![Band-e-Amir National Park in Bamiyan province can be seen in this photograph taken July 11. [Najibullah/Salaam Times]](/cnmi_st/images/2022/07/21/36304-3-739_416.webp)
BAMIYAN -- Thousands of Afghans from various provinces are flocking to Band-e-Amir National Park this year to escape the hot summer weather and to enjoy the historical and natural sites the region has to offer.
Made up of a series of lakes situated in the mountainous desert of Bamiyan province, the park has cool weather and beautiful scenery that appeal to tourists during hot summer months.
Some 50,000 Afghans visited Band-e-Amir during Eid ul Adha alone, according to Bamiyan's Department of Information and Culture, local media reported.
Besides the park, giant Buddha statues, the historical cities of Ghulghula and Zuhak and other historical sites in the area have also attracted local and foreign tourists.
Afghanistan's National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) named Band-e-Amir the country's first national park in 2009 to promote and protect the natural beauty of the intensely blue lakes created by natural dams high in the Hindu Kush mountains.
Tired of war and looking for respite from life's daily struggles, Afghans visiting Band-e-Amir earlier this month said they want to use every opportunity available to visit different parts of their country.
Zabiullah Afghan, a resident of Kandahar province, recently visited Bamiyan province and Band-e-Amir for the second time.
"I visited Bamiyan last year for the first time. It was a good trip," he said. "Therefore, I came here again this year together with a number of my friends."
"Kandahar is too hot this time of year, but Bamiyan has great weather, and seeing its beautiful scenery is joyful," Afghan said.
Mustafa Alizai, a friend of Afghan who visited Band-e-Amir for the first time on July 11, along with Afghan, was delighted about his trip to the province.
"Banyan has many places to see. Band-e-Amir is beautiful, and it has great weather," Alizai said. "Band-e-Amir is the best place for a vacation."
"May God grant our people the ability to live like brothers," he said. "Visiting different provinces and having people from one province meet people from another province can strengthen national unity."
Most of the region's residents are Hazara, a mainly Shia ethnic minority that has been marginalised and persecuted in Afghanistan for decades.
Javed Rasouli, a small business owner from Balkh province, said he had such a great time on his first visit to Band-e-Amir that he wants to return with his family.
"It is ... totally worth coming and visiting," he said.
"Our people are tired of war and difficulties, and the majority of them are suffering from mental issues," Rasouli said. "These trips can be a good vacation for them."
"All Afghans are hospitable, but our folks from Bamiyan are really nice and are great hosts," he added.
Flourishing sales
Street vendors and shopkeepers in Bamiyan and Band-e-Amir enjoy better business in the summer when the tourists arrive, a number of them said.
"Tourists who come to see Bamiyan's Buddha statues and then go to visit Band-e-Amir buy things from us on their way," said Mohammad Ali, 27, a shopkeeper in Bamiyan city.
Sales are the highest in summer when Afghan tourists visit Bamiyan and Band-e-Amir, while in the past foreign tourists would also visit, he said.
"Local tourists mostly buy qorot [dried yoghurt], namad [wool felt carpets] and almonds," he added. "They buy Bamiyan's qorot because it is very tasty."
Mohammad Reza Rezae, a street vendor in Band-e-Amir, said his sales are high for two months a year when residents of other provinces visit Band-e-Amir.
"I sell biscuits, chewing gums, key chains, necklaces and bracelets and make about 5,000 AFN [$56] a day, thank God," he said.
In previous years, foreign tourists would also come to Band-e-Amir and sales were even better, he said, but this year there are only local tourists.
Increased tourism by locals and foreigners helps introduce Afghanistan's historical sites and improves the country's economy, Samad Ali Farhang, a Kabul-based Afghan social affairs analyst, said.
"Bamiyan is full of natural attractions and historical sites that are very important for tourism," he said.
"The availability of transportation facilities, safe and reliable accommodations, and professional guides to properly introduce the history and historical importance of different areas is critical," Farhang added.
Same as Band-e- Amir, there are many other places in Afghanistan that need to be prepared so people can visit them. Almost every province of Afghanistan has some places that people can visit with their friends and families. More endeavors should be made to pave the road which goes to Band-e-Amir and also more hotels and public service facilities and places should be built for receiving more people. People should know that they have to keep the environment clean and neat.
Reply6 Comment
This place can be called a miracle of nature, full of clear water, waterfalls, and other interesting landscapes. But it must be said that this dam is unsuitable for accepting so many tourists despite its beauty and vastness. There are very few facilities. There are very few hotels, and they are very small, and the tents are also few and small. In addition, many people do not care about cleanliness there. The biggest problem is the way to get to the dam. You are forced to take a 20-kilometer dirt road to reach the dam, full of difficulties and hardships. I am calling on the officials of this dam through the Salaam Times website that the huge amount of money they get by buying tickets for this dam should be reinvested in improving the environment of this dam. Efforts should be made to pave the road and build more hotels, public toilets, and dirt bins.
Reply6 Comment
It really is a very nice and beautiful place. No one could believe that there would be a place with this much water and a magnificent natural view across a desert with no water and grass. I visited this dyke during the last Eid’s holidays. Indeed, this dike is more beautiful than how it is shown on TV and social media platforms. Band-e-Amir had become a gathering place for Afghans from all over the country, and I saw thousands of Afghans, including Tajiks, Pashtuns, Hazaras, Uzbeks, etc., gathering together far away from the hypocrisy of politicians and any kind of prejudice and discrimination were enjoying Eid holidays. I saw many families, far from the horror of the Taliban, laughing with each other, cooking, humming poetry, enjoying the waterfalls of the dyke, and in short, they were trying to forget all the sadness and sorrow of life. I have very good memories from this trip and I ask every fellow countryman to visit this amazing and magnificent place at least once in their lifetime. Thanks
Reply6 Comment
Many other places like Band-e-Amir in Afghanistan should be reformed and built for people to visit. For example, the city of Jalalabad is one of Afghanistan's warmest cities and regions. Still, it is only an hour's drive from this city to Khogyani, Shinwari, and Pachir Agam districts, each of which is a very cold area. People can go out of the city on weekends to these cool areas and enjoy life there. Shops and other facilities can be built there and benefit the local people.
ReplyI agree, almost every province of Afghanistan has places worth visiting where people can go and have happy moments with their friends and family. But as you mentioned, the possibilities for tourists in these areas are either very few or non-existent; however, now that security has come to the country, in my opinion, the private sector can invest in these areas, on the one hand, and invest their money in a useful area, and on the other hand, provide employment opportunities to the people of the region.
Reply6 Comment
It is a great place to be thankful to witness this day when people go on a tour in a peaceful atmosphere, go around, and go to the parts of the country that they want to see. This was not the case before; people were afraid. Bombs used to explode in such crowded places, but now, on the contrary, thousands of people are gathering, celebrating, and enjoying. Families go. Not only did so many people go to Band-e-Amir and enjoy the clean air there; instead, people can visit many cold regions of Paktia, Khost, Nuristan, Kunar, Nangarhar, and other parts of the country and hold festivals whenever they want.
Reply6 Comment