It is very rare that you see something with your own eyes, and when you take a photograph of it, it looks the same. This is definitely the case with Band-a-mir Lake, one of the most intsensely blue bodies of water I have ever laid my eyes on.

Band-a-Mir is actually one lake within a chain of many in a mountain region a few hours drive from Bamyan, in northeastern Afghanistan.

Bamyan is famous for the buddhas that were destroyed by the Taliban in April 2001. But if you make it Bamyan, the next question will always be, "Are you going to Band-a-mir?"

We were in Bamyan, and we decided that we were going to answer yes to that question. Loading the cars up early in the morning we drove the 3.5 hours, through small villages, and vast expanses of nothingness except random tanks and grazing sheep. Like an oasis, the first lakes in the chain rose up out of the desert.

The main lake, which is soon going to be turned into Afghanistan's first National Park is stunning. It is actually a large crater, and when you look at it from the north side, you can see the waterspilling over the edge like a giant bathtub, creating waterfalls.

As most things in Afghanistan, development is very basic, and other than a few shops lining the lake selling semi-chilled beverages, there are no restaurants or tourist trap style businesses that usually accompany a stunning piece of nature that could be converted into a commercial viable attraction. One word of advice, go now, before it does turn into a major attraction, and the hordes of people arrive spoiling one of the last great undiscovered natural wonders.