Hossein's Guest House Iran, any experiences?
 

I have been put onto a young guy in Urmia, Iran who runs Hossein's Guest House.

He tells me he can get me into and out of Iran without a carnet, no problems.

I have seen another thread on HUBB from about 12 months ago that was to put it bluntly, very unflattering.

Has anyone used this service or know of someone who has? It seemed to me that some of the problems mentioned in the other thread may have been teething problems/inexperience.

I can't afford an RAC carnet which would be at least 800 pounds out of pocket. Until now I was going to get the boat from Baku, now I am considering this option.

I would hate to get to the border and not get in or be told $1000 to get in or once i'm in a $1000 to get out for that matter!

There are quite a few earlier threads with reference to your question:-
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Hi Daze,

I have been there with my mate this summer and also just had a few messages exchanged with Grant on the matter. I think it might be helpful to post my view on this here. This is part of what I sent to Grant:



This might be a bit more than you asked for, but I guess it might be helpful to have this available for everyone who cares to read it. ;)

If you have any more questions regarding Hossein or Iran, I am happy to help if I can. bier


EDIT: Sorry for the messy formatting, copied most of this of my emails and that somehow messed things up... ;)

My experience at Hosseins Guest House in Urmia in Aug 2013
 

Hi All,

great comment jnk_.

I stayed in August 2013 at Hussein’s guest house while on my trip from Germany to Kirgistan.

I hope I can write a few lines to make this myth about Hossein go away, as he is a person who has dedicated himself and I guess also his family to make the perfect stay for any motorcyclist or any other tourist who come to an touristic undeveloped country!

I got the contact from Hossein over the traveler seeking traveler forum as I wrote that I am driving through the Iran, a friend from Hossein, told me that Hossein can help me on the boarder and that he runs a guest house. I than exchanged contacts and Hossein contacted me per email.

We started our contact when I was in Greece, so plenty of time till I arrived in Iran.

Of course I was thinking about the risk and safety trusting a guy just from a contact in the forum, however during the time in Turkey we changed a few lines and Hossein informed me about the details of the border, we chatted about the exchange rate and so on… of course lot about motorbikes! Also he kept me updated if he knows if anybody is driving in my direction as I was traveling on my own. So by the time I arrived in Van we have already been communicating so I trusted him, I didn’t ready anything about him in any forum before! A German biker Steve stayed at his Guest house 2 days before me coming towards me, unluckily we didn’t meet however we communicated over FB.

In all the communication Hossein told me all about his services, his guest house price and all other things important for a traveler to know about the Iran! I can tell that it was all honest and did exactly fit what I then experienced while being there! However, of course I also thought a lot if I need all his help as I have a tight budget and I am going single all the way….. so I won’t have too much comfort anyway. However it was the right choice as I stayed 30 days in Iran and I had a perfect setup in Urmia, it was throughout the trip very helpful as I learned a lot about Iran at my 4 days of stay and I had contact throughout the trip and later with Hossein as I recommended him for travelers I met and he organized also 2 polish bikers to get into Iran without a Carnet de Passage, I met them in the Pamir Mountains and they also thanked me to pointing them into Hosseins direction, as they would have stuck in Turkmenistan!

So here a few lines how I experienced the stay:

