Arriving in Istanbul represented the end of my Silk Road adventure and it was an incredibly emotional experience for so many reasons. I first travelled to Istanbul ten years beforehand when it was my first time in the Middle East. That was an overwhelming visit where I was mesmerised by the incredible history and architecture of
Curious about travelling to Iran? Iran is not what you might expect and I hope I can show you why. My solo travels in Iran draw the most attention and the most questions when I talk about my journey following the Silk Road from China, through Central Asia and eventually all the way to London. What
You absolutely can travel to Iran as a solo female traveller! To prove it this is my experience of travelling in Iran as a solo female. In the months before I visited Iran many of my family and friends worried about the dangers I would encounter as a solo female traveller in Iran. Some people would
My epic overland adventure was about to continue. I’d already travelled from Shanghai across the vastness of China, into the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, onto the dazzling blue tiled Silk Road cities of Uzbekistan, through the strange and bizarre country that is Turkmenistan and I was now in the final stages of my travels in Iran that would see
Visiting Tehran can be a daunting experience. It’s a huge, heaving metropolis home to 15 million people and it’s the capital of one of the most misunderstood countries in the world. By the time I visited Tehran I’d been travelling in Iran for over two weeks and had already learnt that Iran was a fascinating,
Delightful surprises were hidden behind the tall mud-brick walls of the desert town of Kashan. Rich, detailed stucco decorations and stained glass windows of large traditional houses built by wealthy merchants many years ago were set amongst tranquil gardens of roses, pomegranates and pools of water. In another location was a wonderfully sumptuous bathhouse and
The air was hot and heavy by the banks of the dried up river, and the sound of deep, resonating singing pulled me forward. Forward towards the arches of an historic bridge. In the cool shade of those arches was a small group of locals surrounding a lone male singing a mournful, mesmerising song. It
Visiting Shiraz was a highlight of my three weeks travelling solo through Iran. I remember it as a city of light and gardens. With it’s bustling bazaars, beautiful Persian gardens and home to a place filled with magical and exquisite light. I arrived in Shiraz after a six hour bus trip from the mud-brick city of Yazd. Nearly
Iran was once the heart of the mighty Persian empire and the Persian empire’s ceremonial capital was Persepolis. Full of columns, detailed reliefs, imposing gateways and staircases, it is also infamous as the ancient city Alexander The Great burnt down! As a lover of history, especially ancient history, my travels in Iran meant a visit
It was oh so quiet and still. Mud-brick walls rose high above me on either side to meet as arches high above. It was like the walls were enveloping me and I wondered if these adobe walls were absorbing all sound. In the distance the occasional shaft of pale light would cut through the shadows.