Band-e-Amir National Park
Three hours from the city of Bamyan, the earth's crust splits, and a jewel box of glittering blue appears amid the dust. This is Band-e-Amir, Afghanistan's first national park.
Visiting there on a summer weekend, I found myself in the company of a few thousand Afghans dressed in their best silks to hike around the remote, high desert landscape, rent swan boats and swim in crystalline pools purported to possess healing powers.
Click and drag inside the below video for a 360-degree view of the park:
Development groups and local officials hope that the park will attract tourists to Bamyan province. This is Afghanistan's most peaceful region. But unfortunately, visits are throttled by security issues for the moment. Taliban fighters rove the mountain roads leading into Bamyan on three sides.