Yaseh Chah (Persian: ياسه چا, also Romanized as Yāseh Chāh) is a village in Hureh Rural District, Saman District, Shahr-e Kord County, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 702, in 222 families. (source – Wikipedia)
On our one month long stint in Iran, we loved our time in this remote, small village thanks to our friend Rasool, our host from Shahr-e Kord. Iranian people are the friendliest people you will meet on your travels, and having now visited 100 countries, they are easily the most hospitable I have personally experienced.
Panny crossing the bridge to Yaseh Chah.
Above, entering the village.
If you want a taste of real Iranian culture, don’t book a room in advance –it’s very easy to stay with locals. We had about 5-6 invites to stay with Iranian families and took the opportunity to stay with Fatih and Issa in Zarad Band (near Tarjrish in North Tehran) as well as with Rasool and his family in little known Shahr-e Kord. We also spent an afternoon and dinner with a family in Marvdasht who we met on the bus between Shiraz and Persepolis. All three experiences we had were with local families and simply an unforgettable memory you can never replicate.
No public transport exists in Yaseh Chah so you need to drive yourself. Our contact Rasool drove us there so find someone to take you out to Yaseh Chah if you’re up for something a little different — the nearest big city is Shahr-e Kord.
Nonchalant spot of backpacking in Yaseh Chah with the locals.
So one morning in Shar-e Kord, Rasool decides to take us out for a drive through the mountains. The landscape is gorgeous and we make a few essential “photos stops” on the way. We end up in two really off the wall remote villages, either side of a river from each other. One of these villages is known as Yaseh Chah, so we toured the village.
Yaseh Chah is small desert town nestled in the mountains and very much old school Iran. Houses made from mud, brick and wood make up the village and you can walk through some arches and into mud tunnels where people live their lives. It’s where old meets modern – every place has electric, and most of them probably even wi-fi.
Panny and I were the only two foreigners walking around this ancient village, possibly for the last 6 months or a year — maybe even longer. This means everyone in the village will want to talk to and welcome you.
We walked through the narrow streets through the village, where we have the place to ourselves except for a few locals who come to chat.
The streets of Yaseh Chah. Then, we head down to the river, which separates Yaseh Chah from another village settlement called Sadegh Abad.
Sadegh Abad in Iran – opposite Yaseh Chah.
The river in Yaseh Chah.
Exercising in Yaseh Chah!
On the see saw in Yaseh Chah, Iran.
On the see saw in Yaseh Chah, Iran.
Jonny Blair is a self confessed traveling nomad who founded and blogs at Don’t Stop Living. He sees every day as an adventure. Since leaving behind his home town of Bangor in Northern Ireland ten years ago he has traveled to all seven continents, working his way through various jobs and funding it all with hard work and an appetite for travel. Don’t Stop Living, a lifestyle of travel’ contains over 1,000 stories and tips from his journeys round the globe. He wants to show others how easy it is to travel the world, give them some ideas and encourage them to do the same but most of all he aims to constantly live a lifestyle of travel. He is currently based in Hong Kong and on Twitter @jonnyblair.
