Culture, great food and weather and a warm welcome in ... Iran
The country may not seem an obvious holiday destination, writes Chris Taylor, but from frenetic Tehran to the calm of Shiraz and historic Esfahan, there is plenty to see and do.
"Isn't it dangerous?" is likely to be among the first questions asked of a Hong Kong traveller bound for Iran.
Certainly there are a lot of rules to be observed by visitors to the Islamic Republic - holders of British or American passports must engage a guide, for example - and an Iranian visa can be complicated to obtain. But the streets are safe; the people overwhelmingly welcoming; the sites dramatic, historical and beautiful; the food delicious; the transport trustworthy and organised; and the weather good. Furthermore, political tensions with the West appear to be easing.
streets are framed by the huge snowy massif of Mount Damavand, which, at 5,610 metres, is Iran's highest peak. Climbing the mountain requires equipment and expertise but it's possible to ascend the lower slopes near Mount Tochal by bus and ski lift, for views across the sprawling capital, from the high-rise office and apartment blocks of the north to the low-rise, poorer areas of the south.
It's the centre of the city, though, where the visitor is likely to spend most of their time.
Here is where the royal family built Golestan Palace, within which it's possible to glimpse old Persia in rooms filled with silver, ornately glazed tiles and elaborate gifts from European monarchs: animal skins from Russia, clocks from Britain's Queen Victoria - a not-so-subtle comment on poor Persian punctuality. In the centre of it all is the shah's old Peacock throne, which looks a lot more comfortable than the sword-backed iron monstrosity we've seen in a certain television series - it has a cushion, for a start, and is surrounded by precious jewels.