Iran - Andrew Burke [274]
Mehmanpazir Tavakkol (Sa’at Sq; tw/tr/q IR70,000/100,000/150,000) Clean shared facilities include a shower that sometimes runs hot. Rooms are predictably basic with rock–hard beds and a tap in some rooms. It’s friendly, if 100% male, and very central, accessed upstairs from Modarres St. There’s Road noise.
Sarouyeh Hotel ( 324 5600; Danesh St; s/tw/tr from IR120,000/140,000/160,000; ) The Sarouyeh’s hotel section has overpriced air-conditioned apartments (twins/triples IR410,000/470,000) with kitchenettes and droopy curtains. However, the good-value guesthouse section (where the check-in booth is unexpectedly hidden) has sensibly priced fan rooms with small attached bathrooms, towels and top-sheets.
Hotel Asram ( 325 5090; fax 325 5092; Valiasr Hwy; s/tw/tr/ste US$35/45/50/55; ) Behind a mirrored-glass façade, this professionally managed hotel has good, motel-style rooms with lift, three restaurants and a sauna under construction. Some English is spoken.
Hotel Badeleh ( /fax 422 2548; Gorgan Hwy, Angilasam; tw/ste US$65/90; ) Sari’s best hotel (for now) sits in a lush garden amid ivy-draped palm trees, 10km east towards Gorgan. The varnished-wood lobby looks slightly dated but a new glass elevator takes you to fully refurbished rooms. The suites are truly luxurious with remarkably grand bed-heads in part-gilded hardwood. Bathrooms are OK but less impressive. Very friendly.
Two new hotels are under construction on the Qa’emshahr–Gorgan highway. The very grand-looking Hotel Navid is around 10km west of Sari; the more modest Hotel Arab is 4km east.
Eating
Downmarket snack-bars and kababis (kabab shops) line Jomhuri-ye Eslami St near the bazaar. Several nicer restaurants lie around a kilometre further on along Azadi Blvd.
Chaikhaneh Morshed (Jomhuri-ye Eslami St; qalyan from IR5000; 9am-midnight) Easily-missed steps southeast of Dadgar Alley lead up to this semi traditional teahouse. Décor is tasteful apart from the cigarette-smoking stuffed lamb. The boisterous clientele of rockabilly-style 20-something males might get over-excited by a female presence.
Abshar Paziraee (Park-e Shahr; snack meals IR5500-12,000; 8am-11pm) Marked with a neon swan and a goofy Mr Bean mural, this simple, sunny snack bar is ideal for fresh juices or ice creams while watching the park fountains.
Aryana Pizza ( 222 0322; Farhang St; pizzas IR23,000-30,000; 11am-midnight) This inviting, larger-than-average, new fast-food restaurant has pizzas with excellent, light crusts. For dessert, try the grand pastry-shop eatery next door.
Sorena Restaurant ( 222 7069; Ferdosi St; meals IR30,000-60,000; 11am-3pm & 7-11.30pm) Bright, spacious middle-class kababi with big fireplaces and fake roses on the tables. Fish dishes are sizeable but laced with bones. Vampires should avoid zirtoshi, a side-dish of whole pickled garlic (IR5000).
Getting There & Away
AIR
Iran Air ( 226 9400; Azadi Blvd; 7.30am-4pm Sat-Thu, 8am-noon Fri) flies thrice-weekly to both Tehran (IR315,000) and Mashhad (IR345,000). Tickets are also sold by friendly, English-speaking agency Tireng Travel ( 222 7973; tirengsary@yahoo.com; Tabarsi St; 8am-6pm Sat-Thu).
BUS & MINIBUS
From the main terminal (northeastern ring rd) regular buses run to Rasht (IR40,000, seven hours) via the coastal cities and to Tehran (IR40,000, five hours) via Amol. Most services to Mashhad (Volvo IR60,000, 11 hours) depart around 7am or 6pm. There’s one Taavoni 2 bus to Semnan (via Kiyasar) at 8am. Alternatively, savari-hop via Qa’emshahr.
Savaris to Qa’emshahr (IR2000), Babol (IR5000) and Amol (10,000) leave from Imam Khomeini Sq.
Minibuses/savaris to Gorgan (IR8000/20,000) and Behshahr (IR2500/6000, 45 minutes) use Istgah Gorgan (Daneshju Blvd).
Savaris for Kiyasar start across the railway on Keshavarz Blvd. From Kiyasar to Damghan you’ll usually have to pay dar baste (closed door).
TRAIN
To travel the trans-Alborz line in daylight, take the 9.10am train from Tehran. Trains