A website called barakabits.com that posts “good news” articles and blogs about the Middle East, this month posted an article by Valentina Primo asking “Why is Iran Becoming the Latest Travel Craze?”
The writer had come across the British travel blogger Becki Enright’s astounding pictures uncovering the beauty of Iran and in the process realized a growing travel craze among backpacker groups and bloggers to explore Iran.
This she said was “in a context where mainstream media seems to suggest the contrary.” She therefore asked “Why is this once-exotic destination becoming so popular these days?” To answer the question, she turned to those travel experts’ stories whom had written on Iran, and found four common reasons:
Hospitable people
Iranians’ hospitality seems to be a common surprise among travelers, who find themselves sheltered perfect strangers who ask for nothing in return.
When it comes to hospitality, generosity and kindness, the author found that the people of Iran rank at the top of the list. “When we were out in the middle of nowhere in the Desert of Garmeh, we met a lovely couple who gave us their number after only 5 minutes of knowing them.
They said to call them when we were in Esfahan and we could stay at their house,” say Nick and Dariece on their blog Goats on the Road.
Discovering the largest empire
The main driver to travel to Iran is to see the remains of the great Persian civilization. A civilization that created an empire that stretched from the modern-day Middle East to the Black Sea and some regions in Afghanistan, Pakistan and China: the largest ever known.
“Shiraz remains one of my favorite destinations – the city that is considered the cultural capital of Iran. Old Persia remains here and you can easily imagine the descriptions of gardens and nightingales found in the diaries of those traversing the Silk Road,” says Becki Enright in her blog Borders of Adventure.
The curiosity to uncover what is veiled by prejudice
Polemic and often feared by Western media, Iran is an intriguing destination for many travelers seeking adventure.
“I have never had people express so many opinions about my travels as when I decided to backpack through Iran for two weeks. Everyone seemed to have something to say about it,” says solo traveler Silvia in her blog Heart My Backpack.
Economy
While accommodation in a hostel can range between 4 and 15 Euros, a dinner in a traditional restaurant can cost as little as Euros 2.5, says Spanish bloggers Eva and Javi.
