Yet, in a quarter-century, none of you has accepted my offer of coming to visit me here. The image of Iran is so calcified by its politics that not even one of your own could persuade you to come and explore for yourself. This is my last-ditch invitation: maybe youll get over that psychological hurdle and catch the six-hour flight to Tehran.
You will need to organise a visa and travel through a tour operator though, since Britons cant get a visa at the door, unlike many other nationalities. But that is easily done, so many Britons and Americans are visiting these days and from Monday British Airways has daily flights to Tehran from London.
Map for Halehs journey (and Yasmin Khans foodie tour).We cant possibly see everything Iran has to offer in one visit, but let me take you south to the cities of central Iran, veering off the tourist map here and there. By the way, in answer to that one girlfriend who keeps saying she doesnt want to wear the black thing, you dont have to wear a chador; not everyone does. But women visitors will need a mid-length coat, and a light cotton scarf to hang loosely over their hair. And since there wont be any booze, you can use the time to detox; theres plenty of superb food, especially fruit and nuts, to compensate for the lack of calories from alcohol.
Tehran
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![Iranian women walk past a mural outside the former US embassy in Tehran.](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/d4af6161d5c27030457a98edc6fc7b20407a1ee3/0_236_3500_2099/master/3500.jpg?w=300&q=55&auto=format&usm=12&fit=max&s=6e7bea4051d3c543c5c751b81eaca873)
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