Afghanistan

New from Bradt is Afghanistan, the first travel guidebook to the country from a mainstream publisher in almost 20 years. Afghanistan is a paradox: a nation so well-known internationally, yet one so infrequently explored that it has been effectively untouched by tourism since being a key stop on the hippie trail four decades ago. The Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, China and the ex-USSR 'stans collide in Afghanistan. It is both the graveyard of empires and one of the world's most hospitable countries. From the searing deserts of the south to the high peaks of the Hindu Kush, any trip here is challenging - but one that is now eminently possible with the right preparation. Cue expert travel advice from Bradt's authorial team, comprising an adventure-tourism specialist and a prolific guidebook-writer who cover all the practicalities needed to travel securely and rewardingly - from how female travellers should best enjoy the country to where to stay in Kabul, the sprawling capital. Even the most well-travelled visitor will find their soul stirred and their blood pumping from spending time in Afghanistan. Visit iconic locations such as the Khyber Pass, the Minaret of Jam (14 hours' drive from the nearest paved road!) or the Buddha Niches of Bamian (even if the Taliban have destroyed the statues once found there). Go trekking with Kyrgyz nomads in the Pamir mountains. On the vast steppe, watch buzkashi, a sport where riders attempt to place a goat carcass in a goal. Stay in chaikhanas, communal tea houses that have changed little from the time of Silk Road traders. Enjoy Herat's Timurid architectural gems. Visit the shrine of Hazrat Ali, Afghanistan's pre-eminent pilgrimage site, in Mazar e Sharif. At Band e Amir, experience the country's first national park, and take a swan-shaped pedalo across the lapis lazuli blue waters of its lakes. Follow in the footsteps of Marco Polo in the Wakhan Corridor. Or hike among the forested peaks of Nuristan, where non-Afghan visitors so rarely tread. With Bradt's Afghanistan to inform and inspire you, the off-beat holiday of a lifetime beckons.