Why the fuck did they travel to Afghanistan?! is the question burning in your mind right now, and we don’t blame you.
The country is plagued by war and considered one of the most dangerous countries in the world. Sensible governments advise against all but the most essential of travel in Afghanistan. Yet we went without a guide, without an interpreter, and without security.
So why did we?
The answer is simple, if a bit selfish: curiosity. We were curious to learn about its ancient history, spanning thousands of years. We were curious to see what life in the country was really like. We were curious to meet the people.
Why did we travel to Afghanistan?
Thousands of years of history with no one there to see
We wanted to see ancient Balkh, once capital of mighty Bactria, where Zoroastrianism was born and where Timur reigned supreme.
The ruins of the Masjid Sabz, Green Mosque, in Balkh.
To wander through Herat’s ancient citadel and admire its colorful Persian roots.
The Jame Masjid, Friday Mosque, in Herat.
We wanted to explore the Panjshir Valley, where the Mujaheddin held off the Russians, and bombed out tanks still stand as a testament to their strength.
We wanted to explore the caves of Bamiyan and stand before its (sadly desecrated) Buddhas.
Can you spot the buddha enclaves in the background?
Simply put, we wanted to see what Afghanistan had to offer.
Don’t believe everything you see on T.V.
But there’s more to it. When people think of Afghanistan, they think of war and violence, Predator Drones and Taliban, bomb blasts and murder of religious minorities and security personnel. Not people.
Afghanistan is filled with people trying to live their daily lives, constantly coping with the threat of violence while trying to make a living. They laugh together with their friends, they cry together with their families. They are mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers, not just a bunch of angry men with turbans and Kalashnikovs.
We wanted to meet these very real people and hear their stories, to go beyond the news flashes and learn the Afghan people’s perspective.
Where no man dares to tread
Of course, we also take a certain pride in going places where not many other travelers go. Not because it’s “cool” or because it makes us “interesting”—if we wanted that we could’ve hiked through the remote Wakhan Corridor, the only safe place in Afghanistan and a hotspot for people looking to check Afghanistan off their bucket list… sans-risk.
Wandering along the walls of ancient Balkh.
No, we seek out these places because they scream to have their stories told, and are dying to welcome international visitors (other than aid workers) once more. Tell an Afghan you’re a tourist, not an aid worker, and you’ll be blinded by the smile blossoming across their face.
But we might just be insane
We hope that by going here, without any form of protection or hired help, we can show the world it’s possible. If you’re crazy enough to dream of it, you can, too.
Some of you might think we’re foolish. Some of you think we just went to get attention. Some of you might think we’re batshit crazy.
You might be right.
Curious about traveling to Afghanistan, too? Check out our comprehensive Afghanistan travel guide!
This is incredible! And I know what you mean by saying these places “scream to have their stories told” because a lot of the time I do think twice about writing about somewhere that’s been covered so many times by other travel writers/bloggers. I just think no-one’s really interested to read yet another post about X, Y, or Z, which is why I always try to search out quirky or off-beat experiences wherever i go. Whereas when I travel to somewhere that isn’t generally visited by tourists, it excites me a lot more and this comes across in my writing 🙂
We feel the same way. ‘Oh, ANOTHER Cinque Terre post? Urrrrgh…’ It’s definitely possible to find new perspectives, but most people don’t.
You’re much more accomplished than us in that regard! We travel in places where it’s easy to find something no one has covered. It takes more creativity and effort to find off the beaten track things in other countries!
You might be right???
I hope you are both fine, guys, I did not like that last photo.
Haha never fear, we’re alive and well! It was just a bad case of food illness.
This was such a wonderful read! I really commend you for exploring and sharing a part of the world so many of us will never get to see. Hope everything continues to go alright!
Thank you! We’re not commendable, just two curious kids 🙂
Hopefully one day the security situation improves so more people can visit… Afghanistan needs the tourism!
That cliff hanger tho! come onnnnn
No worries, we lived! It was just a bacterial infection from some tap water.
Great to see pictures of Afghanistan. My parents fled the country in the early 80´s as political asylum seekers when the Russians invaded Afghanistan. When I get older I had a constant battle with them to visit Afghanistan. Though I travel the world it is something my parents “do not allow me” – arguing that they did not save my live by bringing me to Germany so that I now risk it and something happens to me over there. I see so many other Afghan German girls visiting and moving back and though Afghanistan is not on very high on my list at the moment I cannot wait to visit one day <3 I love all your gorgeous pictures and am happy you were able to visit 8btw. what happened so you ended up in a hospital?)
We can understand your parents perspective… Afghanistan is still very dangerous, and not the best place to be as a woman. But it’s also important to see your homeland and understand where you come from!
Maybe you should do the same as us and just go and hide it from your parents 😉
As for the hospital, it wasn’t a big deal… We consumed some tap water in the form of soft serve ice cream (we think) and got quite ill and dehydrated. Nothing some fluids and antibiotics can’t fix!
Good for you! I’m sure you found wonderful people. Your photos are a testament to the strength of the basic human bond we all share. Great article.
Thank you Corinne, we certainly did! We fully believe there are good people to be found everywhere, and Afghanistan proved to be the same 🙂
This was an awesome post. I absolutely agree that what you see on TV is never the full or most accurate story. I always try to tell this to family and friends when I’m traveling to less desirable places. I think this is the wonderful thing about travel. We realize that deep down we are all the same. We all have hopes and dreams, we all want to care for our families, we all want to be loved and accepted. Well done! Great post. I hope to make it to Afghanistan one day too!
Precisely Brittany! At the end of the day, we’re all just humans trying to live and enjoy our lives. Unfortunately people don’t think about that, and just absorb what they see on the news…
We hope one day the situation clears enough that people can more safely visit Afghanistan. It has so much to offer!
Superb!!!
Beautiful pictures and people! Afghanistan is on my “wish-list” of places to visit. I hope you’ll be writing much more about this intriguing country and your experiences. Safe & happy travels!
we wish and hope soonly you visit our home land and collect a lot of beautiful memories from here.
you most welcome..
So refreshing to read! Looks like you had a really great time there! I wonder, how did you feel out in the open rural areas? Did noises scare you? Or were you able to really relax and enjoy it?
I’m really interested in your experience, because I totally agree that so many people avoid experiences because they’re scared – and there’s really nothing (much) to be scared of!
The rural areas we went to were actually safer than the cities, so no scares there! The biggest concern for foreigners in Afghanistan is actually kidnapping, not bombings.
We learned that Afghanistan truly is dangerous, so a little bit of fear is probably healthy there. But we agree that in other places, people should really stop and think about whether or not their fear is rational before writing off the destination as dangerous!