I have let Hossein know that I am coming in a 2 days while I was in Van/Turkey, he told me to not get any Rial in Van, as I get a better rate in Urmia, also he told me not to bring alcohol and all the normal stuff about border crossings. He said I should call him 15 min before I arrive at the border so I did. I then arrived at the Turkish site, it was a crowed place , lots of people wanted to cross, however I drove all the way to the gate where all the people stand, I was ready for the crazy border battle and would have screamed all people away who wanted to help me and change money and so forth for money! Luckily an older man came to me and asked if I am Sebastian a friend from Hossein, I said yes and he explained that he does all the boarder things for Hossein on the Turkish site. So he directed me to all the different border officials, it was great, you feel that he has a status and nobody is talking to you asking for exchange and all the other border shit you get….. all the documents and stamps where done in a few minutes and I felt totally safe and it was easy, of course I could have done it all alone, however with a lot more stress and people around you offering all there help constantly! So the Turkish man said goodbye (he didn’t want to have any money!) and the border police opened the gate for me. I then came to the Iranian border and there was Hossein, he and a few soldiers welcomed me to Iran! Hossein took my documents, CDP, Passport and went to different men, they talked a lot in a friendly way and I had to say a few words in German…. They only wanted me to open the boxes quickly and then customs was done. Again we went into different offices and nobody was hassling me with exchange money and after a 30 min the border was passed. I then followed Hosseins car to Urmia, we also put in petrol, just after 5 km from the border for 2,5€ (100.000 Rial) for 17 liter! Perfect, never fill up in Turkey before you go to Iran. We then arrived in Urmia, it is a huge city, and I was happy to just follow Hossein… after arriving at his house his family was greeting me nicely and I had a shower. As jnk_ is writing you are staying in his family’s house, it is not a guest house, more a homestay. At first I was also a bit shocked as I was looking forward to my own room and space, however I was the only one at the time and Hossein gave me his own bedroom with perfect internet. Comparing it with later homestays during my trip in Iran and Central Asia, the price of 25$ is too high for the accommodation including food, however as Jnk_ is writing you are not paying for the accommodation (normally a homestay is around 10$ per night) you are paying for Hosseins 24 hours-time, as I remember a normal Hotel in Urmia costs around 17-20$! We made a small plan what to do in the next 3 days, as I needed a few things to be sorted, mobile SIM card, Internet VPN (without this you are not able to connect with Facebook and other homepages, as the Iranian internet is limited by the government), motorbike insurance and exchange money, and of course I wanted to learn and explore the culture and the city. With Hosseins help, we organized all perfectly, I got the SIM for 4 $, the VPN for 4$ and the motorbike insurance for 60$ and the Rial for 33.000 per $ at the time! I never needed to show the insurance policy (only got stopped friendly once in Iran ), so you can make up your mind if you want it or not, I took it as If something happens I am covered and don’t have problems with the Police, the last I wanted is to go into prison or big trouble as it’s also hard to get money into the country once you have an accident and you have to pay. Also the traffic is quite crazy, luckily nothing happened! As you cannot have it for 1 month only, they charge for one year, unfortunately! ;-(
So after we have done all the to do`s Hossein showed me around town and introduced me to his friends. I bet he knows all the people in the city ;-)! It was great, in all my 30 day I have not had so much contact with so many different local people, and I was couch surfing a lot in Iran, in Qazvin, Teheran and Isfahan! We went the local bazar, he introduced me to a shop owner, a young guy who spoke perfect English and wanted to know a lot about Europe, it was a great guy! Also went to a small jewelry studio, where to of his friends are making necklaces, it was crazy and so interesting to see young guys like me are working in Urmia, unbelievable, they all spoke fairly good English! We did lots, also went to a great restaurant outside of the city, the drift places outside of the city which runs on Friday and a lot more, also we went to the best Shisha place, the owner was very charismatic and loved me! All in all it was awesome. However it also was a bit of a culture shock I need to admit and I can imagine that some people find Hussein’s and all Iranians way of communicating a bit too much and a bit to close, as some people keep touching you and are talking very close in your own space! However after 30 days in Iran, it is just normal! That’s the culture, and I guess all traveler want to experience it, so do it, an just drop the European style and let yourself into it!

I could write on and on, in a lot more detail, however I guess that’s enough to give you a fair impression of what to expect while being in Urmia and using Hosseins help! As I also discussed a lot about his business with him and he explained me his ideas I am impressed of the energy Hossein has, when I imagine with what little knowledge he has made all this running for himself and he is feeding his family it would be a great businessman in Europe! He is really putting himself into it, I guess it is also quite risky for him and his family as he has to work in a very corrupt Iranian environment, think about the borders officials and so on…… he is making a very big effort to give you a very pleasant and helpful time! For this help the 25$ per day are more than a good deal for any traveler!

Furthermore, I had also contact to Hossein throughout my trip, I called him a few times for advice and he asked me a few times for advice, I also gave his details to a lot of travelers I met who had problems with officials or Visas etc. he is always there to help and all for free! He only charges 25$ per night! As I mentioned before, I met a polish couple in Tajikistan, they wanted to cross Iran without a Carnet, I gave them my Iran SIM and gave them Hosseins contact details, they just send me a mail last week thanking me as they got into Iran without the Carnet only with Hosseins help! Furthermore please see my pictures and my reports about my trip at https://www.facebook.com/sebbeyondtheunknown, please feel free to contact me anytime if you have any questions! Also I can tell you that Hossein has asked me to write an answer to the forum, with my experience at his guest house, of course I did and I hope I can help with this review all travelers and also Hossein, as I hope more travelers can experience what I experienced as it is worth every dollar, and of course I hope that Hossein and all Iranian people working in tourism are having more and more travelers as I love the country and I will definitely come back!

