From New Zealand to Iran: Back home and new adventures

Hello friends, and welcome to another video!
This one might look a little different… but don’t worry — it’s still GREEN & WILD!
I’ve just returned from a one-month holiday, and the number of green and wild places I visited was insane.
This video is a summary of the trip. I’ll make separate videos diving deeper into the highlights later on.
I travelled all the way from New Zealand to Iran to visit my family.
Let’s start from the very beginning —
Changi Airport, Singapore.
Garden lovers, this is your paradise.
I had a 6-hour evening layover on my way to Iran and stayed inside the transit area. Even then, 6 hours wasn’t enough to explore everything I wanted!
My favorite part was Dreamscape in Terminal 2.
And my second favorite was the Enchanted Garden, also in Terminal 2.
As I had another 11 hour stop in Singapore on my way back, I decided to go and spend the rest of my time relaxing at the swimming pool in Terminal 1 — complete with a Jacuzzi, cabanas, a bar, and an airplane view.
Now, this is not all that I want to share about Changi airport and Singapore, but I will dedicate a whole future video to this part as my longer stop was on my way back to New Zealand.
Next stop: Istanbul.
I had a 12-hour layover and joined the free Touristanbul day tour, available if you're flying Turkish Airlines with a layover between 6 to 24 hours.
We visited the Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Egyptian Obelisk, Serpentine Column, Topkapı Palace, Grand Bazaar, and even went on a short cruise. Breakfast and lunch were included!
It wasn’t the most in-depth tour, but for a free experience, it was amazing — way better than sitting in the airport.
After nearly 48 hours, I finally made it to my hometown: Mashhad!
Mashhad, in northeastern Iran, is best known for the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza, with golden domes and beautiful night lighting.
But honestly, I didn’t visit any of those landmarks — I’ve seen them plenty while growing up.
I spent most of my time with my mum and sister, who live in an apartment. Like most people in Mashhad — I’d say around 95% — they live in apartments, so there’s no backyard garden. But many complexes have shared green spaces for residents.
Mashhad is a mix of modern and historic with a surprising amount of greenery. One unique feature? The city’s full of public art, sculptures, and monuments.
Since I love gardens, I visited the nearby Mashhad Flower Garden.
Hidden in the northwest of Mashhad, just off Moallem Street, this 3-hectare garden bursts with seasonal flowers — tulips, roses, violets, marigolds — all arranged like a living painting.
But it’s not just about flowers. The garden features sculptures, mosaics, and artistic surprises that give the space a sense of joy and creativity. There's an open-air amphitheater, themed areas, shady spots to rest, and even a children’s playground.
Next, we took a 5-day trip to Northern Iran — with my mum and sister.
We visited Masuleh, Masal, and Fuman.
We started with a train from Mashhad to Qazvin, then continued by taxi to Rasht.
My favorite part of the trip? Masuleh.
Masuleh is a misty mountain village in Gilan province, known for its unique architecture: the roof of one house is the courtyard of another. No cars are allowed, making it a peaceful, timeless place.
The village dates back to 1006 AD, and the people are mostly Talysh, speaking their traditional language. The air is cool and moist year-round, making everything lush and green.
Masuleh feels like a painting — from wooden balconies to colorful local crafts.
Next up: Masal.
Nestled in the Talesh Mountains, Masal is like Switzerland with Persian soul — alpine cottages, rolling mist, cows grazing, and endless green.
It’s become an eco-tourism hotspot, especially for its summer pastures known as Yeylaqs — like Olasbelangah and Sooe Chaleh.
Locals are deeply rooted in rural traditions, and many now host visitors in eco-lodges. The soul of the place is still very much alive.
And now — the grand finale of this trip:
Rudkhan Castle.
Hidden high in the Caspian Hyrcanian forests — a 25-million-year-old UNESCO site — this fortress is surrounded by ancient trees and mist.
You’ll hike about 1,000 stone steps through lush, shaded forest, with birdsong and mossy rocks all around.
And then… there it is.
Rudkhan Castle, rising through the trees.
It was built in Sassanid times and rebuilt in the Seljuk era. With 42 towers, two gates, and 2.5 hectares of fortress walls, it feels like stepping into a fantasy world.
The walls curve along the mountains like a dragon's back. It’s powerful, peaceful, and breathtaking.
We saw many other places during the trip — including surprise moments like this:
A live Michael Jackson tribute performance… with dancing!

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