Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 0936 783 9692; Shibderaz; B&B US$9)
Mrs Leila Fattahi is one of the major contrib-
utors to the success of the Art for Conservation project (see the boxed text,
Click here
)
and will happily organise for you to watch local women making handicrafts or have them
give you a Bandari henna tattoo. Her family's home is in Shibderaz village next to the
beach where hawksbill and green turtles lay their eggs, so if you stay here between March
and July you'll be able to watch the action at night (from a distance of course). Bedding is
laid out in the lounge room in the evening, and there's one shared shower and squat toilet
off the entrance hall. Meals cost between US$7.50 and US$9 and are very good.
Darya Hotel$$
( 522 1630-32; Eskele St; d/tr/q; US$71/89/107; )
If you need to stay in
Qeshm Town, the Darya, just east of the Eskele Sangi, is the best bet in terms of location,
comfort and service. Rooms are spacious and come with kitchenettes; only the quad has a
sea view. Staff speak English.
HOTEL
Eating
There are a number of restaurants in the shopping centres along Valiasr Blvd in Qeshm
Town but none are memorable.
Ghaleh Restaurant$$
(meals US$8-10; noon-2pm & 6-11pm)
This simple place on the waterfront opposite
the
Ghal'e-ye Portoghaliha
(
Ghaleh
means 'castle' in Farsi) is run by Mr Ghafur and
serves delicious Arabic seafood in the cool of evening. There's no printed menu - be sure
to sample the famous spicy crab dish if it's on offer. The lunch menu is limited to one
fish-and-rice dish.
SEAFOOD
Information
Internet access is hard to come by and service is erratic; we suggest waiting until you're
back in Bandar Abbas to connect. The same applies to changing money.
The
Avaye Tabiate Paydar Institute
( 524 0785/6, 021-885 37496/7;
info@tabiatpaydar.com; Roshd Centre, Golha Sq, Qeshm Town)
, a privately run Tehran-
based ecotourism education institute run by the enthusiastic and knowledgeable Afsaneh
Ehsani and Nima Azari, works with geopark management and local communities to pro-
