Iran
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Iran
I'm heading to Iran next month, so a question for those that have visited Iran & who were eligible for a VOA, providing you had evidence of your return flight & say most hotel bookings, was it a pain in the arse, i.e. time wise, why the hell are you visiting etc, etc?
PS - I'm not American.
PS - I'm not American.
It's never too late to be nice, unless you die.
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No problem. Same, I've only ever heard good things about the country & the peeps. No doubt you've seen this classic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbjVrm6XS_ALexusSchmexus wrote:It's a country I've always wanted to visit. I'd like to visit within the next few months, so please give your input here after you've been. I've only heard good things about the country and it's people. Where are you planning on going?
Ok so far the plan is land in Tehran for an overnighter then Shiraz for 2 nights including day trip to Persepolis. The next 3 nights would be in Isfahan for 2-3 nights, with potentially 1 night before in Yadz, or after in Kazan prior to going back to Tehran for a couple of nights.
It's never too late to be nice, unless you die.
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I'd never seen that, nice one. This is one I did see. A bit long but some bits and observation are interesting:
Definitely a very rich history and still unspoiled by massive tourism. Unfortunately the only person I personally know who's been there is a Persian-Canadian friend of mine. He's been two or three times I think and could probably recommend some places. One thing I'm wondering is whether or not it would be ok to bring a Cambodian girlfriend along. Part of me thinks it might be limiting because:
-Being solo you're always more approachable.
-Guys might not want to talk to me as much because I'm with a woman (I'm assuming like other Muslim countries, single men and "families" don't mingle)
However, it might also create the opposite effect, where because we're a couple we seem more approachable. Might also allow for the hot Persian girls to approach us more.
How much time do you have? 7-10 days? Your itinerary looks nice.
Definitely a very rich history and still unspoiled by massive tourism. Unfortunately the only person I personally know who's been there is a Persian-Canadian friend of mine. He's been two or three times I think and could probably recommend some places. One thing I'm wondering is whether or not it would be ok to bring a Cambodian girlfriend along. Part of me thinks it might be limiting because:
-Being solo you're always more approachable.
-Guys might not want to talk to me as much because I'm with a woman (I'm assuming like other Muslim countries, single men and "families" don't mingle)
However, it might also create the opposite effect, where because we're a couple we seem more approachable. Might also allow for the hot Persian girls to approach us more.
How much time do you have? 7-10 days? Your itinerary looks nice.
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I don't think it would be a problem to bring her along (plus she can get a visa on arrival so no problems there), just make sure she's comfortable wearing a headscarf for a week. Iran is of course a very strong Muslim country, but you may be surprised with what you find and the cultural differences from Arab countries as a whole. Of course being in Tehran (or other cities like Shiraz and Isfahan) is completely different than the countryside, and despite the morals police and the requirements for a headscarf, women are treated generally well. You'll often see groups together in cafes or driving around. But, as open are Persians can be (there's actually a great Persian word, 'tarof', which is their large sense of hospitality -- so much so that even a taxi driver won't want to take money from you, as a guest, and you need to insist three times to pay, normally ending with something like "thank you for the ride, please buy your children something with this"), don't think that you could go there as a single man and pick up a Persian woman. Hell, you'd struggle to pick up a Persian in L.A. without bottle service and a Lexus (mass stereotyping here as hyperbole). The younger Iranians, in the cities, do drink and party and sleep around, but it's always behind closed doors and in homes. I'm not sure your age, which always changes things a bit with whom you may interact with, but regardless if you're with your gf or not, people will be very approachable, interested in talking with you (if you/they can), and hospitable.LexusSchmexus wrote:I'd never seen that, nice one. This is one I did see. A bit long but some bits and observation are interesting:
Definitely a very rich history and still unspoiled by massive tourism. Unfortunately the only person I personally know who's been there is a Persian-Canadian friend of mine. He's been two or three times I think and could probably recommend some places. One thing I'm wondering is whether or not it would be ok to bring a Cambodian girlfriend along. Part of me thinks it might be limiting because:
-Being solo you're always more approachable.
-Guys might not want to talk to me as much because I'm with a woman (I'm assuming like other Muslim countries, single men and "families" don't mingle)
However, it might also create the opposite effect, where because we're a couple we seem more approachable. Might also allow for the hot Persian girls to approach us more.
How much time do you have? 7-10 days? Your itinerary looks nice.
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Good advice Miguelito. Just to be clear: I wasn't under the illusion I'd be picking up girls or even interacting with them. Not my intention at all, though I do think they generally have lovely faces (same with Turkish girls). However, if a girl is with me, getting the opportunity to chat to some might be an interesting experience.
If your in the Teheran area try to book a weekend for downhill skiing / snowboarding.
The season isn't over yet and you will be surprised, one of the best ski resorts in the region!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
The season isn't over yet and you will be surprised, one of the best ski resorts in the region!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
i have been there in 1995 for 1 month during my trip from Egypt to India by land.I got my visa very tough at the embassy in Ankara but It was worth because the country got some very good place to visit and i met the most friendly people from the globe.the negative is strong muslim country so not much freedom and i do not know how could be now because was long time ago.
Do they stamp your passport with the Iran visa?
