Travel to Port Kong; Meeting with Santorini, Iran

Bandar Kong, which is called “Santorini of Iran” with its white buildings, stands out on the beautiful beaches of Hormozgan province and is located about 185 kilometers from Bandar Abbas. This beautiful port with a combination of historical, cultural and natural attractions is an emerging destination for travel lovers. The Portuguese Fort, Darya Daulat Pond, and the Museum of Anthropology are just a few of the attractions in Bandar Kong. The best time to travel to Port Kong, like other islands and southern regions of the country, is the second half of the year. This beautiful port is not only famous for its delicious foods such as “Suragh”, “Hawari”, “Kalieh Mahi” and “Katlet Mahi”, but also for its historical monuments, pristine natural landscapes and local accommodations, creating a unique and different experience for travelers.

Everything you need to know before going to Bandar Kong:

Where is Port Kong?

• Address: Hormozgan province, Bandar Langeh city, Bandar Kong (view on the map)
• Distance to Bandar Abbas: About 185 km (about two hours and 25 minutes)
• Distance to Lange Port: About five kilometers (about eight minutes by car)

Bandar Kong, as one of the cities of Hormozgan province, is located in the south of Iran. In terms of urban divisions, it is known as the central part of Bandar Langeh city. Bandar Kong is about five kilometers away from Bandar Langeh and is connected to the waters of the Persian Gulf with a coastline. Kong port has a long history. In the past, this port was considered as one of the important commercial bases of the Persian Gulf.

_{Photo source: Googlemap; Photographer: Mustafa Parvin}

Culture of Bandar Kong people

The people of Bandar Kong have a rich and fruitful culture due to the very rich and long history of this city. Over many years, different traditions and customs were combined to create the culture of the people of Bandar Kong today. The people of Bandar Kong are very attached to their customs and history and have always tried to keep it alive. These different customs and traditions are present in all aspects of people’s lives and are considered one of the tourist attractions of this region. In the heart of various events, local foods, handicrafts and other cultural phenomena of this port, you can feel the traces of different traditions of the people of this land. Among the various ceremonies of the people of Bandar Kong, the following can be mentioned.

• Maritime New Year: This event is held in the summer and is called “Marine New Year”. On this day, people go to the sea, sprinkle each other with red soil; They paint tree trunks and animal horns and engage in celebration and stomping.
• Marriage ceremony: Marriage customs and its ceremony are celebrated very magnificently in Bandar Kong. In the past, for every marriage, they would party and celebrate for seven days and nights. Nowadays, due to economic conditions, the ceremony is held over three days; But they try to fulfill all the traditional customs. Closing the veil is one of these customs; The bride and groom stay and live in rooms decorated with mirrors and various colored pendants between one week and 6 months.
• Sol Halu ceremony: Among other old ceremonies of the people of Bandar Kong, we can mention the interesting custom of “Hal Helu”. On Eid days, such as Eid al-Shaban and Eid al-Adha, families prepare sweets and nuts at home. Many children enthusiastically come to the street and say the word “sweet solution”; It means that they want sweets and the families distribute the ready packages among them. Packages include sweets, nuts, eggs and ready meals.

_{Photo source: mehrnews; Photographer: Unknown}

The best time to travel to Port Kong

The weather in the south of Iran is hot and humid. Bandar Kong is also one of the port cities in southern Iran and has a humid climate, which in the summer is very humid. These conditions make it difficult for people who are not natives and are not used to this weather to stay. For this reason, the best time to travel to Bandar Kong is autumn, winter and Nowruz, when the weather in this area becomes spring. In addition, Bandar Kong is considered a new and fresh destination and it seems that during Nowruz, it is not crowded like other tourist destinations in Iran. So you can enjoy a fascinating trip to Kong Port in these seasons.

_{Photo source: Googlemap; Photographer: Jaber Zare}

Travel guide to Port Kong

There are several ways to get to the port city of Kong. In general, accessing the city of Kong is not a difficult task and there are various types of vehicles to reach it. We examine the most important ways to access this port.

• Private car: From anywhere in Iran, you can go to Bandar Kong with your car; Also visit other attractions on the way. The advantage of traveling by private car is that you don’t need to use public transport in the city.
• Aircraft: An easy and fast way to reach Port Kong is to travel by plane; But keep in mind that this city does not have an airport and if you want to travel by plane, you have to buy a ticket from Tehran to Bandar Abbas or Tehran to Bandar Lange. The shortest way to reach this city is to use Bandar Lange airport; Because Bandar Lange airport is about 15 kilometers away from Bandar Kong city.
• Floating: If you want to spice up your trip with some excitement and new experience, you can fly to Qeshm or Kish; After that, using the sea route, go from Kish to Charak and from there travel 45 minutes to Kong port by land. This method will help you to visit Kish and Qeshm islands and also enjoy the sea route.

