A few things to forget, but far more things to remember

If you have a strong predilection for alcohol and you love prancing around in the bare minimum of clothes, you may want to give the Islamic Republic of Iran a miss. There is an alternative, of course: You can take a vow of sobriety and put up with minor physical discomfort for a week or two so that you do not have to miss out on the splendors that Iran has to offer.

One more upfront warning: If you nurse an addiction for WeChat you had better be ready to go cold turkey on that, too, of which more later. But first that business about alcohol.

Our group of six intrepid travelers fortified ourselves for our forthcoming abstinence by drinking quite a bit of beer and wine on the flight of a little more than five hours from Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region, to Teheran. (However, you are well advised not to overdo this binge, given that drinking a lot of alcohol while flying is likely to leave you dehydrated.)

Well before such a flight you will not doubt have considered the matter of the country's climate. Many of the most popular tourist destinations are found in places where temperatures can soar to above 40 degrees at some times of the year, and if it is moderate weather conditions you feel most comfortable in it is best to go in spring or autumn.

We planned to go in late September, so we booked our flights and hotels in July to avoid any late rush brought on by the National Day Golden Week holiday period in China in October.

Those wanting to get to Iran direct from China have a choice between Mahan Air of Iran and China Southern Airlines.

Mahan Air, which is privately owned, operates direct flights from Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou to Teheran. It plays an important role promoting Iran's tourism in China via traditional and new media such as Sina Weibo. Mahan offers packages that include return tickets, visa processing and sometimes one night's accommodation in Teheran. Its winter package (December to February) costs between 4,699 yuan and 5,599 yuan.

The flight we wanted with Mahan was unavailable so we flew with China Southern, paying a fare similar to that of Mahan - and with decent wine and beer available on the flight.

We were first-timers to Iran and followed a route well-trodden by tourists: from Teheran to Kashan, Yazd, Shiraz and Isfahan in 10 days. However, there is far more to see and do in this vast country, such as the mountains in the north and a desert tour in Yazd, the latter being highly popular among Europeans.

You will also no doubt have discovered well before you board your flight that accommodation in Iran cannot be booked through popular online hotel booking websites or any online payment system. This essentially relates to international sanctions imposed on Iran since 1979. Many hotels have their own websites and email addresses, which can be found online and in travel guides. So you can make your own reservations directly, although you should contact a few hotels in each place where you plan to stay, because some are less responsive than others.

We hired a local guide in advance and left the hotel booking to him. We could not send the money to Iran electronically, so the guide ran the risk of losing the reservation money he paid to the hotels if we canceled the trip.

Our English-speaking guide was recommended by a friend who traveled there a couple of years ago. Lonely Planet lists several English-speaking guides too.

After landing in Teheran and before disembarking from the aircraft, women were required to don a scarf. In the absence of that, any other piece of clothing or cloth that covers your hair will do until you can get your hands on the real thing.

The official dress code calls for women to wear a scarf, and long-sleeved loose shirts that cover the hips, and long trousers or skirts. Jeans are also acceptable.

Although morality police patrol the streets to see that the code is being adhered too, they seem to be a lot more lenient on those with foreign faces.

"Very few people know that the typical stereotype of all Iranian women being forced to wear black chadors whilst in public is completely false," the website triptopersia.com says.

And lest you think this dress morality is aimed solely at women, it advises that for men "shorts are not acceptable in public".

Now to that matter of WeChat. In Iran Wi-Fi is accessible in many public places, such as hotels, cafes and restaurants, but WeChat and Facebook are blocked in the country. Like some of our group, you may look on that as 10 days of blissful respite from social media, but if you find that you really must keep in touch with family or friends outside the country, QQ messenger works.

Iran is endowed with very good transport infrastructure and public transport, so it is easy to get around by road, rail or air. Highways link the major cities, and there are clear signs in English and Farsi. At least one big international car rental company, Europcar, seems to operate in the country, and petrol is cheap, about $0.33 a liter. But from what I could see, driving in Iran is akin to a high-speed dodgem ride, and you may be doing yourself a favor by entrusting the driving to those who knows their way around.

For our group of six, renting a van for the whole trip, and paying a local driver, seemed like the most practical and economic thing to do. Hiring a taxi to get to tourist sites is convenient, too, and hotel staff we came across were helpful in arranging this. A taxi for a day (eight hours) in Teheran during high seasons will set you back about $100. Of course, if there are a few people in your party this is particularly economical.

We had the good fortune on our trip to meet many tourists from Europe and the United States and came to realize that they were hobbled compared with us lucky Chinese in touring around. In many cases apart from having far more difficulties in getting a visa, they also could not travel as independently as us, requiring an official guide, they said.

(China Daily 11/21/2015 page15)