Best Tourist Places to Visit in Afghanistan, Asia

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Afghanistan, Asia

Afghanistan is located in Central Asia which has a population of 30 million covering an area of 647500 sq kms bound by Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan countries. The National Assembly of Afghanistan consists of 2 legislative bodies which are known as House of Elders and Houses of the People. Afghanistan is a rocky terrain country having rocky mountain ranges where most of them are not been inhabited by people. Afghanistan coordinates with 34.32’ degree North Latitude and 69.08’ degree East Longitude with Kabul being its capital city. Thought

History and meaning of Afghanistan:

Afghanistan is said to be derived from Persian word “Afghan” meaning “Land of the Afghans”. It is said that Afghanistan existed 50,000 years back and was ruled by many kings and rulers such as Achaemenid Empire, Macedonian Empire, Maurya Empire and Islamic Empire. Centuries back Afghanistan was known for its Buddhist religion which was brought by Mauryans and Kushans. Afghanistan also came under the rule of Islam and Mongol invasion. During the early 90’s Afghanistan was under the rule of Talibans who took complete control of the place until they were completely wiped out by US army forces couple of years back.

Places to see in Afghanistan:

Band-e-Amir:

Band-e- Amir is known for their chunk of five lakes which in other terms is also called as lake of jewels. These are naturally formed lakes and color of the water in the lakes is deep blue. It is one of the most popular tourist spot in Afghanistan.

Kabul Museum:

The museum holds one of the prolific landmarks in city of Kabul which has enriched collections of many statues, paintings, artifacts, prehistoric coins, manuscripts and weapons belonging to Kushan Empire and Buddhism which are kept for public display. The museum attracts many national as well as international tourists from all parts of the country.

Minaret of Jam:

This is one of the magnificent built minars which is listed by UNESCO in its world heritage list. This minaret is also called as Minaret of Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad bin Sam and lies on the banks of river Hari Rud.

Panjshir Valley:

Panjshir Valley is known for its natural beauty and scenic landscapes surrounded by lush greenery, mountain cliffs, rivers and deep valleys. Panjshir Valley is located near the Hind Kush Mountain Ranges and is approx 150 kms from Kabul. It is considered to be one of the most popular tourist destinations in Afghanistan.

Tora Bora:

Tora Bora is known for their caves situated atop the White Mountains locally called as Safed Koh and is about 50 kms from Khyber Pass.

Balkh:

Balkh is very well known for its mosque and historic monuments that has a shrine of Hazrat Ali, also called as mosque of nine cupolas. The shrines are known for their splendid Mughal architecture work and a crafted inscription visited by thousands of devotes and tourists all round the year.

Bamiyan:

Bamiyan is known for the two tallest statues of lord Buddha measuring 38 meters and 53 meters which are carved out of hills was a well known tourist spot in this part of the city. Bamiyan is also famous for its forts and monuments.

Connectivity to Afghanistan:

Afghanistan is very well connected by air mode of transport where direct flights are available to Pakistan, Jeddah, Abu Dhabi, UAE, Muscat, Germany, Oman and other important cities in the Middle East very frequently. Many flights take off and land from Kabul International Airport and Kandahar Airport, few busiest airports located in Afghanistan. Mercedes Benz buses are available from Kabul city to travel nearby cities and towns situated in Afghanistan.

Afghan food and cuisines:

Afghanistan is very famous for its mouth watering and lip smacking dishes and cuisines. Some of the Afghan delights include Qabli Pulao, Kababs, korma, Mantu, Shorma and popular rice dishes.

Hotels in Afghanistan:

The hotels in Afghanistan are much renowned all over the world for Afghan cuisine and hospitality they show towards the travelers visiting the place. One can find many budgeted hotels including high class luxury hotels serving authentic Afghan cuisines and dishes. List of some of the hotels located in Afghanistan are: