Bandar Abbas

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Introducing Bandar Abbas

For a city founded by one of Persia’s greatest kings, Shah Abbas I, and named in his honour, the bustling ‘Port of Abbas’ is less charismatic than you might expect. Strategically positioned overlooking the Strait of Hormoz and the entrance to the Persian Gulf, the city, known to most Iranians simply as ‘Bandar’, is home to Iran’s busiest port. Smuggling is big business – everything from cars to carpets circumnavigates the customs inspectors in these parts. Needless to say, if you’re walking along the seafront at night and notice boxes being hurriedly unloaded from a dark-coloured speedboat, resist the temptation to offer to help with the haulage.

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Bandar’s fast-growing population is a mix of Persians, Bandaris, Arabs and Africans, with a large Sunni minority and a long- established Hindu community. Depending on your perspective, Bandar Abbas is either delightfully seedy with the audible whisper of smugglers, or an uninspiring and overpriced stepping-off point for the more languid nearby islands.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009

Thorn Tree forum discussion

Recent posts

  1. calypso1 avatar
    Re: Car Trip from UAE to Europe (central by the way)

    by calypso1 16 July 2011

    Just Left UAE from Port Khalid in the UAE to Bandar Abbas on the 22nd of May 2011....tok me 4H to finish and drive my car from Bandar…
  2. livingoracle avatar
    Re: Car by boat from Iran to India

    by livingoracle 14 July 2011

    we used secoshipping in the past to ship our car from Mumbai ( the new port is called Nhava Sheva Port ) to Bandar Abbas and they are…
  3. jfox1977 avatar
    RE: Itinerary and other questions

    by jfox1977 12 July 2011

    If you want try an original way to enter Iran, there is a ferry from Sharjah to Bandar Abbas (8h) or Dubai to Bandar Lengeh (4h). However…

See all Thorn Tree forum discussions for Bandar Abbas

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