when you want to go to Iran on a UK passport, your fu****, but with an Irish (or belgian, spanish . . .), not at all !!

Bongmab69 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 09, 2024 6:04 pm when you want to go to Iran on a UK passport, your fu****, but with an Irish (or belgian, spanish . . .), not at all !!

My ancestors come from North East Iran and West China region (on Dad's side) ... hope I can visit Iran some day, China too ... Persian food is fantastic!

Iran is mind blowing. I have been there twice and I hope to go there the next few years again. Forget about politics / government, the people are amazing!

Fridaywithmateo wrote: ↑Tue Jan 09, 2024 7:14 pm

Bongmab69 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 09, 2024 6:04 pm when you want to go to Iran on a UK passport, your fu****, but with an Irish (or belgian, spanish . . .), not at all !!

My ancestors come from North East Iran and West China region (on Dad's side) ... hope I can visit Iran some day, China too ... Persian food is fantastic!

ressl wrote: ↑Tue Jan 09, 2024 10:39 pm Iran is mind blowing. I have been there twice and I hope to go there the next few years again. Forget about politics / government, the people are amazing!

Would love to hear more about what Iran is like. How difficult was the visa process?
The Persians I meet in California are those (and of those) who left Iran after the revolution.
It's like speaking with Cubans in Miami. It's a self-selected sample size, population-wise. A diaspora viewpoint, especially politically.
But it's not the same as being there, in the very place, with the people who were there all along.

Apparently, Iran recently added 33 countries to its tourism visa exemption program. And Cambodia made the list.

https://www.arabtimesonline.com/news/vi ... e_vignette

The list: India, Russian Federation, UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Mauritania, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Seychelles, Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, Japan, Singapore, Cambodia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brazil, Peru, Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, Belarus.

I'd love to visit Iran too, but I'm all traveled out, after 40 countries over 40 years, 500 rented rooms etc.
The Iranians I have met abroad were a breath of fresh air. Sharp, kind, fearless and boy can they party. One guy's mother flew through 3 or 4 countries just to bring him his favourite food on a Persian festival. She arrived at the airport with a fucking sack (30kg?) of food and it was still chilled. We ate some of it on the street in KL and I spoke to her for an hour while her son watched open-mouthed. She hadn't one word of English and I speak no Persian. We understood each other perfectly. I've got goosebumps thinking about it. This happened only one other time in my life, with a drunken Spanish anarchist in Fuerta Ventura.
I hope the Neocon plan to destroy 7 of Israel's enemies doesn't reach fruition. Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Iran. 6 countries are wrecked. Iran is the last on the list, and they know it well.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2003/9/2 ... lim-states

spent about 3 weeks there in '75 on my overland trip
great country, food & people<
travelled all over and spent many nights with locals as they are ( were) super friendly
More than once had a meal and chatted with the locals at the next table and come to find when i asked for the bill, that it was already paid
no idea how it all changed when the shah was kicked out

Roryborealis wrote: ↑Tue Jan 09, 2024 10:51 pm Would love to hear more about what Iran is like. How difficult was the visa process?

How Iran is like is simply impossible to describe, unless you have experienced it (like with magic mushrooms). Best thing to do is having a point at the other end of the country as a destination, but don't make any plans of how to get there (most of the time you will arrive in Teheran). Simply let yourself drift through the county, don't worry about safety (but check with locals, if you go Kordistan or Afghan area)
The Visa back in 2016 was just a formality at their embassy; it took a few days. Might get a bit tricky to get one, if you are US/British, but I have met US tourists (independent travelers, no tour groups), so it is possible when you are doing your homework properly.

My road trip to cambodia, some fotos from iran when crossing it in 9+10/22: from Bazargan at the turkish border to Mirjaveh at the Pakistani border.
Mods, maybe good for a new topic ??

BORDER GATE FROM TURKEY INTO IRAN








IRANIAN KEBAB WITH ALCOHOL FREE LEMON BEER


MINIBAR IN 5-STRA HOTEL IN TABRIZ:lots of chopcolat, no acoholic beer



CHANGED 1 NOTE FROM 200 EUROS



SCANIA L 110 from around 1974, 50 years old and still alive and kicking





VIEUW OVER TABRIZ IN THE MORNING







VIEUWS IN TEHERAN











COCA COLA ZERO IRANIAN STYLE (same taste imo)



VOLVO F 88 also around 1974 or older . . .









ISFAHAN BY NIGHT ( no scarf-protest to be seen anyplace)





MERCEDES-BENZ model from the 60s, still in production in IRAN, this one brand-new from the factory, even with an adblue tank !!









PERSEPOLIS, one of the highligts from my whole trip, especially if you love old stones !!







PROBABLY THE BEST FOTO FROM THE 18000 kms ROADTRIP. IRANIAN POLICE STOPPED ME ASKING WHAT DOES MEAN "PHNOM PENH" !!













How fresh kebab can be ?? The goats are still alive in the van in front of the BBQ !!







SCANIA 112H from 1983, at 3000m attitude between Bandar Abbas and Kerman (where last week was the bomb-attack (from the mossad ??)). 40 years old and still hard working !!





CITADEL from BAM, completely destroyed in earthquake in 2005 ??





VERY BUSY ROADS IN BALUCHISTAN, up to the Pakistani border at Mirjaveh-Taftan !!


Border gate into Pakistan, almost half way Phnom penh, 4 borders more to go !!