His contact details:

Hossein's Guest House or on facebook https://www.facebook.com/hossein.sheykhlou

Wow, very detailed replies.

Thanks, very much. I guess they call it adventure travel for a reason, I think i'll just go and find out for myself.

I'd say this sums it up quite well. beer

Give us a review once you've been there, yes? ;)

Our thoughts about Hossein's Guesthouse
 

We stayed at Hossein's Guesthouse for a few days last week. A little review:

We had been in contact with him for weeks in advance via Facebook. If he hadn't warned us to bring much cash into the country we would have been screwed! Yes, we're a bit lazy with researching stuff in advance.. Anyhow, he saved us a lot of trouble before we even showed up.

Arriving in Urmia, we noticed that our phone wouldn't work in Iran. There was no sign and nothing to be found at the GPS coordinates of the guesthouse. We stood there a while, and a few minutes later a shop owner asked if we were looking for Hossein. (That's what is so fascinating about Iran - the helpful crowd!) Half an hour later we parked our bikes and were welcomed in a tiny home of a family. Not what we had expected either! But the bunk beds, the shower and the internet connection was all we really wanted, so we tried to live with it.
In the evening we had dinner and a few drinks with Hossein's friends who were really cool, funny, interested and warm-hearted. At this point we relaxed, although Hossein payed for everything and we had no idea when we would get to pay how much. The next morning we went trekking which Hossein seems to do every weekend. It was a tremendous day, maybe the best we had in Iran so far! None had told us to bring food or water for the day, so all those friendly people helped us out and shared their breakfist and lunch with us. Some even spoke English pretty well so we had some great conversations as well. (We now even think of trekking as a new hobby for ourselves someday.) The next day we changed money, shopped this and that (like a VPN to reach our usual websites) and visited the bazar and a mosque in Urmia as well as some of Hossein's friends at work. The last night within the family we learned that going to Germany (or any other rich western country) as a tourist or maybe even to live there is a dream of many Iranians which can't be fulfilled easily, if at all. We were really touched when our photo of our home city found a new place between their family photos, like a symbol of hope and longing in this little crowded room.

After those three days we already felt quite familiar with Urmia and the people of Iran in general - we got such a deep insight into many aspects of life in this country, like work, lifestyle, dating, hygiene, music, parties and dancing, hobbies, education... We agree that the prices for Hossein's services and when we would have to pay for what should have been communicated earlier (why not just put the prices on the website?) to avoid confusing moments. But we just shrugged and decided to wait and see. We had no problem at all to pay our bill by the end - on contrary, we were eager to! We are grateful that Hossein shared everything with us - his family, his friends, his hobby, his city. Thanks a lot man!

So yes, we really recommend a stay at Hossein's Guesthouse :)

he saved my ass!
 

Hi Guys,
I am currently on an Overland trip from Ireland to Australia (Currently in Nepal)

I stayed with Hossein during my trip through Iran. We had been in contact in the months up to my visiting his guesthouse and he had tried to help us out best he could before we ever set off.

Although i initially had my reservations about Hossein, i have to say retrospectively that he was a diamond in the rough for us. First off, we arrived in Urmia at 6am in the morning and he got out of bed to meet us at the edge of the city. We had been driving all night and we were delighted to see him and get a bed.

Where Hossein may have messed up is the price we paid for the rooms. In hindsight, and I'll explain that in a minute, it was money well spent. We had heard that everything was dirt cheap in Iran so we were surprised to be charged $25 each for a night after we arrived. I felt at that time he should have quoted a price when we were first in contact. Then again, we probably should have asked for it.

However when i look back, i would have paid much more. Unfortuantely we hit the biggest stumbling blocks of the whole trip (so far) in Iran. On a jaunt over the Turkish border from Urmia I was turned away due to some visa issues. With only a t-shirt and a small bag with a bottle of water, i was told to take a four day round trip to Erzurum in the middle of Turkey to get a new visa. With my friends and vehicle on the other side, i managed to contact Hossein and he dropped my mate to the border to collect the Landcruiser and persuaded to the boder guards (who he knew on a first names basis) to give me a bag to get me by for a few days - a goodsend

Also when my clutch went in the Iranian desert in the middle of the night, he was there on the phone looking for solutions on how to get it fixed.

It is also well docmented how nice his family are and weird some of his friends are, but that made it all the more interesting. It was also a great place to run some running repairs. We had the landcruiser serviced for about €40, which was an absolute steal

Anyway, there are some aspects that Hossein needs to tighted up on but he's a young guy who's trying to make his mark. His willingness to become your friend is not some sham to make money off guests. I think we forgot what it's like to mix business with pleasure. In the so called west there is a defined line between the two. With Hossein the lines are blurred a little but that's ok with me as I believe he's genuine.

