All Around Persia

I was part of a group of eight friends who arranged a trip to Iran, Nov. 19-30, 2006, with the help of a guide, Saied Haji Hadi, or Hadi, at All Around Persia (Tehran, Iran; phone 0098-21-2357580 [or 81, 82 or 83], fax 2357584, e-mail info@allaroundpersia.com or visit www.allaround persia.com). All our correspondence was in English; we told Hadi what we wanted to see and he added the things we did not even know existed.

The visa process was twofold. Hadi got us the first part (a number), and we gave it to the Pakistan Embassy in Washington, which issued us the visa. It is legal for Americans to go to Iran, and, despite our friends’ and families’ misgivings, we went. We never felt threatened and we had a wonderful time.

The women in our group each had to wear a headscarf (but our hair could show) and a manteau (a coat to our knees), but we were able to mingle freely with the people and we could wander in the bazaars. When people found out we were Americans, their first questions were “Do you like Iran? Is everyone treating you well?”

The trip Hadi put together exposed us to the best of Iran, from monuments to meetings with local people in informal settings, such as having tea in a local teahouse or eating in restaurants and tasting the various local dishes — again, with the locals, not in tourist restaurants.

In Tehran, the museums were interesting; the Carpet Museum of Iran was wonderful. We passed the American Embassy and visited the Shah’s palaces. We flew to Yazd and drove to Shiraz and then Esfahan and back to Tehran. We visited Persepolis, the tomb of Cyrus and the tombs of the poets in Shiraz.

Hadi was our guide, and he made the trip special for us as we traveled through Iran. In the evening we would discuss the Iraq-Iran war, the current Iraq war, the Shia religion, the taking of the American hostages and Hezbollah. We got a better understanding of the Iranian view, whether we all agreed or not.

Not including international airfare, the base cost of the trip (based on a group of eight people, our itinerary and where we stayed) was $1,995 each plus $149 for internal air; the single supplement was $331.

The price included obtaining the Iranian part of the visa; pickup and dropoff at the airport; all hotels; all meals, either in hotels or the best-available local restaurants; an air-conditioned bus; a bilingual, knowledgeable national guide; all entrance fees; all local taxes, and unlimited mineral water and snacks along the way. It did not include tips to the bus drivers, local guides and national guide nor the U.S. part of the visa.

We each chose different international airlines (ex., Lufthansa or British Air); I took Emirates, and a business-class ticket purchased via the Internet cost $6,100.

All Around Persia will arrange trips to fit individual needs. Three of our group spent an additional six days in Iran.

Despite the political noise from both sides, Iran is a terrific place to travel to, and more Americans should go. If anyone would like further information, please send me an e-mail c/o ITN (editor@intltravel news.com).

MARILYN ARMEL

New York, NY