Tehran, the capital city of Iran is one of the best place for your holiday, situated at the Alborz mountain range  base. Tehran is a cosmopolitan city having parks, restaurants, large museums and friendly inhabitant which deserves your days to visit. The city is mainly divided in two parts, northern and southern part. Former one is much developed, expensive and modern where later one is cheap but a bit less appealing.

When to travel: During the summer, Tehran is heated to 29^o C, and during winter it is so cold. At that time, the temperature can be -13^o C. Northern part of the city is covered by snow at that time. Weather and temperature are good during the fall or spring season. So you should decide according to your choice.

Enter and roam: Imam Khomeini Airport is the only international airport of Tehran. After you land on  the airport, you can take a taxi  to go the city. Taxies are plenty in number and to reach at least up to Azadi Tower,  it will cost 20 to 30 thousand rials. You can also choose bus,  metro trains. But let me tell you, traffic of the city is quite congested.

To go and see: many  places, museums, monuments are there to see and enjoy in Tehran. You can get a brief idea from the list below:

• The Azadi Tower is one of the important place of the city. The monument was built in a combination of both Sassanid and Islamic architecture. It was made in honor of the 25,00^th anniversary of the Persian Empire. There is an underground museum  named Azadi museum.
• Treasury of the National Jewels is the perfect place for girls. Ladies, and whoever wants to see the beauty of jewels, gold and glitter, then go to this museum.  It is open for 4 days of a week from Saturday  to Tuesday and the time limit in 2 to 4:30pm. There, you will get to see the world’s largest pink diamond (the sea of light), the largest uncut ruby, the golden globe made up of 34Kg of gold. All these are types of huge collections of the most costly jewels in the world. There are also about 51,500 types of various valuable stones are collected.
• The National Museum of Iran has the collection of many stone made figures, ceramics and many things which will take you back to the world of  the 5th millennium BC. This museum comprises of two buildings, where the newer building has all collections of the Iranian Islamic history of 1400 years. The older building has everything coming from the pre-Islamic period.

Other than the above stated places, you can visit a lot of places which are nothing less important.

They are:

• Mausoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini
• Milad Tower
• Jamshidieh Park
• Golestan Palace
• Niavaran Palace
• Kolahstudio-an Art Basement
• Safir Office Machines Museum
• Crown Jewels of Iran
• Talar Vahdat Theater

While visiting these places, do not forget to do some shopping, especially girls would love that. You can go to the Grand Bazaar in the city center of Tehran for the best local products, and another mall is Milad- e-  Noor which is always a favorite of locals and foreigners. Do not miss the “Sanaye dasti” the handicraft store. Hope you enjoy your shopping and the tours in Tehran city. Happy holiday!

 

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I am a nice, understanding, caring, sincere, honest, trustworthy, friendly single male from Delhi, India. I'm an experienced writer. I have written many articles in different niches, a fiction book, and some poems.

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ENGAGE refers us to an article on the Political Scrapbook blog reporting the Daily Mail's attempt to blame travel problems during the Olympics on, yes you guessed, Muslims. Apparently they will cause chaos when they "squeeze into non-Games lanes to worship at the many mosques that surround the Olympic Park".

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Don’t keep all valuables in one place .Tourists mine as well walk around with enormous red bulls-eyes on their faces; they are the easiest targets for practiced thieves and pickpocket experts. Leaving a passport, social security card, photo ID, and cash in one pocket, wallet, or purse (even if it zips) is tourist suicide. All it takes is one escalator ride, one sit-down lunch, one crowded metro exit, and before you realize what happened, it’s far too late.

Whenever possible, leave a passport and social security card locked in a secure place at home, whether that be in a hotel, a hostel, or an apartment. If you don’t have a safe and absolutely must carry those items, wear a money belt underneath your shirt, and zip the items in separate compartments. The key is to keep valuables out of site and in different places. Never leave a purse hanging over a chair during lunch, avoid placing cash in back pockets, and most-importantly, be aware of your surroundings.

Some of these lessons are ones that you can only truly learn (and appreciate) after going through certain experiences. But to err on the side of safety (and fun while abroad), it is important to keep a list of “To Don’t”

Stop talking about how “cheap” everything is.

