When people ask us what makes long-term family travel truly special, they often expect us to list world-famous landmarks or UNESCO heritage sites. While staring up at ancient ruins like those blues of Yazd is undeniably humbling, if you ask Gavin and me what stays in our hearts years later, the answer is always the same: the unexpected kindness of strangers that we meet.
During our incredible month traveling through Iran as a family, we were constantly blown away. Iran seems to have it all – thousands of years of rich history, jaw-dropping architecture, dramatic desert and mountain landscapes, and vibrant, flavourful food.
But above all else, it is the extraordinary, open-hearted hospitality of the Iranian people that sets this country apart. It truly is nothing like what the media prepares us for and is a humbling reminder of what a mistake prejudice can be.
I want to tell you about the special afternoon spent in the ancient desert city of Yazd with a sweet local creator named Hasti and her dad.
Staying in the Oldest Mud-Brick City in the World
Arriving in Yazd feels like stepping back through the sands of time.
We were staying right in the heart of the old city – one of the oldest and largest continuously inhabited mud-brick cities on Earth. Wandering through its winding, sun-baked alleys with towering badgirs (ancient wind-catchers) overhead felt like stepping straight into a storybook.
We had arranged to meet up with Hasti, a lovely local host and content creator, and her father right outside the historic Jameh Mosque of Yazd.
Though we had connected online, we had never met in person. Yet the moment Hasti and her dad walked up with beaming smiles, any feeling of being “strangers in a foreign land” vanished. It was amazing to meet them both and be right there!
The 900-Year-Old Yazd Jameh Mosque
The Jameh Mosque of Yazd is an absolute masterpiece of Persian tilework. It is one of the iconic and beautiful minarets of Iran that tower nearly 50 meters into the sky.
Its origins date back over 900 years, and on the day we visited, the courtyard was buzzing with energy. Locals were busy stringing massive, heavy black fabrics across the top of the open courtyard to create shade for an upcoming religious ceremony.
Hasti pointed out the men climbing up high to hoist the fabric, explaining how the community comes together and calls out to one another to join in the hard work.
Right outside the entrance, a local man offered us a traditional Iranian drink. It was a herbal syrup drink infused with sweet basil seeds and floral aromas.
I admit we wouldn’t have quite known what to expect or certainly not known what the drink was. But Hasti explained that sharing sweet drinks like this is an act of communal goodwill.
Oscar and Harry took cautious sips of the sweet drink and we couldn’t help but marvel at how effortlessly complete strangers include you in their traditions.
The Great Faloodeh Debate: Shirazi vs. Yazdi!
After exploring the bustling mosque courtyard, Hasti said it was time for a proper local treat.
Yazd gets notoriously hot during the day, and apparently there is only one true remedy: Faloodeh (also spelled Falooda).
Faloodeh is an ancient Persian frozen dessert made of thin, starch-based vermicelli noodles set in a sweet semi-frozen syrup and served infused with rose water, saffron, or fruit flavours.
Before arriving in Yazd, we had already tried the famous Shirazi Faloodeh in Shiraz. But Hasti proudly insisted that Yazdi Faloodeh was the undisputed champion!
Read Visiting Shiraz: The Ultimate Guide to the City of Poets, Gardens and Light.
Trying Faloodeh in Yazd
She drove us straight to Sheer Hossein, widely regarded by locals as the best Faloodeh spot in all of Yazd.
We pulled up chairs and ordered a spread of both styles to settle the rivalry once and for all:
- Shirazi Faloodeh: Served with thin, firm, frozen starch noodles, often drizzled with sweet strawberry syrup or fresh lime juice.
- Yazd Faloodeh: Served in a more liquid syrup with soft, jellied, thicker noodles, poured over fresh ice cubes and topped with a scoop of aromatic saffron ice cream!
The Faloodeh Debate
Gavin, the boys, and I did a full taste test on camera. While Oscar loved the strawberry notes of the Shirazi version, Gavin, Harry, and I voted for the Yazd Faloodeh!
The ice cubes made it incredibly refreshing in the desert heat, and the blend of soft noodles with creamy saffron ice cream was taaaasty!
We got this bit on video I’m always glad of. Because Hasti and her dad cheered when Yazd came out on top – a friendly victory for our sweet local hosts!
Exploring Mobarakeh: An Ancient Zoroastrian Village
Later that afternoon, Hasti and her dad took us just outside the city to visit Mobarakeh, a peaceful historic Zoroastrian village.
Yazd is the heartland of Zoroastrianism in Iran – one of the world’s oldest monotheistic religions, predating both Christianity and Islam.
As we walked under the shade of two massive, 500-year-old twin cypress trees, Hasti explained that evergreen cypresses are considered sacred symbols of immortality in Zoroastrian culture.
Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds
It was really beautiful walking through the quiet mud-brick lanes of the village. We passed ancient gardens literally overflowing with bright red pomegranates coming into season!
Hasti pointed out the core Zoroastrian motto carved onto the mud walls of the lanes: “Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds.”
I thought those were pretty apt words, standing in that peaceful village with a family who had welcomed us as if we were their own. Those words felt like the perfect summary of our entire month in Iran.
Why the Kindness of Strangers Means Everything
Looking back on our unforgettable weeks traveling across Iran, it’s the quiet, human moments that stand out the most.
It’s the shopkeeper who buys your kids a treat just because he’s happy you came to his country. It’s the tour guide who becomes a brother; and it’s a young woman like Hasti and her father taking time out of their busy lives to drive us around their hometown, share their favourite dessert, and introduce us to their ancient heritage.
When you step past fear and open yourself up to the world, you realize that people everywhere share the same fundamental warmth, humour, and love for family.
Iran didn’t just give us breathtaking sights – it gave us lifelong friends, unforgettable flavours, and travel memories that our boys will carry with them forever.
Want to explore more of our Middle Eastern travel adventures?
Planning for Travel in Middle East and Beyond
These are the companies we use and can recommend for planning and booking travel.
- Booking.com – The best all-around accommodation booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation and it’s easy to filter and sort into price and availability with all the extras you are looking for personally.
- 12GoAsia – Book trains anywhere in Asia.
- Skyscanner – This is by far our favourite flight search engine. They are able to search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites often miss. We book all our flights through Skyscanner.
- GetYourGuide – Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions offered all around the world including everything from walking tours, to street-food tours, cooking classes, desert safari’s and more!
- SafetyWing – A global travel insurance that covers people from all over the world while outside their home country. You can buy it short or longterm; and even if you are out of the country.
- World Nomads – Travel insurance tailored for longterm travel and nomads (including those who have already left home). Make sure you have insurance before further planning Yazd and Iran!