Hi folks and welcome to beautiful Iran

Just to introduce myself :
Hossein Sheykhlou knows as"Mr.Hossein"has assisted tourists for more than 3 years in his home country Iran.i'm offering my services from urmia for travelers visiting iran.i speakes,reads and writes good English and my extensive experience with travellers makes meeting with me. Please note that Mr. Hossein can still assist you at the sero/esendere border which is highly recommended to cross,however please give notice a few days in advance by e-mail before you arrive.

BTW we have a place with safe parking,ADSL internet,bed and including breakfast and lunch which is cost 25$ per a day.

Also my network throughout Iran is extensive and can be of valuable use for travellers,for example I can help yours about finding Accommodations,tyres,mechanic,touristy maps for iran in English,stickers,insurance,planing routes in iran what to do and where to go,show my city and whatever you need.....



You can contact Mr.Hossein directly:

Mobile : +989143474653

Email address : hosseinthebiker@yahoo.com

Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/hossein.sheykhlou

Please read my blog as well: http://helpingoverlanders.blogspot.com/



best regards

Hossein

I was in Iran in the summer with motorbike. The border is really complicated a little bit but if you are patient there shall be no problem. Of course, you are supposed to change money only at the official money-changers. At my first night I wanted to sleep in Urmia in a hotel but I didn't like it. Hossein saved me and took me to his family. They are really wonderful and helpful people and to my luck I could spend two great days at their house.

We met Hossein on our way out from Iran and we regret it.

He showed us around Urmia and made us regret that this was our last and not first day in Iran, and that we didn't have more time to stay with him.

He really IS enthusiastic and passionate, and if you are arriving by motorcycle I suggest that you meet Hossein on your FIRST day in Iran.

I stayed with Hossein and his lovely family in Urmia earlier this year. I can say that he's an avid biker who is passionate and friendly. I had a truly excellent time when he hosted me.

Crossing the Turkey/Iran border can be a little daunting at first - but Hossein was there to help me out and make sure that I spoke to the correct people for stamping the carnet. It was really nice to see a friendly face smiling at me from across the border.

I hope I get the chance to visit Urmia again and see Hossein. I would encourage any bikers thinking of visiting Iran to go and see this great guy.

We crossed the Border from Turkey to Iran and Hossein and his family gave us a really warm welcome to wonderful Iran. We are really glad that we could stay a few days with him and enjoy this great hospitility.

Jens

Hello Folks,

here is our experience at Hosseins place and the conclusion, we draw by his behavior.

Already months before my travell started, Hossein contacted me in serveral personal msg through HU and CS to come and visit him in Iran and offered a bunch of help. Before getting to his place I've read a negative reference on CS about that he is cheating people while money exchange...

We went there because I wanted to make my own point of view. So here is our experience:

1. I was very sick with pretty high temperature when getting there and he took me to doctor, what I really appreciate (although it didn't help...)

2. He took me to money exchange office, but then told me to wait outside because of strange reasons. I have read a negative reference about this on CS before, so I have been aware, luckily) Otherwise he will change money without any receipt into a poor rate and pretends he did the best....

3. He scared me to death that I must have an insurance for the bike. If not and police stops you, they will take the bike and keep it forever, so you will never get it back, he says! He took me to insurance office and they only offered me a one year-rate for more than 110€! And again scared me very hard to buy it, if not loosing my bike and so on...

4. When we were at his place I was very sick for many days and after 2nd night, I still had more than 38° temperature he and his parents just throw us out of the house in the morning, without any warning and let us deal ourselves...

5. In the meantime they attracted my girl-friend very hard to get with his parents to bazar and buy several items for them.


After leaving his place we thought it was maybe bad luck and a unique story, he also told us many times it were his parents, who dislike foreigners and he can not host anymore people in the future. But I see that he continues inviting people to his families house in Urmia very hard with starting new threads. I replied to some of them and wrote my experience at his place, because that's what this community is for - experience exchange. I figured out that other HU-member had same bad "problems" and it looks that he tries to get his advantages out of the foreigners stay!? (money-exchange, paricipating from insurance-fee?) Once I replied to one of his new started threads and wrote what happened and the next day the entire thread was gone...???