For starters, things aren’t as cheap as you think they are, and most of you don’t really have a clue about currency conversion. Secondly, if it is cheap, it may not be cheap to the people who live there and have to listen to you talk like you’re King Midas. It’s rude, so keep your remarks to yourself until your back in your hotel room.

Stop talking so loud.

This is one of the most obnoxious things tourists do. If you’re in a bar where it’s loud and you have be loud to hear yourself, great, go for it. But if you’re in a nice restaurant, or club, or shop, etc. – try to be more quite, even whispering if that is possible.

Read something about the country you’re visiting before you get on the plane.

Did you know that most Americans think the Czech Republic is still Czechoslovakia? John McCain is one of them. And, did you know that most, who realize it isn’t, think only the name has changed? And that those who realize it’s now two separate countries, still don’t realize the Czechs and Slovaks are two different peoples who speak two different languages?

Do not assume people speak English.

Guess what? In the whole of Europe, the only place you’re guaranteed to hear English is in the UK. Do not wander in Germany or France and expect the locals to speak English with you, and don’t give them a dirty look if they can’t. How many do you speak?

Don’t assume people don’t speak English.

Even if they say they can’t speak English, most people do speak enough to understand whether or not you’re speaking rudely about them. Just because the waitress doesn’t know the name of that fancy drink you’re asking for, doesn’t mean she won’t spit in your food while you snub her to your friends. Get some manners, or order room service.

Don’t get into pointless political arguments.

Whether you agree or disagree with Country politics, don’t get into it with the locals. Even if you agree with them, you’re bound to make a fool of yourself, as most of them know more about your country’s leaders and policies than you do. If you insist on debating anyway, please do it quietly.

Don’t “educate” people.

Don’t try to explain life and other complexities to the locals; they’re often quite educated and they tend to take school pretty seriously, even at a young age.

Don’t talk about how much better something is in your home country.

It’s obnoxious to do so. That and it’s something you’re unqualified to comment on unless you’ve actually lived in both. Yes, some things are better in your country, and, believe it or not, some things are better in their country.

 

Please feel free to add your own “To Don’t” suggestions!

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Cash Cards – Sometimes the schemes look attractive when we are buying a currency card that can be used in the destination country. It is often observed that there are transactional charges on such cards. This is like paying a charge for using your own cash when in a country other than your home country. Cash cards are best if avoided for this reason and also because if a cash card is lost, most companies do not protect or cover them with insurance. Also, there are card companies that may penalize for not using cash cards for a prolonged period and others that necessitate their usage for a fixed number of times a month. Avoid such well-planned and laid out traps.

Local Swindling – Frequent travelers and co-passengers will often give you tips that you will not find in the usual travel books. Each tourist destination will have some unfortunate practices that will dupe an innocent tourist. The flower sellers in Spain or the Taxi drivers in India and Italy are all infamous for either overcharging or pick pocketing or misleading the tourist.

Some well-known fraud trades run around the world are listed below.

In Spain, if a kind-looking lady or child offers you flowers and you, as a Good Samaritan, would look for some change in your pockets and then realize that the wallet is missing.

A common roadside trick is rampant on the roads of New York. You watch three cards get shuffled around face down and all you have to do is pick out the Queen of Spades. With absolutely no intention, you take a gamble and before you realize you’ve gotten carried away and lost a lot of money.

The Thai gem scam - Taxi drivers in Thailand are often commission agents for gems and jewelry outlets. They would promise you a huge re-sale value for the gems at home. Do not get enthusiastic. Buy what you must but not as an investment option.

To avoid these things happening to you, make informed decisions and travel in a group preferably with your appointed travel agent or guide.

The travel and hospitality industry is based on making travel experience comfortable and enjoyable. However, for benefits to be felt and obtained a traveler must be informed and prepared for any eventuality.

 Don’t fall in love while abroad. Dating can be fun – but trying to maintain an intercontinental relationship would be super difficult. More so if you actually intend on getting married, as you then run into issues of where will you live – as someone would have to sacrifice their home country in order for the couple to move forward.