_{Photo source: Googlemap; Photographer: Mehdi Mehrabi}

Sights of Bandar Kong

Portuguese castle

In a historical period, the south of Iran was occupied by the Portuguese. At that time, the Portuguese had built an anchorage and a military fort in Kong port for the movement of their ships, which protected their interests in Iran. At present, a tower and the remains of the castle remain from that huge building. Stone and saroj are the building materials of this tower and visitors can walk inside it and observe the architecture of this tower.

_{Photo source: visitkong; Photographer: Unknown}

Barka Darya Dolat

One of the important attractions of Langeh port is its ponds. These ponds are the same traditional reservoirs that were used to store water since the distant past. One of the largest of these reservoirs is called “Darya Daulat Pond”, which is named after its large size. This attractive reservoir has a diameter of about 28 meters and a depth of about 14 meters.

Barka Darya Dawlat is made of stone and Saroj. The big fan on it is used for natural ventilation of the water in this pond. Also, the large size of this pond made it so that no roof was considered for it and this pond remained naturally cool. Darya Dalut pond dates back to the Persian Atabakan period and since then, this reservoir is still standing. To see this beautiful pond, you can go to the north of Bandar Kong and Bastak road.

_{Photo source: amlakbandarabbas; Photographer: Unknown}

Golbatan’s house

The architecture of the houses in Bandar Kong is very special and unique. Among the most important examples of this architectural style, we can mention “Khaneh Golbatan”. This house is considered one of the most important cultural and architectural symbols of Bandar Kong. From the distant past, the construction of the historical houses of Bandar Kong was in a way that provided the peak of hospitality for the guests and all the elements led and invited the guests into the house; In addition, like many other Iranian houses, Golbatan house also has a central courtyard around which rooms with different uses are placed.

Golbatan historical house is considered the largest historical house in Bandar Kong and it represents the life of a noble and noble family. This house, with its beautiful stucco and unique motifs, is considered one of the important attractions of Bandar Kong; But the entrance door has a very simple appearance. Also, Golbatan house has the largest number of wind deflectors among the houses in Bandar Kong, with five wind deflectors, which is important in its own way.

_{Photo source: visitkong; Photographer: Unknown}

Leshtan Castle

Among other attractions that you must visit during your trip to Bandar Kong, you can mention “Leshtan Castle”. The age of Leshtan Castle is estimated to be around before Islam and it is considered an ancient castle. If you sit at the highest point of this fort, you can watch the surrounding Klots, the entire city of Bandar Kong and the Persian Gulf. The existence of Leshtan Castle on one of the mountains in this region has made this castle invisible from below. In the past, to reach the castle, they built a staircase from the heart of the mountain stones, and around the castle there was a long wall surrounded by several guard towers. From these towers, the entire surrounding areas and the Persian Gulf could be well observed.

_{Photo source: visitkong; Photographer: Unknown}

Bandar Kong shopping centers

Since the distant past, the port of Kong has been the place of trade and transit of various commercial ships. There are also many beautiful markets to shop in. The fishmonger’s market next to the “fisherman’s wharf” where freshly caught fish are sold to travelers and locals. Among the other important markets of Bandar Kong, we can mention the Bandar market on Taleghani Street, where you can see various examples of handicrafts of the people of this country. “Badgir Commercial Complex” is another market where you can buy goods at reasonable prices. Badgir Complex is located on Shahid Rajaei Street.

_{Photo source: visitkong; Photographer: Unknown}

Bandar Kong beach

One of the most beautiful sights that you can see in Kong Port is the presence of many ships on the quay and beach of this port. A landscape with boats and small and large ships is an attractive and unique background for your photos. In addition, on the beach of Bandar Kong, there is a park called “Martyrs of the Persian Gulf” park, where walking along with the pleasant breeze that blows from the Persian Gulf to the beach will give you a brilliant experience of traveling to Bandar Kong. .

_{Photo source: visitkong; Photographer: Unknown}

Kong Museum of Anthropology

Some of the elders of Bandar Kong decided to collect navigation tools and maps to protect the seafaring ritual and put them in public view for people and travelers to visit. This museum was established in a house known for its windmill and architectural elements of Bandar Kong. In addition, all kinds of old dishes are also valuable works of this museum. One of the rooms of the Anthropology Museum was decorated with various items to symbolize the “Hujla room”, which has been part of the marriage customs of the people of this country since the distant past. By visiting this museum, you will get to know the people of Bandar Kong better and more.

