Iran (Bradt Travel Guide Iran) [ペーパーバック]

Patricia Baker is a lecturer, writer and tour leader specializing in Islamic are and having traveled to Iran over 16 times since her first visit in 1971. She draws from his considerable experience and expertise in Iran: The Bradt Travel Guide to provide the tourist, student, or businessman with guidance on cultural awareness, religious sensitivity, and absolute do's and don'ts as well as a region-by-region guideline to getting around in different areas of Iran with black-and-white maps to follow. An absolute "must-read" for any male or female visitor to Iran, as familiarity with rules and customs could spare one from an unhappy detention; for example, the Iranian prohibition against cards, gambling and backgammon extends to such things as fuzzy car dice, woman must not walk unescorted at night or they will be presumed prostitutes, and no visitor should eat, drink, or smoke during the daylight hours of the Ramadan religious holidays regardless of their personal faith, else the repercussions to themselves and their sponsors will be severe. Yet Iran: The Bradt Travel Guide is far more than a list of proscriptions and warnings; it is also a tour of the cultural and historical wonders of Iran, a glimpse into the recent transformations of the society, and an in-depth guide of where to go and what to experience. Now in an updated second edition, Iran: The Bradt Travel Guide is a "must-have" for visitors who want not only to see the sights of this proud nation, but to understand its character as much as possible.

This guide is only useful if you're planning to visit the Iran of 2000 years ago. Practical information is non-existant, hardly any reasonable hotels are mentioned and there are few if any travel details. Unlike most Bradt guides it's written for scholars and archeologists and not travellers who need detailed information about this complex country.

The intrepid visitor to Iran is in for a deeply rewarding experience. This enormous, varied and little-visited country is full of wonders and surprises; it's very safe for travellers and in many ways easier for the visitor than most other destinations in the region. Follow a few simple rules, and you can't go wrong.

The choice of guide books, however, is limited at the time of writing to just two: Lonely Planet and Bradt. Of the two, the LP guide is definitely the most useful with the greatest amount of accurate information about where to stay, how to get from A to B and other practicalities high on the priority list for the traveller. It's important to have a guide book for Iran because internet access is difficult and slow, cellphone networks congested and almost impossible to access in the daytime (especially in Tehran) and English not widely understood.

The Bradt guide, however, is not without value. It's written by Patricia Baker, an academic with an interest in Islamic art and costume, and the weight of content reflects these specialist cultural interests at the expense of travel practicalities.

The first 66 pages are devoted to Iranian history, politics and religion and to basic practicalities like best time to visit, visas, health issues and tour operators. The author tends to discourage independent travel to Iran and recommends an organised tour, as (according to her) Iranian officialdom is more comfortable with groups who can be managed and controlled more easily. I have to say I found travelling independently around Iran quite easy, especially with a positive attitude and the helpful and invariably accurate advice in the LP guide, so do not agree with Ms. Baker on this issue.

The second part of the book has a chapter devoted to each of the major cities and regions of the country, and is OK but can be a rather dry read. Often the author recommends only one place to stay in each location, whereas for example the LP guide invariably details many options accurately and so is more useful to the traveller.

The four separate colour photo sections are pretty good, but again betray the author's prime interest in the architecture, archaeology and cultural relics which, it needs to be said, in Iran are plentiful and often truly magnificent, especially in Isfahan and Shiraz. However the fun and adventure is somehow missing (yes, you can have both in Iran), and the text is not exactly racy or humorous.

So overall, the Bradt Guide might be best for the visitor whose primary interest is in the history, culture and architecture of Iran and who chooses to go on an organised tour where accommodation is booked in advance and taken care of - or if for some reason you don't like the style of LP guides, this is your only option.