Afghanistan 4: Band-e-Amir Lake

A visit to Afghanistan by Weng Hongming and Adam Smith.

"Band-E-Amir holds its place among the wonders of the world. The most famous things often fail to move; Band-i-Amir is above matters of taste, it is beauty itself".

From an old guidebook on Afghanistan, the above comment sums up Band-E-Amir lake well. The waters of the lakes are a shockingly unique blue that seem very bizzare. But it's genuine natural freshwater. Our journey took us from Bamiyan town on a long minibus ride to the lakes early in the morning over ... (more)

Tank Turret
How this happened we dont know. But there you go. A tank turret somehow...

Tea stop
Small tea stop on the way from Bamiyan town to Band-E-Amir lake. A...

150 yrs
This old fella claimed to be 150 years old. His shawl certainly looked...

Jewel
First glimpse of Band-E-Amir lake on the long journey from Bamiyan....

Bad Luck!
The remains of a minibus like ours at the bottom right of the picture. The...

Freshwater
An example of the glorious blue water of the lake. The cliffs are very...

Ming
Ming posing for a shot at lakeside. Immediately behind Ming, the water is...

Depths
Ming hates this pic i took. I was trying to show the deep blue colour of the...

Pool
Hongming walking precariously along the ledge between the lake and the...

Picnic
UN vehicles at lakeside. Staff were inside an eating house enjoying...

Ming
Ming posing for the camera...again.

Spectrum
An Afghan family on a day out at the Lake.

Baby Face
Everybody wanted their photo taken.

Outing
So did they....

Fascination
Everybody gettig in on the act. Notice the 3rd guy on the right with the...

Porthole
Very much like the porthole of a ship looking out to sea.

Contrasts
Colourfull family on a day out at Band-E-Amir lakeside.

Overflow
The waterfall on the edges of the lake. This gave the appearance that...

Toilet
A view from one of the basic toilets.

Overflow
Another angle on the waterfall overflow.

Kaboom!
Sign of a discovered mine, which has yet to be activated. Rocks are...

Mama Njafs
Ming in our room upstairs in Mama Njafs guesthouse in Bamiyan town...

Hazara
The face of a guy sitting next to me in the bus from Bamiyan back to Kabul...

Compression
Our view from the back of the minibus from Bamiyan back to Kabul. The...

Cat Nap
Ming taking one of his naps in a situation in which sleep would be impossible...

article published 9/24/2003

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well I was there in 1975. Traveled from Kabul on that long dusty road and also visited the Bamiyan statue. The lake is beautiful and I stlll remember the classic waterfall where we had a swim.oh Afghanistan!!
— keith dean, November 15, 2009

I was at Band e amir in September 1975. Extraordinary colours in the water of the lakes. Unfortunately I was preoccupied with having overdosed on tetracyclin to try and see off amoebic dysentery! It was still an enchanting spot which I've never forgotten.
— Jim from Leeds England, October 7, 2009

I too traveled from Kabul to Bamyan where I camped for 10 days and then went to Band e Amir but in 1971. It is still in my memory as the most beautiful place I ever saw
— maryse, May 1, 2009

thanks dude for sharing
oh man thanks for sharing our country towords the world me my self iam from bamyan afghanistan who says u would be killed in bamyan actually bamian is the most peacefull place than any other palce in afghanistan so dont be shy we are not eating people come and visit bamian and band amir not just bamian but also punshir kanddahar and tanks very much for this nice pics
— hamdiulah hazara, July 23, 2008

it never ceases to amaze me
I am amazed at how not only how beautiful Band E Amir lake is bas also the very interesting people that were photographed for this article. thank you for sharing it with all of us. :)
— Joee, January 16, 2006

Thanks so much for the terrific pix, and descriptions! I'm glad you didn't get blown up! Who is Adam Smith?
— Eleanor Robb, January 14, 2006

Really you did a great job. Afghanistan is very beaytiful country. Thanks for beautiful pictures.
— veena, August 27, 2005

great job! beutifull country.
— peter norestani, August 26, 2005

i'd never knew it was sooo beautiful....
i must add a comment to the amazing pictures they are so astonishing i'd never knew it was so beautiful in afghistan country.
— shawanda, April 13, 2005

Still Beautiful
I travelled there in 1973...six years before the Russian invasion and subsequent 10 year war. I too travelled up from Kabul to Bamiyan (where the Buddhas were still in beautiful shape) and on to Band-I-Amir. To this day and after visiting some 70 countries around the world, Afghanistan is still my favorite of all. No place like it on earth! Nice pictures...color is spectacular!
— Eddie Beane, December 27, 2003

Medical Student
Dear Friends, Thanks alot for making such nice photos of my country, actually I am from Afghanistan, but you know due to on gooing wars in our country we could not see its beutifule places, hope I could go there at least once!
— Mohammad Shafiq, December 13, 2003

Hi! You know what i want to tell you, don't you? But the others don't. So once again a masterpiece of photographic work!
— Piotr Ptak, September 29, 2003

Documents of healing
Hongming, these images continue to haunt me. Some may be snapshots, others documentary in nature, and some are works of photographic art. Together they show us that the healing has begun in this, one of the most distressed lands on earth. The body language you capture in Tea Stop, and the reality of travel in Afghanistan you portray in Compression, will always linger in my mind. Thank you once again for bringing these images to these pages.
— Phil Douglis, September 27, 2003

Thank you...wonderful photos!!
Very sensitive pictoral...beautiful!!
— Bailey Zimmerman, September 25, 2003

Just as the forbidden fruit,a forbidden place is always fascinating.Cheers!
— STAN., September 25, 2003

amazing pictures
from a still forbidden country for most people. I do not know how you managed to get into Afghanistan and how you travelled around but yours must be the first "tourist" pictures in a long time.
— monique jansen, September 25, 2003

Such a beautiful, deep blue lake.
I envy you guys! Politics & Taliban aside, Afghanistan is surely a beautiful country. The people & culture, the landscape, the exotic-ness of it all... A lot of adventurous backpackers would want to go to Afghanistan now but we can't yet & that's why I envy you guys. Great job!
— [Eltneg], September 25, 2003