Matinabad Desert Eco-Camp and Organic Farm were founded in 2008 by a group of professional naturalists and tourism experts. The basic premise of bringing Matinabad Eco-Camp to life was to present, maintain, contribute and promote regarding, respecting, and running the ethical codes of the International Tourism and Ecotourism organizations to approach CSR and SRB models and also to achieve sustainable and responsible tourism in I.R.IRAN.
One of the main goals of Matinabad Desert Eco-Camp is to create tourist attractions along with taking care of nature. As mentioned before, Matinabad desert resort is built based on sustainable tourism. Among the actions of utmost importance in Matinabad are using renewable resources, waste management, and the construction of organic farms. For instance, in Matinabad, solar energy is used to heat the bath water. Also, staying in old caravanserais and nomadic tents is one of the actions of this eco-camp to provide a different experience for environmentalists.
Eco-camp of Matinabad nearby the Dasht-e-Kavir, one of the hottest spots in the world, is surrounded by many magnificent sceneries. Iran’s largest National Park and Salt Lake on one side, and the highest central mountains, Karkas, on the other. You can visit and capture the picturesque frame of all these out-of-this-world sceneries by staying at Matinabad Desert Eco-camp.
As the first Iranian Eco-Camp, we offer you unforgettable adventures close to the local people and the breathtaking nature of the desert. Imagine baking Persian bread and cooking with the local women, harvesting in our organic farm and orchards, or even trekking on camels. Thrilling bike rides through landscapes of sand dunes and mountain gorges, desert walks, safari trips with Jeeps or ATV bikes, and star gazing at the starry night are what you can experience in Matinabad Eco-camp activities.
Accommodation
When you arrive at the camp, you will be greeted at the main door entrance, which looks just like a Caravanserai. The main building of the whole complex has seven big rooms, each including a bathroom with hot showers and western toilets. Each room contains wooden beds with soft mattresses to ensure a comfortable sleep, an air conditioner to keep the air fresh and cool, a refrigerator, and a TV set for your entertainment. There are two beds in each room, but if you have more company, it’s possible to add another extra bed if needed.
On top of the complex is an exquisite suite with a stunning interior design and the same facilities as the other rooms. With a minimum of four in capacity, this suite offers a panoramic view of the desert, farm, and yards before your eyes. The room is called Shah Neshin (King’s Room). The interior designs are based on traditional Iranian desert houses where a combination of thatch, break, and plaster is used in decoration. Adorning lush Persian rugs in delicately designed rooms with scenic desert views at Matinabad Eco-camp completes your Iran trip experience.
This gorgeous room, known as Gooshvareh (Earring room), is located on both sides of the Shah Neshin room. Shah Neshin was designed and constructed for hosting special guests, while Gooshvareh was built to support the dome of Shah Neshin. If there was going to be a big party thrown in the house and the Shah Neshin got full, some guests would stay in the Gooshvareh room instead. By staying in this room, you can feel the vintage vibe of the traditional Persian desert houses.
Tents
Experience an exciting stay in an elegant traditional Iranian desert nomad tent. The tents are equipped with mosquito nets for warm weather to keep you safe from any disturbance, and Korsi (a traditional way of heating) or a heater is prepared for the colder months. Tents are set up on a bench to produce minimal environmental impact while providing an effective thermal and wind resistant unit with significant exposure to nature in this majestic area.
The tents are arranged with enough space between them to provide adequate privacy. You can access the main building, bath, and washrooms as the tents’ locations are close. Electricity is also available in the tents. Rug, Mattress, Pillow, blanket, and sheets would be provided beforehand according to the number of people reserved for that tent.
Koome ( Hut Room)
Koomeh in Persian refers to small rooms in a desert that farmers and hunters used to build to protect their land and hunt their prey. Matinabad Eco-camp has 13 Koomehs at the moment. The Koomehs, constructed with brick and mud, have a beautiful dome shape roof for the best natural air circulation in the room. The rooms are also equipped with air-conditioners and heaters just in case the room temperature is not suitable. Koomehs usually have only two beds, but it is possible to add one more if needed.
Restaurant
The Traditional Restaurant in the camp, which is locally designed, consists of a big hall suitable for 100 people, a kitchen, and restrooms. Here is a great place for gatherings and swapping socials. The outer courtyard is the perfect spot for relaxing, gazing at the starry night sky after dinner, and making unforgettable memories. The restaurant is surrounded by the astonishing scenery of sand hills, green farmlands, and parts of the Camel House, where you can easily watch the camels prepared for rides. Usually, delicious local and seasonal food is served for the guests, and dinner is often made on a barbeque.
Matinabad takes pride in the highest standard of service and cuisine. Meals that include traditional Persian dishes are served in an authentic oversized pan. Food and supplies are mostly the product of the organic farm of the camp, and we provide this remote region with opportunities for economic growth through responsible tourism. The availability of products varies depending on the season. However, you can expect that we will provide the best convenient selection of local dishes and traditional specialties for the Western palate. We can also make special arrangements for most dietary needs—please contact us to discuss your specific requirements. Purely organic food like local chicken, camel meat, and milk are also available in Matinabad Desert Eco-camp.
Matinabad Tea House
Matin Abad Bar is a lovely environment where you can drink various soft drinks and other beverages. There is a wide variety of mineral waters and organic fruit juice, such as fresh pomegranate and orange juice. Soft drinks are stocked to quench any desert thirst together with an extensive range of local finest beverages such as Mint Juice and Egyptian Willow water, Rose water, etc., which also have medical and healthy benefits. The cool tasty drink is all you need in a hot and dry desert.
Organic Farm
Matinabad, due to climatic conditions in the region, is privileged to be able to farm a variety of fruits and vegetables in all seasons without using chemical pesticides. Fresh pomegranate, pistachio, watermelon, pumpkins, pepper, eggplants, tomato, and saffron are all organic products harvested in Matinabad Farm.
Camel breeding farm is another attraction of Matinabad at the same place, with the friendliest camels to carry you on their backs along the golden dunes of the desert. There is also an ostrich farm, where they intend to increase their number since ostriches are fantastic birds that produce a wide range of products.
The hens, roosters, turkeys, pigeons, and a couple of rabbits live peaceful lives next to the camels. There has been a recent farm construction for breeding horses, which has been successful. The horses can adapt to the climate in a short amount of time. We intend to grow the number of our horses and construct a horse riding field for our dear guests.
Store
In front of the restaurant, you will find a beautiful and authentic shop that won’t fail to attract your attention. A traditional store called Khanum Na’na and Agha Shivid (Mrs. Mint and Mr. Dill) welcomes you to browse through a wide range of products made by the native people of the area and artists from other cities of Iran. In this beautiful store, inspired by traditional Persian architecture, you can find almost anything from organic products such as fresh or dried mint and dill to handicrafts made by talented artists.
