Iran - Andrew Burke [282]
Clean, fresh Mosaferkhaneh Naghizadeh ( 222 2193; Falakeh Kargat, Imam Khomeini St; s/tw/tr IR56,000/64,000/76,000, showers IR4000) is simple but very well kept.
At the far eastern end of town, the plush new Hotel Negin ( 225 5737; Imam Reza Sq; d with breakfast IR360,000) has fully equipped modern rooms off smart, if slightly underlit, corridors.
Mashhad-bound savaris (IR30,000, 2½ hours) start from Falakeh Mehmansara (aka Azadegan Sq) in front of a conspicuously marked ‘Guesthouse’. The main bus terminal (Beit-ol Moqqadas Sq), on the western side of town, has regular buses to Gorgan (IR17,000, five hours), Mashhad (IR12,000, four hours), Quchan (IR6000, 2¼ hours), Sabzevar (IR8000, 3½ hours) and Tehran (IR50,000, 12 hours). Savaris to Sabzevar (IR25,000, 2½ hours) and Esfarayan (IR10,000, 45 minutes) depart from Chahara Khoshi at the west end of Beheshti St.
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QUCHAN
0581 / pop 116,000
If you’re heading to Turkmenistan via Bajgiran, you’ll probably need to transit Quchan, where a sweet little Ethnographic Museum ( 223 2757; admission IR2000; 8am-1pm & 3-7pm Tue-Sun) and a big new hotel (nearing completion) are both on Azadi Sq on the main Mashhad–Bojnurd road.
From here, Sabzevar Bazaar St runs 1.5km north to central Imam Khomeini Sq (meydan) where it continues as Eshkabad St through the commercial centre. It ends at Felestin Sq (1.5km further) from which savaris leave for Bajgiran (IR15,000) and Dargaz (IR20,000).
A short walk north of Imam Khomeini Sq, turn right down a quiet side road to find Mosaferkhaneh Noor ( 222 3464; Nasser Khosrow St; tw/tr IR50,000/60,000), 150m east of Eshkabad St. Simple rooms around a central courtyard are very clean, but there’s no shower and doors are usually locked by 10pm. Three blocks further north off Eshkabad St are eateries and an internet café.
Quchan region is famous for koshti Quchani, a kind of wrestling that’s a bit like sumo minus the bellies. However, competitions are rare and mostly held in remote villages, notably at Ravar (1 to 2 April).
Bojnurd–Mashhad buses and some savaris (back/front IR15,000/20,000) use relevant points on Azadi Sq. However, Mashhad–Quchan buses (IR6000, 2½ hours) arrive at the main bus terminal, 1.6km east, then 300m south of Imam Khomeini Sq.
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AROUND QUCHAN
Bajgiran
0582 / pop 920
If you’re heading to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan’s surreal capital, consider sleeping here to get an early start for crossing the nearby border (see the boxed text). Bajgiran village isn’t an attraction but a few huddles of archaic mud-houses look faintly attractive amid the arid mountain ridges and communication towers. Savaris from Quchan (IR15,000/60,000 per person/car, 1¼ hours) terminate at the lower border gate. That’s 800m beyond the nine-room Hotel Bajgiran ( 372 3212; tw IR80,000), which has survivable but rather bare rooms with shared toilets.
The prettier of two possible routes from Quchan uses a degraded old road via Emamqoli, descending through a narrow canyon, and rejoining the main new road just beyond the timeless mud-block village of Dorbadam.
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CROSSING THE TURKMENISTAN BORDER AT BAJGIRAN HOWDAN
From Bajgiran’s lower border gate, it’s a steady 1.7km climb to the immigration posts ( 7.30am-3.30pm Iran time, 9am-5pm Turkmen time); taxis want IR10,000. Before crossing the border, change at least US$10 into Turkmen manats (US$1=23,500M) either with traders in Bajgiran village or at the small (slightly hidden) office marked ‘taxi’ to the right of the Iranian immigration building. Iranian formalities are swift as long as you don’t sneeze at the ‘Human Quarantine’ desk. Turkmenistan immigration is just 50m away. As at any Turkmen entry point you’ll need US$12 (in US dollars) to pay for the hologrammed entry card. If arriving on a tourist visa your voucher must be with the immigration officers and the agency representative