When we read this as Lonely Planet’s top reason to visit Iran we kind of laughed… People are nice everywhere, right? True, but Iranian culture is special. You get invited everywhere to drink tea, eat and even sleep. You get invited to family outings and get presents as a guest instead of the other way around.

And yes, your itinerary will change because of this. But hey, this is the only place where we’ve been called a present from God, so big deal if you have to drink tea instead of visiting another mosque?

2. Book a stay at a one-million-star hotel

Booking into a one-million-star hotel in Iran affords you the most spacious rooms imaginable and, unusually for Iran, air-conditioning that kicks in at night.

Unfortunately, this is not for everyone, as this is not actually a real hotel at all but the term used by Iranians to indicate that they are sleeping underneath the star-filled sky.

We slept outside multiple times but always in our tent. However, the most spectacular experience was sleeping without a tent in the middle of the desert on top of a Kalut. As you can imagine, the sunset and sunrise were out of this world. If you visit Iran, just do it!

3. Visit Isfahan

See some of the most beautiful mosques in the world, get inspired and talk to some locals. Maybe even see the president’s speech? Words simply cannot describe the beauty of this city and its many mosques.

4. Take a walk on the wild side

People called us crazy, multiple governments highly advised against it, but still, we decided to visit Kurdistan in search of the Kurdistan spotted newt (yeah, go figure).

While we may have gone for the newts, we’ll be coming back for the lush green fields and beautiful mountains of Kurdistan. We had similar experiences in Loristan and Ilam too.

So get out of your (and governmental) comfort zones and try something non-traditional.

5. Visit Persepolis

To visit Iran completely you have to see the archaeological site of Persepolis. Built over 2,500 years ago it still gives you a good sense of its majestic past.

Tucked away and generally ignored are the remains of the 2,500-year celebration of the Persian Empire that took place in 1971 to celebrate the 2,500th anniversary of the founding of the Persian Empire by King Cyrus the Great…what could be known as the biggest party ever.

During this festival, the Shah of Iran created a city of about fifty ‘tents’, which actually were luxury apartments with all the amenities. Royalty from all over the world were present alongside presidents and prime ministers.

Food was served by Maxim’s which, at that point, was probably the best restaurant in the world. Of course, there was Caspian caviar, truffles, champagne, foie gras and probably all the other things we associate with extravaganza. All this was filmed by none other than Orson Welles.

Sure, all this sounds really nice, but not in a country where people were dying from famine. It is likely that this celebration was the start of a chain of events leading to the Iranian Revolution.

Although not really impressive to see, it still is a nice fun fact to show off to your travel companion who doesn’t know the story.

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6. Be a caveman, sleep in a cave

The UNESCO village of Meymand is special. It’s like being in the Shire (where the hobbits live) but also on Tatooine (where the sand people live). Carved into the rocks are around 350 hand-dug houses, including a mosque.

When you visit Iran, take the unique opportunity to sleep in a cave and meet some of the local people.

7. Visit Shushtar and Shoqa Zanbil

Want proof that there is more than just sand in the desert? While Shushtar is a pleasant city to visit with multiple archaeological sites, the main attraction is Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System, a large irrigation complex consisting of water mills, dams, tunnels and canals. Impressive, and, like all great things in the world made by Italians.

An hour drive from Shushtar is Choqa Zanbil, or, “the big heap of rocks in the desert”, as called by some. Nonetheless, it is quite an impressive pyramid style (ziggurat) building in the desert.

Turns out those people were not wrong as ‘Choqa’ actually means hill. So, yeah…Choqa Zanbil: a big impressive heap of rocks in the middle of the desert…I really don’t know how to make it sound sexy, but go visit, it’s cool.

8. Pretend you are Aladdin or the Prince of Persia in Bam

If you think about Persian cities, Bam is probably what you are imagining. Unfortunately, most of it got destroyed in a devastating earthquake and people generally do not visit it anymore.

However, people are rebuilding it and, if you’re lucky, your guide may take you to places you normally wouldn’t visit.

It helps to know sign language as they don’t speak English.

Some Iranian people think the region is unsafe but, then again, we noticed that inhabitants from a particular province would ALWAYS tell you that neighboring provinces were dangerous. We never felt unsafe.

9. Buy a Poem book in Shiraz

If Isfahan was spectacular, then Shiraz was cozy. You can stroll through its Persian gardens and watch Iranian pilgrims admire their famous poet, Hafez.

Maybe ask one of them to cite their favorite poems and enjoy either the sounds of Farsi rolling over their lips, or savor every verse should they decide to cite in English.

10. Bring some adventure stories back home

People have certain expectations before they visit Iran, most of them negative and most of them untrue. One of the most dangerous countries in the world turns out to be not quite that.

So, to please the people at home, make sure to bring back some adventures. Crash a car in Kurdistan. Get your car registration taken by the police, realize this 100 km further and then arrange a rendezvous, like you’re doing some dodgy transaction. All this while using a pocket translation guide.

But remember to keep the adventures safe. Try to avoid guides that use drugs in the middle of the desert and try to sell you opium; you’d only end up feeling nervous the day after anyway because there is no way around those police checkpoints.

Suggested next reading: 6 Not Well Known Places You Should Visit In The Middle East

The post I Visited Iran: Here Are 10 Amazing Reasons Why You Should Too appeared first on Modern Trekker.

