One of the great things about leading tours for Wild Frontiers is the trust they put in us as leaders on the ground to make changes to our programme; sometimes it’s a change forced by weather, road closures or cancellations – other times it's tweaking itineraries to improve and update.
Iran Unveiled is a tough trip to tweak; a fascinating and contrasting journey that gets you into Iran’s snowy mountains, visits the world-class historical site of Persepolis and ends in one of the world’s most beautiful cities – Esfahan. Throw in chance encounters with nomads, fantastic cuisine and the unbelievable hospitality of the Iranians and you’ve got a near 10/10 itinerary. However, I think my fairly spontaneous decision to add an overnight stop in a restored desert caravanserai has added another dimension to the trip!
I’ve had to almost physically drag groups from the chilled caravanserai atmosphere of Persian rugs, tea and silence in the past, so deciding I had the perfect group for an impromptu recce I struck a deal with them; an early start the next day and we wouldn’t lose anything from the itinerary – in return we’d experience a night in the cosy caravanserai.
The Iran caravanserais dotted the famous Persian Royal Road, a welcome sight every 25 – 30 kms (the average daily distance the camel trains moved). Like travellers' inns they ensured goods and animals stayed safe from bandits, as well as offering food, beds and hospitality to traders, travelers and military. There are shells of caravanserais scattered across the region, but some have been restored to attract a more modern day traveller…
One such restoration project is the Zein o din caravanserai that sits an hour’s drive from the ancient desert city of Yazd. Originally dating from the 17th century, it has been carefully restored with traditional materials and techniques. Unlike most caravanserais which are rectangular or square in shape, the Zein o din caravanserai is hexagonal in shape which spins a web of halls and rooms around a central courtyard. There are plenty of places to relax and soak up the ambience of the stone walls and lavish furnishings.
After our customary picnic lunch and a few rounds of tea, I sensed that not everyone was going to be content with a thick nomad carpet, cylindrical cushion and a book for the afternoon – so we went out exploring.
Rounding up the more energetic members of the group, we ventured out late afternoon to investigate the ancient caravan town of Sar Yazd. A forty minute drive led us out to the pretty village, which was in the midst of a restoration project. Sar Yazd, which dates back to the 4th century, had all the signs of classic desert architecture; wind towers, water reservoirs and an impressive Sassanid castle.
After clambering around the castle and looking down over it’s surreal looking roofing, we headed back to the Caravanserei to catch the sunset from the roof. After a dark cloudy afternoon a band of clear sky appeared on the horizon just as the sun dipped, emitting flickering beams of sunlight which struck the mountains below.
After dinner we returned to the roof of the caravanserai to watch the stars, before spending the night in snug berths along either side of a stone hall.
The following morning we returned to the roof a final time to watch the sun rise, before heading from the desert to the greenery of the Bavanat Valley. Back on schedule again; nothing lost - just a unique experience to look back upon.
Want to experience one of the caravanserai of Iran for yourself? How about visit with some of the friendliest people in the world? Mark Steadman is currently leading some of our Trips to Iran. Join us to experience the best of Iran for yourself!
