Lonely Planet Iran (Country Travel Guide)

These are some excerpts from the new edition from the section entitled 'The National Psyche':

"Iranians are the most surprising people. Where you might expect them to be austere they are charming; rather than dour, they are warm, and instead of being hostile to foreigners, they are welcoming and endlessly curious".

"Iranians are not frightening people. They are generally warm and welcoming to an extent that can be embarassing to Westerners."

"...the Iranian system of courtesy [...] makes Iran a haven for travellers - you will be treated with unfailing politeness wherever you go."

Now compare this with the attitude taken by the racist idiot who wrote the previous (third) edition and one realises what a huge difference it makes when the guide authors actually appreciate and enjoy being in the country about which they write.

A welcome (and IMO absolutely necessary) new edition of the guide. Lonely Planet has shown shrewd...Read more

Lonely Planet Iran (Country Guide)

This guide added immeaurably to my just-completed & thorougly enjoyable three-week vist to Iran. As the authors stress in the opening chapters, Western perceptions of Iran are largely based on government propaganda, ours as well as Iran's.

They also point out the huge differences between public and private life.

For example, alcohol may be government banned, but it is available for anyone who really wants it.

The Iranians are warm,friendly, and most of them do not hesitate to tell us "We love you! We love America!" Getting free of effusive schoolgirls--high school and university--who want to take our photos, can be difficult. I missed a mosque & a couple of old homes in Natanz because of this entrapment!

November was an ideal month,...Read more

I've used over 20 Lonely Planet guides, of widely varying quality. The 2008 Iran guide is one of the very best I've used, from historic background information to feet-on-the-ground travel pragmatics:

* The maps are excellent. There are multiple maps of the largest cities and there are very helpful detailed maps of key sites such as Persepolis or the Haram-e Razavi shrine in Mashhad.

* There is thorough background information on culture, history and religion which helped me understand the country and the sites better. The general tone is benign and factual.

* The hotel and restaurant guides seem accurate and pragmatic. I had to trudge around a number of hotels in Tehran while searching for a room and the Lonely Planet descriptions seemed consistently on the mark.

* The specific coverage of cities and historic sites, and the suggested walking tours were helpful and accurate.

* There is copious and (allowing for the...Read more