Northern Africa and the Middle East - Clean Breaks: 500 New Ways to See the World - page 132

Need to know Dahab is close to Sharm El-
Sheikh (1hr) and Taba (2hr). Taxi transfers can be
arranged when you book. For itineraries, prices and
reservations see W www.embah.com; T +20 69
3641 690. Tours can also be booked through UK-
based Baobab Travel ( W www.baobabtravel.com;
T [phone]). Because of the desert
trekking, it's best to avoid July and August. Group
sizes are limited to twelve divers maximum and no
more than six divers can be in the water at the same
time. You will also undergo proper buoyancy checks
to avoid overweighted divers damaging the reefs.

164 ECoTourS In IrAn

As you tramp through dense forests of oak, elm
and cypress, the sweet aroma from the cherry
and mulberry orchards in the village below
mixes with the fresh mountain air. In your
backpack there's some flatbread and jam made
from those very mulberries - which will make
for a handy energy replenisher as you hike
through the highlands of Telash in the Alborz
Range, above the Caspian Sea in northern Iran.
When you think of holidaying in Iran you
probably imagine yourself haggling for carpets
in the grand bazaars, gazing at the splendid
mosques of Esfahan or traipsing around the
spectacular ruins of Persepolis. You probably
don't picture yourself trekking through an array
of landscapes beside the dramatic snow-topped
mountains and glacial valleys of Mount Alam
Kuh, or through the thick forests and velvet
green slopes of the Caspian Sea's coast.
But that's exactly the kind of trip Ecotour
Iran offers on its award-winning tours, from
nature photography to birdwatching. On the
latter you might spot some of the rarer of
Iran's five hundred bird species, such as the
Caspian snowcock or the Iraq babbler, while
on the wildlife-watching tours it's possible to
spot endangered animals such as the Persian
fallow deer, which was thought to be extinct, or
the Asian cheetah, of which around a hundred
survive in Iran.

Need to know For details of tours, quotes
and reservations visit W www.ecotour-iran.com;
T [phone]. Ecotour Iran can also
organize visas, transport, accommodation, meals,
specialist guides and permits to visit national parks.
Accommodation varies depending on the tour but
ranges from city hotels to camping on mountain
treks.

Horses grazing on the banks of
the Caspian Sea