Travel in Iran

Balloons in the national colours of Israel and Qatar festooned the departure gate for the first commercial flight between the countries on Sunday, permitted by Doha for fans of the World Cup despite the absence of formal bilateral relations.

A mix of international tensions, economic turmoil, and political tension is causing many travelers to rethink the destinations they’re prioritizing on their “bucket lists” in 2023, according to an article on Wednesday in Toronto’s The Globe and Mail.

Russian tourists may be flocking to Turkish resort hotspots like Antalya and Bodrum, but the country looks set to become a critical business travel hub for Russia as growing numbers of corporations relocate there following sanctions imposed by the West.

Israel voiced hope on Wednesday that Saudi authorities would admit direct flights for its Muslim citizens who want to make the Haj pilgrimage, which begins next month, in what would mark another step toward normalizing relations.

The national security advisors of India, U.S., the United Arab Emirates, and the Saudi Crown Prince met in Riyadh. They discussed ways to develop a joint infrastructure that connects Gulf and Arab countries via a railway network and also extends to India via shipping lanes. The White House issued a statement that the advisors met in Riyadh to “advance their shared vision of a more secure and prosperous Middle East region interconnected with India and the world,” American news website Axios reported. The Indian and UAE authorities did not issue separate readouts publicly. India is particularly keen to participate in the project to build a brand as an infrastructure builder in the railway sector. Boasting a strong rail network at home and buoyed by the success of creating such infrastructure in Sri Lanka, India has the confidence to do it overseas. It wants private and public sector enterprises to explore the region’s potential economic and infrastructure opportunities. Moreover, India’s connectivity with its Western neighbors could be enhanced as it can use shipping routes to reach West Asian ports such as Chabahar and Bandar-e-Abbas (Iran), Duqm (Oman), Dubai (UAE), Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) and Kuwait City. According to the Axios report, the idea for the railway project germinated at the I2U2 forum — which includes the U.S., Israel, the UAE and India — established in late 2021 to discuss strategic infrastructure projects in West Asia.

A decade ago, the Spanish landscape designer Fernando Caruncho began working on a project that would link the private walled gardens of several aristocratic estates in the Portuguese village of Santar, in the Dão wine region. Now, visitors will have a new way to access the 50-acre parkland: One of the ancestral manor homes within Caruncho’s greenscape has been converted into a small hotel. Formerly known as Casa das Fidalgas and owned by the House of Bragança, who ruled Portugal from 1640 to 1910, when the monarchy was overthrown, Valverde Santar Hotel & Spa served as a residence for the Bragança family until 2019. The Porto-based design firm Atelier Bastir carried out a restoration of the residence, preserving original details — including pitched, wood-paneled ceilings, 18th-century French and Portuguese furniture and bookshelves lined with hundreds of timeworn tomes — while carving out 21 rooms, some with hand-painted ceilings. At the Memórias restaurant, the chef Luís Almeida serves regional specialties such as roasted goat with smoked rice and a buttery cheese-and-citrus pudding, made with ingredients sourced from Santar Vila Jardim’s gardens. Guests can wander through the property’s vast acreage to pick aromatic herbs including lemongrass and chamomile to be used for massages and facials at the hotel’s spa, housed in what was once the estate’s wine cellar.

Air India is getting a head-to-toe makeover.

For many travel operators, the climate crisis may be an opportunity for growth, as bookings can be taken for longer throughout the year and newer (cooler) destinations become more attractive. It will also enable tourists to avoid Covid-style lockdowns where they may be forced to stay indoors during the hottest parts of the day across Europe, as has been the case for holidaymakers and residents throughout July and August in the northern hemisphere.

Every morning, the French-Iranian contemporary artist Sassan Behnam-Bakhtiar enters his atelier nestled in the South of France, overlooking the stunning expanse of the ocean. Surrounded by nature, he immerses himself in meditation. This practice, honed over many years, has led him to his current success, transforming pain into purpose and creating a unique form of living art that embodies the energy of nature. At the age of 39, Behnam-Bakhtiar has already built a solid foundation as an acclaimed artist (including solo exhibitions with Sotheby’s Monaco and Philips London), known for transmuting the natural world he inhabits into an artistic experience.

In a country full of hidden gems, it is hard to choose one. But I would highly recommend taking a trip to the south-east of Turkey – “cradle of civilisation” territory – and on the road between Gaziantep and Şanlıurfa, turn off near Yukarıincirli and head 17 miles north to Halfeti for a boat tour of the mighty Euphrates. This region was hit hard by the recent earthquake, but that gives added reasons to visit: a morale boost to the locals, and some help for their struggling economy. On that cruise you’ll get a chance to see the remarkable submerged city of Old Halfeti, as well as the ancient fortress of Rumkale and, if you’re lucky, a karagül, the black rose that is indigenous to this region.Umair

For most travelers, entering the vast diversity of Ecuador’s Cuatro Mundos ("Four Worlds": the Pacific Coast, Andes, Amazon and Galápagos) requires nothing more than arriving with your passport.

“Chaos at the airport!” You’ve seen those headlines and TV shots the last few days, and you know they’re accurate. You also know that, at least for now, the new immigration rules are under legal challenge, with an uncertain outcome.

The Washington Post reports that U.S. carriers will ask president-elect Donald Trump to protect them from unfair competition with heavily subsidized Persian Gulf carriers. The three big U.S. airlines—Delta, United, and American—”have unsuccessfully lobbied the Obama administration to take up their cause against a trio of Gulf airlines who have grown exponentially, making inroads in the global market,” according to the Post.

You probably saw (or experienced) the airport protests and delays this weekend following President Donald Trump’s executive order to ban nationals traveling to the U.S. from seven Muslim-majority nations. But what do the American people think of the new travel measure?

World responses to pandemics—like the U.S.’s to the COVID-19 outbreak—are always a moving target. When it comes to contagious diseases, there are going to be new developments occurring every day. Of late, the 30-day Europe travel ban means that all U.S. citizens returning home from many countries in Europe (plus China and Iran) will be sent to one of 13 U.S. airports designated for screenings and then directed to self quarantine for 14 days.

The late great Anthony Bourdain once said “without Montreal, Canada would be hopeless.” Of course this isn’t true as Canada has many charms but it’s fair to say that the Anglo francophone city is a sheer delight, from both a culinary and cultural perspective. This unique melting pot of cultures, set on an island in the St. Lawrence River, is the birthplace of Leonard Cohen, Mordecai Richler, Arcade Fire, Cirque du Soleil and jazz legend Oscar Peterson.

Dominated by a 2,425-foot-tall mountain, Mount Titano, San Marino is the third-smallest county in Europe and the fifth-smallest in the world. The 1700-year-old landlocked enclave surrounded by Italy used to be the least-visited country in Europe, but today, its uniqueness, beautiful architecture, UNESCO-listed attributes, and peaceful countryside a stone’s throw away from the glittering waters of the Adriatic Sea attract visitors from all over the world.

Our editors and authors have named Iran as one of the top countries to visit in 2015 . Here, Anthon Jackson explains why now is the time to travel to Iran.

Prepare for some serious stomach growls as we reveal 20 of our favourite foodie experiences around the world. These picks, taken from the pages of Make The Most Of Your Time On Earth , are some of the finest ways to truly eat authentic dishes in the countries that do them best. If you're looking for the best food in the world, look no further.

Descending the steps into the ancient amphitheatre of Philippopolis I paused to look out over the dusty panorama, under which a city with thousands of years of history laid. As one of two European Capitals of Culture for 2019, I came to Plovdiv with little to no knowledge of the city but high expectations. What I was about to learn did not disappoint.