Holiday in Iraq: An unlikely but rewarding destination

Journey to Iraq: Photographer Christian Lindgren traveled to Iraq, an unusual spot for a vacation. While there, he visited the ruins of the ancient city of Ctesiphon, the last Persian capital.

Baghdad skyline: Lindgren took this snap of Baghdad's cityscape, a different view than many might be used to from watching the news.

National Museum of Iraq: He also visited the National Museum of Iraq, which is missing many artefacts as it was looted during the war, but remains interesting.

Moving forward: "People can actually see that the country is moving forward," Lindgren tells CNN Travel. "The situation is getting a lot better these days, because what you see in the media is just the bad side of the country."

Time for tea: Lindgren visited a traditional Baghdad tea house, where locals gather to chat and unwind.

Complex process: Visiting Iraq isn't straightforward -- the visa application process is pretty lengthy and complex. Lindgren took this photograph of the Mustansiriya Madrasah building, an historic religious school in Baghdad.

Documenting his travels: Lindgren documents his travels on his website Unusual Traveler and on his social media, along with tips about traveling to trickier places.

Day tripping: During his time in Iraq, Lindgren took a day trip to Ctesiphon from Baghdad.

Rules and regulations: Lindgren took this shot of the Tigris river in central Baghdad. He says there are lots of rules for visiting Iraq. Tourists are required to have a government-licensed guide when traveling between cities.

Favorite shot: Locals, Lindgren says, were welcoming. He took this photo of a solider at the Great Mosque of Samarra, and says it's one of his favorites from the trip.

Armored vehicles: There are, Lindgren says, armored vehicles everywhere in Baghdad -- but he quickly got accustomed to them.

Former palace: Lindgren took this shot of Saddam Hussein's former palace, which overlooks the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon.

Train travel: During the trip Lindgren also got the train from Basra to Baghdad, a 650-kilometer journey that typically takes about 12 hours.

Surprising encounters: Lindgren says everyone he encountered in Iraq was welcoming, but surprised he was visiting as a tourist: "Everyone was surprised, even at the immigration at the airport, the woman was surprised to see a tourist visa," he recalls.

Amusement attraction: Lindgren took photographs of the Ferris wheel in Baghdad's Al Zawra'a Dream Park, inside the rebuilt Baghdad zoo.

Freedom Monument: Lindgren also photographed the Freedom Monument in Baghdad's Tahrir Square -- also known as Liberation Square.

Iconic monument: Lindgren took this photograph of the Save Iraqi culture monument in Central Baghdad.

Importance of research: Lindgren says his top tip for visitors wanting to vacation in Iraq or other unusual places is to do thorough research before going.

Talk to locals: "You need to read up about the security situation a lot -- and you have to talk to quite a lot of locals before you go, because even if the media says it's too dangerous -- it's only the locals that really know the situation," he says.

Another side: Lindgren hopes his photographs will provide an insight into another side of Iraq: "People are just trying to live a completely normal life and go on with their life. So I hope people can actually see that Iraq is just not war anymore."