Story of a Trailing Spouse: Ramsar..a Caspian resort

Salaam,

Promoting Tourism in Ramsar (1 – 3 November 2006)

In early November 2006, we, the trailing spouses had the opportunity to join our hubbies on a three-day tour of Ramsar, a coastal seaside resort in the northern province of Mazandaran. It coincided with the Second Conference on the Manifestation of Government Policies in Developing Tourism Industry in Iran, organized by the Iranian Tourism authority.

Well, apart from listening to splendid classical Iranian musics at the hotel lobby, nothing much really to do in this city. But what actually makes Ramsar one of the favorite resorts for Iranians, especially from Tehran is its stunning beauty and tranquility. This northern Caspian region is both mountainous and very lush with dense woods and green fields and beautiful beaches. It really reminds us of our very own tropical rainforest back home.

One of the main attractions of the city is the Caspian Museum, just west of the Ramsar Grand hotel where we stayed. Formerly known as the Shah Palace, it was built in 1937 for Reza Shah as his summer retreat, and now had been converted as a museum, and housed fine original paintings, sculptures, furnitures from as old as 18th century, mostly from France and Italy.

One of the highlights of our visit was a tour of a forest park at Safarood, several kilometers further up in the highland in the interior. Though a little exhausted after a long walk into the depth of the forest, it was nevertheless a worthwhile one, having the opportunity to enjoy the scenery and the serenity of the forest and its numerous waterfalls. Suc a great break away from the pollution and the noise of the big city we we came from...

Wassalam…