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Persian Gulf ﺧﻠﻴﺞ ﻓﺎﺭﺱ

Why Go? ...... 205 Few geographical descriptors are as evocative – and as con- Bandar e-Lengeh ...... 210 troversial – as the . Rich in , gas and mys- ...... 211 tique, this body of water and surrounding land is the heart ...... 214 of Arab consciousness and pride. No wonder, then, that and her neighbours to the south have long argued over its Hormoz Island ...... 218 name. The Gulf countries may call it the Arabian Gulf, but for all Iranians – including the proudly traditional Iranian Arabs (or Bandari) who live along its northern coastline – it Best Places to Eat could never be called anything but the Khalij-e Fars (Per- sian Gulf). » Ghaleh Restaurant (p217 ) In the past, foreign interlopers headed here to establish » Payab Restaurant and trading posts. These days, there aren’t many reasons for Teahouse (p 209 ) non-Iranians to visit. Those interested in eco- and cultural » Shandiz Safdari (p 209 ) tourism will love Qeshm Island (we certainly do), but the » Strawberry Restaurant resort island of Kish is overhyped and underwhelming, and (p213 ) the rest of the region off ers little to the traveller other than long, hot journeys. Best Places to Stay When to Go » Atilar Hotel (p 212 ) The gulf is hotter than Hades between April and November, » Mr Amini’s House (p 216 ) with temperatures averaging 35°C and occasionally climb- » Mrs Fattahi’s House (p216 ) ing as high as 50°C. Not surprisingly, life adjusts accord- » Shayan Hotel (p 208 ) ingly – most businesses start early and then shut up shop from about noon to 5pm. During No Ruz (Iranian New Year; 21 March to 3 April) the entire coast is inundated by swarms of domestic tour- ists – avoid travelling here at this time. Try to visit during winter, when the temperature averages between 18°C and 25°C, humidity is relatively low and crowds nonexistent. 205 And yes, all of this is true…to a degree. Since the 1970s, when the last shah tried ﺟﺰﻳﺮﻩ ﮐﻴﺶ Kish Island % 0764 / POP 20,667 to transform this desert island into a play- ‘Oh, but have you been to Kish? You abso- ground for the rich and famous, Kish has lutely must go.’ Travelling in Iran you’re like- become the Iranian equivalent of Hawaii, ly to hear this more than once. And when the Costa del Sol or the Queensland Gold you ask what is so special about Kish, you’re Coast – a beach resort where visitors can told: ‘But Kish is wonderful; everything swim, shop and sample a laid-back and works there. The beaches are clean, the relatively liberated local lifestyle. Here, buildings are modern and there’s duty-free women let their headscarves slip back a bit, shopping. It’s just like !’ wear sandals, water ski (albeit in hejab-style

7 Behbahan 0 100 km 0 60 miles Dogombadan Sepidan A02 Kerman Nur Naqsh-e Pasargadae Abad Rostam Sa'adatshahr Bandar-e Persepolis (Takht-e Bishapur Marvdasht Mt Hezar Gonave Jamshid) Lake A79 (4420m) 7 Shiraz Tashk Kazerun Sirjan Mt Lalezar Khark Lake (4374m) Bakhtegan Baft PERSIAN GULF GULF GULFPERSIAN Island 7 Neiriz GULFPERSIAN Bushehr Estehban Ferry to Ahram Fasa Kerman Kuwait Rishahr Firuz Abad City Khormuj Darab Bahmani Jahrom A79

Fars

Kangan Gahkom KISH ISLAND Dayyer P Hormozgan Siraf Bandar-e Taheri Lar E R Lamard Bandar Abbas S Qeshm Hormoz I Bandar-e Pol Island Bandar-e Bandar-e Town A Lavan Charak Bandar-e Laft Island Aftab N Lengeh Qeshm Is Larak Is Hengam Is B A H R A I N G rait of H Kish Island St o U r MANAMA L m F o z O M A N Q A T A R Island Dubai Sharjah U A E O M A N

Persian Gulf Highlights 1 Spend a day cycling 3 Marvel at the sculptural 5 Watch endangered around Kish Island (p208 ) Chahkooh Canyon in Hawksbill Turtles lay eggs 2 Explore the biodiverse Qeshm’s extraordinary on the beach at Shibderaz waters of the Harra Sea Geopark (p 215 ) village (p216 ) Forest (p 215 ) 4 Eat and sleep with the 6 Take an early-morning locals in a homestay (p216 ) speedboat to the former Portuguese outpost of Hormoz Island (p218 )