The desert towns and villages were the highlight of our time in Iran. The mud villages and desert oases in the east of the country are lightly traveled and evoke the romance of the Silk Road. We visited the dusty outpost of Kerman, the mud brick citadel of Rayen, the beautiful caravanserai of Zein-od-din, the quintessential desert city of Yazd, the desolate sand dunes of Mesr, and the charming oasis village of Garmeh.
Many travelers to Iran stick to the classic route through central Iran encompassing Tehran, Esfahan, and Shiraz. We encourage every traveler to Iran to venture off this trail and add a few days in the desert. Independent travelers may want to consider hiring a car and driver to get to the more remote destinations, since public transportation is scant and unreliable in this part of Iran.
Garmeh! The deserts of Iran are hot, right?
The oasis village of Garmeh is aptly named. It means “hot” in Farsi. The deserts of Iran are the hottest places on Earth with temperatures sometimes hitting 70C. The heatwave that hit West and Central Asia in the summer of 2015 pushed temperatures up to the highest recorded levels. This meant that a … Read more
