I am writing to express my great appreciation for all your help in obtaining visas and making all travel arrangements for myself and my son in our past year of traveling back and forth from Canada to Iran.

In May 2000 my complete trust in you and your company was established.

My son and I wished to visit my Husband, who had to relocate back to his country to look after his widowed mother. After a frustrating month of trying to make my own travel arrangements , at one point my passport had been lost in transit when applying for visas from The Iranian Embassy in Ottawa, I was shocked and so pleasantly pleased when our visas were obtained through your office in a matter of days and all flights were booked and in place; impossible without your efficient staff and your kind concern for our welfare.

When the September 11,2001 disaster occurred I had already been scheduled to fly from Vancouver on the 15th. I contacted you immediately and was reassured that, after a wait of two weeks to give the airlines an opportunity to disperse all stranded passengers, my trip would be rebooked. I had complete confidence in having a safe trip due to your close contact with the Iranian Government and intimate knowledge of the political climate within your country. As promised I left October 1st, with increased security at all the major airports. The fear instilled by the "attack" decreased the number of passengers and it was disheartening to see the emptiness of the terminals. However upon my return two months later, I was pleased to see people sleeping along the corridors and in the waiting areas as is common while waiting for connecting flights, signifying a return to normalcy.

Over the span of the year that I have been visiting Iran it is wonderful to see the relaxing of the rules that govern the People. Women not only drive cars ( a feat that requires extreme skill and quick reflexes- I have tried driving there, only to find I cannot manage other than highway driving) but now can be seen on bicycles as well. In Mashhad, a city with devout religious denizens, mature women no longer wear their Chador over their Mantou (coat), although it is still required in order to visit the Shrine. As seen previously only in Tehran, hair is now beautifully combed and visible from beneath the scarves (Magnay) wore by all. It is not unusual to see a lace scarf draped symbolically over the hair and not fastened at the throat. Translucent and not the totally opaque stockings are being worn, subtle signs of desire for change. More and more women are being heralded into the work force not just for personal desire but also because of the economy. As is apparent every where in the world, it is becoming increasing difficult to provide the necessities for ones family.

No matter where one travels in this beautiful historic country the individuals, one has the great fortune to encounter, are kind and express a great desire to share. English is taught in the schools from a young age and everyone wishes to practice. Taxis are willingly paid for you in exchange for such a gift. A silent request for help to cross the street (definitely a skill that takes time to learn), results in an arm offered in support. Iranians are refreshingly child-like and openly honest in their desire for Western contact. Although one must be aware of the Extremists that exist, I never felt as safe or as cared for as I have walking the sidewalks of this great nation.

I am hoping my association with you and your company will be one of continued respect and a desire to fulfill the needs of both parties in what ever capacity we can in a joint effort to inform the people of the Western nations of the

beauty of Iran and the majority of its people and their desire for peace and growth and to be recognized as such to the nations of the World.

Sincerely,

Enjoulyna Khoury

I was not sure what to expect in Iran. I had read up on the country and its lengthy history, but was pleasantly surprised. Iran is a country of many contrasts, at least from what I saw. There is the modern bustling town of Tehran with all of its fast food and Iranian made cars, to the local villages dotting the countryside, many whom have a traditional ways of life. My senses were totally overwhelmed by the scents of blooming flowers, to the best kebabs I have ever eaten. As a scholar of ancient history Persopolis was key on my list of sites to see. It lived up to all that has been written about it, to some it up in one word - incredible! From the Griffin statues, to the graffiti from previous tourists, some that is over 200 years old, it was all worth seeing. We had one guide throughout our trip to Iran, Valy was his name. He was educated in the USA, and his English was perfect. He stuck by our sides and made sure our trip was the best it could be. My friend wanted to v! isit an ancient church so Valy found out how to get in, then reorganized our day so my friend could go to mass at the church. It was the highlight of her trip, and all organized at the spur of the moment. Our driver was a younger man, who though spoke little English, was so sweet and friendly. He invited us to his home and we enjoyed a traditional dinner with an Iranian family. Everyone was very eager to speak to us, all being friendly. I look like the stereotypical Norman Rockwell painting of an American, so I really stuck out there, but all who approached me were happy to see me, and ask of what I thought of their country.
Overall this trip was far above my expectations. I don't think I could have ever accomplished all I did without Silk Road Tours arrangements. On the plane ride home my mind was already planning my return, as though I saw so much in three weeks, it will take more time to really see all the magnificent beauty, culture, and sites this part of the world has. Everyone I talk to I highly recommend traveling there, as I feel in the future many more tourists will discover the gems in Central Asia and Iran.

After the success of the first trip I planned with Silk Road Tours, I have eagerly awaited my next trip back to Iran. I am happy to confirm that I have just made the arrangements to go back to Iran for 18 days starting in late September, 2001. I am going to cover the North and West of the country which I had not seen in the previous visit. Iran is such a big country with so many magnificent sites that after traveling there for a combined 28 days there is still much more to see. I am excited about visiting the ancient ruins of Choqa Zambil and the much talked about city of Tabriz.
After Iran, Hossein at Silk Road Tours have booked me to go to Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey. I could not have managed all the logistics involved in just visiting just one of these countries, but they have made it possible for me to effortlessly visit all of them on one trip. I look forward to this trip, and knowing myself I will discover more there and want to return at another date!

3) Our guide AHMAD was excellent. His patience and concern for our comfort was above his duty. His English was fine and he understood American idioms very well. The driver Hossein showed great skill in the countryside and in the traffic snakepit of the cities.

4) It is my intentions to write about this exciting trip and present the article to ITN (International Travel News), Traveler Century Club, Travel Age West , the Los Angeles Times and Orange County Register mentioning both of your honorable companies.

Regards,

Homer R. Braggins

We want to thank you very much for arranging our wonderful tour of Iran as you know, we traveled about 12,000 Km. around most of the country! We couldn't have seen and done more in our available time!

Our driver, Abbas Zoroofchi, was careful, thorough, and treated us as his guests. He made sure we saw and did as much as possible. He was a steady and safe driver through those many kilometers. We thoroughly enjoyed his company. He found us an excellent restaurant "Dellpasir" in Kashan - it was very special. We enjoyed everything we had planned with you to see and we especially enjoyed the three additional suggestions you and your agents recommended - Haygashen resort on the Caspian Sea, the Sufi tombs at Ardebil, and Kandovan village near Tabriz.

Each mosque that we saw was very special in its own way, and we appreciated being able to visit them. The countryside was very beautiful and interesting. We were at the Arg-e-Bam at sunset and it was a thrilling sight. Shiraz, Qom, Mahan, Yazd, Tabriz, Orumiye and Hamadan were everything we had hoped for, and Isfahan and Persepolis were marvelous!

Thank you again for arranging such an all-inclusive personalized tour for us. We enjoyed it very much and Iran has now come alive for us.