Anyway, the biggest compliment is that i would stay with him again with no hesitation.... nuff said :)

David O Connor 'Doc'
Overland to Oz
Home | Overland to Oz

The feedback seems fairly consistent. Friendly, quirky, effective but not cheap and could be more transparent.

Thanks for the replies

To be fair the comment about being more transparent is probably too strong, personally I can't fault the guy so far. He replies to every message, if he doesn't know the answer he finds out and gets back to you.

So far I don't think he could have tried any harder and I look forward to meeting him next year.

I think some people in the past have mistaken naïveté for dishonesty. I think he has got things running a lot smoother now days.

Yes, I think you have a point there. Good to see there are more and more positive reviews coming up here - as getting positive reviews is a lot harder than negative ones, because we all are just more inclined to share if we are really pissed off with something... :thumbup1:

Free bump. How about starting a fan club? Make a website? Stickers? "We luv Hossein?":DSet a PayPal donation page? Do a charity cake sale?

A question to all huseyin fans...pls reply honestly..
 

I see some are still getting mails from him to recommend here and keep his add update....Wish this problem were already sorted.

Also several former threads are available on forum about this problem..I remember 3 couples who had bad and sad stories there.One was alex who hardly transferred his bike from Iran to bulgaria last winter and stayed at Doug's camp and recovered his influence by the help of great friends, Doug,Poly and Ivo there...

First of all be sure Iranians are the most friendly people you will meet around the world..When you are told Konugum ol, means come and stay at my house...

Anyway, I will not write again on any subject done by those in my ignore list.

I have 2 simple question for all of you.
************************************************** *****
Does he have any permission and certificate for tax obligation and to make business on visa,carnet and pension/club running
************************************************** *****
What will you do if someone is arrested there because of being in the illegal carnet business done by someone you recommend...???
************************************************** *****

Time to time, I ask my Iranian friends to have current information about visa and entering Iran by any vehicle to be helpfull to my foreign friends.
Legal information is also available by all consulates.

All pensions and hotels must have a governal permission certificate to have foreigners stay here..

Except these, everything is ILLEGAL....

Here is the latest mail for current inf. I had from a friend running legal and official tourism and visa business in all over Iran...
(Nov.22.2013.. a few months after elections.)
**************************************
Hello dear Mehmet,

Sorry for late reply. We just received the information about entering to Iran by car or motorbike today and the result is as following:

All tourist must apply for their visa at the right time according to the information provided in our website and they can get the Visa Label at the embassy of Iran in Istanbul.

If they entering to Iran by Car or Motorbike, they need to obtain an international transit plate plus an International Driving License before.

Driving a Caravan is NOT permitted in Iran.

Since your friends are entering from the land borders, if Tehran is a part of their itinerary, they can pay the visa fee in Tehran directly to us and if they are not coming to Tehran we will manage so that they can pay to our agents in other major cities.

All citizens of United States, need the company of a certified tour guide as soon as they enter to Iran until they leave the country.

*******************************************

Just realized most of the fans have Jan.2013 as the join date..

Hi Mehmet,
I am not sure how you got where you are now and do not feel in a position to judge. But please let me set this straight - I for one do not see this thread as an add. Daze asked about it and I thought an answer might be the right thing to do. I came across this by chance and answered, as I had just had a few mails exchanged with Grant on the topic and felt it might be worth sharing. Matter of fact, right after I answered Hossein contacted me and asked me to, so I am not sure if the others writing here might have been contacted for this. Nonetheless, I can not see, why that would mean their experience would be anything but what they said. What would one gain by giving a false review here?
So what exactly do you mean by "sorting this problem?



I could not say anything on this, as we had our visa issued in Trabzon. When he told us he could help with obtaining the visa, he said a friend of his would be working in the business. This surely is all hearsay, but again, who would I be to judge.

Well. I don't. :mchappy:


What I do not really understand is, Mehmet, why you are answering to the topic, with all due respect. To me it seems like you are quite unhappy with the situation for some reason, but at the same time do not feel like sharing your experience or reasons. Please help out with a little constructive criticism. Thanks!



@ chris - if you want to start a Hossein fanclub, could I have one for myself, too? :Beach:

I started this thread with a genuine enquiry.

I will take to responses at face value.

