No trip to Iran is complete without exploring the desert! After two nights in the Holy City of Mashhad, we took an overnight bus to the desert village of Garmeh. The bus was comfortable, but since it’s technically winter in Iran (despite daytime temperatures reaching 25 degrees), the locals are cold, and the heat was on full blast all night. Nick was sweating, I forgot to take my motion sickness pill, and trying to sleep while keeping my headscarf on was quite challenging.
Despite these minor issues, the bus ride was fine. We arrived at a roundabout in the middle of nowhere at 5 a.m. and called our guesthouse in the desert. They sent a car to pick us up from the nearby village of Khur, and we arrived in Garmeh 30 minutes later.
Even though it was still dark when we arrived, we knew we would love it there. Silhouettes of date palms surrounded the 1500-year-old, mud-brick village, and goats and camels were right outside our guesthouse.
We opened the door to our traditional room, descended a small flight of stairs to our bed, and quickly fell asleep. When we woke up, the guesthouse looked completely different in the daylight. Two Belgian guys, a Spanish couple with their baby, and the Iranian family who owned the place were all chatting and enjoying breakfast.
The 300-year-old home was beautiful and made entirely of mud and bricks. The communal area had high ceilings, lovely Persian carpets, a fireplace, and an eating area. Narrow hallways with low ceilings led us to the bathroom, which was clean and surprisingly modern!
The exterior was just as stunning. In front of the home was a small pen with the village’s two camels and 20 goats. Next to our guesthouse was a crumbling fort, a mosque, and loads of date palms. Mountains in the distance provided the perfect backdrop.
We spent the first day with the Spanish couple and their 15-month-old son. The five of us hopped in a car to see the salt flats of Garmeh. While they might not compare to the ones in Bolivia, we still found them impressive since we hadn’t seen those yet.
Next to the dried-up salt lake was a small, salty, and out-of-place river. The turquoise water flowed over the white salt, and it was beautiful.
Later that evening, we drove through stunning scenery to the sand dunes. Although not as impressive as the dunes in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia, they were still perfect for watching the sunset. A herd of about 25 camels walked by just as the sun was setting, making the moment even more special.
That evening, we were lucky enough to witness the guesthouse owner’s musical talent. He played music using clay pots, creating unique sounds by banging his hands on the tops and sides and even lifting them to bang against the floor. It was the most unusual and amazing music we’ve ever heard.
The day ended perfectly, but our adventure in Garmeh wasn’t over yet. The next morning, Nick and I decided to hike one of the massive mountains surrounding the village. Despite the lack of a clear path and the unstable rocks, we made it to the top safely. The views over the little oasis were fantastic.
After descending the mountain, we visited a small spring filled with tiny fish. We dipped our feet in the water for a fish massage, reminiscent of our time in Malaysia. We also met two modern, young couples at the spring who invited us to stay with them in Esfahan—gotta love Iranian hospitality!
Our stay in Garmeh was wonderful. The homemade food was delicious (we tried camel meat for the first time), we enjoyed fresh pomegranates and dates from the garden, the family running the place was kind, the desert vibe was relaxing and peaceful, and the resident goats and camels were a nice touch!
After two full days among the palm trees and silence, we caught a bus to the mud-brick village of Yazd.