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Lonely Planet in Afghanistan

Travel Guide to a War Zone

By Stephan Orth

It may be a war zone, but never mind. Lonely Planet has published a new travel guide for Afghanistan, a first for the country since the 1970s. But as the long list of 'Dangers & Annoyances' shows, it's not your standard backpacker Bible.

At first glance, it looks just like the dozens of other Lonely Planet titles. Each chapter begins with the highlights of the region being presented. There are suggestions for those looking for "Roads Less Travelled." And there are useful tips for eating and sleeping. But the destination itself is a bit out of the ordinary: For the first time since Bohemians were following the Hippie Trail through Central Asia in the 1960s and 70s, travel-guide giant Lonely Planet has come out with a book on Afghanistan.

"For most Lonely Planet books, it's like you buy them, you book the flight, and you go on your trip. This one is different," says book author Paul Clammer, who also runs an Afghanistan travel Web site called Kabul Caravan. "This can only be a foundation, a starting point for the planning."

Indeed, the book is full of numerous links and contact addresses where travellers can get up-to-date information on the security situation in the country. Clammer says it is meant more for the employees of aid organizations operating in the country than for those few backpackers who might be looking for a bit of excitement.

"I find it difficult to recommend independent travel to Afghanistan," Clammer says. "It's not an adventure playground."

There is also no shortage of security and safety tips peppered throughout the tome, and an extra chapter called "Should You Go" is included to draw even more attention to the challenges facing any travellers to Afghanistan. A visit to the country, the book points out, could be quite a shock given the amputees one is likely to meet and the beggars in burqas that ply the streets. And as far as the economic benefits tourism may bring to the country, the book says, a donation to an aid organization may be just as effective.

It is unlikely, of course, that the guide will trigger a wave of adventure travellers to the country. After all, the hurdles facing individual tourists wanting to go to Afghanistan are high. Health insurance for such a trip, for example, is almost impossible to obtain due to the fact that most governments around the world warn their citizens away from Afghanistan. Support from an employer operating in the country is almost a must.

In fact, Clammer is disdainful of thrill seekers looking for roads that most tourists have never taken. "Near the Khyber-pass on the Pakistan border I met backpackers who just want to show off they have a passport stamp for Afghanistan," he sneers.

Clammer himself first came to Afghanistan in 2001 when the Taliban were still in power. Immediately, he fell for the country -- because of the hospitality he experienced and the stunning landscape. It is a love affair which continues to this day. "From the media, most people think the country is mostly brown and dusty," he says. "They don't show the physical beauty of the mountains and lakes." Of course the author is also quick to point out that the place is no picnic, what with the war zones and no-go areas.

Clammer's book also does its best to debunk popular media-driven misperceptions about the country. It doesn't just warn about landmines, terror attacks and kidnappings. Rather, in the section on the capital city, Clammer writes: "Kabul is generally a calm city, with the greatest risk to personal safety being the insane traffic." He does have tips on avoiding thieves on the city streets, and says one shouldn't go out after dark. But he points out that one of the greatest annoyances is the "Kabul cough" -- a product of air pollution in the city.

Still, despite the long list of "Dangers & Annoyances" included in the book, it is first and foremost a travel guide. It describes places from a traveller's point of view that most only know from news reports about the latest suicide attack: The lively markets on Chicken Street in Kabul, the beauty of the flowers in Jalalabad, or the restaurant in Faizabad where one can find the best chicken and fries. Clammer spent two months travelling through the country collecting information while additional Lonely Planet researchers went to other parts of Afghanistan to ensure that, as Clammer says, "every single place that is in the book has been researched on the ground."

The most famous tourist attraction in the country, the ruins of the giant Buddha statues in Bamiyam, gets a nine-page treatment in the book. In the 1970s, the site was a popular gathering point for backpackers on the Hippie Trail, before the monuments were destroyed by the Taliban in the 90s. "Hopefully one day Bamiyan will be the crown jewel of tourism," Clammer says. "It's such a safe place that I'm happy for my parents to go."

And despite the security concerns, the author doesn't hesitate when asked about his favorite places. "Herat with its mosque and the ancient medieval old city, which is just full of atmosphere, the lakes of Band e-Amir with an incredible vivid lapis lazuli blue, they look magical, they don't look like they should be on earth, they look like from paradise," he raves. "And the minaret of Jam which is really remote -- we drove three days to get there. With its 12th century monuments it's just a jewel."