Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
From Esfahan, take a bus to Khoor from the Kave terminal at 1pm (US$5.50, seven
hours). The return service departs Khoor at 1pm.
A
mahmooly
service leaves Yazd for Khoor at 2pm and returns to Yazd the next day at
7.30am (US$6.50, five hours).
From Khoor, a pickup to Garmeh will cost US$5.50. Ask Ateshooni to organise this for
you. Be warned that when this topic was being researched, a dodgy guesthouse in the
town was sending staff to meet the bus and tell travellers that they were from Ateshooni,
taking them to their far-less-desirable place instead.
Alternatively, you can ask Ateshooni to organise private transport for you. This will
cost US$80 from Esfahan, US$65 from Yazd and US$45 from Na'in.
DESERT NIGHTS
The tiny settlement of Farahzad, 425km from Esfahan, is an oasis located amid sand dunes in the Dasht-e Kavir, just
outside the village of Mesr. Its residents, all members of one extended family, make a living from agriculture and by
operating
Barandaz Lodge
( 0324-434 2188, 0913 323 4188;
www.mesr.inf
o
; full board per person US$35,
B&B US$10)
, an 11-room guesthouse occupying two beautifully restored mud-brick houses. The atmosphere here is
fantastic and the accommodation is excellent: simple but attractive rooms with traditional bedding, hydronic heating
and gleaming bathrooms with Western toilets. Be sure to opt for the full-board option as all of the food is sourced
locally and is absolutely delicious - this place even has its own bread oven and large pool where carp are sourced.
While here, you can stargaze, ride the guesthouse's camels, take 4WD tours into the desert and generally soak up
the seclusion. Highly recommended.
Yazdدزي
0351 / POP 432,194 / ELEV 1213M
With its winding lanes, forest of
badgirs
, mud-brick old town and excellent range of ac-
commodation options, Yazd is one of the highlights of any trip to Iran. Wedged between
the northern Dasht-e Kavir and southern Dasht-e Lut, it doesn't have the big-ticket sights
of Esfahan or Shiraz, but it's equally enchanting. This is a place to wander and get lost in
the maze of historic streets and lanes, not to mention your imagination. It's also an ideal
base for day trips to several evocative villages and towns.
