7:00 ET, Fri 15 Jun 2007
KABUL (Reuters Life!) – Once a thriving crossroads, Afghanistan is definitely off the beaten tourist track as Western and Afghan military forces try to quell a Taliban insurgency.
But for adventurous travelers who find themselves in the war-scarred capital Kabul, Reuters correspondents with local knowledge help visitors get the most from a short stay.
If you don’t have your own transportation and don’t speak the local Dari or Pashtu languages, make sure you find an English-speaking taxi driver.
Most importantly, make sure you seek out local knowledge about security before venturing out. Kabul has seen occasional kidnappings and suicide bombings, although the raids have been almost exclusively directed at military targets.
Women need to wear a headscarf and should try for a low profile and to remain inconspicuous.
THURSDAY
4 p.m. – Thursday afternoons and Fridays are Afghanistan’s weekend, and offer good opportunities to see the sights while there are fewer cars and smaller crowds in the streets.
Take a trip to the bombed-out but hauntingly evocative Dar-ul Aman Palace near Afghanistan’s National Museum about 16 km (10 miles) from the centre of Kabul. The palace was built as part of a 1920s modernization drive by King Amanullah Khan. It was badly damaged in a coup after the Soviet pullout from Afghanistan and was rebuilt, to be ruined again during the civil war.
The drive out there is stunning, taking you past scores of ruins in one of the most battle-scarred areas of the city.
5 p.m. – Another must-see is Babur’s Garden, the burial site of the 16th century founder of the Mughal dynasty whose empire stretched from Samarkand to central India. It has been renovated and a short drive from the place.
7 p.m. – Dinner at L’ Atmosphere, a French restaurant in Qalaye Fathullah that has its own swimming pool, extensive gardens for relaxing in in summer and cosy enclosed, wood-fired lounges in winter. It is the favorite hangout for NGO types and the local French community and there really are lots of rabbits and kittens in the garden, so no, you’re not hallucinating. Email: [email protected]
FRIDAY
8 a.m. – Start the day with a drive to the top of Television Mountain for a clear view of most of the city. It’s impressive, but don’t wander on the mountainside as it was only recently demined and is not considered completely safe. The drive is spectacular, but not for the faint-hearted, with steep drops on the side and no room for passing traffic at times.
9 a.m. – Breakfast and coffee at the Intercontinental Hotel. Perched on a hill, the hotel has the most famous bookshop in Kabul, and sells dried fruits and locally made handicrafts such as jewellery and carpets.
10 a.m. – Drive to Qargha Lake or Paghman, both picnic resorts some 30 minutes from the city, to relax and swim.
Take a walk around the Bala Hissar, an ancient fortress built around the 5th century. It saw some of the worst fighting between Afghan forces and the invading British during the two Anglo-Afghan wars in the 19th century, and remnants of heavy weapons can be see in the remains.
From here, go up to the Zanborak Shah Mountain to see the massive mud walls built by the former Hindu rulers of Kabul to block the advances of Muslim conquerors.
2 p.m. – Spozhmai restaurant at Qargha has a great view and good local food. It is an ideal spot to relax after sight-seeing.
4 p.m. – Head back to town to the hill where Afghans fly kites on the weekend. It is the scene of the bestseller and soon-to-be-movie “The Kite Runner” and is a colourful sight.
7 p.m. – Pre-dinner drinks at Gandamack Lodge, a guesthouse run by former BBC cameraman and Afghan expert Peter Jouvenal. A Kabul institution, Gandamack offers not only pleasant rooms and meals, but a comfortable bar frequented by resident expats and visiting and locally based journalists. Vintage swords and firearms are also on sale.
8 p.m. – Red Hot Sizzlin’ steak house, near the Kabul River and the road to Jalalabad, is a red meat lover’s heaven. Run by an Australian, its at the bottom of the hill you visited earlier to watch the kites.
SATURDAY
9 a.m. – Breakfast with a view at the Safi Landmark Hotel or the Golden Star hotel in Shar-e-naw, the de facto city center.
10 a.m. – If you’re after handmade carpets, jewellery, handicrafts and antiques, head to the Chicken Street market. Be prepared to bargain hard.
11 a.m. – A visit to the National Art Gallery and the private Sultani museum is worthwhile. They share a charming old building near Joye Sheer in the heart of the city and the staff are friendly and always keen for a chat. The gallery still holds thousands of scraps of paintings destroyed by the Taliban, and they are on display.
12 p.m. – Round up your artistic morning with a visit to the National Museum, which recently reacquired hundreds of items from exile. It’s a short drive away from the city centre.
2 p.m. – Lunch at Delhi Darbar in Shar-e-Naw, which serves authentic Indian food indoors and outdoors. Its South Indian dishes are excellent; try the uttapam.
3 p.m. – Wrap up your trip to Kabul by visiting Istalif, an hour’s drive to the north of Kabul. A picturesque picnic spot, the village was badly damaged in fighting between the Taliban and the Northern Alliance. But a small group of potters are creating jugs, teacups and other ceramics to sell to visitors.
© Reuters 2007. All rights reserved.