Published
internationally in July 2003 as Kabul: The Bradt Mini Guide.
First published in Kabul in September 2002
as a pamphlet.
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Last updated May 1 2003 AWCC local GSM Mobile phones and top-up cards can
be bought at the airport, central post office and Intercontinental Hotel.
Handset and SIM card ready to go costs about $300. Quickest place to get more
minutes on your phone is at the Intercon. It costs 56 cents a minute to call
the US and Canada, 58 cents a minute to call Europe and 64 cents to call
Pakistan. Local calls cost 10 cents a minute. A significant saving on the old
Sat phone! www.afghanwireless.com. For international newspapers Hamid Iqbal Co Ltd, Street 14, Number 4, in Wazir Akbar Khan
(tel: 070 27 7629), can deliver international publications to your door, eg:
subscribe to Time (US$8 a month) and the International Herald Tribune (US$90 a month). Flying to Kabul UNHAS flights are still the favoured route for most people
flying from Dubai and Islamabad. UN Dubai flights now cost $400 one way for
all agencies and are restricted to UN, international NGOs and diplomats. Domestic flights to Mazar-e-Sharif, Herat, Kandahar and
Chaghcharan cost US$100. The shorter hops to Bamyian and Jalalabad cost
US$50. Flights to Islamabad also cost US$100 (see Useful
Contacts for emails and telephone numbers and for charter companies). Ariana
Airlines is slowly expanding its schedule (Ariana Afghan Airlines). Destinations include
Frankfurt, Dubai, Delhi and Islamabad. PIA flies from Islamabad to Kabul.
Mahan flies to Tehran. Some thoughts on Ariana from a December 2002
traveller: ARIANA was quite an experience, 3
hours delay in Dubai (as we were waiting we realized that there was a UNHAS
flight flying the same morning – UNHAS had just changed their schedule -
ARGH!). Anyway, we were up for
adventure with a big A, and then Ariana is obviously the right choice. Actually, the flight was very pleasant -
an Airbus offered by Air India (quite colorful seats). Afghan crew and Russian pilot. Security demonstrations were succinct - no
mention of life-jackets - anyway who needs life-jackets once over land-locked
Afghanistan? - The views from the plane were superb now that there is snow
covering most of the mountains.
Smooth (yes!) landing at Kabul airport, with remixed Abba as
background music, and then uncontrolled distribution of luggage which took
approx. 1 1/2 hour. In conclusion, if you want a multi-cultural experience go
for Ariana. If you have a strict schedule don't. From an Afghan travel Agency in Germany: Creative Tourism and Management are
based in the city of Düsseldorf in Germany. Their services are: booking of
Ariana from FRANKFURT to KABUL and return at $722 (incl.tax), DUBAI to KABUL
and return (price on request) DELHI to KABUL and return (price on request).
At the same time we can arrange for our customers in Kabul: HOTEL, GUESTHOUSE, RENTAL CAR with driver,
TRANSLATOR. We are a pure afghan company which means our employees speak
PASHTO, DARI and of course ENGLISH and GERMAN. For Reservations please call:
Tel: 0049 - (0) 211 – 1688870, Fax: 0049 - (0) 211 – 16888777, E-mail: Reisebuero-ctm@T-online.de. Address: CTM
GmbH, Immermannstr.21, 40210, Düsseldorf, Germany. For all your electrical goods go down “Technology Street.” Turn left outside the Khyber
Restaurant and the world of TVs and videos has come to Kabul in force. On the radio in Kabul: 89.0 FM BBC World Service. For traditional carpets check out the old building next door to the money market. Go
across Kabul River on the Froshga pedestrian bridge. To calculate the Islamic year, subtract 621 years from the western Gregorian calendar date.
For example: 2003 – 621 = 1382. The new currency: 2,400 staff being
employed in this massive money-shredding mission. Newly minted Afghanis are
now commonplace and legal tender throughout the capital and the notes are
slowly coming on-line in the provinces as well. The new currency aimed at
creating financial stability was launched on October 7th. The
World Bank is assisting with the operation which involves shredding,
drilling, and burning the old bank notes depending on the technology
available in different parts of the country. Helicopters are being deployed
to distribute the new notes to all the out-lying and bazaars. The operation will take until December. The
devaluation sees three noughts knocked off the usual denomination. Thus
10,000 Afghanis (20 cents) becomes 10 Afghanis; 100,000 Afghanis (US$2)
becomes 100 etc. The new money will replace an estimated 15 trillion Afghanis
in circulation, much of that printed illegally. NB: At the time of
publication (November 2002) there were 50 Afs to the US$. Citywide government curfew was lifted at the beginning of November
2002. It was at 10pm until the end of June. After
the Loya Jirga, it moved to midnight. |
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كابل،
افغانستان |
The Survival Guide to Kabul©
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