Mehmet: I'm not looking for a Visa just a CdP at the border, I have spoken to several people and tour companies who all tell me this is possible and have all quoted similar money.

Chris: nice snipe.

I have been starting threads about all sorts of stupid things mainly because this is my first trip and I have no idea what i'm doing...

I'll try to explain where Mehmet, whose reputation for helping travellers and NOT asking for money or any other favours is unquestioned, is coming from. Many travellers pass through Istanbul en route to/from Iran so he has a vested interest to promote that not all helpers are crooks/ask for money (my words, not Mehmet's...)

He is of the view, supported by his contacts with legitimate businesses in Iran, that Hossein is running an illegal business supplying accommodation and other services like CdP avoidance which is illegal.

I would assert that everybody posting on this thread has been badgered to do so by Hossein. He has spammed many other bike/travel sites too. He is currently banned here, so uses his proxies to do his promo for him. I received plenty of spam from him until I added him/his email/ip address to my ignore list. Hence my motivation to stick 2 fingers up at him.

Hossein would save himself a huge amount of hassle by becoming a paid HUBB advertiser and telling people the costs of his services in advance. 99% of all businesses do this and easily steer clear of controversy.

Glad you spotted it was a snipe. Thought an appreciation of sarcasm (or even the ability to spot it...) had died on the HUBB. :cool4:

To be honest
 

My review about Hossein's Guest House

During my motorcycle trip in Iran:I saw number of foreign motorcyclists on the road,funny they were very surprised to see me because i'm an Iranian motorcyclist who is traveling on motorcycle then we talked for information exchange,I found Hossein and this great web site through them.:D
My route was through Urmia so i decided to see Hossein and stay with him.I reached to the main square of Urmia in the late evening and i phoned to Hossein after few minutes he arrived then we start riding to direction of the house which wasn't far away from center.
afterwards i parked my motorcycle in the huge yard,at the same time Hossein's parents and his little cute brother welcomed me in their house.
Hossein showed my room with WiFi which was fastest internet connection that i used in my life.I read his guest book with many many comments on it now its my proud that i was the first Iranian motorcyclist who stayed at Hossein's Guest House.
I want to thank all those who helped me in Urmia :
Fisrt of all the family of Hossein for their hospitality.
Super funny and kind friends of Hossein.
Hossein's famous mechanic friend for the great service on my motorcycle.
and finally special thanks for Hossein who arranged everything,Thank you very much man!!!

Like everyone else i recommend to stay at Hossein's guest house and also i believe his services.:thumbup1:

looks like a well thought and prepared ad campaign !
An Iranian talks about another one ... :)
:oops2:

Hey Chris,
thanks for clearing this up.

I can see where you are coming from now. I feel the problem seems to be his way of communication rather than what one gets for their money. Hence a topic like this might help, as people do know what to expect when they get there and can steer clear of it, if they do not want/need his services for the given price.

Iran to me was full of people who helped me a lot, and everyone but Hossein helped me for free. We stayed with friends in Esfahan for a week and they refused us even paying for our rooms or food at the hotel, as they invited us. We met a guy in Tehran, who invited us to his place in Bandar Abbas. As we showed up there, he was just riding in Turkey. Calling him, he told us where to meet his brother, who handed over the flat keys and we could stay for as long as we like.

But still, I do not believe this makes everybody asking for money a crook. In my opinion (and I hope I made that clear in my first reply) Hossein is running a business but communication is not really his strong suit. Apparently he has made some mistakes before, but seemingly now everybody getting there knows he is paying a (for Iranian standards very high) price. So as long as he communicates his prices openly, I do not see a problem in this.

I can however very well understand that people were rightly pissed off, when they got there and expected a free stay and then were asked to pay $25. That was one of the reasons why I went there in the first place, to see what it was like.

If his business is illegal or not I would not know, but I can hardly believe he would risk this, given that this seems to be his single income and he would loose a lot if he was shut down. I would love Mehmets perspective of this, as I feel this to be quite a rude accusation, without clearing how he comes to that believe. No personal offence intended here, just makes me wonder.

