According to adventure tour operators Wild Frontiers (wildfrontierstravel.com) Hinterland Travel (hinterlandtravel.com), and Responsible Travel (responsibletravel.com), bookings to Afghanistan almost doubled during 2014, with Iraqi Kurdistan almost as popular.
Most tours start in the 3,500 year old Afghan capital Kabul, which despite being ravaged by decades of conflict is still full of cultural and historical treasures and bazaars and is rapidly rebuilding itself.
This wealth of history means there are Buddhist sites, ancient forts and mosques, not to mention verdant hills, vast plains, and spectacular lakes to discover and explore.
Tours such as Responsible Travel’s Afghan Explorer promise to guide travellers in the footsteps of legendary 13th Century Venetian explorer Marco Polo, from Kabul and the foothills of the Hindu Kush to the city of Herat, the mountain caves of Bamiyan, and the lakes at Band-e Amir surrounded by a breathtakingly barren mountain landscape.
Other highlights include the northern cities of Mazar-e-Sharif and Balkh as well as walking in the footsteps of Alexander the Great through the mountainous Panjshir Valley.
The company warms of ‘long, hard days’ and an ‘almost non-existent tourist infrastructure’ but claims the lack of luxury is worth it to discover ‘the most fascinating country in the world.’
Meanwhile the Foreign and Commonwealth Office continues to advise against all travel to almost all of Afghanistan, warning of a ‘high threat from terrorism and kidnapping.
Despite the risks and lack of luxury, tours like those offered by Responsible Travel aren’t cheap, with a 14-day fully inclusive holiday (excluding international flights) costing just shy of £5,000 per person.
