Now, you can put Afghanistan on your travel itinerary.

A piece of heaven exists up in the Hindu Kush Mountains in the Bamiyan Province, in the country’s first national park, the Band-e-Amir National Park, which was dedicated recently. The park, according to CNN Correspondent Atia Abawi makes you “feel like you are in heaven,” with its six crystal-blue lakes that are surrounded by heart-stopping cliffs and natural dams.

In the 1960s, the dedication of Band-e-Amir as a national park was canceled because of war. In 2004, Band-e Amir was submitted for recognition as a World Heritage site. Four years later, in 2008, it was finally declared Afghanistan’s first national park.

The previous Taliban rulers of the country had done much damage to the country’s historical heritage, like the famous Buddha statues, which were blasted off sometime in March 2001 and now, stand as mere crater remnants. These Buddha statues were called by some as a “wonder of the world,” being encompassed by sparkling jewels and perfectly chiseled.

During the opening ceremony, National Environmental Protection Agency Director Mustafa Zahir described Band-e-Amir as a beauty that was comparable to poetry “for the mind, for the eyes, and for the soul.”

Band-e-Amir is an azure expanse of a body of water that covers 59,000 hectares of desert land and rock that is surrounded by red limestone. The water that oozes out from the ground is clean and drinkable.

Afghans are proud of Band-e-Amir despite it being difficult to access by residents. The site is a nine-hour drive from Kabul.

Aside from the park being a sign of reconstruction and a renewal of their land, they rely on the national park to help create jobs for them.

One resident comments: “If the government wants to help, have them plant trees. This is the perfect climate. Have the people plant it and there will be jobs for them.”