But I guess you are right and the best thing to do for Hossein was becoming an official advertiser here, posting up his prices, so all this finger pointing could just come to an end. :thumbup1:

And believe it or not, he is not badgering me to write this - also I still do not understand how he would make people write good stuff about him, if he was the total crook some believe him to be.
Phew, this whole Hossein discussion is a lot more than I expected when first posting here. :oops2:

PS: Sarcasm was noted and enjoyed... :Beach:

Yes,of course Iranians are the most friendly people you will meet around the world but When you are told Konugum ol, means come and stay at my house is wrong and its one of the cultural differences which we call it TA'AROF
Just to clear up :
when you meet someone in Iran and you are told come and stay at my house this is TA'AROF,a system of formalised politeness than can seem confusing to outsiders,but is a mode of social interaction in which everyone knows their place.
You will soon learn that TA'AROF is more about people being sensitive to the position of others than routine politeness,so for example ,an offer of food will be turned down before being accepted.This gives the person making the offer the chance to save face if in reality they cannot provide a meal.A good rule is to always refuse any offer,when a shopkeeper,restauranter or a hotel manager refuses payment when asked for a bill,do remember that this is just TA'AROF-don't leave without paying!If you accept an offer that is in fact TA'AROF,the shocked look on the vendor's face should soon reveal your error.
Also be prepared for questions considered personal in the west,such as your salary,marital status,why you don't have children and so on.this is quite normal.
and dont forget to refuse offers to stay in peoples house,it would be bad form for you to accept his offer.

Also today morning i phoned to the nearest custom to my hometown,and they told me its possible to enter into Iran without Carnet de passage also they mentioned there is peoples who do this service with support of official companies,i think Hossein is one of them
As far as i know Hossein is running this business since years ago and if his services are illegal why he have not any problem with government or other items?

I'm trying to find latest information and details about what you post Mehmet.

I am so sorry to hear this sentence from you
You mean I can not share my opinion and information about Iran and Iranians?

At the end of your taxi trip in Iran,there's a good chance you will ask the driver "chand toman"(how many tomans ?)and he will reply 'ghabeli nadare'his words means its nothing or "konugum ol" but the taxi driver still expects to get paid.This is TA'AROF a system of formalised politeness than can seem confusing to outsiders,but is a mode of social interaction in which everyone knows their place.
TA'AROF also involves showing consideration of others in your physical actions,so try not to sit with your back to the people and expect to be delayed at doorways as Iranians insist that whoever they're with goes through the door first with repeated 'befarmayid'(Please).

And don't forget to pay the taxi driver...think of it this way : it would be bad form for the driver not to offer you the trip for free,and worse form for you to accept his offer.

Maybe you think Iranians are very politics and playing the game well but if you like or don't like TA'AROF is in our CULTURE.Please imagine if i come to your country and something happens for me which is from your culture and i don't like it i have to respect it because i am a foreigner and its part of your culture.

Dear Samy would you mind to tell me is there any free speech here or not?

Of course there is, it completely does exist here... so we can say it freely...

But Soleyman, please accept, as a Turkish guy if it is difficult for me to understand that, it is VERY DIFFICULT for European friends who comes from totally different culture !

So,i can share my experiences about other Iranians too.

Yes,i accept it is hard for foreigners to understand but thats why people traveling,they travel to learn and see different culturs in the world.

Best regards

where do you live in Iran?

Mashhad,North East

Wow...little bit OTT to take a generalised swipe at an entire country.

thx... hope to meet someday...

planning a Stans ride for 2015...

Feedback from Dubai
 

Hi RIDERS :scooter:

it seems Hussain is on the right path for serving the RIDERS how is crossing in/out of Iran. i wish one day he will take it further and open a RIDERS motel.

i didnt meet Hussain in person but i have heard many good stories from people how visited him on the way to UAE.

i wish him all the best and serving the RIDERS and sharing your hobby is appreciated :thumbup1:.

Regards
Saleh
Dubai, UAE

You all know me long enough to know that nobody is going to "pay" me in any kind of way to write down what I have to say about this:

First of all, I haven't been to Iran, but I will be there in a few months, second of all, I've never met Hussein, but I talked with him over FB and e-mail and in the end I left him because he was to "aggressive" in my opinion.

It is difficult to draw a line between aggressiveness and informing on another's plans, but for me it didn't felt right. 25$ is a bit steep but on the other hand, I would prefer to give some local 25$ and stay with him and enjoy some (difference in?) culture than to stay in a hotel.

What's more, I think it is VERY rude for (western)people to expect to just crash at somebody's place for free. When is the last time you invited week after week some stranger(s) in your house for free? Honestly?

We always refuse but we leave the door open, if the host asks if we're sure to refuse we always say no, that we would like to stay then if they are absolutely sure that we son't be in the way and that it's not a problem for them. As of course we want to stay with a local but we do understand that a lot of people in central asia will offer it as it is their custom but maybe they actually can't afford it. Comme on guys, WE ARE ALL RICH, we have enough money and resourcefulness to be able to travel to places like that. And if a local tries to make a living out of it, what's the problem?

