Afghanistan
The information below is provided by Lonely Planet readers and is not verified by Lonely Planet. For the official lowdown, contact your nearest embassy or check out our Travel Links.
Warning
Since the Islamic fundamentalist group, Taliban, took over the the capital, Kabul, in 1996 from their bases in southern Afghanistan, the country has been cranked back to the Dark Ages. The Taliban have instituted a kind of medieval system of justice in the country and sown terror wherever they've been, with mass hangings, stonings of adulterers (or accused adulterers), and brought back that old favourite - lopping off the hand of thieves. A vicious war is raging in the north between the Taliban and the remainder of the government forces. Add earthquakes in February 1998 that killed around 5000 people, and US strikes against alleged terrorist facilities in August; don't forget to note the regular famines that sweep the country, and Afghanistan becomes a dicey proposition in all but the most die-hard's travel journal, the definitive term here being 'die-hard.'
If you're still determined to go despite the warning, travellers' letters may offer advice on the best way to go about it. Letters in red have been verified, although not necessarily by Lonely Planet.
Visas, Embassies & Border Crossings
The Afghan embassy in Dushanbe (kuçai Pushkin 34, consulate phone 21.67.35, English spoken) now issues visas. Visa applications are treated on Tuesday and Thursdays, and a one-month single-entry visa costs US$ 30. You should bring your passport of course, two passport photos, and a letter from your embassy, or your organization if you happen to work for one. According to the information we gathered in Dushanbe, travelers can now cross the Tajik-Afghan border at Nizhnii Pjandzh about 70 km south of the Tajik town of Kurgantepe. The other Tajik-Afghan border crossing at Iskashim is allegedly open for accredited humanitarian transport only.
Bruno De Cordier, Belgium (Jul 02)
Travel Tips
Don't forget satellite phones. It's near to impossible to find a phone in any area in Afghanistan, so get a satellite phone from border towns in Pakistan, i.e. Quetta.
Anonymous, Malaysia (Nov 02)
Just got back from a fantastic week in Afghanistan. The country is busily re-building after 23 years of devastating warfare. Hope that the international community comes through with their promised $$$ aide, so that obvious progress can be made in the re-building effort. If Afghanis begin to see the results, it will only help bring greater stability to their land.
Steve Newcomer, USA (Sep 02)
Kabul may not be a holiday spot to write about and certainly not a place where you would look to shop. However, an assignment for a TV news network brought me to this incredible country, and well, on my last day, I even did a bit of shopping.
Chicken Street is the place to head for if souvenirs is what you are looking for. Curio shops stocking postcards, boxes made of the famous Afghan blue stone, musical instruments, beautiful Afghan carpets, and daggers!
I was looking for carpets, and I was taken to a different market by our guide. Much more variety, much cheaper, and much more beautiful. The designs, colour, and the fabric were amazing - I bought two:)) The grocery stores stock every snack that you can conceive in the west - it's quite a strange sight at first... it comes from the numerous aid agencies, troops, and assorted western presence I guess. Fruit juice from Uzbekistan, jam from Pakistan, bottled water from Italy, cheese from Austria... its all there. Being the main 'tourist' market, Chicken Street can be relatively expensive. Bargaining is part of the deal usually. Carpets- a good, large sized carpet costs from $300 upwards. The smaller ones can come for about $70 a piece.
The Kabul River, as suggested by the LP webpage, sounds like a river as we would know it. But unfortunately, 6 years of drought have left it no wider than 12 inches as it passes through Kabul. It's a sad sight indeed, especally to me when every evening I stared at the wall in the guesthouse I was staying in, which showed a picture from Afghanistan's better days. A river full of water.
Husain Akbar, India (Sep 02)
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