3 days ago, a totally new member appeared on HU with the name "IranAndTravelers", who also acted the excat same way in making great offers to stay in Urmia. I added a post in mentioning that I guess it is Hossein again, just with a different name and asked why he needs to start with a new account, if he is really such a good and helpfull person??
And right afterwards, the whole thread was gone again. It dissappeared and I couldn't find it anylonger...???

Fo me all this looks very hard like a trap to get as much people as possible there and probably try to sell expensive insurances and cheat while exchanging money and so on... It also would make sense, that they throw us out after he did all these things with us and there was no more "use" for us....

I can imagine that many travellers don't notice these happenings so much and the amount of money is not very reasonable for them. I also wouldn't have becoming aware if I was not that pissed, while getting kick on the street with 38° temp. ....

And now this new thread with all the positive comments from people with their very 1st post on the HUBB.

For me all this is pretty obvoius, that it's a trap!


This is just our experience and conclusion, especially while noticing how hard he is pushing to get people to his place!

All the best to all real bikers out there and take care!!!!


Alex and Mila

I'm with you Alex.

i got the same doubts when i saw newly joined members going ga-ga over someone supporting them, shortly after a thread was started by him. As if they signed up on HU right on time !!! just a co-incidence ??

be safe out there guys and beware scams. Do a lot of research before accepting help, which unfortunately now a days is not a straight forward affair anymore.

He indeed contacted me and asked to write in this thread about our experience with him, but we really had a good time there. So, I'm sorry for your bad experience, but your conspiracy theory is little exaggerated.

Hi guys,

I'm not newly joined member here, so you can count me as real person and member of the HUUB, I guess

I traveled Iran last year, and after entering Iran from Armenia, I was passing by Urmia. There I met Hossein.

I can say that I'm shocked by this bad stories about Hossein. My experiance was totally opposite!

Hossein is real enthusiast, a person really wanting to help. He want to help even if he is not sure how, and that is this guy biggest sin. But aren't all Iranians like this?!?

On my way back, I passed Urmia one more time, and again met Hossein. All time I used his SIM card that he gave me when we met for the first time.

Obviously there are two sides of every story. This are my experiences, and I'm really glad that I met him.

Once I've arrived Iran from Armenia, i get in contact with Hossein from Urmia. The gay also rides a bike and he is very interested in traveling. For the first view days in Iran, i was living with Hossein and his family in Urmia. Together we visited the countryside, lakes and his friends. I also was invited for a wedding. For me it was the chance to know quickly about life and people in this wonderful Country.

I cant comment on the chap in question but I have crossed Iran.

The Turkish/Iranian border isnt that bad, certainly not as bad as the Turkmenistan or Russian border.

I too was scared into getting insurance by my contact, 100 odd dollars for the week but I doubt I really needed it.

I was stopped a couple of times by the police and they werent interested in seeing papers, more curious about where I had come from.

All in all one of my favourite countries that Ive travelled through and I would certainly go back

A mate of mine stayed at Hossein's place for one night last September. An interesting experience according to him but he was a little surprised when Hossein's father requested 50 USD for the home stay (plus money for petrol and other bits and bobs) on departure.

Probably worth the experience but would have been better if known beforehand...

Not sure others have had the same request.

Hossein contacted me on Facebook to ask me to edit my last message because "its not good for him"... Asking my mate to pay 50 bucks for his 1 night stay was a mistake of his father apparently... Good to know but I doubt my mate will see his money back any time soon...

I find it interesting that this banned/ex HU member is badgering people through other social media to change their comments. I will draw my own conclusions.

He'll probably be contacting me next.

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It was not a mistake!!!

He asked us for 80 usd for two days!!! We give him 60 and we really regret it!
We also had bad experience with changing the money in the bank, missing around 100 bucks at that day exchange rate. We realize it too late in Isfahan. Also, we were a taxi for his family.

You will not miss anything if you skip Urmia and Hossein

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