If his communication really sucks, which it does, then maybe you should explain it to him in a polite manner that 'we' think different and that he has to learn to be able to make a bridge between his culture and ours.

As Soleyman points out, the Iranian customs and culture is a world of it's own. We travel to taste difference in culture no? Or do we just travel for the sights without any interaction with other human beings? @ Soleyman, thank you for some clarifications about your culture, I'm sure it will help me and my wife next year to understand and interact in a better way once we're in Iran.

Can we please return to a civilised discussion and say what we have to say in an orderly manner with examples etc? Please?

+1


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My research...
 

According to my research,I have to correct the misinformation.

All tourists can get their visa in embassy or consulates of Iran in Istanbul,Ankara,Trabzon,Erzurum

The motorists don't need to obtain an international plate number,they can enter with their home country plate number.

Driving a caravan is PERMITTED in Iran.

I am agree with you Oo-SEB-oO,i prefer to stay with locals compare to boring hotel rooms which is the same thing all around the world.

As jnk_ mentioned He is no samaritan,he is
just doing his job and feeding his family.

All the best

can't work this out
 

I really can't.

Come through here from Facebook to track down some information and I've read this string.

So - Hossein says everything re. CdP is completely legal but, despite me asking him several times, he can't supply a 'cost'. I still don't know how much, if anything, is involved.

I also think crossing into Iran using this method will limit the time you can spend in the country. He seemed to indicate it would be for about two weeks? Transit VISAS still about 5 days?

I understand the $25 dollar figure - no problem with that - time is money and all that along with some form of accommodation.

So - if anybody has a figure for the CdP side of things could you spit it out please. I've found one reference to €400 so far.

Cheers!

From what I can gather it depends on two factors - the value of your bike and the length of your stay. One person on a late model BMW staying for a couple of weeks said the figure was 250 euro.

It is a little bit hit and hope.

CdP for Iran
 

Hi, I am German, living and working in Tehran since 2007 and am planning to bring my TT600R to Iran in August as this is a wonderful country for bike-travelling!
I have checked the regulations with the Iranian Customs office in Tehran.
A Carnet de Passage is officially required for every temporary import of a foreign vehicle to Iran.
(In addition to this, there seems to be some strange obligation to engage an official tour guide for each traveller entering the country with a vehicle. This seems to be relatively new and still needs to be confirmed. It's possible that a pre-entry registration with the Touring & Automobile Club of Iran might be sufficient. I will be checking on this.)
I know, that this is Iran and that Iran is located in this region of the world, so, there is always 100s of ways around the law!
And this always costs some money to be paid to the friends of the friends of the guys in charge - and then to others that might object and-so-on.
Nobody will be able to do the No-CdP-Service without such payments (as stated above: approx. 250 EURO). Plus this by-pass of the law seems to be limited to 2 weeks...
If you only do transit (to/from Pakistan/Turkmenistan) or short trip into the country and back AND you are lucky to not run into some very strict representative of the authorities you might get off with less official paperwork before departure and save a few EUROs...
But, if not, this might end much more expensive...
Thus, besides the risk of incertainty, I do not really see a relevant financial benefit deviating from the official way with a Carnet de Passage.
And don't be mistaken:
Iran is a country with a rather well interconnected and organized administration. It is not wise to bother with them, and if you run into trouble things get intransparent, incomprehensible for foreigners and extremely time consuming quite quickly! Plus costs for fines etc... :taz::nono:
Why would one want to risk the official, legal and smooth entry into this country half way round the world from Europe, just to save 50 EUROs or so?
The ADAC of Germany charges me 195 EUROs for the CdP (plus 3000 EUR bank deposit), valid for 1 year with the possibility of extension.
So, I will do it this way and am nervously waiting for the day of departure...!:mchappy:
Cheers,
Daniel

Hello.

First of all, I have to tell you, that I was a guest of Hossein in December 2012.

I agree with the most of the upper quote, but lets make some things clear.

First of all, If you are invited to somebody's place (several times), I think you are not expecting to pay, if not mentioned? Especially if the invitation includes "we are Iranians, the most hospitable people in the world". Do you?

Second thing. 25 bucks? Give me a break. I was sleeping in a 4star hotel in Rasht for 20 bucks in double room. 4 star hotel against sleeping on the carpets?
I don't consider 25 bucks as a problem, I'm not a cheap person, but, one thing is to pay for something that is reasonable, other thing is greed. And I don't support it. If I travel in the spirit of fair trade, they have to do it as well. In Mexico, Iran or New Zealand.