_{Photo source: visitkong; Photographer: Unknown}

Two Mihrabah Mosque

Dou Mihrabeh mosque building is located in the west of Bandar Kong. It seems that in the distant past, this building was both a mosque and a caravanserai where fishermen and ship workers rested. Excavations around this monument are still ongoing; But now, the presence of two altars in this mosque shows the prosperity of Bandar Kong in different years of history. This building was built with materials such as stone and saroj, in three floors, and this number of floors, along with the special architecture of the mosque, narrates its greatness and glory.

_{Photo source: visitkong; Photographer: Unknown}

Stay in Port Kong

There are two ways to stay in Bandar Kong. If you are interested in staying in a hotel, you can go to “Diplomat Hotel” in Bandar Lange. This hotel provides various facilities for the comfort of guests.

Another way to stay in Bandar Kong is to experience life in the heart of the local architecture and traditions of this country. Ecotourism residences in Bandar Kong provide the possibility for tourists to touch the life in the heart of the local community and their homes. An example of ecotourism houses; It includes “Mehresara” eco-residence, “Younesi” eco-residence and “Golbet” eco-residence. On top of all this, if you’re looking for more excitement on your trip, camp on the beaches of Port Kong. Places like “Maxar Beach”, “Benod Beach” and “Gnou Mountain” provide this possibility for tourists.

_{Photo source: Googlemap; Photographer: Asal Karimi}

Bandar Kong restaurants

Some of the famous restaurants in Bandar Kong include the following:

• Iranzmin Restaurant: This restaurant has a traditional and beautiful atmosphere that brings a good mood to the guests. If you want to eat traditional and high-quality food, visit this restaurant.
• Durhami restaurant: Essen Restaurant, which is located at the beginning of Bandar Abbas Road, offers dishes such as meat gobuli, chicken gobuli and Chelo fish.
• Boom Mesi Restaurant: This restaurant is located in the coastal part of Bandar and serves a variety of kebabs.

_{Photo source: Googlemap; Photographer: Amir Manian}

Local cuisine of Bandar Kong

The diversity of the local food of the people of Bandar Kong and its different cooking customs is unique in its kind. Each geographical region uses its own foods according to its climate. For this reason, the usual food of the people of Bandar Kong mostly includes fish and dates. In general, the foods of this region are divided into two categories of seafood and non-seafood.

• Seafood: There are a variety of seafood in the port of Kong, and considering that there are about 400 species of fish living in the Persian Gulf, many of which are edible, this variety of seafood seems quite logical. The names of some seafood that we suggest you must try; It includes “Suragh”, “Hawari”, “Kalyeh Mahi”, “Fish Cutlet”, “Motafuk”, “Margieh”, “Tehchin Mahi”, “Mamukh”, “Squid Cutlet” and foods prepared from crab.
• Non-seafood: This type of food is also found in abundance in Kong Port. “Goboli” is the famous food of Bandar Kong, which is cooked with rice, meat or chicken, chickpeas, onions and raisins. In addition, various breads are baked in this area. These breads should be cooked in such a way that the men of Bandar Kong can use them on their sea voyages and also the high humidity of the air will not spoil them. “Naam Temoshi”, “Nan Khem”, “Nan Kepok”, “Ragag”, “Balatuh”, “Shel Shelli” and… are of this type. In addition to bread, there are various types of pickles specific to southern Iran and Bandar Kong, which include “Golram Zangi”, “Mango Kal Pickles”, “Enbok Pickles” and…

_{Photo source: visitkong; Photographer: Unknown}

Bandar Kong souvenirs

The local people of Bandar Kong are always trying to earn a halal livelihood. The women of this area make all kinds of handicrafts for sale. By preparing souvenirs, you can take home a piece of memories of your trip to Kong. Bandar Kong souvenirs are classified into four main groups. Decorative handicrafts that include “Khos dosi”, “Bow embroidery” and “Glabton embroidery”. Another group are products related to the palm tree, which include “wicker fabric” and palm storage baskets; Among these, “Get” is used for high-quality dates, “Korag” is used for pitted dates, and “Kafat” is used for damaged dates. The third group includes products made from clay and the fourth group is handicrafts related to fishing; Such as “Torbafi” and “Gregorbafi” which are considered as fishing accessories.

“Dough dolls” are traditional handicrafts of Bandar that people make and sell. Due to the neighborhood of Bandar Kong with the Persian Gulf, a variety of marine handicrafts such as inlaying on shells and decorative shells are also considered as souvenirs of this region. Different local clothes are other popular souvenirs for travelers.

_{Photo source: visitkong; Photographer: Unknown}

Have you ever traveled to Port Kong? Which food did you eat in Bandar Kong or which souvenir did you bring home with you? Please share your experiences of this trip with Kajaro audience.

_{Photo source: 3click.com; Photographer: Unknown}