14 millions of inhabitants in Tehran… and us

Our first two days in Tehran allowed us to understand the rules of the country.

We were really surprised by the kindness of people from Iran and also by the Tehran metro. While walking in the streets, we were regularly greeted by a “Welcome to Iran!” followed by “Where are you from?”, Iranians are really interested to know about you and your opinion about their country.
In the Tehran metro, Daniel was suffocating in the men’s car, while Magali was shopping for make-up, underwear and sweets in the car reserved to women. As you’re separated, it is sometimes tricky and we had to agree upon which station to exit beforehand.
After this short stop in the capital and a long night bus ride, we arrived in Shiraz.
Shiraz is well-known for its relaxed atmosphere and its gardens. We really liked the city and even extended our stay. Majors Persians sites as Persepolis and Necropolis are only 50km away and we were mesmerized by the beauty of both of them.

We did specially enjoy:

• The Tehran Metro
• The two drivers of the night bus who served us tea many times and took care of us during the 12 hours’ ride
• Our tour guide for a day, Javan, pure Shirazi, who gave us a lot of tips about his city.

Accommodation

• Tehran – Khayyam Hotel, good location but dirty and quite expensive, not recommended.
• Shiraz – Niayesh Boutique Hotel, well located close to everything.
  All in all a good experience, the staff was nice but the reception desk was not the friendliest in the world.

Restaurant

• Kathemas restaurant in Shiraz, iranian music and delicious iranian cooked food (not the usual kebap)
• Cafe Royal coffee shop in Shiraz, located near the Vakil mosque, fantastic ice coffee and nice staff.

Our best kept secret tip

Visit the Shah Cheragh Shrine in Shiraz during night praying time. This is a beautiful mosque and one of the three main holy sites in Iran (others in Qom and Mashad). It is now open to non-muslim foreigners and this is a unique experience. You will be guided by International Affairs delegates who will answer all your questions.

Necropolis – Where is Daniel ?