Have you ever had that feeling where you just wanted to drive and see where you’d end? But then, right before you decide to leave it all behind you start wondering… where will I end up? How long will I be gone? Together with a thousand other questions. In Iceland, this is not a problem. Just start driving in Reykjavik and return to the exact same spot 2 to 3 weeks later. On the way visit Iceland—all of it, and maybe listen to some Sigur Rós to really get into the zone. Actually, Sigur Rós made the 1332 km journey themselves and have provided us with the music for it, which is now available as “Route One”.

2. See Aurora Borealis, the northern lights

This is probably high on everybody’s bucket list, so we were no exception. It doesn’t matter how often you’ve read about it, how many pictures you’ve seen, the real thing is beyond amazing. Every now and then I realize that I want to go back, just to have one more look at this amazing natural phenomenon.

3. Visit Jökulsárlón

This is the largest glacier lake in Iceland. The icebergs floating in the tranquil lake are awe-inspiring. One of the memories you’ll cherish for the rest of your life are the glimpses of icebergs coming over the slope bordering the road on your left and then, finally, seeing the lake. Also, it does not stop there! As an added bonus, the lake is connected to the Atlantic Ocean, and when walking on the black beaches you’ll find natural ice sculptures that might have easily been seen at the Harbin ice festival. Or at least we think so. We haven’t actually been to the Harbin ice festival. YET.

4. Go look for the Sólheimasandur plane

It is still a mystery why on November 24th, 1973, this DC-3 started its emergency descent on the beach of Sólheimasandur. Luckily all of its crew were safe, but the plane was apparently damaged beyond repair. So now its remains are waiting for you on an endless, beautifully black beach. It’s completely off the grid, but unfortunately less and less off the beaten track. When we visited we were all alone, and, as far as we knew at the time, there was no way of getting to it by car. Recently there have been rumors that the way to it by car (which we did not see) has been closed by the owner. So now everybody has to get there the way we did: hiking. Good luck finding “the path” though… We had to cross the river multiple times during our 5 km hike. It made things more difficult, but all the more authentic and worthwhile.

5. Take a visit to the blue lagoon

Nope, not the place where Christopher Atkins and Brooke Shields got stranded—for that, try Jamaica—but we’re pretty sure that you’ll enjoy this regardless. The blue lagoon is a man-made complex of shallow, hot water pools that are milky blue (look at the picture and this strange color description will make perfect sense). It is now run by a private company and, apart from just enjoying the hot pools, you can also use its mud for a facial that makes your skin baby soft. And, if you want to, you can go the whole way and enjoy a refreshing massage.

6. Visit the Myvatn area

Iceland itself is a different world, with 50% of the people believing in elves, and 100% percent of the tourists understanding why. Within this other realm lies Myvatn, which is even more mysterious. Here you’ll find volcanic mud pools, lakes, caves, volcanoes, lakes within volcanoes, hidden lakes within caves and every other possible combination. Take your time here and every day you’ll discover yet another treasure literally bubbling from out of the ground.

7. Waterfalls, waterfalls, and even more waterfalls

Yes, we know. Everybody has seen waterfalls, and everybody thinks they’ve seen them all but do not dare say or admit it. So, we all just keep coming back to those fallings masses of water. However! When you visit Iceland, that all changes. Amazingly each waterfall has something that sets it apart, not only from other waterfalls in Iceland but also from all the other waterfalls in the world. We’ve seen our fair share of waterfalls, but nowhere have we walked under a waterfall like we did at Seljalandsfoss, nowhere have we gazed in awe at a waterfall as we walked towards it as we did at Skogafoss, and nowhere have we seen a waterfall in a basalt maze as you can see at Svartifoss. Along the way, you’ll keep on seeing waterfalls, but you’ll keep on being amazed.

8. Visit Þingvellir

Probably the most badass place in the world. First of all, it very well could be the location of the world’s first parliament, where Viking-like Norwegian settlers held their general assembly. Now it is mostly the setting of the typical, wide Icelandic landscapes. While you won’t find trolls walking around, the setting is certainly reminiscent of it and you’ll probably feel like you’re in Lord of the Rings, or, to be more accurate, in Game of Thrones, which was actually filmed here. So, try looking for some of the original locations and, in the meantime, enjoy the endless views while trying to see if you can catch a glance of both Eurasia and North America. Well…At least the Eurasian and North American plates. Yes, this is the only place where the boundary between these two plates rises out of the Atlantic Ocean. Some parts are underwater and the diving in the radioactive-blue water (for example at Silfra) is amazing (again, check the pictures to better see for yourself). Combine your visit to Þingvellir with a stop at Gullfoss, where rainbows are always present but gold is still yet to be found…I guess the leprechauns got stuck in Ireland and only the fairies made their way to visit Iceland? Also, close by is Geysir where you can—wait for it—see an active geyser (bet you didn’t see that one coming). Geysir, the original geyser, is not active anymore, but Strokkur won’t disappoint!

Suggested next reading: 10 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Going To Iceland

The post 8 Incredible Reasons Why You Should Visit Iceland Soon appeared first on Modern Trekker.

Furthermore, Belgium, along with few sites in the UK, France and miniature locations in Spain are the only places where these flowers grow. What makes the Hallerbos extra unique is the fact that the densities are remarkably high and they grow on hilly flanks as well as on extended flat plateaus which both provide unique photo opportunities. Once in bloom, you need to hurry though… As soon as sunlight hits the flowers, the leaves of the columnar beech trees growing above it will start to grow. As soon as these mature the hyacinths stop flowering and everything is over as soon as it started. As a semi-local, I can also give you the insider tip that you should come during the week or really early in the weekend as flocks of Belgians come and admire their national treasure. At least while it lasts.

The post Belgium’s Best Kept Secret Is Jaw-Droppingly Pretty appeared first on Modern Trekker.