TO DO Award 2013 Boomkolbeh - Turkmen Ecolodge, Iran

The activities around the BOOMKOLBEH – TURKMEN ECOLODGE, which have emerged in the North of Iran at the rim of the Golestan National Park, are also impressive. After discussions with the inhabitants of the village of Tootly Tamak, the lodge was set up in a farmstead in old Turkmen style. It is managed by an Iranian couple who leased the property. The clay house with a size of about 120 m² has a total of 20 bedsteads and is surrounded by an extensive garden. In a large room, where hosts and guests also eat together, traditional items of daily use, clothes, or handicrafts are displayed, and sometimes there are small concerts. The lodge offers various nature excursions, along with wildlife watching, trekking (also with horses), or excursions with the rangers of the national park. Tourists may only walk around the village itself if accompanied by a guide in order to ensure appropriate and respectful behaviour towards local people. With the visits of initially predominantly domestic tourists, this project also generated new income opportunities for the locals. Former poachers now accompany the guests as guides. Another important concern of the managers of the lodge is the environmental education of the domestic population, especially young people from the cities, and also imparting knowledge about the nomadic traditions of this region shaped by Iranian-Turkmen culture. The Turkmen Ecolodge has a model role in promoting (new) nature and environmental awareness in Iran.

Adress

Kamran Anvari, Forough Vahabzadeh
Boomkolbeh – Turkmen Ecolodge
Tootly Tamak, Golestan Nationalpark
Office Teheran:
Vanak square, Aftab – Mahtab – Rose west unit #1
Iran

Phone: +98-912-720 6741
E-Mail: info@turkmenecolodge.com
Web: www.turkmenecolodge.com