Don’t give away your real address. Always tell people, especially those of the opposite gender, to meet you someplace neutral. As an aside from this, don’t let people you trust into your personal room or living space. While nothing happened to me, I had heard of stories where girls had guy friends over that they thought they could trust and they learned the hard way that they couldn’t trust them as much

 Don’t always be talking to people back home. Your friends and family back home will still be there when you return. Yes, you want to share your stories and adventures while they are occurring but what you don’t want to do is be spending all of your time abroad thinking and pretending you are back home. Even my friends who complained while abroad look back on their experiences and miss them. So put down your phone and computer and go out and make memories of new friends and adventures while you can.

 Don’t bring expensive or flashy items. Your grandmother’s ring? Leave it at home. Your new expensive camera? Maybe a pocket one will be better. Remember, you will already stand out as a non-native – so don’t stand out even more and become an easy target for petty theft or more.

  Don’t throw away your class syllabi. Disposing of your notes while abroad may or may not be a good choice but when trying to get credit at your home institution, it is important to have a syllabus to show them what was being discussed – even if the course was already approved

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Charges – While traveling abroad, most card companies will levy additional charges for simple transactions like ATM cash withdrawals and currency conversions etc. There will be foreign loading fees, additional merchant fees, etc. By an estimate, it can easily be said that a £1000 spent charge on ATM or Outlets for cash can cost another £58 in fees alone. Many of these top 10 rip offs are noticed only when we check our card statement after returning from our holiday.

Credit Cards – Most card companies sell credit cards as a major benefit while travel. The benefit exists more to the card company than the card owner because any purchases on credit cards, when made outside the home country, attract levies, foreign landing fees, and many surcharges too. Also, any cash advance will start attracting immediate interest and the free interest period of nearly 45-56 days is forfeited. The simple lesson learnt here is that one should minimize their card usage while abroad.

Airport Currency Change – Foreign Exchange Bureaus at the airports are very expensive when it comes to currency conversions. They give a poor exchange rate and may charge high commissions. Always be prepared with a few bills of your arrival and departure countries to avoid problem. These exchange outlets are meant for the harried traveler who is traveling on an emergency or has to either pay the airline for excess baggage. Hence, airport exchange bureaus make money out of opportunistic circumstances.

Travel Insurance – Travel agents can and do sell insurance, but they may not have all the options available. Research on the best available options on the Internet and align them to your needs. Check your existing insurance cover; see if it will it hold the overseas travel in case of exigencies? If you are planning on participating in adventure sports, you need to ensure that your insurance policy covers these damages also. Some countries require travel insurance as a mandatory document. So, read up on these rules and regulations and prepare for your trip abroad accordingly. Insurance is a complicated product and it is natural to feel cheated after buying it, because most of the time you never get to use it. This is, however, an essential safety net and one must not overlook this expense as you can never say when it may be required. You do not want to be stuck in an unknown country with any medical emergency in your hands.

Dynamic Currency Conversion – Some retailers, restaurants and shopping outlets offer to charge in Pound sterling or US dollars instead of the home currency. Avoid this trap, as most often this will not be to your advantage. Keep a currency calculator handy and do the math yourself as you will be better off paying from the home country cash you have.

Car Rent - If you know that you will need a car then book one in advance. There are a host of car rental companies available that will give you schemes and choices. It is often tough to make the right decision on the spot when you do not even get enough time to consider the choices. When a line is waiting behind you at the counter, you may accidentally choice a rip off scheme and miss out on a good scheme. Whereas, on the internet you can always make an informed decision regarding the best car, insurance and road worthiness of the vehicle.

Airport Parking – If you have decided to leave your car at the airport then plan ahead again, because the airport will keep your car at a prohibitive cost that could at times be between £40 and £45 per day. It is best to hire a cab or get an airport drop from your airline, share cabs or if possible use local public transport if your time and convenience permits.

Theft of ID and card frauds – When people go on vacations they have one of two things on their minds – to relax and have fun and shopping. There are not as guarded as they should be in an unknown country.

Although UK banks have introduced chip and PIN technology in their cards, not all countries have updated their technology. So, be careful with your card wherever you travel. Also do not allow restaurant staff to take away your card while making payments as they may be making a clone of it. You must also keep all your documents, licenses, passports, insurance numbers, birth certificates and bank cards in your hotel safe. But if you ever need to carry any of these documents, make sure you have stored them in a hidden money belt.

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