Is it safe to take this trip?
 

I heard so much about the amazing landscape of Afghanistan and the warm people who live there. How safe is it for Americans to travel there? Should I cancel my long awaited trip?

I think you should go, but you may want to take a train or bus. I think the runways are too damaged to trust flying right now.

You laugh but in 60's Afghanistan was root hash hippies used, see lonely planet. Apparently there is something beautiful in the mountainside.

The wheather can turn on a dime right now. If you do go, take layers to add on at night. And for sure I'd wear black! M.

I hear lots of Americans and Brits are currently visiting Afghanistan, so it should be quite safe.

Me and some of my friends are currently planning a trip to Afganastan. We are very interested in visiting the home of an Osama bin Laden. Can anyone help us in locating this place?

The weather can go from quite comfortable to over 2000 degrees rather suddenly.

Afghanistan is/was and always will be a spectacularly beautiful and mysterious country that has inspired many over the years. Just read Rudyard Kipling or see The Man Who Would Be King or read A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush. While no sane person would advocate actually going right now, lets not let political ideologies get in the way of our aesthetic/travel sense. After all, for our parents both Japan and Germany were unthinkable as travel destinations.I'd be willing to bet that 10 years from now we will be bitchin' and moanin' about the corruption of the beautiful vistas of Herat by MacDonalds signs. Thats life!

All for one: If planning to visit Osama's cave, don't forget to buy your special Kabul vistor's discount pass, good for 10% off on Osama's hideout cave and various other Taliban "must sees".

Your flight or cruise over may be without incident, but I'd be prepared for anything once you land. (helmet & parachute recommended!) <BR>Happy Landings! <BR>BC

Do not forget your bullet proof vest and the MRE rations!!

If you're a spelunker, be aware that some of the networks of caves are so complex that you can virtually disappear into them and nobody, but nobody, will be able to find you.

To Leslie - Do you really think that there will be an Afghanistan in ten years. It might get blown right off the map.

A good friend of mine who was always interested in the near east (especially Turkey), central Asia, and India, did go there about 25 years ago with a British tour company (swan, I think). I used to see descriptions of off-beat museum-type tours with a "Silk Route" emphasis that seemed to go to Afghanistan, if I'm remebering correctly. Apparently, it was an interesting place to visit for people with curiosity who were looking for something unusual. If you watched Beneath the Veil, remember the narrator/producer telling about her father's desciptions of beautiful luxurious gardens in the Afghanistan of his youth? Almost everything has been destroyed, much of it by the Taliban.

I hear the underground subway system is great. Be sure and buy a 7 day pass.

don´t forget to visit the ruins of the palaces in Kabul.

There no publicity as to where OBL's home in Afghanistan is located. The Tora Bora caves was one temporary home.<BR><BR>On the other hand, his ancestral village in Saudi Arabia can be found on the internet. There's a big Binladen Construction Company where they claim to have a bug-proof room. The butler informs guests that they are not to bring up the OBL subject.

Dear Limey,<BR> Do keep in mind what the widely tavelled Rudyard Kipling had to say,<BR>&quot;When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains/<BR>and the women come out to cut up what remains/<BR>Roll to your rifle and blow out your brains/<BR>and go to your God like a soldier&quot;.

Years ago I went to Afghanistan from Teheran. The flight to Kabul was diverted to Kandahar because of fog where we were told that a bus would take us from there to Kabul, only 250 miles. We arrived before noon (one of the goofiest airports I've ever seen - like a tribute to McDonalds).<BR><BR>It took 12 hours to travel the 250 or so miles to Kabul and most of the time the bus was full of various forms of livestock. It was dark and rainy when we arrived and the town seemed to be covered with mud. What a dump. The surrounding area is pretty . . . Go, Limey . . . I'm sure this your's was a serious question.

To see bin Ladens home just hop on one of those celebritys' homes coach tours.