Kish Iran - Kish Island, Irans window to the west

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Kish - A travel report by Terry

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Kish, Iran - Hormozgån	9249 readers		terje's travel reports
Kish Island, Irans window to the west	20 votes		Page: 1 2

This little, flat island in the Persian Gulf has great ambitions. The Shah of Iran used to have his holiday home here, and you can still have fun in his old casino.




	Kish Airport

I travelled to Kish Island on business, but enjoyed it as a holiday. From Dubai, there is a 30 minutes flight with Kish Air Fokker 50. You can buy tickets from Kish Air Sales Office at Fish Roundabout in Dubai. When you arrive Kish, don't be surprised by the boys swarming around in the baggage area. Its their job to bring out the passengers baggage, and they do it with pride. For their effort, they expect 10 000 rials, one green. Kish Island is a popular holyday destination for iranians. The airport is operated by two airlines, Kish Airline (whose most important income was alle the visa-runners from Dubai) and Iran Air. The city on the Island is packed with supermarkets, where you can buy almost everything. The presens of a internet cafe made it easy for me to communicate with friends and family back home.

Favourite spots:




	The greek ship

Kish Island authorities have establish a nature reserve in the southeast to protect the iranian deer. Twice a day, the government put out water and food for the small, beautilful mammals. I was escorted my Mr. Tahidi, a representative for City Services Department, and I got to see the deers from his vehicle. On the west coast, you find the Greek Ship, a shipwreck that most ironically seems to be the biggest tourist magnet, despite the perfect beach 100 meters off the main street in the city. You can pay a visit to the zoo, which contains a nice collection of spiders and snakes.

What's really great:




	Ruins of Harireh

There is a cycling track all around the island. If you rent a bike, you have 25 kilometers ahead of you, but remember to bring enough water along, as the temperatures can be very high, above 40 degrees celsius. Dont even try to bring alcohol. This is strictly forbidden in Iran. On your way on the bike, make a stop near the arabic town to see the ruins of Harireh city from 8th century and water reservoir with wind towers.

Accommodations:




	Hotel Dariush

There are plenty of hotels in Kish. Booking is best done on the spot, as there is a chance that noone speaks english if you make a phonecall. For european treatment, go to Hotel Dariush which has a scandinavian manager. This hotel is also a great display of the arts and crafts from the proud persian history. Plans are made to build the second seven star hotel of the world, the Flower of the East which will dominate a huge area next to Kish Harbour.

Other recommendations:




	Beach near City Center and the old casino

The beaches are separated in a female area (protected with walls 3 meter high) and a common area (the rest). Some europeans I spoke with, drove to the rugged south coast and swimmed together there, where noone could see them. I guess these strong rules are the reason why the beach was complete empty. Remember also to buy traditional iranian clothing to bring home.