Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
QUESTIONS & MISCONCEPTIONS
Perceptions of Iran as a land of religious extremists and downtrodden women mean that
when you tell people in your home country you're planning to go you'll probably face a
volley of concerns. So let's dispel a few misconceptions.
Is it Safe?
The most commonly asked question about travel in Iran is the easiest to answer. Yes. As-
suming that you avoid protests and don't go snooping around nuclear facilities, Iran is very
safe because Iranians are so keen that nothing untoward happens to you. While not unheard
of, assaults and robberies are rare. We have hitchhiked across deserts, stayed in the homes
of strangers and left bags in restaurants and cafes without any problem.
For women travellers, like anywhere it pays to be cautious and avoid situations where
you are alone with a man you don't know. Foreign women will attract unwanted sugges-
tions and, in crowded bazaars and Metro carriages, the odd grope.
Some paranoia does exist, and over the years we have been arrested and held until it be-
came apparent we weren't spies;
Click here
for what to do if you are arrested. The biggest
dangers are actually driving and crossing the street. For an idea of how fellow travellers
found Iran, see A Brit in Iran,
Click here
, and the
Thorn Tree
(
www.lonelyplanet.com/
thorntree
)
. See also
Click here
.
A BRIT IN IRAN
JOS STRATFORD
If you travel in Iran, you will very soon forget there is any political instability. I have just returned from three weeks
and am British (so a citizen of the country whose embassy was stormed just prior to my trip). Without a single excep-
tion, Iranians welcomed me like a long-lost friend, genuinely happy to be meeting a British person and, if the issue of
the embassy came into discussion, the persons usually shook their head and joked that it was nutters who [stormed the
embassy], or otherwise expressed shame that this happened in their country. The reality is if you get into Iran, it is not
the country the media portrays - it is a fantastic country of welcome.
Aren't They All Extremists?
The idea that Iranians are flag-burning religious extremists is the greatest of all the miscon-
ceptions. In reality, your encounters with Iranians will probably redefine your understand-
ing of hospitality. Particularly if you are travelling independent of a group, you will likely