I'm quite attracted by the destination as well for all the good things I'd heard and read before, but with the toxic clown in charge in the US now, wouldn't an Iranian visa be grounds to be refused entry in the US? Iran being part of the new "official enemies" of the US etc.
I'm quite attracted by the destination as well for all the good things I'd heard and read before, but with the toxic clown in charge in the US now, wouldn't an Iranian visa be grounds to be refused entry in the US? Iran being part of the new "official enemies" of the US etc.
yes,I and my friend had Italian passport but that time citizen from US was not allowed to entry to IRAN, Every place we visited i never slept at any hotel because there were all the time someone want to invite us at their home. i met family doing wine illegally, with some smoking opiums and all the time excellent food cooked from their beautiful wife without any headscarf but the most unforgettable hospitality we had in Teheran from a business man who hire a taxi to take us around the city and at night he take us to eat at the top restaurant of the city without pay any$$$.I have been all around the globe but never met people like IRAN.
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Actually, the recent "immigration ban", or any version of it, won't effect you if you go to Iran and then the U.S., it will only effect if you are a dual national to Iran. However, in 2016 Congress passed the controversial HR 158, ostensibly for “national security” purposes, despite no terrorist attacks coming from those who had traveled to Iran. What this bill effectively did was make a huge blow to Iran’s growing tourism industry — the U.S. found a way to almost sanction them (by revoking the visa waiver program for any individual who had been to Iran, and a few other countries, for the past five years) after the JOPA lifted other sanctions. This certainly hit their economy; personally,I know Europeans that were going to go to Iran last April, but then refused to go as they were going to the U.S. in May and didn’t want the hassle of having to go to a U.S. embassy for a visa beforehand, which is what you'd have to do for the next 5 years after visiting Iran.logos wrote:I'm quite attracted by the destination as well for all the good things I'd heard and read before, but with the toxic clown in charge in the US now, wouldn't an Iranian visa be grounds to be refused entry in the US? Iran being part of the new "official enemies" of the US etc.
Americans are allowed entry into Iran. Not visa on arrival, and there are stipulations, but as of now they can still enter. This may change as the Iranian government has stated that they will retaliate to the "immigration ban" and ban all Americans, but to my knowledge this hasn't been done yet. Many families do drink; 17 million Iranians are Azerbaijani, and there is a cultural history of alcohol. Alcohol is not actually illegal in Iran either; it is if you are Muslim, but not if you are Christian or Jewish. With about 25,000 Armenians in Iran, they can legally have alcohol, and sell it on the black market as suppliers to the Muslims -- it gets pricey there, with Heineken cans for $4 and bottles of whiskey several times their normal price. That being said, they need to keep it hush hush behind closed doors or else they will have problems with the morals police. Opium, on the other hand, is much more readily accessible and even culturally acceptable -- I think the government is more tolerant of it as well as they believe it can help stifle the young people's will to revolt.the seeds wrote:yes,I and my friend had Italian passport but that time citizen from US was not allowed to entry to IRAN, Every place we visited i never slept at any hotel because there were all the time someone want to invite us at their home. i met family doing wine illegally, with some smoking opiums and all the time excellent food cooked from their beautiful wife without any headscarf but the most unforgettable hospitality we had in Teheran from a business man who hire a taxi to take us around the city and at night he take us to eat at the top restaurant of the city without pay any$$$.I have been all around the globe but never met people like IRAN.
The hospitality, or 'tarof', you received is quite common. As generous as they are, it is important not to take advantage of their 'tarof', and there is an unwritten system. You must always offer to pay three times, and if your offer is refused after the third time then you do not have to worry. However, you should gage the situation, and as I mentioned before, if it's someone like a taxi driver trying to be nice, then change how you offer by saying something like "buy your son a present with this money." Conversely, if they really want to treat you, they may something like "tarof nadaram", which means "I don't have tarof", meaning that they are not offering out of a duty of hospitality, but generally want to treat you. Oftentimes foreigners inadvertently take advantage of this tarof. There's a website "Fuck my life I'm Persian", mostly with Iranians in the U.S. giving funny one-liners, and I recall one that was along the lines of "all my white friends don't get my tarof and I always get stuck with the bill" or something.
Absolutely, I more wrote that because I've heard several people thinking they could visit Iran and pick up a beautiful woman, so I was just throwing it out there generally. People would have better luck going to Kuala Lumpur to find a Persian girl to date.LexusSchmexus wrote:Good advice Miguelito. Just to be clear: I wasn't under the illusion I'd be picking up girls or even interacting with them. Not my intention at all, though I do think they generally have lovely faces (same with Turkish girls). However, if a girl is with me, getting the opportunity to chat to some might be an interesting experience.
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Agreed.gavinmac wrote:Isfahan is worth 3 nights if you can.
I traveled across Iran from Turkey to Pakistan by public transport in 1988. Awsome trip except being dragged off a bus by the Revolutionary Guard with an AK47 against my temple in the middle of a desert. Longest period I went without a drink in a long time. Food was crap; I got tired of eating Iskander kebabs all the time. But things were way different then.
I had to go to Dublin to apply for a visa.
Not much help, but ahhhhh, the nostalgia.
Note to self: Must be nice to morons.
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