"Here at last is Asia without an inferiority complex."
- Robert Byron, The Road to Oxiana

Lonely Planet's Central Asia (2004) now has a large chapter about Afghanistan, which provides strong travel information for visitors. As the Afghan chapter was also written by the author of this site, picking up a copy of the book is highly recommended! In mid-2005, Odyssey published the mammoth 750-page Afghanistan: A Companion and Guide, Richly illustrated, it is excellent for pre-trip reading, packed with cultural and historical information, but sits heavily in your luggage. A good basic Afghan primer for both travellers and those working in Afghanistan is the BAAG Briefing Pack produced by the British Agencies Afghanistan Group, which gives background information on local contexts, travel advice and useful contacts. It can be downloaded from the BAAG website.

Money
Afghanistan's is the afghani (Afg). Relaunched in late 2002 to counter massive devaluation, it has held its value well, fluctuating at around 45-50Afg to the dollar. For most travellers, the banking system exists in name only - Da Afghanistan Bank reluctantly changes traveller's cheques only at its Kabul head office. Positive changes are afoot however, and Kabulnow has a branch of Western Union for money transfers, and an ATM at a branch of Standard Chartered Bank in Kabul.

As in much of Asia, bazaar prices are subject to fluctuation. The cost of living is high for the vast majority of Afghans, which should be borne in mind when shopping in the bazaar for everyday goods, and it is best to err on the side of generosity when faced with an asking price. Buying luxury items - for instance, souvenirs in Kabul's Chicken Street - is a different matter, and shoppers should feel free to haggle.

Transport
Afghanistan's road system is a nightmare. A few notable roads are tarred and sealed, such as the Kabul-Kandahar and Kabul-Mazar-e Sharif highways. Otherwise the road quality mostly ranges between poor and very bad. A massive road rehabilitation programme supported by the World Bank and Asian Development Bank has shown slow progress so far. Many roads through the mountains may be impassable in the winter due to snow, although major roads are generally kept open.

Transport is inexpensive and plentiful between major towns. The fastest method of travelling from A to B is by minibus (or HiAce, locally called falang) or shared taxi.

Ariana Afghan Airlines operate a reasonable domestic service, linking Afghanistan's major cities to Kabul. KamAir, Afghanistan's only private airline operates flights between Kabul, Herat and Mazar-e Sharif, but the Transport Ministry briefly suspended the company's domestic service in May 2005, following the crash of a KamAir flight in February 2005. In June 2005, the Afghan government announced the launch of Uqab Airlines, operating flights for tourists with five helicopters, but further information is not yet forthcoming.

Accommodation
Most towns in Afghanistan have a hotel of some description. In Kabul there is wide choice, from private guesthouses to the cavernous Intercontinental Hotel. Many small hotels refuse to take foreign travellers as guests, judging them to be a security risk. Hotels in large towns that accept foreigners tend to cost between US$10-30 a night (Kabul is more expensive still). Travel between towns can often involve an enforced overnight stay, the usual protocol is for the transport to stop at a restaurant (chaikhana) where food is served, and travellers spend the night, usually sleeping a communal room for a couple of dollars. Such arrangements may cause problems for female travellers.

Food
Afghan food is rice based, and the most common dish is pulao - steamed rice with raisins and carrot. This is usually served with a side dish of meat, vegetables or beans. The most popular variant is qabli pulao (sometimes mistakenly called Kabuli pulao), served with lamb. Cutlery is not normally used, and food is eaten with the right hand, often using bread (nan) as a scoop. Soup (shorma) is common as are kebabs. Vegetarians are not well catered for. Afghanistan abounds in seasonal fruit, most notably melons from Mazar-e Sharif and Maimana, grapes and pomegranates from Kandahar and oranges from Jalalabad. The most common drink is tea (chai). Tea drinking was largely introduced by the Russians in the 19th Century, and the Russian term samovar is commonly used to refer to a teahouse/restaurant or chaikhana.

Communication
Afghanistan's phone system was destroyed by war, and very few landlines still exist. Telecommunications however is currently booming, and Afghanistan's mobile phone network is constantly increasing. Roshan, Afghanistan's most popular network covers all major centres of population, and offers international roaming. It is possible to make international calls from phone offices in most large towns, although these are often expensive. Kabul has plenty of internet cafes, also found in Herat, Mazar-e Sharif and Kandahar. The central post office in Kabul can take international mail; DHL and FedEx have offices in Kabul.

Local Customs
Afghanistan has a traditional and often conservative Islamic society, but a very hospitable one. Visitors should ensure their behaviour does not offend local norms. A basic grasp of the tenets of Islam, and of recent Afghan history is a good place to start, and a few words of Dari or Pashtu go down well. When greeting someone it is customary to shake hands (if a man), followed by placing the right hand on the heart and using the universal Islamic greeting 'Salaam Alaikum' (and the response 'Wa-alaikum as-salaam'). Afghans always engage in 'small talk' before getting down to business- western promptness is often seen as rudeness in Afghan eyes. Drinking of tea is also important, and is a sign of hospitality and respect as much as a drink. Food is always offered and taken with the right hand, as the left is ritually unclean is Islam. Both men and women should dress modestly, covering legs and arms. The section 'Dress and Behavioural Code' of the BAAG Briefing Pack (see top of page) is highly recommended reading for all travellers.

Female Travellers
Afghanistan is a male-dominated country and the popular image of burqa-clad women can be off-putting for female travellers. Women working and travelling in Afghanistan have reported that harassment by men is generally less than in neighbouring Pakistan, although travel in the Pashtun dominated south and east can be wearing. Women travellers are recommended to dress conservatively, wearing loose fitting clothes that hide the body shape, and ideally a headscarf. If travelling with a male companion, women may find that Afghans direct their conversation to the man, although foreign women are often treated a 'third gender' or honorary man and can also gain access to Afghan women that is impossible to a western man. It is not normal for women to shake hands with Afghan men.

For a fuller discussion of issues related to security in Afghanistan, see Safety.