Deep in Persia (18) Days

Insects are found everywhere and it’s just the matter of how dangerous they might be that concerns many tourists. Mosquitoes which are abundant in Iran don’t carry any diseases like malaria but can cause irritation and infected bites. There are some ways to mollify the itchy feeling caused by bites. Beware of insects like bees and wasps that may be troublesome and bring severe allergy for you. In case, carry an adrenaline injection or something with the similar functioning if you are allergic to bee or wasp stings.

The official calendar in Iran is set according to the solar system in measuring years and using Iranian months. Farvardin is the first month and Esfand is the last month in Iranian. Farvardin 1st which is equal to March 21st is the beginning of Noruz. Furthermore, lunar calendar is another calendar used for religious rites and traditions. Solar years run 10 days ahead of Lunar years and it makes each year to be different from next year. If you want to have delightful times in your travel, you better take into account the aforementioned points about the calendars in Iran. For example, Iranian Muslims in Ramadan do various activities like fasting_ they don’t eat or drink_ and this would affect all people’s lives who are in Iran. Friday is a weekend and a holiday in Iran.

There are some dissimilarities between Iranian’s restrooms (Muslims’) and that of westerns’which are called “urinals”. In each and every hotels, guest-houses, restaurants, motels and alike buildings you can find convenience while using restrooms. However, it is more likely to find Iranian ones outside in any parts of the country rather than those of westerns’. Thus, it is recommended that you should be informed of such issues for having an enjoyable trip.

There are some dissimilarities between Iranian’s restrooms (Muslims’) and that of westerns’which are called “urinals”. In each and every hotels, guest-houses, restaurants, motels and alike buildings you can find convenience while using restrooms. However, it is more likely to find Iranian ones outside in any parts of the country rather than those of westerns’. Thus, it is recommended that you should be informed of such issues for having an enjoyable trip.

Considering the Islamic rules and beliefs about the appropriate manner of dressing in Iran, women need to cover their body modestly and they ought to be real gentlewomen. Having a long shirt, a scarf and pants on by a woman in Iran represents a proper dressing.

Due to the availability of IDD service in Iran, telecommunication is easily accessible. Three major operators in Iran are “MTN Irancell”, “RighTel” and most importantly “MCI”, which stands for Mobile Telecommunication Company. MCI provides its services and supports almost in every cities and villages of Iran. The other two operators are supportive of people in telecommunication but they are not as powerful as MCI. Above all, these three operators have high speed rate internet of 3G and 4G services.

Getting your insurance license prior to the departure from your country is surely needed. So, the best way in doing so is to insure yourself before arriving in Iran.

Since Iran is vast and located in a nice geographical position, it has got various types of climates differing from place to place and time to time. It’s hot and dry at the center. We have humid and rainy weather in the north but humid and hot weather in the south of Iran. Thanks to the Zagros mountain range in the west, we have cold weather. In each of these areas, you can feel different seasons. January is considered as the coldest month and August as the hottest one. During the spring and fall you can experience a delightful journey in that temperature is ideally desirable everywhere.

The use of alcoholic drinks under any circumstances is strictly forbidden and can bring dissatisfactory consequences in Iran.

Iranian foods are not as spicy and hot as those of Indian or Thai. Rice (simply cooked or flavored with saffron, barberries, herbs or raisins) together with different kinds of khoreshts (stew dishes in Iranian cuisine) are commonly served by most Iranian people as the main dish for either lunch or dinner. Vegetables like onions, eggplants, beans, carrots, garlics, parsleys and tomatoes, and meats like fish, lamb, beef and chicken are seen more often in Iranian cuisine. Kebab is a delicious and popular dish in Iran that is readily available in most restaurants along the roads. Fresh and healthy ingredients make Iranian foods so tasty. By the way, some western dishes may be available in some major hotels and restaurants. Don’t worry about fast foods. They can be found anywhere and Iran is no exception.

The Iranian Rial is the currency used commonly in Iran. Nevertheless, Iranians express the prices of their goods in “tomans”. If you want to exchange money, you can do it at places such as the airport bank, city banks or exchange bureaus. Your guide would help you in this case. For tipping drivers or guides and when dealing with the purchase of items like handicrafts and carpets, Dollar and Euro are useful currencies. There is no limit about the amount of money you can have and bring to the country, but exchange enough money so that you wouldn’t face any problems dealing with personal expenses as well as those not included in your tour cost. The recommended maximum amount is $6,000.

People have different tastes in many things including weather. For some, cold weather is nice but this may seem otherwise for others. Therefore, the best time depends on the kind of weather visitors like and prefer. Many places in Iran are hot in summer and cold in winter, having snow and rain in some parts. Visitors may find it difficult during Ramadan beacuse fasting is practiced daily from dawn to sunset and accordingly many stores providing food are close during the day. On holidays namely times around the Iranian New Year at the end of March, cities are crowded with people like to spend time outside and have fun.

The answer is a big YES. People with all nationalities, cultures and races are warmly welcome to visit Iran and experience it at least once. There is just one exception. Owing to the fact that there exist political disagreements between Iran and Israel, the citizens of Israel are not permitted to enter under any circumstances.

One of the major concerns of tourists when they think about travelling to Iran is safety. This is not just about Iran but rather about all countries. The recent news about terrorism in Iran’s neighborhood has enhanced fears about its security. Despite all these drawbacks being highlighted, Iran offers the best security and is one of the safest places in the Middle East. Some areas, especially those close to the border between Iran and Afghanistan or Iran and Iraq are seen as high risk and less secure places. So, these places are not recommended as safe destinations for tourists.

Accidents are considered as one of the main reasons that people seek for medical treatment. If you need a hospital in emergency cases, best doctors are easily available and accessible in Iran. Many of these doctors have been trained so professionally in different parts of the world such as Europe or North America; therefore, you won’t have any problems in case of speaking English to your doctors. In rural and more remote areas, medical facilities and treatments are not very advanced.

Due to the availability of IDD service in Iran, telecommunication is easily accessible. Three major operators in Iran are “MTN Irancell”, “RighTel” and most importantly “MCI”, which stands for Mobile Telecommunication Company. MCI provides its services and supports almost in every cities and villages of Iran. The other two operators are supportive of people in telecommunication but they are not as powerful as MCI. Above all, these three operators have high speed rate internet of 3G and 4G services.

Since Iran is vast and located in a nice geographical position, it has got various types of climates differing from place to place and time to time. It’s hot and dry at the center. We have humid and rainy weather in the north but humid and hot weather in the south of Iran. Thanks to the Zagros mountain range in the west, we have cold weather. In each of these areas, you can feel different seasons. January is considered as the coldest month and August as the hottest one. During the spring and fall you can experience a delightful journey in that temperature is ideally desirable everywhere.

The use of alcoholic drinks under any circumstances is strictly forbidden and can bring dissatisfactory consequences in Iran.

Iranian foods are not as spicy and hot as those of Indian or Thai. Rice (simply cooked or flavored with saffron, barberries, herbs or raisins) together with different kinds of khoreshts (stew dishes in Iranian cuisine) are commonly served by most Iranian people as the main dish for either lunch or dinner. Vegetables like onions, eggplants, beans, carrots, garlics, parsleys and tomatoes, and meats like fish, lamb, beef and chicken are seen more often in Iranian cuisine. Kebab is a delicious and popular dish in Iran that is readily available in most restaurants along the roads. Fresh and healthy ingredients make Iranian foods so tasty. By the way, some western dishes may be available in some major hotels and restaurants. Don’t worry about fast foods. They can be found anywhere and Iran is no exception.