Afghanistan Flights:
Flights to Afghanistan
Afghanistan is situated in south central Asia and is a land-locked country which has borders with six countries including Iran, Pakistan and Turkmenistan.
Despite its troubled past and recent and persistent problems, Afghanistan actually does have a reasonable amount to offer visitors, however, entry into the country really is not advised unless travel here is essential. Also with these volatile problems, actually travelling into Afghanistan may not be particularly easy. Flights are available, though not always guaranteed, with several airlines. For flights from South Africa your best bet might be to fly to Dubai with Emirates, British Airways or South African Airways amongst others. From Dubai, flights to Kabul in Afghanistan can be taken with Pamir Airways and Kam Air. Another option is to fly to Afghanistan via Delhi – Air India and Kam Air fly from Delhi to Kabul.
Book a Flight To Afghanistan:
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The Tourist Attractions of Afghanistan:
As mentioned, travel into Afghanistan purely for tourism purposes is not advised at this time, and if you have to visit the country for other reasons you should remain extra vigilant. If you’re still interested in visiting Afghanistan, here are some of the top things you should see…
Kabul is the capital city of Afghanistan and has suffered greatly as a result of the wars over the past few decades. The city is now however undergoing restoration and redevelopment and tourists will find that there are a good selection of hotels, restaurants, shops and more. Kabul is becoming more westernized in what it offers, though is still very much Afghan and hencethe cultures and traditions should be respected here as with any other part of the country.
Kabul has a number of parks which are popular with both locals and visitors – Babur Gardens is one example, or Bagh-e Bala. A short distance outside of the city centre is Lake Qargha, a picturesque lake where you can swim and enjoy water sports as well as international cuisine. The Afghan National Museum, although still of interest, has unfortunately suffered at the hands of the Taliban – it has been looted and bombed over the years, meaning the collections are far more minimal than they once were. Still, you can see both early Buddhist and Islamic artefacts here.
In other parts of the country the Taliban have also set about destroying the existence of previous cultures. The town of Balkh has suffered greatly throughout history, though still has some historic attractions worth visiting for. Enclosing the town is an ancient wall built of mud and brick, whilst inside you can see the 15th century shrine of Khoja Abu Nasar Parsa.
The town of Bamiyan has a similar story to tell – this was once the site of giant carved Buddha statues but these were destroyed by the Taliban. Despite this destruction, the statues remain one of Afghanistan’s biggest tourist attractions and the ruins of them can still be seen. In addition this part of the country is very scenic.
If you’re wishing to see more of the Islamic culture of Afghanistan, one of the most impressive places to se this is the ‘Blue Mosque’ in the city of Mazar-e Sharif. The Blue Mosque is an ornately tiled mosque which was built on the site of a shrine and the burial site of Ali bin Talib.
When Should You Visit?:
Afghanistan generally has an arid to semi-arid climate, though the north and areas of higher elevation will be cooler. Generally, summers are hot and dry whilst winters are quite cold.
Although Kabul is a city at elevation, the summers can be quite pleasant with daytime temperatures of around 30C (90F). In lower elevations though, summers can be unbearably hot with temperatures as high as 60C (140F).