We are planning a trip to Iran for next April--anyone have comments and/or suggestions.
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We are planning a trip to Iran for next April--anyone have comments and/or suggestions.
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I was in Iran in April and that is the very best time to go weather wise , everyhotel was booked solid in every city I went to with tourist from all over the world .
I was in Iran for 4 weeks I went to every major city and ruin sites that the country offered .
You must go to see the Crown Jewels while in Teheran it is a must see ! and the area where the Shah lived has nicer apartment buildings then in the USA, the food is boring shishkabob . I booked the trip through "Bestway travels and Safari" from Vancouver Canada They have a pre arranged program but I did my own and cost be 25 grand . Chi Pham was my tour operator agent
The visa story that may top all in difficulty as folks here are discussing obtaining an Iranian Visa is The Libyan Visa . This was just a few years ago when one had to fill out the visa application in Arabic which meant going to an official translator (unless you read/write Arabic) you must get one that is a member of Notary Public as well if you don't fill it out to stamp paper work. The forms are in Arabic as well. Having to round up documents then send them to Ottawa Ontario to the Libyan Embassy. Afterwards remembering to have SASE with Canadian Postage on it , which means going through a Canadian Philatelic Bureau to get stamps. Let us not forget the International Money order that has to be at the exact amount which is nearly identical on USD to CDN .
I know just enough Russian to get by: Hello, thank you, "Do you speak English?" and "Wouldn't you like to drink beer?"
Craig: go read The Great Game by Peter Hopkirk. You'll want to go back to all those places--immediately! Although I think next time for me, I'd spend some time learning a smattering of Russian just to make the logistics marginally easier. Those countries were a bit of a challenge.
Scot: pretty much! We're a pretty eccentric and eclectic bunch :-)
I'll tell you, easily the best part about this club is finally knowing people who've actually been freakin' everywhere. That rocks.
Yes , I agree with Pamela on the paranoia issue in Uzbekistan. While riding in shared taxis, the vehicle(s) were stopped by roadblocks checking documents. The officials checked my visa status a few times yet never had a problem. Upon entering/leaving the country was quite extensive with immigration/customs. On a tourist visa you must stay in hotels, guesthouses in Uzbekistan they will check for registration slips written by hotels or guesthouses. Kyrgyzstan was the most laid back of all the places. I was in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan & Kyrgyzstan back in March/April 2014. Fascinating places would I do it again??? Probably not.
In 2007 I used Stan Tours. It's run by David, a German guy in Almaty. Very straight forward--just tell him what you're interested in. The paperwork came right through. I was in Turkmenistan not too many months after the great Turkmenbashi died and before Garbanguly figured things out. No curfew in Ashgabat, but the place pretty much shut down by 10pm with all streets devoid of cars. You can get a transit visa without many problems, but you'll miss a lot of the really interesting roadside weirdness. The cost of a car and guide was money well spent--and that's coming from a low budget solo traveler. Amongst the Stan countries, I thought the level of paranoia was higher in Uzbekistan than Turkmenistan.
Sounds like quite a place, for sure. No singing, huh?
Hello Scott, I haven't been on the site in a while. Turkmenistan is quite a place. Ashgabat is a city of Marble that was imported from Turkey then built by French Contractors. Actually I didn't go with Koryo Tours instead I went with Travel Notoria an agency in Ashgabat. WEBSITE :TRAVELNOTORIA.COM I dealt with the owner Mr.Artyk Gubayev. He obtained the "Letter of Invitation from the Office of Migrations in Ashgabat. His prices were much lower then other agencies in Turkmenistan. The visa process takes about 5 weeks from submitting info to agency to receiving your passport from the embassy.The country is utopian , it's xenophobic, it's Military State run under President Garbanguly Berdimohomedow.....which is a typical household name in The USA....ha,ha! You will see stamps with his face on all liquor bottles in Turkmenistan. Here's the thing you might be microchipped on arrival without knowing it as the border officials run your finger across then a .06mm microchip is poked in your finger.Now they know where you are. Don't overstay visas for the first fives days it's a fine of $250.00 per day then deportation from the country from 1 to 5 years depending on how many days you overstay your visa. Should you overstay your visa more then 5 days it will be for a life ban. The rooms in the hotels are bugged, no man/woman can share the room unless married, men with longer then shoulder length will not be allowed into the country, local men are fined. Women wear dresses longer then their knees, one must keep car clean or get pulled over then fined. No smoking, singing or even lip syncs or it could get you arrested. No smoking in public, the calendar in Turkmenistan had months named for the Mother of Late President Sapamarat Niyazov or known as /Turkmenbashi whom refered to himself as "God to Turkmen People",
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