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Bamiyan or Bust! Afghanistan Hopes to Lure Tourists with History, Peace

Instead of taking a standard vacation to Disney World or the Greek islands this summer, why not spend some time in Afghanistan? Officials in the war-torn country are hoping westerners will consider visiting its many peaceful areas, where gems of history have lured travelers for generations. An interesting Reuters story points out that Bamiyan is filled with World Heritage Sites, including the remains of the famous Bamiyan Buddhas (pictured) that were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001.

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Iraq Travel / Iraq / Dangerous Cities / Dangerous Travel / → All Tags

Italian Tourist in Falluja Shows How Extreme Travel is Done

The airwaves are filled with travel shows featuring supposedly bold and daring adventurers visiting exotic countries and eating weird animal parts, but one western tourist has proven to have bigger coglioni than the lot of them. As the New York Times points out in a jaw-dropping story, Italian Luca Marchio was having a grand old time traveling alone through Iraq until his backpacking adventure was put to an end by Iraqi and U.S. authorities in Falluja.

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Cautiously Optimistic Travel: Power-Sharing Deal in Zimbabwe Could Reopen Doors to Tourism

Robert Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe for 28 years, and in the past decade or so he's grown increasingly paranoid, hostile and unhinged, terrorizing opposition parties, fixing elections, and destroying the country's agriculture industry, causing widespread hardship and international isolation. Threats of violence and the general perception of danger have significantly tamped down what was once a vibrant tourism sector in the country, with the U.S. State Department reporting that "resident and visiting Americans have been arrested, detained, or threatened with expulsion for activities that would not be considered crimes in the U.S., including the expression of opinions regarding the current political regime in Zimbabwe."

There's potentially good news on the horizon, though: a power-sharing deal between Mugabe and his chief rival, Morgan Tsvangirai, is expected to be signed on Monday, and while nobody expects the old man to give up all his authority overnight, it's a step toward stability and - hopefully - a Mugabe-free future for the long-suffering nation.

We were in Zimbabwe for a couple of days about ten years ago, breezing through Harare on route to Victoria Falls, an achingly beautiful resort area that lies across the Zambezi River from Zambia. While the Zimbabwe side boasts better views of the falls, its resorts have foundered as tourists gravitated to the relative safety of Zambian accommodations. Here's hoping that a new-found peace restores the competitive balance between the two nations, and hotels compete on the basis of price and amenities instead of the likelihood of harassment and attack.

[Photo: The Independent]

Related Stories:
· The Most Fragile of Deals: Mugabe Finally Cedes Power [The Independent]
· Dangerous Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

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Off Limits Travel: Fighting Breaks Out Between Russia and Georgia Over South Ossetia

The fifteen individual nations that emerged when the Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991 have provided a tantalizing opportunity for travelers ever since, with an abundance of cultural treasures to discover that had formerly been off-limits to most foreigners. Georgia, for one, is a particularly intriguing destination due to its eclectic cultural makeup, with both Eastern European and Southwest Asian influences informing its music, dance, architecture, and world-renowned cuisine.

Unfortunately, it looks like much of Georgia will be off-limits to travelers for the foreseeable future. Violent clashes between Georgian and Russian troops over the breakaway region of South Ossetia erupted on Friday and intensified over the weekend, causing waves of civilians to abandon their homes to seek shelter elsewhere until the fighting subsides.

Details are just now emerging on the extent of the fighting. Russian forces are reportedly now in control of the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali, while the city of Gori, which technically lies outside the disputed province, has been bombarded by Russian planes in an intense air campaign. Furthermore, the Russian government announced it is moving a portion of its Black Sea fleet to the port of Ochamchira.

Most of these locations are off the normal tourist path, except for Gori. The city is well known across the former Soviet Union as the birthplace of Joseph Stalin, and it's one of the few places on the continent where one will find a well-preserved statue of the brutal leader (pictured) as well as a museum dedicated to his life. Other, less controversial attractions include the Gori Fortress, thought to date back more than 1,000 years. Here's hoping peace returns to the region soon so people can get back to traveling and exchanging ideas and good will.

Related Stories:
· Complete Coverage of the South Ossetian Conflict [The New York Times]
· Georgia Overview and Travel Warning [Lonely Planet]
· Things to Do in Gori [Virtual Tourist]
· Dangerous Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: World 66]

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Visiting Myanmar, Seeing Burma

As protests against the government continue in Myanmar, we've wondered what it's actually like in the Southeast Asian country. You could, in theory, head over to check it out yourself, though going right now would fall somewhere between reckless and unbelievably stupid.

Both the US and UK governments give dire warnings against travel to the country, and the common refrain is that your visit shows support for the authoritarian military regime that controls Myanmar. It's true that some of your money will end up in the hands of the government, just as it does in most tourist destinations. And the democratically elected leader of Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi, has asked tourists not to visit.

On the other hand, your trip also bears witness to the situation in the country, and your presence reminds authorities that the world at large is watching. And far be it from us to tell you where you should or shouldn't go.

If you go:
The easiest way to visit is with a tour group, though you'll likely be corralled away from the gritty realities of daily life. Independent travelers can apply for visas in their home countries at Burmese embassies; the cost is $20. (If you're a writer, journalist or anything else that might sound seditious, you probably shouldn't admit it when applying.)

Flights on Thai Airways and Singapore Air (among others) land in Yangon, the country's largest city and the site of some of the largest protests in recent weeks. Also worth seeing is the newly-created capital city of Naypyidaw, built from nothing deep in the jungles of the nation's interior.

Related Stories:
· A Peak Inside Myanmar's Capital [AP, via Google]
· Dangerous Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of Naypyidaw: David Longstreath/Associated Press]

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Wake up Tourists: St. Louis Most Dangerous City in the US

Morgan Quitno Press, a private researching and publishing company specializing in city reference books, says St. Louis is the most dangerous city for 2006, though the study doesn't account for the suburbs.

Somewhat interestingly, last week we sat next to a St. Louisian on a flight to Boston who told us that the city of St. Louis was in the midst of massive out flight and urban decay. He suggested that most urban professionals had long since fled the city for the comfort of the surrounding suburbs, though these folks still claimed to be from St. Louis. Does that skew the survey?

Since Nelly always released candy-ass hip hop about being from the Lou, we never really took St. Louis for any more than a faux hardcore city with a giant arch. Hey, must be the money. Looks like we may have to change our thinking. A quick web search shows that under the Kingshighway bridge and anywhere near the Hill are not places the St. Louis tourism board want you to know about.

Oh, and on South Grand, apparently things are so bad graffiti artists are begging for the dinosaurs to return and restore order. Enjoy that parade, Cardinal fans.

[Photo: keaggy.com]

Related Stories:
· St. Louis named most dangerous U.S. city [CNN]