Band-e Amir is a chain of 6 incredible deep blue lakes nestled amidst pink limestone canyons in the mountainous desert of central Afghanistan. They are located high in the Hindu Kush Mountains, the second highest mountain range in the world, at an altitude of 2900 metres, and about 80 kilometres (42 miles) from the ancient town of Bamiyan, where the Taliban destroyed the world’s tallest Buddha statues in 2001.Surrounded by pink towering limestone cliffs almost in complete lack of vegetation, the stunning lakes have intense colors that range from faint turquoise to deep blue. Sometimes they are bluer than the sky and contrast spectacularly over the desert vistas around them.