For CdP - I got it, pay for it, don't mind anymore, and most important, didn't have any problems at all. I just planned the costs before, when calculating the costs for the trip. If I will go again, I will just pay for it again. Even if Iran is the only country that I need it for. And will sleep calm then.

Best regards and no hard feelings.

Nejc

I would be very interested to hear about this, Daniel. Also, if it is necessary with a transit visa. I would hate to have to take a guide, it would probably put an end to my plans to drive to Iran this year :(

Greets

Daniel

Hi

Member "NejcT" i guess you are the one who have been hosted by him in the beginning of his job, just to clear up when i stayed at his xxxxxxx there was few of very comfortable beds and i slept on one of those beds of course with no dubious that was best one during my trip, so it means he has been improved the job and no carpets anymore.
Most likely he used to invite people in Iranian way which is confusing for foreigners but yes, we are Iranians one of the most friendliest and hospitable people in the world but it doesn't mean to expect the things are for free in meantime please read post #20 .

Be happy that you stayed at his place as you touched and felt the Iranian peoples life style, culture and of course you experienced something different than hotel rooms it means that you get more than what you pay and these things are valuable, so that's why 25 bucks is reasonable price.

Regarding Carnet : I was not into this kind of things up until few months ago but after asking and checking out the regulations i think my information is good enough, as i asked Iranian customs office, Carnet is officially required for every temporary import of a foreign vehicle to Iran afterwards i asked is there any way to enter without Carnet??
As they said, yes it's possible and custom officer told me to write down a number, that was Hossein's number, i'm still wondering how extensive is this guy services.

Greetings !

@soleyman

Like I said, my opinions are made on my experience from 2012. If Hossein opened a 5 star hotel in 2013, I don't know, regarding to 2012, I was sleeping on the carpets for 25 dollars per person. And it was not at the start, he hosted many people before me.


Belive me, I stayed in Iran for one month, and I didn't just sleep in hotels. I experienced some true Iranian lifestyle, culture and sightseeing (much more than in Urmia) and especially hospitality from the Iranians, got around 10 new friends, and surprisingly, nobody charged me or used me for taxi, and even if I tried to pay they refused.

I know that answering you is probably fight against windmills in Don Quixote style, but there are several members of HUBB, that had the same (or worse) experience that I did.

And I will repeat again. Money is not the problem if the service is worth it. From my experience in 2012, Hossein's service was not.

Im out.
Peace

Nejc


P.s. Somebody pointed already, Hossein might be using this forum with different nickname. Mods and admins can always check the IP adresses.

@NejcT

As you said, you and few others opinion are from 2012 and here is quote of last post from member ''Hellboy" written in 2012 about Hossein :
I´ve had contact with Hossein too and friends has stayed at his parents place and it has worked out rather fine according to them. It seems that he is trying to learn from mistakes made and he has said his excuses. Leave him be now and lets see what happens further down the road. We can all make mistakes. Ok?

After that some people posted their experiences about him on this thread, we all know he learned his lessons and now he is on right track. Don't take me as a defender for him but honestly after investigation myself i didn't find any other negative things about him, i am satisfied with the end result as there are more good representations about his reputation, From my point of view the misunderstanding before was they thought they were paying 25$ for just a bed, They didn't know his business is 25$ to assist/help travellers for all their needs in Iran plus his time, information, a bed and home comforts and etc etc.

Peace bier

People, let's cease the fighting. I thing we had loads of opinions here, why keeping it up like this? If there are any more people with their experience please share it, but do we really need to go into quarrels about who's good or bad? So how about a peace treaty and everyone who has to say somethingNEW (if good or bad) just does it and we're over it? bier


Regarding the carnet: We got ours in Germany, same story as FLH80, and haven't had any issues with it. Given the price I would personally do it just the same way again and be done with it, not because I believe Hossein could not do it (I guess he can) but just because it is one more thing you can tick back home. The less paperwork to bother with on the road, the better. And even for countries that do not officially accept a carnet, it can be rally handy if you need something to show the officials. I managed to get both our bikes into Thailand on CdPs from the eastern Malay border, although Thailand does officially not accept it and would need to get your bike stamped into your passport, which limits the the options quite a lot, given that I had my mates bike to get into the country (where it's waiting now), being ridden by another mate at that time...

I recommend getting your CdP back home and be done with it - if you can. jeiger

oh please, this is getting blinking tedious! :ban: