything in here from deserts with (or without) sand dunes, low mountain ranges as well as snowy high mountains, places of geological interest, deserted salt lakes… I’m just naming what I’ve seen, and there is a lot more. It’s unbelievable.
You can find such dunes (or even more impressive ones) east of Kashan, east of Isfahan, or around Yazd.
Traffic
Iranians are the most reckless drivers I've ever seen in my life.
What I witnessed first-hand:
- Flash light is constantly used
- Overtaking happens whenever there's enough space. On the left, right or emergency lane, whatever
- There are lots of speed cameras on bigger expressways. Fines are obviously stiff since most drivers abide to speed limits. However, the madness happens on secondary roads or in the countryside where is no electronic speed monitoring. Several drivers reached 120 kph where 40 or 50 is allowed.
- Motorbike drivers frequently use boardwalks and sound the horn if pedestrians don't move away
- Two or three times, my driver almost crashed the car due to his reckless driving
- I’ve seen motorbike drivers who did a wheelie that lasted several hundred meters
Safety
All places I've seen are absolutely safe. Example: I had my private driver and we went to a fast food restaurant in the suburbs of a city. He left the keys in the car with the engine running while we ordered our meals.
Places I’ve been
From Tehran, I visited the cities Kashan, Isfahan, Yazd and Shiraz. Many foreign visitors take this route and I can recommend it. It’s easy to go around, especially by bus.
Kashan is 2nd tier in terms of tourist interest. Sand dunes and salt lake are worth a day trip. Fin Garden is nice.
Me and the tour guide feeding some wild camels, one hour drive from Kashan
Fin Garden is 1000 years old and very nicely maintained, but is a bit overrated in my opinion.
Isfahan is called a Pearl of the Middle East for a reason. The historical mosques, bridges and Armenian-Christian churches are very beautiful. Lots of nice parks, bazaars and museums, too.
Central square in Isfahan
Yazd - The city of Zoroastrians, a religious minority. Several Muslim sites are there as well. The mountains on the route from Yazd towards Shiraz are terrific.
From sand dunes to stone desert and snowy mountains in 10 minutes drive. This is Iran.
Iranians always combined religion and culture.
Shiraz is one of the highlights for most Iran visitors. Think of mausoleums of famous writers or holy Shia shrines. Nearby are historical sites of Pasargadae and Persepolis.
Alcohol
Alcohol is banned, even for non-muslims. You cannot bring it into Iran, and no shops (officially) sell it. It’s available at bazaars though. However, I decided to follow the law and not to drink. Side effects: my mood and energy went up and I got more focused by the end of this trip.
Cost
Not as dirt cheap as Chaos described in his post (thread-32062.html) but still very inexpensive.
Examples:
-Local fast food or Kebab 2-3$
-Room with shared bathroom from 15-20$; Hostel dorm 10-15$ (as a general rule, prices go up in tourist cities)
-Bus or metro ticket 8-25 cents
-Spacious VIP coach, 400 km journey, including snack and a juice drink 9$
-Entrance to most tourist sites 5$, some are only 1 or 2$
-A pack of cigarettes 1$
What else
-Foreign Debit or Credit cards still don’t work in Iran due to international sanctions. There’s no Western Union neither. The one who does not bring enough cash is on his own.
-Intercity travel by coach is cheap, simple and convenient. VIP coaches offer a lot of leg room. Using a train is more difficult, more expensive, requires passport registration and stations are remotely located. Shiraz station for example is 22km outside city center.
-Currency is he Iranian Rial (1$ ~ 38,000 Rial), however most locals talk about Toman (1 Toman is 10 Rial). It’s the same money. If a taxi driver quotes 10,000 Toman for a fare, he wants 100,000 Rial.
-Iranian guys dress fashionable. Even most taxi drivers are suited up or at least wear a blazer. I constantly felt underdressed with jeans and t-shirt.
-Still lots of people who have an old Nokia phone. Those who use smartphones use Telegram as their main messenger. IG is widely used, too. Whatsapp and fb less so.
-In the Google Play top 20 are several VPN and bikini / underwear models apps. VPN is essential since a lot of websites are blocked, even PC mainstream news sites.
-Apparently, non-US citizens who visited Iran can no longer benefit from the US Visa Waiver Program (Link)
Thoughts on Iranian girls
I did not go to Iran for the girls. First at all, premarital sex is forbidden, and there’s a death penalty on adultery – not worth the risk for me. Also, the most westernized part of Iran is northern Tehran. My chances would be biggest there, but that would take time which I could not spend exploring the country.
I met several girls on the road. I was approached several times by flirty and friendly girls. Two girls gave me their numbers, “just in case.” However, those contacts lead nowhere.
Some of the girls are real stunners, I didn’t expect that. Plastic surgery is very popular – within two weeks, I’ve seen more girls with nose bandage in Iran than in my entire life before.
Conclusion
Iran widened my historical knowledge and surely satisfied my curious mind. I perfectly enjoyed this trip despite not having access to booze, bacon and girls.
Every man should know some history, and Iran is a prime location to widen your world view. This country is a real eye opener, and I highly recommend a visit to every masculine man.
PM me if you want to know more.
Question
In which European or SEA countries can I find Iranian student girls with loose morals?