Afghanistan Travel Guide
5/07/2008 at 1:10 PM
Tags: National Parks, Outdoor Travel, Dangerous Travel (all tags)
Officials hope the six lakes of Band-e-Amir, in Afghanistan's Bamiyan province, will soon be the centerpiece of the country's first national park. The Wildlife Conservation Society and USAID have promised money and assistance for the project, including a paved road to the area that will make it much easier to reach.
But when you're a small-time farmer or shepherd trying to scrape by in a war-torn country, putting natural resources off-limits doesn't sound like the best idea. One local wonders how he'll power his flour mill if he's not allowed to use the area's waterfalls for power. A Wildlife Conservation Society official says park rules won't be as rigid as they are in, say, the US:
I don't think that our job here...is to re-create an American park. And, in fact, other than gentle nudges, I don't really want to be saying, 'Here is the vision.' I want the vision to be grown from theirs.
How that all shakes out is still up in the air--as is payment for the current park rangers. Might yet be awhile till we see this one in Lonely Planet Afghanistan.
Related Stories:
· Amid War, Afghanistan Builds Its First National Park [NPR]
· War on Terrorism Travel: Lonely Planet Cracks Afghanistan [Jaunted]
· National Parks coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: tracyhunter]
by pbb
10/05/2007 at 3:05 PM
Tags: Dangerous Travel, Lonely Planet (all tags)
Did someone forget to tell us it's dangerous travel week? A day after taking a look at Burma, we hear about the new Lonely Planet guidebook to Afghanistan. (Out now in paperback!)
In a review in the San Francisco Chronicle, John Flinn picks out some of his favorite parts of the guide:
Turn to the "Dangers & Annoyances" section, and instead of the usual cautions about bedbugs and pickpockets you find a warning about "the danger of an insurgency in the south, plus warlordism and terrorist violence in some other parts of the country."
Which isn't to say you won't find tips about hotels and write-ups of the country's history. And while the US State Department says, "The security threat to all American citizens in Afghanistan remains critical," Lonely Planet's North American publisher sees a bigger picture:
We're not expecting a lot of travelers to buy this book and immediately jump on a plane to Kabul. But part of our job is to take a look at where travel patterns might change in a few years. We do think that once the country stabilizes there is going to be a lot of interest.
Related Stories:
· Lonely Planet Guide Jumps the Terrorist Gun [SFGate]
· Lonely Planet Publishes Afghanistan Guidebook [WorldHum]
· Dangerous Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Lonely Planet]
by pbb
1/22/2007 at 11:00 AM
Tags: Adventure Travel, Travel Media, New York Times (all tags)
Don't get us wrong: we're into adventure travel. But Kabul? Ahem... Too soon? Apparently the New York Times doesn't think so, as Joshua Hammer checks in with the latest report from the Afghan capital and the next totally hot adventure destination.
It was once hot on the hippie trail, but the Kabul revival hasn't reached Costa Rica status quite yet. Last year, the article says, fewer than 100 westerners toured the city with Great Game Travel Company. But from the sounds of it, booking with a company that can provide security and guides may be the way to go:
Although most of the violence is concentrated in Taliban strongholds in the country's southeast, a handful of attacks have rocked the capital during the last year, including a suicide-bomb explosion on Sept. 8 at Massoud Circle, a major traffic hub, that killed 2 Americans and at least 16 Afghans. Anti-Western riots broke out last May
Be that as it may, says Joshua, Kabul can be safe enough if travelers take the right precautions. He "never once felt threatened" in his week there, and instead of spending his week locked up inside the
Kabul Serena Hotel he got out to meet friendly people. He also worked the circuit of coffee shops, bazaars and bars for foreign aid workers--where most of the talk was about how far Afghanistan has come since the Soviet invasion and the Taliban. It all sounds great--but when do they put in the zip lines and
Zorbing runs?
Related Stories
· The Mysteries of Kabul [NYT]
· Great Game Travel Company [Official Site]
· Kabul Serena Hotel [Official Site]
by pbb
3/15/2006 at 1:32 PM
Tags: Adventure Travel (all tags)
We can't get enough of those war-torn countries: The Times of London has a
round-up today of nightlife in Kabul, Afghanistan. Ignore the hed, which makes Kabul sound like the hamlet from Footloose, and luxuriate in the party town of choice among countries the US has recently invaded.
There's a variety of ethnic restaurants to sample, a hearty supply of Chinese prostitutes available (it's
such a party buzzkill when the host runs low on Asian hookers), and even $3,000 Breitling watches for sale. Visitors can bunk in the Serena Hotel, which costs $250 a night, and in the morning there are plenty of tee times to be had at the Kabul Golf Course. It's just like Palm Springs!
Some fear a backlash against what they see as newfound immorality in the country, but for all conservatives complaining, it's not like they'll do anything about it. That crowd is all talk.
[Image via Mouse/Flickr]
Related Stories:·
Serena Hotel Kabul [Gridskipper]
·
Good Times Roll in a City where Fun was Banned [Times of London]
·
Golf Course a Symbol of Survival [Seattle Times]
by AVB
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