Most international travelers would shriek at the very thought of visiting Afghanistan. The image of Afghanistan popularized by the international media is mostly of a dusty terrain inhabited by suicide bombers and the Taliban. Despite the risks, Afghanistan is a country worth traveling or else where could you spend your time in boutique hotels and dine for just ₤1?
Afghanistan is blessed with natural bounties. It is surrounded by the great Hindu Kush mountains, which are covered with snow during the winter. In the summer the valleys turn green with its rivers flowing across plains blossoming with tulips and gentians.
The pertinent question which crosses every mind is how safe is Afghanistan? The truth is while the southern part of the country is still a war zone, the rest of the country is by large peaceful, save for a few stray untoward incidence.
For any tourist the most attractive destination would be the Bamiyan Valley where the giant statue of the Buddha once stood. The Wakhan Corrider and the mountaneous north-east is a good trekking place. Kabul with its Swish boutique style Kabul Serena Hotel or the old colonial Gandamack Lodge and a walk in the Shahr-e-Nau park is popular among tourists. The cities of Herut and Samurkhand with their brightly tiled mosques will take you to an era long gone.
Afghan food mostly consists of greasy meat and rice. In the autumn and summer months you will be able to pamper your taste buds with Afghanistan’s bounty of natural produce - its pomegranates, figs, peaches, apples and melons.
So if you are thinking of visiting a place where the traditional and modern coexist amidst natural beauty then you can think of Afghanistan. It is for the interest of the people of Afghanistan largely dwelling in unspeakable poverty that more and more international tourists should visit the country.
Source:times.co.uk
Image:espacioblog.com
