Popular Airport | Mazar i Sharif Intl. Airport |
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Popular Airlines | |
Approximate Flight Duration | 10 hour 20 min |
Approximate Travel Distance | 8301 Km |
Taking a taxi in the morning or evening outside of rush hours is probably the most reliable method of transport to the airport in densely populated Durban. It’s also possible to reach the airport with rented cars or shuttle company buses.
You can reach the airport by taxi from the city centre in around 30 to 50 minutes depending on traffic conditions. It might be a good idea to speak with the taxi driver beforehand and let them know your time of departure to not have any bad surprises for your journey.
The shuttle buses that leave for the airport depart from Durban Station in the city centre, depart once every day at 8:00, 11:00, and 16:00 and reach the airport in around half an hour.
The traffic flows on the left side in Durban, so if you come from a country where you drive on the right it might be a better idea to hire a car with a driver rather than getting behind the steering wheel yourself. If you come from country where cars drive on the left side, you might be more at home with this option.
There is only one terminal in King Shaka Airport where there is an ABSA bank, which opens half an hour before the first flight and closes half an hour after the last flight. In addition, you can find financial services from the ATMs of First National Bank, Nedbank, and Standard Bank. There is a prayer room for Muslims, and a post office that offers services depending on the first and last flights of the day. There are baby and childcare rooms that mothers can use.
In addition to these services, the airport has many lounges. The most exclusive ones are the South African Airways Business Class Lounge, found near the entrance of the terminal, and BIDVest Premier Lounge. In these lounges you can order some food and rest on comfortable seating areas to read books or newspapers.
Airport restaurants include; Cape Town Fish Market, Cosmic Candy, Big Five Duty Free, Fego Coffee Shop, Kauai, KFC, Milky Lane, Mugg&Bean, Panarottis, Rhapsody’s, Spur, Steers, Sweet Treat, The Airport Cellar, and Wimpy. There is also a Yemaya Nail Express, Woolworts, Vodashop, Tie Stop, The Urban Retreat, The Scoin Shop, NWJ Fine Jewellery, Sneakers, Sunglass Hunt, Nike, MTN, Moda Luggage&Leather, Khasav, Jeep, EM Native, and Electro Electronics for your shopping needs.
Mazar I Sharif, a border town close to Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, is the most important and biggest city of Behl Region located in the north of Afghanistan. Due to its geographical location, it has a very strategic position both in terms of politics and transport.
The city has taken its name from the belief that Ali's grave is here. The city center is made up of straight blocks that spread around Ali's tomb and cut each other perpendicularly. When you move towards the city center, all the roads would take you to this big square with the tomb, surrounded by greenery.
Already the intersection of the other roads is also squares. The traffic rules are not generally applied in the city, and as a result, there is a feeling of chaos in the roads. Traffic is almost always cramped.
Bikes and motorcycles are frequently used means of transportation in the city center. It is possible to see luxury cars and horse-drawn cars in traffic together. Mazar I Sharif railroad connects it with the neighbor Uzbekistan and the train reaches the city center. Priority in rail transport is not human transport but merchandise transport. This makes Mazar I Sharif an important trade transfer point for Afghanistan, beyond being a religious destination.
Although there are buses for long distance journeys, transportation in the city center is provided by special vehicles. From here you can go to the capital city of Kabul by bus or plane. If you want to see Belh, the birthplace of Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi, you can reach this old settlement with a 30-minute car journey.
The Mazar I Sharif International Airport is quite small and does not offer transportation to the city center by public transport. You can reach the city center by taxi, rental car or hotel shuttles from the airport which is 12 kilometers east of the city center. The airport does not have regular services. You have to ask when you get there.
Although it is very easy to find in a hostel or motel Mazar I Sharif, there are not much bigger hotels. You should check with your hotel whether or not they provide a shuttle service and make reservation in advance so that they can pick you up from the airport.
Taxi is means of transportation that is frequently used to get to the city center from the airport. If there is not much traffic, you can reach the city center in 16 minutes. It’s a good idea to have a deal about the fare with the taxi driver before you take the cab.
Renting a car is the most preferred method of transportation in Mazar I Sharif since you need to negotiate price with taxis, there are problems about public transportation and it is very convenient for those who want to go to surrounding cities.
Since the roads are not generally asphalt, the Jeep is the most preferred type of vehicle. You can reach the city center in about 16 minutes on a straight road for about 12 kilometers after connecting to the AH76 motorway from the airport connection road.
If you rent a car during your travel, you should be aware that traffic rules are not strictly applied in the city.