TEHRAN – With its countless historical sites, natural and rural landscapes, foodie scenes and elegant hotels, Iran is known for being quirky and forward thinking. It is home to many unusual hostels, hotels or eco-lodges. 

An exciting idea may be staying in fancy inns to go through rewarding experiences. For most adventurers, the more different equals with being the more attractive.

On other hand, investors do their best to meet the tastes of the tourists by providing a wide range of residential centers and hotels including those made of pipes or ice as well those located in trees and in underground.

Here are some of unusual places to stay in Iran:

In Kandovan village in East Azarbaijan province, some residences are rock-carved in the mountains making it possible for the tourists to reside besides the villagers in those houses. A hotel is also constructed by rocks in the neighborhood.

In Tabriz, tourists may have a memorable night in hotels, which are carved in rocks with stone walls.

In Ardabil province, there are some residences, which resemble the houses of the Hobbits in ‘Lord of the Rings’. Half of the buildings are underground and the second half above, with windows that open to the exterior.

Sandwiched between desert and mountain landscape in Kerman province, Maymand (also spelt Meymand) is famous for being an exemplar manmade-cave destination that is home to tens of troglodytes, the majority of whom are semi-nomadic shepherds.

The Cultural Landscape of Maymand was named a UNESCO site in 2015. The property is an exemplar system of manmade cave dwelling that is believed to be practiced in the region to cope with its harsh climate.

Overwater hotels in Kish Island cannot be regarded strange ones but provide tourists with a range of enjoyable variety, in particular, because of their cozy atmosphere and glassy floor with a view of the ocean.

Staying in ecological houses, which can be found in all provinces across Iran, would also be interesting. Tourists who travel to province of provinces of Kerman or Sistan-Baluchestan, can enjoy staying at the hotels dubbed ‘Kapar’ - local thatched shelters constructed of palm trees logs. In Kerman, Kapars are as equipped as a five-star hotel.

In Asalouyeh, Bushehr province, such unusual hotels are easy to find at the beach, made of industrial pipes! Tourists can stay overnight in residences floating on water or those located up among the tree branches.

In case of being a fan of Skimo life, tourists can find similar residential places with no specific geometrical shape but well-equipped in Shahr-e-Rey, the capital of Rey County in Tehran Province.

An unforgettable experience is possible to be made when tourists can also taste local Iranian food.

In Semnan province, a tourist residential has been recently dug under the ground to let the tourists experience the life of Iranian tribes in that region. The subterranean resident includes 15 rooms, each can accommodate 5 people. It also contains other chambers, air ducts, water pipes, storage spaces, and hallways.

Bahram Nik-Eqbal, who is interested in geology, employed hundreds of workers to make the subterranean “city” within a year in his paternal piece of land. He says that the depth has been determined in such a way that assures adequate Oxygen will come through yet it lessens the danger of crumpling.

There are several underground cities across the country.  Just north of Kashan, in the small town of Nushabad, lies a sprawling underground city which dates back to the Sasanian era (224- 651).

And finally, there is salt mine in Semnan province, which is planned to get equipped for settling down the tourists.

AFM/MG